This isn’t your typical ‘things to do in Canada’ post, filled with the obvious activities such as skiing in Whistler Blackcomb or riding a bicycle around Stanley Park.
In this article, we dive deep into the most incredible, extreme, unique, and life-changing experiences you can find in the Great White North.
Canada is a land rich in natural beauty, wildlife diversity, and cultural heritage, the abundance of which few countries on the planet can compare. Polar bears and caribou roam the tundra in the far reaches of the Arctic while grizzly bears and orca ply the rugged coastline of British Columbia. Picturesque villages lie amongst the jagged peaks of the Rockies, and cosmopolitan Canadian cities bustle with festivals and events that put them firmly on the world stage.
While most people who travel to Canada do so in search of the world’s best ski resorts or a desire to road trip through the Rockies, there is so much more to do in this stunning, incredibly unique destination.
- Rocky Mountaineer
The romance of luxury train travel leans on a forgotten era, where travel was all about the journey, not the destination. In Canada though one company continues to keep the notion of slow travel alive with one of the world’s most spectacular rail experiences.
Rocky Mountaineer has been navigating the tracks through the Canadian Rockies since 1990, bringing guests on an all-inclusive voyage into the heart of the country’s awe-inspiring glaciers, valleys, and jagged peaks.
The most popular route travels between Vancouver and Banff on a 2-day trip, with a night spent in the picturesque town of Kamloops. During the day guests relax in pure luxury, sipping on fine wines, tasting award-winning cuisine, and staring majestically at the panoramic views found beyond the Glass Dome Ceilings of Rocky Mountaineer’s GoldLeaf Service.
In recent years the company has added a number of other routes, including to Banff National Park and Jasper National Park and even into the United States, but it’s near-impossible to beat the iconic First Passage to the West itinerary.
Traveling on Rocky Mountaineer is truly one of the greatest things to do in Canada, and by booking well in advance you can also add other adventures such as sailing the Inside Passage to your trip.
- Polar Bears in Churchill
Located in the northern extremities of Manitoba, on the edge of the enormous Hudson Bay, is the remote village of Churchill, which holds the esteemed reputation as the ‘Polar Bear Capital of the World’.
There are only 25,000 polar bears left on the planet, with 15,000 of those found in Canada’s remote Arctic regions. Polar bears are the earth’s largest apex predator, and despite their position at the top of the food chain, they are under the severe threat of extinction due to climate change.
With dwindling numbers, seeing a polar bear in the wild often requires long expedition cruises or irregular and expensive charter flights to the far-flung corners of the planet. But Churchill, Manitoba defies the norm, being the most accessible place to get up close to these incredible alpha hunters.
