Top Five Places to Visit in Canada

Over 16 million people visited Canada in 2012, drawn by the many choices the country has to offer. This country is a top tourist destination because:

• Canada offers a comfortable and high quality of life, and is a safe and peaceful country

• there is a great diversity of natural beauty across the nation, with several UNESCO designated sites and 39 National Parks

 • Canadian cities are often ranked as ones best in the world to visit    

 • Canadian people offer a diverse cultural experience, and are friendly and helpful

Learning more about the top 5 places to see will have you packing your bags to visit Canada.

Banff National Park:

The area around Banff and Lake Louise is Canada's most famous mountain retreat. There is always much to see and do in this Rocky Mountain wonderland. The natural splendor of the area, with its glacial blue lakes, breathtaking mountains, and a great variety of wildlife, from bighorn sheep to grizzly bears, can be overwhelming. You can enjoy the solitude of hiking trails in the summer or the camaraderie of the ski slopes in the winter. A particularly unique feature is the outdoor hot springs in either summer or winter.

Pacific Rim National Park:

While in western Canada, explore the rugged coastal area around Tofino on Vancouver Island. There is a 40 km sandy beach that is a paradise for surfers. Dramatically rugged scenery enhances the luxury of the many first class hotels along the shore. The Pacific Rim Whale Festival is a signature event for this eccentric community.   

Drumheller:
For an interesting change of pace, visit Drumheller, Alberta, and the Dinosaur Provincial Park. These badlands have slowly released significant fossil discoveries from the Age of Reptiles. Some 300 dinosaur skeletons have been discovered, and a large collection is on display in the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in Drumheller.   

Niagara Falls

Every visitor to Canada wants to see the extraordinary waterfalls located on the Niagara River bordering the United States and Canada. Niagara Falls is considered a natural wonder of the world. Visitors can descend into tunnels to stand in openings under the falls to watch and feel curtains of roaring, pounding water. You can book an exhilarating boat cruise right up to the bottom of the falls. A seemingly perpetual rainbow over the water creates a romantic setting for this Honeymoon Capital of the World.

Ottawa
You cannot visit Canada without stopping in Ottawa, the country's capital. Here you can explore the majesty of the British style parliament buildings, the beauty of the Ottawa River and the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage site. There are many government sponsored and private galleries, museums and theaters. Summer and winter festivals abound, and try to catch the Changing of the Guard or the RCMP Musical Ride.   

Honorable Mentions
Seeing these top five places when you visit Canada will only make you want to see more.  The charm of the red sand and Ann of Green Gables in Prince Edward Island will enchant. The history of Louisburg, and the walled city in Quebec City will enthrall. A visit to Churchill, Manitoba might bring you face to face with a polar bear. You will want to visit Canada again for a chance to see other parts of this vast country.

Sam Moser is a freelance content writer who has written almost exclusively for the web since graduating from the School of Journalism at Ryerson University in Toronto, Ontario. Sam has spent the last year travelling around Canada and the States, and has researched how a Canadian immigration lawyer can help travelers.