Canada is so large that no single trip can cover it properly. These are the experiences most worth planning around.
Banff and Jasper National Parks, Alberta
The Canadian Rockies are among the most spectacular mountain landscapes on earth, and these two adjacent parks are the easiest way in. Turquoise glacial lakes (Moraine Lake, Peyto Lake, Lake Louise), wildlife — bears, elk, bighorn sheep — alongside the road, and a well-developed infrastructure of hiking trails and mountain lodges. The Icefields Parkway between Banff and Jasper, 232 km of mountain scenery, is one of the world's great drives. Go in June or September to avoid the worst crowds.
Old Québec City
North America's only walled city north of Mexico, Québec City's Upper Town (Haute-Ville) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Château Frontenac towers over the St. Lawrence. The fortification walls are intact and walkable. Below in the Lower Town (Basse-Ville), Place-Royale is where Samuel de Champlain founded the city in 1608. It's genuinely historical and genuinely beautiful. In January, the Winter Carnival transforms the whole city into a celebration.
Vancouver and Vancouver Island
Vancouver sits between mountains and ocean in a way few cities manage. Stanley Park, one of the world's great urban parks, juts into Burrard Inlet with the downtown skyline as backdrop. From Vancouver, the ferry to Victoria and Vancouver Island opens up old-growth rainforest, whale watching, and some of Canada's best seafood.
Montréal
Canada's most European city — genuinely bilingual, with a food and nightlife culture that punches well above its weight. The Plateau neighbourhood, the markets, the underground city (an actual underground pedestrian network), Parc du Mont-Royal, and the sheer density of good restaurants make Montréal one of North America's finest cities to spend a week in.
Newfoundland
The oldest part of European North America, and still the most apart. St. John's has the most distinctive townscape in the country — brightly coloured row houses on steep hills above the harbour. The Newfoundland accent is unlike anything else on the continent. Gros Morne National Park, a UNESCO site, has fjords and ancient geology. L'Anse aux Meadows is where Norse explorers landed around 1000 CE.
Churchill, Manitoba
One of the world's best places to see polar bears (October–November) and beluga whales (July–August) in the wild. Getting there is part of the adventure — fly or take the two-day train from Winnipeg. Remote, cold, extraordinary.
The Cabot Trail, Cape Breton
A 298 km loop road around Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, through the Cape Breton Highlands. Highlands meet ocean in a way that genuinely resembles Scotland (this was Highland Scots territory). Best in September for fall colours. Strong Celtic musical tradition in the towns.
Northern Lights
Visible from Whitehorse, Yellowknife, Churchill, and many points north from roughly September to March. Yellowknife and Whitehorse are the easiest bases, with good aurora-watching infrastructure. Even seeing them once justifies the cold.