It’s no secret that Canada boasts some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. When many people – ourselves included – think of Canada, they think of mountains, of lakes, and of course, wildlife.
Basically, raw untouched natural beauty.
We certainly found Canada to be deserving of it’s hype!
Canada’s summers are truly magnificent with countless hiking opportunities as well as biking and kayaking being massively popular.
Even the notoriously cold winters are a win when you can ski or shred down a mountain through it’s world-renowned ‘champagne powder’!
For those perhaps needing a break from the Great Outdoors, vibrant cities like Vancouver and Toronto are super fun to explore. As well as being incredibly diverse they are a good way to experience some Canadian culture.
And I don’t just mean ‘watch a hockey game’ (although you totally should!).
Costs
CURRENCY: Canadian Dollar
1 USD = 1.37 CAD
1 GBP = 1.74 CAD
*As of May 2024
Canada is not the cheapest of countries to visit but depending where you’re travelling from your money can go pretty far (the Canadian dollar isn’t the strongest tender).
Travellers can expect to pay upwards of $40 per night for a dorm bed, although cheaper deals can be found in the colder months. Hotel rooms cost into the hundreds it seems.
If camping, the range is even more wild! The good news, however, is that there are plenty of free spots to be found, especially around British Columbia 🙂
While hiking itself is usually free, National and Provincial Parks do of course charge entry fees. Parks Canada is a good place to start online for more information.
Other costs of significance for us were alcohol, certain grocery items (cheese!) and fuel, particularly in the Vancouver area. Again, this is all relative and depends where you’re coming from.
Despite the aforementioned expenses, dining out can be surprisingly good value. Obviously this depends on how lavish a dinner you’re seeking but budget options can be found.
Food
Something everyone associates with Canada, is maple syrup. I mean, their national flag is a giant maple leaf which is a bit of a clue!
And it’s not just an export or product for tourists. Canadians go mad for the stuff! The catch is it’s still pretty pricey. But who is going to go to Canada and not try maple syrup, aye?
While Canada’s love for everything maple is famous, their national dish of poutine is much less well-known on the global stage.
We developed a minor obsession with poutine during our time in Canada. I would love (but maybe hate) to know how many we ate over our 2 years there!
Other Canadian classics that totally warrant a try are Beaver Tails (not actually beaver tails) and, if you find yourself over in Montreal, a Montreal smoked-meat sandwich. Or better yet, Montreal smoked-meat poutine!!
The Journey
Canada is a huge country. The second largest in the world in fact! But despite it’s size, it has [relatively] few people and is one of the most sparsely populated countries.
While we by no means saw everything during our time in Canada, we do like to think we gave it a good go! During our road trip across the country we managed to visit 9 out of 10 provinces and 1 of 3 territories in our self-converted campervan.
We honestly could never pick a single ‘favourite’ place as each province has it’s own charm and beauty. Instead we just recommend a long vacation and hope you get inspired from our blogs and travel tips for Canada.
