How to discover Canada’s different layers

Pause a moment. Breathe in the scent of forested shorelines or frigid mountain peaks. Or deliberately lose yourself amongst bustling city streets that are never too far from wild and rugged nature. Offering both unrivalled natural beauty and cosmopolitan cool, Canada is truly a bucket-list destination.

There’s no better way to explore this vast and diverse northern nation, than with an itinerary tailored by Canadian Affair’s expert team. Let Canadian Affair show you the way to both show-stopping highlights, as well as undiscovered hidden treasures, from coast to coast, and peak to peak. Pack your comfy shoes; with so much to see, you’re going to need them.

Take a circular self-drive and travel along Lake Ontario to experience Canada’s east coast wonders. From Toronto and Ottawa to Montréal and Québec City, Eastern Canada is home to some of the country’s most historic and culturally rich cities to explore.  

Visit them all, with this 12-night self-drive. But don’t think you’re entirely city bound. Connected by vast swathes of forest, rolling hills and calm lakes, you’ll get a taste for Canada’s vast wilderness too.

So, venture east to taste the unique flavour of French Canada, from its shuttered houses and chateaux to rich cuisine. Montréal’s world-class museums and galleries beckon and the 1000 Islands region is best experienced by boat between forested islands and tranquil river ways. Québec City’s cobbled streets are calling to be explored and never cease to charm. Forested Algonquin Park is the ideal place to switch off and paddle by canoe. End your adventure at the iconic Niagara Falls, and feel the mist on your face as you witness the tumble of the falls up close. 

Hot springs bubble under canopies of pine, as waves break on rocky shores. Balconied wooden houses and serene beach-rimmed islets dot gentle harbours.

Both politely picturesque, and unpredictably rugged, Vancouver Island’s beauty is so varied that the only way to truly get to know it, is to take time to deeply explore it. This premium 10-night escorted tour takes it all in, from Indigenous experiences to iconic wildlife.

After a couple of nights on the mainland in Vancouver, dwell a while in charming Victoria, British Columbia’s capital city. Walk through the blooms of Butchart Gardens, find a waterside patio in the sun for some island-grown wines, and explore Canada’s oldest Chinatown.

Look out to the Southern Gulf Islands as you make your way to Tofino for gourmet food by the surf, and lighthouse trails through the forest. Bear watch in the north, or kayak silent coves where the rainforest meets the sea.

Get to know a different side of Canada as you explore craggy coastlines and picturesque towns across the Canadian Maritimes, a region uniquely tied to the sea.

Experience an authentically warm welcome as you self-drive through New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island, catching ferries from island to mainland, exploring expansive national parks, and staying in quaint, cosy country inns.

Start in Halifax, where imposing stone and shutter board houses sit beneath the columned Citadel. Stop by the southern coast of New Brunswick, where the world’s highest tidal range daily reveals the depths of the ocean floor in the Bay of Fundy. Shediac village, the lobster capital of the world, is an ideal lunch stop before you head to Canada’s smallest province, Prince Edward Island.

And take one of the most scenic drives in Canada, as you bound across the Cabot Trail. This 300km drive cuts a swathe across Cape Breton’s wind and water-lashed coastline, scaling the highlands before dipping into colourful fishing villages. Return each night to the cosy magic of a country inn.

From neon blue lakes, to piercing white glaciers atop jagged limestone peaks, the spellbinding magic of the Canadian Rockies is anything but subtle. Its jaw-dropping beauty must be seen, but even then you might not always believe it.

Get to the heart of the Rockies with this Canadian Rockies By Rail & Road trip. Board the iconic Rocky Mountaineer, where glazed domed viewing cars let you drink in ever changing vistas, while enjoying first-class hospitality. A two-day journey transports you from Vancouver to the adventure-loving mountain town of Jasper. From there, the open road awaits.

Take things at your own pace – stopping to hike to mountainside teahouses in log cabins, soak in hot springs, walk atop glaciers, or ride gondolas to the peaks – as you drive the Icefields Parkway. It’s frequently named one of the world’s most beautiful drives for good reason. Keep your eyes peeled for bear, moose, elk and more as you wind your way to Lake Louise, Banff and Calgary.

Clouds climb down the peaks of British Columbia’s forested fjords, like cobwebs. This is a coastline of vast, often entirely untouched temperate rainforest, where ancient cedars tower over intricate, steep-sided ocean inlets. It’s wild out here, where humpbacks breach the inky waters without warning, and grizzlies gather to await the returning salmon.

Canadian Affair’s nine-night Grizzly Bears & Pacific Shores route takes you deep into nature with a stay at the Knight Inlet Lodge, a floating lodge tucked into Glendale Cove. Located in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest, it’s one of the best places in the world to view grizzly bears in their natural environment. From May to October, the bears return to the shores to graze and hunt.

Feed your appetite as you stroll around Vancouver where renowned chefs use the bounty of the sea for world-class sushi and more. Then make your way to Tofino to feed the soul. Surrounded by raging waves, this surf town on Vancouver Island is your base to explore the Pacific Rim National Park’s endless sandy beaches. End on a high in Victoria where out at sea, you’ll seek orca and humpbacks, keeping your eyes peeled for seals and otters.