Canada transforms into a winter wonderland when snow blankets its many landscapes, offering unique experiences that simply aren’t possible during the warmer months. A winter trip rewards the adventurous with lower prices (including on hotels) and fewer travellers.
Off-season travel in Canada isn’t just about saving money, though. This is a country that truly knows how to embrace the colder seasons. Travel in winter is about experiencing iconic locations such as Banff National Park or Québec City with breathing room, capturing crowd-free photographs, and connecting with locals who have time to share their stories. Here are the top experiences in Canada during winter.
Northern lights: Nature’s greatest light show
Dark winter skies create perfect conditions for witnessing the famed aurora borealis. While many travellers head to Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories, there are accessible viewing opportunities right across the country. Jasper National Park in Alberta offers the world’s second-largest Dark Sky Preserve, where the northern lights dance against a dramatic mountain backdrop. Parts of northern Ontario provide opportunities to see this natural phenomenon without traveling to the Arctic, too.
Natalie’s insider tip: The best time for aurora viewing is during the winter months, particularly January and February, when skies are clearest. Download an aurora forecast app and be prepared to venture out between 10.00pm and 2.00am when activity typically peaks.
Read next: Where to see the northern lights in Canada
Winter festivals: Celebrating the season
Canadians don’t hibernate: they celebrate winter with festivals that showcase ice sculptures, striking snow architecture and timeless cultural traditions. Ottawa’s Winterlude transforms the country’s capital into a playground of ice sculptures and activities along the frozen Rideau Canal, which becomes the world’s largest natural skating rink.
Quebec Winter Carnival (Carnaval de Québec) stands as North America’s largest winter festival, featuring spectacular night parades, ice canoe races and the jovial Bonhomme, the festival’s iconic snowman mascot.
Nearby, the Hôtel de Glace offers an awe-inspiring complement to the carnival. Each winter, this architectural marvel is reconstructed entirely of snow and ice, featuring themed suites, an ice chapel and a bar where even the glasses are made of ice.
Natalie’s insider tip: Book accommodations for winter festivals at least three months in advance. These events draw significant domestic tourism even when international visitors are fewer.
Read next: 9 of the top festivals in Canada
Wildlife viewing: Unique winter encounters
While summer is typically associated with wildlife viewing, winter offers rare opportunities to spot specific species. In Manitoba’s Churchill, polar bears can be observed returning from their summer habitats to Hudson Bay as it freezes over in early winter.
On Vancouver Island, the winter months bring thousands of bald eagles to feast on salmon runs, creating one of the densest eagle gatherings in North America. Meanwhile, in Jasper and Banff National Parks, wildlife such as elk, moose and wolves are clearly visible against the snowy backdrop.
Ice experiences: frozen adventures
The cold weather creates some incredible natural phenomena that are impossible in the warmer weather too. For example, at Alberta’s Abraham Lake, frozen methane bubbles trapped in the clear ice during winter create mind-blowing photographs. Meanwhile, on Ontario’s Lake Superior, ice caves form along the shoreline when waves freeze into eye-popping blue ice formations.
Read next: 9 of the best places to visit in Canada
Winter hiking: trails transformed
Many of Canada’s famous hiking trails transform into snowshoe routes in winter. In Banff National Park, the Johnston Canyon Ice Walk takes visitors through a frozen landscape of waterfalls suspended in time and space.
On the east coast, Cape Breton Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia offers winter hiking with ocean views, where the contrast between the Atlantic’s deep blue and the snow-covered cliffs creates dramatic panoramas.
Natalie’s insider tip: Many parks offer guided winter hikes where equipment is provided. These tours often include historical and ecological information which enhance this outdoor experience.
Urban winter exploration: cities in snow
Canadian cities don’t shut down in winter: they adapt with extensive underground networks. Toronto’s PATH and Montreal’s Underground City allow for exploration of urban centres without having to brave the cold. Vancouver also presents the rare opportunity to experience mountain snow and beach walks in the same day, with its unusually mild winter climate (by Canadian standards…).
For the culinary traveller, winter brings special treats that connect visitors to centuries of Canadian tradition. From fresh maple taffy poured on snow at sugar shacks in Québec, to hearty bison stews in prairie provinces, to warming Caribou cocktails (French-Canadian mulled wine) at winter festivals, the comfort foods of Canadian winter provide not just sustenance but cultural experiences.
Read next: 11 top things to do in Toronto
