Despite its famously cold temperatures, winter in Canada offers great holiday options. The country is well adapted to the cold, and there’s almost more to see and do than in the summer.
You’ll get a true taste of Canadian life and, if you’re a winter sports enthusiast, you’ll be in your element. Whether you’re in one of the cities or heading for a more rural area, it’s a great time to visit.
Winter in Canada also brings out the best of its natural beauty. Ot if that’s not your thing, there are plenty of festivals and some unique experiences to be had. From Vancouver in the far west to Toronto in the east, the whole of Canada beckons you on a fairy-tale winter holiday.
What to pack for Canada in winter
Canada in winter gets cold, down to -25°C in parts of the country. To ensure you enjoy your trip pack wisely. The key is to wear layers of clothing, and the most important part of this is a good base layer. Merino wool is a good option as it’s very warm and doesn’t feel scratchy.
On top of your base layer (leggings and undershirt), wear a second layer of pants and a warm jumper. Then cover this with your outerwear, and add a warm beanie or some other kind of winter hat. Also make sure to bring plenty of warm socks, made of heat-regulating wool. A pair of really warm walking boots completes your basic outfit – make sure they are completely waterproof to withstand the snow in Canada during winter.
You should also bring plenty of warming accessories, like a pair of gloves, a scarf and an insulating outer jacket. Take lots of sun protection with you too – it may be winter, but the sun reflecting off the snow still contains a lot of UV rays. Sunscreen. lip balm and a good moisturiser are necessities. Cover your entire body, including your face and make sure to have a hearty breakfast every day to fortify you internally against the cold.
Canada in December is a special time
Book your Canada winter holiday over Christmas and enjoy all the activities in the December run-up to the festive season. The cities show off snowy Canada to perfection, without the snowfall being too heavy. The buildings are well insulated and the underground shopping centres are warm and cosy.
Cities to visit this winter
Christmas time in Quebec
The French-Canadian province of Quebec goes all out for Christmas during December. The region steps out to showcase its mixed cultural heritage. There are spectacular live shows to watch, and street lighting seems out of this world. It’s a good place to start your Canadian holiday and get accustomed to the weather.
Festive entertainment in Montreal
The capital of Quebec and the largest French-Canadian city, Montreal adds a European flavour to the country. It’s an especially attractive option for live entertainment with a festive season theme. Among the highlights is the Cirque du Soleil winter performance. You can also watch Christmas fireworks displays every Saturday.
The Christmas lights of Quebec City
Quebec City is famous for its wondrous Christmas lights. You can tour the city and pretend you’re in some mythical city. The various suburbs choose different themes and design quite spectacular festive lighting. Head to Old Quebec and see the displays in the Quartier Petit Champlain, Chateau Frontenac and Rue de Petit-Champlain at night time.
Where to stay: Unusual winter accommodation
While you’re in Ottawa, you can treat yourself to a once-in-a-lifetime experience – staying in a traditional igloo. You’ll find this accommodation at Auberge Le P’tit Bonheur. Or you can take it a step further and stay in an ice hotel. The Hotel de Glace in Quebec City is the only one of its kind in North America; a hotel completely built out of ice.
What to eat this winter in Canada
Canada offers a number of delicious local food festivals during the winter months. These take place in various cities across the country and include some of the country’s most luminous events.
Fresh seafood in Vancouver
Vancouver is one of the warmest cities in Canada during the winter season. It’s on the west coast, near the border of Washington State in the USA. Besides offering some of the best restaurants and shopping in Canada, the local seafood is a big attraction. Freshly caught off the coast near Vancouver Island, it has a taste all of its own.
Halifax, the maple syrup capital
Halifax is the home of Canada’s most beloved topping, maple syrup. During winter you can find all manner of warm and delicious concoctions using it. A pancake brunch is one of the best. And while you may have tasted it off a supermarket shelf before, maple syrup in Canada has its own authentic flavour.
Experience Canada’s wintery natural beauty
There are few places on earth where the contrast between winter and summer is so marked. Lakes freeze over and provide fascinating natural phenomena and even waterfalls freeze as if suspended in time.
The winter playground of Charlottetown
Head to Charlottetown in Canada’s smallest province, Prince Edward Island, just off the east coast of Nova Scotia. Here you can indulge in a myriad of winter activities. Tobogganing and snowshoeing are the most popular – go to Brookvale Winter Activity Park for these. Otherwise, there’s ice skating, sledding and downhill skiing for you to enjoy.
Ice skate to your heart’s content in Ottawa
For one of the best ice skating experiences in Canada, head to the city of Ottawa in the southern Ontario province. Here you’ll find the Rideau Canal Skateway, one of the most impressive in Canada. It’s a wide avenue stretching from the city’s Parliament Building to the Chateau Laurier hotel. Food stalls line the route, offering hot sustenance.
Visit the frozen Niagara Falls
It can get extremely cold in the Toronto area and in Ontario province, despite them being the most southern points of Canada. As a result, the nearby Niagara Falls itself can freeze during the Canada snow season. This really is quite a sight to see, with the cascading water caught in suspended animation. Dress very warmly, though, as the temperatures here can be frigid.
Be inspired by Marble Mountain
Marble Mountain is one of the main natural attractions in the Newfoundland region of Canada. It’s known to offer some of the best winter sports in the country, from skiing to snowboarding. It also has over 50 km (about 31 miles) of skiing trails in the nearby Gros Morne National Park, considered to be the best in Canada. If you want something less strenuous but just as exciting, you can try your hand at riding a snowmobile.
Get away from it all at Grouse Mountain
Grouse Mountain is in the far western province of British Columbia, just above the north Vancouver area. The resort offers a wide range of winter sports and activities, including mountain ziplining, snowshoeing, mountain-top skating and sky riding. Peak Chalet’s Theatre in the Sky is another wonderful attraction, where you can watch movies in the usual setting. Or dine at Altitude Bistro, where you can gaze down on the mainland, about 1,130 metres (3,700 feet) below you.
Go ice fishing in Calgary
The city of Calgary in Alberta is more well known for its summer rodeos, which overshadows everything you can do there in winter. Fish Creek National Park is a great destination. It’s free to enter and you can try your hand at cutting holes in the frozen lake to go ice fishing. You can also take a dog-sled ride through the city for a completely unusual experience.
Experience winter camping and beavertails
If you’re feeling intrepid and have come to Canada to see its wild side, you can try some winter camping in Ottawa. It’s a heavenly place for those who love the cold season, and you can enjoy winter camping and cross-country skiing in Gatineau Park. Remember to try out the local beavertails, an addictive delicacy that’s eaten enthusiastically here. Ottawa also has an excellent selection of restaurants.
Ice climbing for the brave tourist
If you want to try something more adventurous, head to Whistler and try your hand at ice climbing. The town is also the ski capital of Canada, located in the province of British Columbia. There’s lots of ice climbing to be had, and you can also go dog sledding, snowshoeing and snowmobiling. During winter, you can enjoy a festive sleigh ride.
Winter peace and quiet in Churchill
You can do a lot worse than spend Canada in winter in the smaller city of Churchill. It’s on the shores of Hudson Bay and offers plenty of wildlife sightings and awe-inspiring natural wonders.
Polar bears under the Aurora Borealis
Churchill gives you the chance to witness the spectacular Northern Lights and safely see lots of polar bears in the wild. You can book tours for this. There’s also seasonal birdwatching to be had and you might also be lucky enough to catch sight of beluga whales offshore. It’s a quiet and peaceful place to spend a winter holiday in nature.
Toronto in winter
Toronto is one of the best cities to visit in Canada in January. It has a very active winter programme of activities and festivals and is also a great place to catch up on Canada’s national sport.
The Winterlicious food festival
Winterlicious is a Prix Fixe food festival and a real highlight of Toronto in winter. It offers all kinds of local delicacies, gourmet delights and hot meals to warm you up. During the festival, you can eat at one of over 200 participating restaurants across the city, sampling a very wide range of winter food. Each restaurant offers its own interpretation of traditional and original dishes, and this is a great excuse to visit Canada in February.
Winter sports in Toronto
Toronto is the home of one of Canada’s most celebrated ice hockey teams, the Toronto Maple Leaves. Don’t miss the chance to catch one of their games and experience the pumped-up atmosphere of Canada’s national sport. If you haven’t watched a live game before, it’s an exciting and visceral experience. You can even have a go yourself at a beginner’s level workshop, or get in some skiing on the nearby slopes.
Exploring the city of Victoria
The city of Victoria in British Columbia is one of the warm parts of Canada in winter. It gets more sunshine than nearby Vancouver and half as much rain. This makes it a rather pleasant Canadian city to visit in winter.
Walk Goldstream Provincial Park
Goldstream Provincial Park just outside Victoria is the locals’ favourite way of getting out into nature in winter. It has huge evergreen trees and a wide variety of flora and fauna. You can hike its many trails, remembering to dress warmly and wear a good pair of hiking boots. The park contains Niagara Falls too.
Cosy up in an old castle
Craigdarroch Castle is a little slice of Britain in Victoria. It’s the real historic home of the Dunsmuirs of Downton Abbey fame. Inside you’ll find genuine interiors from the 1890s. The furniture collection is awe-inspiring, and there are also displays of everyday life in the castle from that era.
Browse the Victoria Public Market
This indoor market contains a treasure chest of delights in winter. The food is nothing short of amazing, created by artisanal chefs using organic ingredients. There are vegan butchers, delicious savoury and sweet pies and some of the best curries you’ll taste outside of India. Or grab a couple of tacos to eat on the go.
Brave the cold in Winnipeg
Winnipeg is one of the coldest cities in Canada during winter – so why go there, except to experience the temperatures? In fact, Winnipeg is one of the best places to visit in the Canadian winter, as the city is fully geared up for the season, with plenty of fun activities lined up for visitors.
Canada’s largest winter festival
Festival du Voyageur takes place in mid-February each year in Winnipeg. It’s a broad-based celebration of everything from snow sculptures to fiddling contests. There are virtual reality displays in the Virtual Forest area, and a full programme of performing artists. Fishing enthusiasts can also take part in a jigging contest.
World-class skating and winter bonfires
There’s lots of ice skating to enjoy in Winnipeg. The most popular place to indulge in this is The Forks. You should also visit the FortWhyte Alive exhibition, where you can stand around a huge bonfire for a perfect leisurely winter’s evening. If you’re with your family, you can take your children to Assiniboine Zoo. This remains open throughout winter.
Unusual things to explore during winter in Canada
The onset of winter brings about some fascinating natural phenomena and unusual opportunities. These are often some of the lesser-known tourist experiences.
Ice bubbles on Abraham Lake
The ice bubbles that form on Abraham Lake in the Alberta province are something special to behold. Because the water freezes so quickly in this region, where temperatures can drop to -30 Celsius, air pockets are trapped underwater. This gives the frozen lake a unique appearance that’s worth seeing. The view across the lake to the Canadian Rockies is also quite spectacular.
Ice pillars and stalactites underground
For another sight to behold, head to Haffner Creek in Kootenay National Park, the latter being a UNESCO World Heritage site. Haffner Creek contains dramatic ice pillars that even beginners can climb. Or just take in the visual splendour. You can also enter the Caveman cave to see its forest of stalactites.
More ideas for winter holidays
If you’d prefer to see a completely new kind of winter, head south and spend winter in Australia. Closer to home check out all the best things to do in Italy this winter or one of these amazing winter city breaks.
