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Must Do Canada

The Best Things to Do in Canada

Ah yes. Fishing, Fiddles and Jigs Dinner. This is a side of Canada you're bound to fall in love with.

Atlantic Canada packs a completely different vibe than you'll find anywhere else in the country. Lighthouses, bright coloured houses, fishing, and old-fashioned hospitality are just a few of the things that stand out. We're still working hard on this section but check below for the best things to do in Atlantic Canada.

Things To Do in New Brunswick

By Matthew G. Bailey 8 Comments

Things to do in new brunswick
Peering out through a rock formation to the Bay of Funday from Hopewell Rocks, New Brunswick.

Updated: September 14, 2020

Underrated and yet incredibly beautiful, New Brunswick surprised us in so many ways. It’s one of the four Atlantic Provinces of Canada, and the only province in the country with both English and French as official languages. While the province covers a land area the size of Ireland, there are only 750,000 inhabitants, leaving tons of room for visitors to explore the vast natural landscapes of the province, including quaint seaside towns, small historical cities, gorgeous natural scenery, delicious seafood, and fun activities like rappelling and zip-lining.

From kayaking some of the highest tides in the world to walking around the historic streets of Fredericton, New Brunswick is an awesome province to explore.

To learn more about New Brunswick, including what to do, where to go, and how to get there, this travel guide is for you! [Read more…] about Things To Do in New Brunswick

Things To Do in Prince Edward Island

By Matthew G. Bailey 8 Comments

things to do in pei

Updated: September 8, 2020

With stunning coastline and beautiful red sand, Prince Edward Island has become a popular Canadian Maritime destination. It’s small and picturesque, unique in its history, and home to an incredible cuisine with some of the freshest seafood available anywhere in the world. Whether you’re looking to eat fresh mussels right next to the sea, learn about Canada’s history, get outdoors, or go on an epic coastal road trip, Prince Edward Island should be on your Canadian bucket list.

PEI is also the smallest province in Canada, and so unlike our other provincial travel guides, we’ll focus on the entire province rather than splitting it out into different regions. After all, you can drive the entire length of the island in less than three hours. It is, however, sandwiched in-between other Atlantic provinces as well, such as New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland.

To learn more about Prince Edward Island, including what to do, where to go, and how to get there, this travel guide is for you! [Read more…] about Things To Do in Prince Edward Island

Best Things To Do in Nova Scotia in 2021

By Matthew G. Bailey 21 Comments

 

Updated: January 5th, 2021

From the Atlantic ocean to the wine region of Annapolis, Nova Scotia is an incredible province to explore. For anyone looking for that maritime charm, this province has a lot to offer, and we’ve broken it down into a comprehensive list of the best things to do in Nova Scotia.

Located on the Eastern edge of Canada, but not an island like Newfoundland, Nova Scotia is easily visited from Quebec, New Brunswick, and even the USA.

Explore Canada’s top national historic site in Halifax or walk around the charming streets of Lunenburg. Drive one of the country’s top road trips in Cape Breton, or go rafting on some of the highest tides in the world in the Bay of Fundy.

With so many attractions in Nova Scotia, this province is bound to become one of your favourite places in the country. Whether you’re planning to explore the cities, the coastline, or everything in-between, we’ve got you covered in this comprehensive travel guide. [Read more…] about Best Things To Do in Nova Scotia in 2021

Things To Do in Newfoundland in 2020

By Matthew G. Bailey 30 Comments

best things to do in newfoundland
Colourful fishing village near St. john’s, Newfoundland, Canada.

Last updated: April 20th, 2020

Best Things To Do in Newfoundland

Easily one of our favourite provinces to explore, Newfoundland is an incredible place to add to your Canadian bucket list. We’ve visited Newfoundland many times and from May 15th to May 27th, 2017, Newfoundland became the first part of our 150-day Canada road trip travel series. We experienced icebergs, kitchen parties, history, and gorgeous landscapes. We also experienced a mix of sun, wind, rain, fog, and cloudy weather. This is all part of visiting Canada’s most Easterly province during the month of May. However, this is when icebergs begin to make their way down the Atlantic and one of the few places in the world where you can see them in all their glory.

Newfoundland is such an incredible place to explore and it is quite unique compared to the rest of Canada. We were blown away with the hospitality of the locals and by their eagerness to help us experience their great province in various ways. From the moment we touched down in St. John’s, people helped organize parties, tours, and activities all across the province, and some even took us out for dinner.

Newfoundland really is a special place. Whether you’re looking for icebergs, wildlife, incredible scenery, stunning hikes, delicious food, or a joyful atmosphere, Newfoundland is the place to be.

When planning a trip to Newfoundland, it’s always helpful to know what are the best things to do. We have a number of articles about Newfoundland on this site but this one is dedicated to showcasing some of the best things to do in the entire province, most of which have been experienced by us. We hope this becomes a great travel guide for your next trip to Newfoundland.

We hope you enjoy the article and we hope we inspire you to visit this wonderful province.  [Read more…] about Things To Do in Newfoundland in 2020

Things to do in St Pierre and Miquelon – North America’s France

By Matthew G. Bailey 11 Comments

saint pierre and miquelon

Last updated: January 4th, 2021 

From the moment you step on to St Pierre and Miquelon, you’ll know you’re not in Canada anymore. Little Peugeots and Renaults cruise the roads while ATMs spit out euros. French flags flap in the wind and suddenly everyone speaks French.

It’s a true taste of France just twenty-five kilometres from Newfoundland. Most people, including Canadians, have no idea that “Europe” is so close.

St. Pierre & Miquelon is a self-governing French territory accessible by ferry from Newfoundland or by plane from St. John’s, Halifax, Montreal, and even Paris. You’ll find baguettes, croissants, and Bordeaux. The time zone is different, the electrical outlets are different, and if you leave your cell phone on, you’ll be charged international rates.

There are essentially two islands – Saint Pierre and Miquelon. St. Pierre is the smaller island but is the most populated and developed, with approximately 5500 residents. Miquelon is much bigger in size but has only 600 residents or so, making it far wilder.

There’s also Langlade, which is connected to Miquelon by a beautiful sand bar. No one lives here but there are some summer cabins. Both Miquelon and Langlade are great for exploring the landscape, hiking, and bird-watching. Saint Pierre, however, is better if you’re looking for that “french town” feel, as well as history and culture.

[Read more…] about Things to do in St Pierre and Miquelon – North America’s France

Experiencing Newfoundland’s Iceberg Festival

By Matthew G. Bailey Leave a Comment

icebergs newfoundland iceberg alley

Last updated: March 20th, 2020

Smack dab at the top of Newfoundland’s Northern Peninsula, St. Anthony’s is a great place to experience Newfoundland culture during the Iceberg Festival. Beginning around early to mid-June, the Iceberg Festival was built to celebrate the arrival of the icebergs and offers a unique chance to experience Newfoundland culture that few tourists would see otherwise. Since we had only four days to explore the festival, we reached out to the Viking Trail Tourism who agreed to help us out with an itinerary and to help sponsor our visit.

We began our drive up the coast on June 12th, as the rain poured down. Spring is an unpredictable season in Newfoundland, and the chances of getting rainy, cloudy, and foggy days are higher than in the summer. It’s all part of the experience though if you’re hoping to see icebergs. After all, these are gigantic ice cubes. [Read more…] about Experiencing Newfoundland’s Iceberg Festival

Newfoundland Travel – The Viking Trail

By Matthew G. Bailey 6 Comments

l'anse aux meadows

Snaking its way along the Northern peninsula coast, the Viking Trail is one of Canada’s best road trips. At 489 km, the journey can be done in as little as five hours. However, to truly appreciate what the route had to offer, you’ll want to spend as much time as you can. With so many scenic communities, coastline, historical sites, and majestic Gros Morne National Park, one could spend an entire month here and not get bored. Whether you love nature, culture, wildlife, or simply a scenic drive, the Viking Trail is one for the bucket list. [Read more…] about Newfoundland Travel – The Viking Trail

How to Plan the Ultimate Canada Road Trip

By Matthew G. Bailey 4 Comments

things to do in alberta road trips

Even though we love to jump on planes and travel around the world, our favourite form of travel is a good old classic road trip. There’s something special about being in control of your own transportation and being able to go wherever you want, whether that’s a small town, a big city, or an off-the-beaten-path gem. There’s also something great about stuffing what you need into a car and not worrying about baggage restrictions, lost luggage, and people throwing away your cologne and hand creams.

Road trips are a popular mode of travel in many countries around the world but there’s hardly a better place than Canada. As the worlds second largest country, Canada is best explored by vehicle. The Trans-Canada Highway runs all the way from Newfoundland to British Columbia, paving a path of more than 7,800 kilometres. Then there’s the North, which is now connected by road all the way to the arctic ocean in Tuktoyaktuk, NWT. There’s major cities, small towns, and breath-taking scenery all along the way. [Read more…] about How to Plan the Ultimate Canada Road Trip

13 Canada Road Trips That Will Blow Your Mind in 2020

By Matthew G. Bailey 9 Comments

Icefields Parkway Banff to Jasper
Driving the Icefields Parkway in the fall.

Last updated: March 23rd, 2020

If the thought of being behind the wheel while driving amongst some of the most beautiful scenery in the world gets you going, then this is the article for you. As world travellers that specialize in Canada travel, we’ve done some epic road trips in our lifetime, including the Australian East Coast, the Oregon Coast, California, and parts of Mexico, Malaysia, Peru, and New Zealand. Still, nothing compares to the 150-day road trip across Canada in 2017. Comprising over 27,000 kilometres of asphalt (and some dirt roads as well), we got to explore Canada from coast to coast to coast. However, not everyone has 150 days to dedicate to driving across Canada. Therefore, we wanted to dissect some of the best parts of our Canadian road trip so that you can experience a slice of Canada on your next road trip vacation.

While there are many other road trips not listed here, as well as a variety of incredible destinations that may not include an iconic road trip, we believe these 13 itineraries below are the best road trips in Canada and a great way to design your own Canada tour. [Read more…] about 13 Canada Road Trips That Will Blow Your Mind in 2020

Exploring Stonehammer Geopark

By Alison Cornford-Matheson Leave a Comment

things to do in new brunswick

Saint John, New Brunswick is home to the first UNESCO Geopark in Canada, called Stonehammer. If you think geology is boring this site and its wide variety of activities will change your mind.

When I was growing up in Saint John, New Brunswick, I took the landscape for granted. I didn’t give our rugged coastline, impenetrable forests, and lush river valleys more than a passing thought, much less consider the ground beneath my feet.

I wasn’t alone. Most Saint Johners could tell you a bit about our Reversing Rapids when the Bay of Fundy’s relentless high tides pushes the gushing St. John River back upstream. But few of us considered the geology around those rapids – that is until UNESCO came to town.

UNESCO is most known for its catalogue of World Heritage Sites but, in addition to preserving culture and human history, the organization also brings awareness to diverse ecosystems and landscapes. The UNESCO Global Geopark system focuses on the ground beneath our feet and the eons of history our geology represents. [Read more…] about Exploring Stonehammer Geopark

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