June to August

With long warm sunny days, summer is a great time of year to visit Canada and make the most of all the incredible outdoor activities on offer; hiking mountain trails in the Rockies, white water rafting in the Yukon, kayaking in Quebec or even surfing on Vancouver Island!

This is a great time to spot bears foraging for berries all over the country and it’s also the best time to catch huge pods of belugas congregating in Hudson Bay. Humpback whales also visit the shores of the Newfoundland in the summer months. 

The cities are also delightful; soak up the sun in Vancouver with its eight beaches or watch the world go by in Montreal’s café patios. In Calgary the whole city goes cowboy crazy in July during the Calgary Stampede. 

Festivals & Events

The Calgary Stampede, July: 'The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth', showcasing world class rodeos, concerts, parades and stunning fireworks. Book early, the Stampede is incredibly popular!

Just for Laughs Festival, Montreal, July: The world’s top comedians gather in one of the largest and certainly most famous festivals of its kind in the world. 

Bluesfest Ottawa, July: A ten day music festival showcasing the best of Blues and mainstream music.

 

September to November

The Autumn is a wonderful time to visit Canada with spectacular fall foliage, fun festivals and magical wildlife encounters.

In the east there are some wonderful autumnal colours with spectacular fall foliage all over Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes to rival anything you'll find in New England.

It’s a fantastic time for wildlife spotting too. The salmon are running on the Pacific Coast drawing huge numbers of predators to feast, from orcas offshore to grizzly bears upriver, and it's rutting season for moose in Algonquin National Park, north of Toronto. Over on Canada's east coast, September and October are superb months to spot humpback and blue whales in the St Lawrence River and polar bears come to play in the arctic town of Churchill in Manitoba as the pack ice begins to form.

Festivals & Events

Salmon Run, British Columbia, Late August & September: On the Pacific coast, hundreds of thousands of salmon surge their way into the rivers and inlets. Orcas gather in the Juan de Fuca Strait in huge numbers to feed and in the forests of BC grizzly bears congregate to hook the flying salmon. Lodges fill up a long way in advance – look to book up to 12 months in advance.

Okanagan Wine Festival, British Columbia, October: Over 165 events during the grape harvest throughout the Okanagan wine region featuring vineyard tours, tastings, speciality dining and harvest celebrations. 

Celtic Colours Festival, Cape Breton Nova Scotia, October: 9 days of concerts, dances and parties celebrating the regions Celtic roots featuring musicians and artists from all over the world.

’Magic of Lanterns Festival', Montreal, September & October: Hundreds of Chinese lanterns illuminate the Chinese Garden of the Botanical Gardens.

Niagara Wine festival, Ontario: Over 100 events including tours of wineries, tastings, concerts and one of Canada’s largest street parades.

 

December to March

Winter can be the most magical time to visit Canada with wonderful festivals and activities ranging from snowmobiling and dog sledding to stays in magical ice hotels. For incredible snow-sure skiing in some of the world’s finest resorts, head west to visit legendary Whistler and the spectacular ski resorts of the Canadian Rockies or east to the charming village of Tremblant.

Winter also brings a host of festivals. Delight in Quebec City’s Winter Carnival, skate the Rideau Canal in Ottawa during the enchanting Winterlude, enjoy Banff’s festive atmosphere throughout its fantastic Snow Days event and don’t miss the Ice Magic Festival on Lake Louise, when talented artists create incredible ice sculptures. It’s also a wonderful time to catch the awe-inspiring Northern Lights, with ribbons of greens, pinks and blues dazzling the night sky in Yukon.

Festivals & Events

Quebec Winter Carnival, February: One of the world's largest winter carnivals. Thousands of visitors enjoy a range of activities including the famous ice canoe race, night parades, snow sculptures and Bonhomme's Ice Palace.

Winterlude, Ottawa, February: A unique winter festival featuring snow and ice sculpture competitions, snow playgrounds, skating and sporting events. Focal point of the event is the Rideau Canal which is transformed into the world's largest ice rink.

Banff Snow Days: January: A free 11-day event, centered around massive snow sculptures in downtown Banff. A host of events run through the month with winter sports and activities popping up in the heart of the town including hockey, curling, an ice playground and a 40ft ice climbing wall. The international Ice Sculpting competition in Lake Louise runs at the same time.

 

April to May

As the country throws off its snowy cape and the thermometer rises, spring can be a lovely time to visit Canada. Although the days are getting longer and warmer it's a relatively quiet time to visit, meaning prices are lower and hotel and lodges are far less busy. 

Canada bursts into life and colour at this time of the year. Vancouver’s Cherry Blossom Festival is a spectacular time to visit the city with over 45,000 cherry trees bursting into bloom. Ottawa’s tulip festival is even more colourful with over a million bulbs flowering, gifts from a grateful Dutch people for sheltering the royal family during World War II. Over in Nova Scotia’s Bay of Fundy, orchards are ablaze with colour during the Apple Blossom Festival and it’s also a wonderful time to catch icebergs sailing down ‘Iceberg Alley’ off the coast of Newfoundland.

Bears begin to emerge after their hibernation throughout the country and grey whales visit the west coast on Vancouver Island during this time.

Festivals & Events

Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival, April: A number of events celebrate this spectacular natural phenomenon including music concerts, art classes, guided walks, bike rides, and Japanese cultural events celebrating the original gift of 500 cherry trees to the city from Japan.

Ottawa Tulip Festival, May: The largest event of its kind in the world featuring over a million tulips and drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors

Apple Blossom Festival, Nova Scotia: Celebrates the start of Spring with a host of festivities and events, including parades, concerts and fireworks displays.

 

Summer is a hugely popular time to visit Canada with many properties in the national parks filling up months in advance, so it pays to think as far in advance as you can if you want to visit during this time. You may also want to consider visiting Canada during spring and autumn as an alternative as room availability is better, trails are quieter and prices can be up to 40% lower!

Take a look at our Canada Holidays pages for more inspiration on how to enjoy this magnificent country.