Canada’s resident wildlife is particularly active in Autumn. In the Rockies, the elk move to lower elevations and all over Canada, bears are actively foraging as they pack on as much fat as possible before winter. On the Pacific coast, hundreds of thousands of salmon surge their way into the rivers and inlets. Orcas congregate in the Juan de Fuca Strait in huge pods up to 80 strong to take advantage of this bounty and upstream the spectacle of grizzly bears converging on the spawning channels to hook the flying salmon is one of nature’s great wildlife events. Spaces in the lodges are going fast so book now. Over on the east coast, September and October are superb months to spot whales in the St Lawrence River. Over 13 species inhabit the bay including humpbacks and blue whales.

The wine harvest is being gathered in all over the country (did you know Canada has over 700 licensed wineries?) with festivals celebrating in style. In September enjoy over 100 events including tours of wineries, tastings, concerts and one of Canada’s largest street parades at the Niagara Wine festival in Ontario, whilst British Columbia takes the limelight in October with the Fall Okanagan Wine Festival.

Or why not try the Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival in Calgary or The Whistler Village Beer Festival? It’s not all about food and drink though. You can admire Canada’s finest female suffers at Tofino’s Queen of the Peak surf championship on Vancouver Island, wander amongst the hundreds of brightly lit Chinese lanterns in Montreal’s enchanting ’Magic of Lanterns’ festival or soak up the sounds at Cape Breton’s renowned Celtic Colours Festival featuring musicians and artists from all over the world. Head to Calgary and Edmonton for fun Oktoberfests or Jasper National Park for incredible starry nights at the annual Dark Sky Festival.

If you thought the only place to enjoy spectacular fall foliage was in New England then think again. Nature knows no boundaries and those very same forests that ‘leaf peepers’ lust after in the USA sweep straight over the border into eastern Canada and you can see spectacular fall foliage displays all over Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes. The Laurentians, north of Montreal in Quebec, boast over 22,000 square kilometres of forest clad hillsides and from mid September to the end of October, they explode into swathes of scarlet and amber hues. Equally as eye-popping are the vast maple groves of Algonquin Provincial Park, just north of Toronto, that burst into a gorgeous palate of burnt orange, yellows and crimson.

Travel to Canada in September and October and you’ll be able to avail yourself of some incredible offers.

Flights to Canada can be up to 40% cheaper than the summer, saving you hundreds of pounds. Hire a family size care for two weeks in Autumn and you could save yourself 20% against what you’d have paid in July. Even hotels are routinely 30% cheaper in October than they are in July. What’s more you’ll have your pick of the hotels and lodges, many of which can get booked up many months in advance for summer stays, especially in the heart of the national parks. Looking to travel on the renowned Rocky Mountaineer train? The 8 day Western Explorer tour taking in Calgary, Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper National Park and Vancouver is over £600pp cheaper travelling in October than it is for the same journey in July!

Take a look at our inspirational Canada Holidays pages for ideas on how to enjoy this magnificent country with Trailfinders.