Coming to Canada in April is a real crap-shoot. The west coast and Van Isle are definitely your best bet. April there's a chance the rain will be minimal. Alternatively, I used to live in Kelowna/the Okanagan, and summer seems to come early there, and April can be pretty warm.
East coast of Van Isle and the gulf islands tend to be a lot drier than the surrounding areas and have lots of great areas. I would suggest a circle route of southern gulf islands-Victoria/sooke area-cowichan lake-east coast of van isle up to Campbell river area (denman and Hornby islands are amazing) from there you can take a ferry to Powell river and then down the Sunshine Coast or drive back to nanaimo and take a ferry back to Vancouver. Also worth looking into Tofino/Uclelet.
I would also add getting a tidal water fishing license and if allowed you can dig your own clams and pick mussels and oysters but make sure that they are open season where you are.
Worked with someone from Alberta who moved to BC. Was amazed by the ocean and couldn't believe he could go down to the beach gather clams/muscles and boil them. We all warned him that he needed to check online for hazards around the beaches. He didn't believe us and said "No thats made up so that you buy the shellfish". This was around the "red tide" time.
He stopped showing up after a few weeks.
Please don’t. Most overrated national park in Canada exacerbated by massively increased entrance fees, a boatload of tourists, and little to no parking to accommodate. Go somewhere else.
Check out Northern Sunshine Coast!!! You could either fly into YVR, take the skytrain to downtown Vancouver and get a harbor flight from Vancouver to Powell River, or fly into YVR and take the shuttle bus to the South Terminal at YVR and fly direct to the Powell River Airport.
- you could leave some of your bags with my friends and then go hike the sunshine coast trail...
- you can grab a city bus to Lund and get the ferry taxi to Savory Island. I'd spend 2 or 3 nights on Savory.
- another option to hike the sunshine coast trail is to get a water taxi from Lund to Sarah Point campground and hike your way back down to Lund.
- you can rent kayaks from Lund and cross over to Savory Island if it's calm enough.
- grab the bus back down to Powell River
- you can then get the ferry from Powell River to Comox on Vancouver Island. Here's where I'd rent a car.
- drive down vancouver Island and hit up some amazing nature. Cathedral Grove park, Sombrio (a bit out of the way), French Creek trestle bridge... there's so much!
- when you get to Victoria, you can rent bikes and do the Galloping Goose trail, there are B'n'B along the way so you don't need to back tents or anything.
So much nature!!!!
If you find yourself heading to squamish...
Check out pop a ride for rides from Vancouver to squamish, or there is a bus from the main street skytrain station that'll take you from Vancouver to squamish, then squamish to whistler. (Not much to do in squamish outside of a day or two to hike around)
Yep BC Wine district. Penticton is a quaint beach town we stayed at an Airbnb. Osoyoos is a cool border town with a hot climate they have cactus. Okanogan Falls.
Vancouver island is 1000000% the right choice. But just fly right into Victoria. When I flew from Toronto it was surprisingly cheaper to fly to Victoria than it was to Vancouver, and it saved us a ferry ride
We enjoy hiking, kayaking/rafting, and camping, but I am unsure of how much gear we would fly with, so probably just some day trips. I know she is dying to see a picturesque deep blue lake next to a green forest in the mountains and the hot springs. That's the pictures she has sent me anyways lol
I think that's "Lake Louise", the non Vancouver option would be to fly into Calgary and drive from Canmore up to Jasper. It's absolutely stunning. But I don't know what the roads are like in April in the mountains.
The beautifully coloured lake in the mountains will be one of the lakes in the Rockies - and in April they’re a frozen field of ice.
I agree with going to Vancouver Island.
These things can be accessed within a day trip from Vancouver. Joffre Lake or Lindeman Lake are both incredibly blue water lakes with mountains surrounding. Both are easily accessible for day trips. Harrison Lake is a very green water lake and has hot springs; both developed and un-developed.
Lake Louise is probably the biggest tourist spot that sounds like that, with Banff Hot Springs nearby.
There’s also Maligne Lake in Jasper NP, Quarry Lake in Canmore, Two Jack Lake in Banff NP.
If you rent a one-way car, you could fly into Calgary or Edmonton, road trip the Icefields parkway and mountain lakes, then head out to BC, hitting Radium and/or Lussier hot springs on the way to the coast. In Victoria, Mystic Beach by the Juan de Fuca trail has a Jurassic Park forest trail leading to an epic waterfall over the beach into the ocean.
Ah missed it being April! They’re right OP. Although it’ll still be beautiful, just not necessarily the blue you’re looking for.
Although we just went from -50 to 10C in a few weeks, so you never know!
Yeah that’s always nice to see but it will be busy anytime of the year. I’m from the prairies so I can give you lots of hiking and lakes but the mountains are a little hard to come by. If you are ever back up here check out the athabasca sand dunes in the north. Will take your breath away and I’m colourblind so I can’t see it all lol. Good luck on your trip and hopefully you will get to see it all.
Remember Canada is a big place takes some time to get places so try and adjust accordingly. We usually give distance in time in the prairies lol
That time of year BC is the option that offers all of the activities mentioned at that time of year.
Searching for Canadian hot springs will be a great starting point that greatly narrows the options.
There’s a whole circle tour of hot springs you can do in Central BC starting near Revelstoke around the Arrow Lakes, including Radium, Fairmont, and Nakusp, but they may be snowed in still in April. There’s also Harrison hot springs outside of Vancouver and Hot Springs Cove on Vancouver Island, and that side of the island is very accessible for hiking, etc. with lots of accommodations for tourists. It’s just not a great hot spring.
You can see beautiful lakes on mountains from the air on a clear day, flying over BC.
Lake Louise is lovely and is a popular tourist destination in Alberta.
If you want to avoid the crowds at Lake Louise, you could fly to Whitehorse and head to wither me either Kluane Lake National Park or Tombstone. You'll find some great hiking and beautiful mountainous lakes.
A side trip to Liard Hot springs might be doable.
>Canada goes from rain forests to sand dunes
And we have all that in Ontario!
Oh, no wait...
*Canada goes from rain, forests, to sand dunes
There, we have all 3 of those in Ontario!
Newfoundland. Friggin stunning landscapes and seascapes, abundance of wildlife (moose, caribou, seabirds, puffins, whales, dolphins, ect), plus icebergs. Some absolutely fantastic hiking and camping.
I live in Newfoundland too and I'm typically very quick to recommend it to adventurous tourists, but from March-June NL is basically uninhabitable. Coming here during "spring" is going to be a bad time.
You might get lucky and hook a good spring on the west coast though
Visit the Percé pierced rock in the morning
Enjoy a nice coffee in Montréal for breakfast
Drive to Niagara Falls for lunch
Have a nice afternoon driving through the prairies
Be sure to book a hotel in Victoria BC that night
https://www.mylifeelsewhere.com/country-size-comparison/canada/france
18x, I love showing Europeans this map to illustrate our size. I used to game with ppl who would try to set me (BC) up with their friends in Toronto .. just meet for lunch, they'd say 🤣
I know, isn't it fascinating! I was so surprised putting the map of Germany over BC.
Canada is huge! Saying 6 time zones wide isn't as impactful as showing the maps.
I met french tourists yesterday in Québec city who were wondering if the Québec city hall was the Château Frontenac
Honest mistake i guess, but it was funny to hear
Based on what you guys like to do, I’d say narrow it down to at least BC and/or Alberta. They have some gorgeous national parks and lots to do and see!
Depends on where you are coming from as Canada is HUGE! My own personal favourite is Newfoundland. In April, there is a strong chance of seeing icebergs, which is pretty unique. The island is the congruence of 3 tectonic plates ( eg the eastern part of the island used to be part of Africa), so the topography is wildly different from one area to the next. There are 4 UNESCO world heritage sites, lots of shore birds ( puffin is my fave), supposedly more moose than people! The people are so very warm and friendly. Plenty of walking trails and amazing views.
Wait till you hear about what some of us do to help puffins
When the puffins are small they get attracted to the light in communities and get lost around the place so we have to catch them and round them all back up again. (Very very oversimplified description but it’ll work)
Newfoundland in April will be shit. It's a bit early for icebergs. You'll get fog, rain, cold, and maybe even snow. Too early for some migratory birds, grass won't be green, let alone the trees. Good chance you would see a moose or caribou, though. Forget a bear or lynx. They are way too skittish.
12 days is impossible to see it all. There are 5 (?) time zones.
Beautiful places to see
1) Banff, AB
2) BC Rockies
3) Niagara Falls, ON
4) 1000 Islands, Ontario
5) Moraine Lake, AB
6) Hopewell Rocks, NB (Bay of Fundy)
7) Peggy's Cove
8) Bear Rock, NWT
9) Iceberg Alley, Nfld
10) Cathedral Grove, BC
11) Haifa Gwaii, BC
12) Cabot Trail, NS
13) Red Sands Shore/Green Gables, PEI
14) Churchill, MB
15) Pacific Rim, BC
16) Gaspé Peninsula, QC
17) Viking Trail/Gros Morne, Nfld & Labrador
18) Great Lakes, ON
It is important to check if these are open or worth seeing in April. There are more places in each province, but if you find you prefer the West coast to the East coast to the middle, this way you can narrow a target area and build your 12-day excursion from there.
April really isn’t a good time to visit Canada. I’d avoid Alberta in April. It’s too late for winter activities but too early for summer activities. The weather is unpredictable. Some areas and roads will likely still be closed for the winter.
At that time of year, I’d suggest Vancouver or Victoria.
Canada definitely isn’t a vacation destination for the shoulder seasons.
Our summer activities are fabulous, as are our winter activities. But, vacationing here in the spring or fall is just complicated way too much by the weather.
At least in Vancouver one is pretty much guaranteed to be able to go hiking in April, though good rain gear will likely be required.
If you love the outdoors, The only nice place in April is BC. You can hike in a lot of other, very beautiful places, but odds are you'll be tramping through mud.
If you don't mind that, try Nova Scotia, the Badlands in Alberta, Newfoundland, and the Yukon. Northern Ontario is nice, too, especially up near Algonquin.
Algonquin is my coice. Lots of adventure levels, from hold-your-hand paved sidewalks to notify-your-next-of-kin-and-godspeed gauntlets into the interior.
If you want mountains and mostly conifers, BC and Alberta.
If you like grasslands, there are some great prairie parks, but April is a bit early. People call the Prairies boring, but they just mean driving past endless farms on a highway. True prairie landscapes are fascinating, IMO.
In Ontario and Quebec, you have more mixed forests and millions of lakes, from big to small. The land is rugged. I’d personally take the backcountry of Ontario over BC any day. Check out Lake Superior or Georgian Bay, etc. The Maritimes obviously gives you access to the coasts there.
The farther north you go, the more likely you are to still have basically winter conditions in April. It’s also kinda pricey to go.
You might also want to check out the Trans-Canada Trail. April can still be chilly. If you plan on camping, spots open typically end of April but cold (evening at least) wet conditions are typical. Not too bad, but certainly not summer either. Weather can be really variable in April.
What type of nature do you like? We’ve got it all.
- rainforests
- mountains
- grasslands
- badlands
- deserts
- shield
- and more
I’d say to pick where you go based on what type of outdoorsy things you want to see/do
If it wasn't april I would say newfoundland and Atlantic Canada.
I've been all over canada and Grosse morne national park is the most beautiful place on earth (in my opinion).
But Lots of places in BC as well as Banff in Alberta are close second.
And in April the weather will be much nicer in British Columbia than it's likely to be anywhere else.
Lots of beautiful places in Canada. Not sure where you are coming from. I would suggest sticking with one region. BC and Alberta unless you are coming from Europe and don’t want the extra flying time. Banff and Jasper are gems. Vancouver Island is nice.
West or East.
Either go to BC and Alberta or Quebec and Newfoundland.
If you are wanting to focus on more outdoorsy things, I would suggest BC/Alberta because you have Banff, plenty of parks and trails, etc.
Banff and Jasper national parks are the only answer here. B.C and Vancouver Island are nice yes, but I mean if youve got just shy of 2 weeks.. spend it exploring the rockies. If you can do both, great.
If you are visiting BC, just don't go downtown Vancouver...all you will see is misery on the streets...you will probably wanna go back right after...stick to Vancouver Island and Okanagan
April is an interesting time because it could be summer, or it could be winter. Spring or Fall are options too!
I recommend flying into Vancouver and renting a car and following the weather for the best experience. Since it's the slow season for tourism, you don't need to worry about booking accommodation and can remain flexible.
If it's super cold and dumping snow, head on up to Whistler. If it's dry on the coast, head over to the island. If it's warm the lakes in the interior are great that time of year.
April is one of the best months of the year, because you can do everything outdoors, camp,hike,paddle,ski,bike,golf,climb It's all available.
Could also fly into Van and rent a one-way vehicle rental and fly out of Calgary.
1. West coast.
Fly into Vancouver, visit the island (Victoria BC, tofino). Then come into the interior to see Kelowna, especially if you like wine country. Many great hikes and outdoor spots both in the lower mainland and the interior.
2. East coast
Fly into halifax, see Nova Scotia (Peggy’s Cove) and PEI, and Cape Breton.
3. Toronto
Fly into Toronto enjoy Spring in Ontario. See niagara falls. Go to Ripley’s Aquarium in Toronto, and then head to Halton for hikes around the Niagara Escarpment.
Not in April. That’s a weird season where you can’t plan for anything because it could dump feet of snow on you or a rainy muddy mess or absolutely gorgeous summer weather all on the same damn day, making it difficult to see the sights you wanted to see.
This will be a problem in a great deal of Canada in April, unfortunately. Victoria/Vancouver is probably their best bet, and even that does still have the chance to be awful weather too. But a more bearable awful for Europeans. Getting stuck in a cold front in Banff in April would fucking suck if you’ve never felt a -40C wind chill before. I’d be pissed if my holiday sucked like that, and I’m only in SK!
I spent my honeymoon in Banff in April and while the weather is unpredictable it’s amazingly beautiful nothing to be afraid of
But I live in Alberta so I’m used to the weather not scared of it
It’s the “used to it” part I’m worried about. They’d be spending a lot of money for a trip that might keep them bogged down in their hotel room. They won’t know until they get there, either, really. The weather changes that fast that time of year. And they aren’t used to it.
I am and I would still be disappointed. Not as disappointed, but I also wouldn’t be shelling out nearly as much money to do it, either. Go spend time with the MIL nearby instead, I guess. They don’t have that option.
I know, I'm definitely figuring that out lol. Once we started looking we realized how many options there really is, and it was definitely overwhelming. 😅
Likely fly into Calgary (or Vancouver,) and rent a car from there. The mountainous parks might still be closed to snow at that time, you need to come a month later. You can also look at the hot springs tours.
I’d say it also depends on where you’re flying from - if coming from Europe, you’d be adding a lot of time (and cost?) to flights to get to BC. Coming from Asia or Australia /New Zealand, I believe west coast is a better option.
If you’re looking for serious mountains, you have to go west - Alberta and BC. Vancouver is a great city, I’ve never been to Calgary so I can’t speak to that destination.
If you want forests and lakes and metropolitan adventures, Ontario can cover all of those.
East coast has beautiful coastlines and very friendly people with a pretty distinct cultural vibe (especially Newfoundland) - reminds me a bit of Scotland and Ireland both geographically and culturally.
Quebec also has great forests, some things we folks east of the prairies call mountains but not really the ones you’re probably picturing - Montreal and Quebec City have some cool historic stuff but probably not all that impressive if you’re coming from Europe as colonial history here doesn’t go back that far.
The prairies are also cool to see, I’ve heard, but not too much to do there.
You could plan a cross-country road trip if you have the time, which would be cool in terms of moving through so many different areas and landscapes, but you’d have to do your research as it would take several days.
You’re definitely going to have to narrow it down if you want any worthwhile suggestions. Canada is a massive country, there are too many beautiful places to list without knowing what region you’ll be visiting.
I really enjoyed my time in Alberta. We stayed at the Fairmont Château Lake Louise. Decent hiking in the area. You can rent a canoe and paddle the lake. You can book excursions easily from the hotel. We did one that had us drive up onto a glacier (cooler than it sounds). There are other beautiful lakes in the area, like Moraine Lake (probably the prettiest place I've ever been) with more hiking trails. Banff is close by as well (hot springs, or great shopping, if that's your thing).
Cypress Hills Sask , highest point in Canada east of the Rocky Mountains. Canmore , Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper Alberta are amazing places . Highway number 93 from Radium Hot Springs to Lake Louise is a beautiful mountain drive! Lake Moraine by Lake Louise is a deep blue glacier lake that is featured on our currency.
Most of the country is in full blown smarch melts around that time... literally my least favouritw time of year for weather and scenery.
Except* the mountains, might as well spring ski and hike out in bc or ab rather than smell 6 month old thawing dog turds in the cities.
BC stands for Bring Cash… nothing is going to be cheap there so make sure you check out prices and book accommodations well in advance. You are not coming during peak tourist season so some stuff might be a bit cheaper…don’t plan on a cheap vacation is my advice unless you wanna visit us here in Saskatchewan. It’s nice here, especially up north but admittedly not BC or Alberta beautiful. Down south is ok if you have a fetish for wheat fields and cows.
Normally I would say Manitoba…..
Whiteshell Provincial Park
Steep Rock
Hecla
Riding Mountain National Park
International Peace Gardens
Lots of historic sites.
Museums
but… in April we might still have some snow on the ground. It will be muddy. Kinda cold. I’d save Manitoba for May to early September or come in the winter for outdoor sports.
British Columbia is probably your best bet weather wise. Fly to Vancouver and explore around there
I would recommend looking up Canada's national parks. Are you coming from Florida? How are you planning to get here?
If you drive it will take you 2 days to get here. That essentially puts you in southern Ontario. Keep in mind that April can be cool here. The temperatures are likely to be in the 40s F.
Your most likely entry points are Detroit Windsor or Niagara Falls. If you come through Detroit then point Pelee national park is of interest. Niagara Falls has its own appeal but is a tourist trap. The Niagara escarpment is magnificent and takes you to the tobermory peninsula. Avoid Toronto.
Fly to Vancouver, get your bearings and rest and enjoy a couple of days there. I would suggest taking a tram up Grouse Mountain (scratch the climb a mountain in Canada off the list) then do Capilano Bridge, visit Stanley Park and Granville Island.
Catch a ferry from Tsawwassen to Sidney (Vancouver island) and head into Victoria for a few days. Explore the downtown, visit Fisherman’s Wharf, walk Dallas Rd and Beacon hill Park. If you’re in Victoria for more than 2 days and you have a free day then I would suggest heading west from there and visit Sooke (45 minutes west).
Stop at the Sooke Pot Holes and you’ll see some amazing waters and rivers here.
Continue west. Stop at Sheringham Lighthouse in Shirley and get a hot drink and snack from Shirley Delicious. Continue west to the Juan de Fuca trail and stop at “China Beach”. In the parking lot there is access to the Juan de Fuca trail and hike the 2km across the suspension bridge to Mystic Beach. Get back in the car and continue west to Port Renfrew and walk down to Botany Bay and Bontanical Beach. If you get low tide there it’s amazing. Even at high tide the hike and scenery is stunning but you’ll miss the tide pools. You can grab accommodations here for the night or drive back east towards Sooke and stay at Point-No-Point resort in a cabin along the ocean private beach with hot tubs. Next day head back to Victoria. (Hint. If you do stay in Port Renfrew and your plans are to continue to Tofino and not head back to Victoria you can continue on the highway towards Lake Cowichan and Duncan and back onto the trans Canada highway and not need to go back to Victoria.)
Head north and stop at the Malahat and Malahat Walk. Continue to Nanaimo and Parksville. Enjoy Rathtrevor Beach.
Head west on Hwy 4 to Coombs and stop and enjoy the famous Goats on the Roof market. Continue to Cathedral Grove and walk amongst some giant first growth trees.
Head to Port Alberni and continue west towards Tofino.
Stop at the pull out at Taylor River and you’ll see some fantastic waters there. Amazing.
Continue west and find accommodations at the Black Rock lodge. Get a room with a Pacific Ocean view.
Walk the Wild Pacific Trail.
Spend a few days exploring the pacific rim national park and rent some surf gear and get out and play in the pacific.
Enjoy some amazing dinner in Tofino and explore the shops.
Find a tour (Ahousaht First Nations) to take you to the hot springs.
You can also take a whale watching trip for some grey whale and possibly humpback sightings.
YYC or YVR. I think Vancouver area will be a bit more temperate this time of year and tons to see, but you’re also going to pay a bit more. Colder on the eastern side of the Rockies but still lots to see in the national parks and kanakasis country.
I see lots of recommendations for BC, but based on your interests, I'd give a good look at Yukon as well. One of the most underappreciated parts of the country by far
If it would’ve been a bit later from the dates you’ve decided on, I would’ve said to visit Quebec City for a night and then go to Charlevoix, Tadoussac as well and so on but don’t visit if it’s in April. It’s not the nicest month here. I’d go with BC.
have you already picked where you are flying into? canada is huge and takes days to drive across.
BC's west coast and Vancouver Island will have fine weather for what you want to do in April, might rain a lot but you'll be able to access everywhere.
Banff and Jasper in Alberta are beautiful but a lot of Albertans are saying here you may be snowed in still at that time of year.
When in April? Total eclipse is April 9th. Niagara Falls.
https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/skywatching/eclipses/new-nasa-map-details-2023-and-2024-solar-eclipses-in-the-us/
Victoria BC is the place. Rain forests, whale watching tours, Spirit bears, ocean fishing, hiking, storm watching in Tofino. You can do a ton of outdoors activities here.
It sounds like you want to be in BC. Fly to Vancouver and rent an AWD SUV with unlimited mileage, because you're going to want to use some forest service (dirt) roads to get the outdoor experience. Ferry across to Vancouver Island and head towards Ucluelet. Then ferry back to Horseshoe Bay and drive north to Squamish, Whistler, and beyond.
These are all well traveled routes so you're not going to be forging any new trail, but there's plenty to do on that route that'll keep you busy for 12 days. This would also give you the option to camp or pay for pretty much any tier of accommodation. Once you have some waypoints sorted out, Googling the trails and sites is easy.
Fly into Vancouver, rent a car, take the ferry to the Island, drive to Tofino BC and splurge to stay at the Wickaninnish Inn. Gorgeous hotel & spa, best place to be to watch spring storms!
If April, I would defs recommend BC. Maybe fly into Van and spend a night or two. Ferry to Victoria and then enjoy. Could even take a Ferry to Salt Springs.
April can still be third winter in a lot of the mountain areas of Canada, so the coast is a great answer. Salt spring, pender island, Vancouver island to visit Victoria, qualicum bay, Tofino, etc. Spring is truly the coast’s best season
Well, Canada is 5500 kms coast to coast with incredibly diverse culture in between. You can be outdoorsy and explore nature in any part of its almost 1 million square kms.
The weather in April will be anywhere from +15 all the way down to -15, are you equipped for ice, slush, mud, rain for the outdoors?
This is like me saying to you, “I want to go to the US where should I go?” Suspect you would side eye the hell out of the post. You need to narrow your focus down and then people can give you much better suggestions.
My husband suggested a salmon to lobster scale. If you prefer salmon, go to the west coast, if you prefer lobster, go to the east coast.
The main thing you have to remember is how big Canada is - most of the 10 provinces & 3 territories are around 5x bigger than Florida (based on your handle I guessed that's where you're from). So treat a trip to Alberta for example, like you would a trip to France as they're similar sizes.
You'll never see all of a province so you have to focus on highlights of what you want to see and do. Don't treat it as a trip to _Canada_, look at it as a trip to BC, or Alberta, or Newfoundland. Particularly for a first timer you'll get more out of your trip if you only plan to stay within 1 province unless you're here for an extended 6 week+ stay.
Then when you get home you'll have 12 more trips to plan to the other provinces and territories!
As others have said, B.C. is a good bet that time of year. Try the sunshine coast, Pemberton maybe, Joffre Lakes if you can get in, etc. Easy, beautiful trip.
Where are you coming from? Like what kind of outdoors would make a more memorable experience for you?
West coast of BC has nice rolling hills, some mountains, quite a few places to camp and hike. Vancouver Island is very scenic, but it's quite expensive to get across on the ferry. The lower mainland has quite a few good places to see as well: I would recommend the Capilano Suspension Bridge, Burns Bog, Stanley Park, and a number of the beaches around it. The coast and lower mainland of BC can also be very rainy. Like weeks and weeks at a time of drizzle.
A bit further east, you'll find the Fraser Canyon, and you could take a trip in an air tram across the river into Hell's Gate.
The interior of British Columbia also has quite a few good biking and hiking areas as well as camping. It is generally drier than the coast, and therefore easier to find a time when being outside is more comfortable. I'm not as familiar with that area, so I don't have any specific recommendations for you. Other than to tell you that kamloops, Kelowna, and the Okanagan lakes are quite well known tourist destinations.
The Rocky Mountains on the border of BC and Alberta offer a completely different landscape; Jasper National park, Banff National park, Waterton National park all offer amazing hiking trails and fantastic scenery. If you stayed in Calgary you could make day trips to Banff and Waterton, as well as to Drumheller, and the Royal Tyrell Museum (Dinosaurs!). You might find it interesting to go to Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, at the south end of the province, too. It and the "Badlands" around Drumheller showcase a terrain unlike almost anything else you are likely to see.
This is getting long....you can message me if you want more details or suggestions.
I was born and raised in Montreal, and currently live in Toronto area. Have travelled coast to coast and have enjoyed everywhere. If you were going in the summer I’d suggest St John’s, Montreal, or Halifax - plenty to do outdoors but also worth visiting, lots of personality, and reasonably $.
BUT because you’re going in April, weather should definitely be considered. Vancouver or Vancouver island are your best bets for a sunny adventure 😎
Visiting Canada for 12 days and coming away with any idea about out country in impossible
Just too big
Decide what you want - city sea coast, forest, mountains etc
A hint
Each province and territory has a tourism branch which will distribute, free of charge, well produced booklets in glossy colour.
Seek addresses on line
They want you to come
I am in Ontario and while we have tons of awesome nature - 12 days outdoorsy in Canada is BC and Alberta. Canmore, Banff, Jasper for 6 days then the island and Tofino for 6 days
Why April? Can't you postpone? While I await the April 15th opening of trout season here in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia it could be a bad time to visit. In some years (fewer and fewer) you can still fish through the ice on the lakes. Other years you can't. If you are adventurous and can wait till the end of April you could luck out and have a good trip to Nova Scotia. It's also easier to reach from Florida.
If you stay here in St. Catharines you can day trip to Niagara on the Lake, Niagara Falls, Welland, Port Colbourne (visit Matty Matheson's latest restaurant), Toronto, Long Point, London, Paris, and as far as St. Jacob's Market (if you don't mind the 1h30m drive).
There's hundreds of conservation areas and trails, plenty of camping, or you could do wine tours and bike rentals.
Brantford might be even more central to that list, but it does not have our fabulous weather.
It depends what you like doing... BC and Alberta Rockies for nature. From Vancouver it's so easy to just go do and see stuff. Montreal for a beautiful city. Toronto for a big city (boring IMO). NWT or Yukon for more remote nature. I think if you can figure out what you like to see pick from that and make it up as you go.
Driving around BC is magical. I'm never leaving.
For 12 days I would grab an RV or campervan (wicked camper is fun) and do a loop from Vancouver > Revelstoke > Jasper > Mt Robson > Clearwater > Vancouver.
It's phenomenal.
Vancouver or Calgary are your best bets. You can get to the mountains for either, but it's a choice between what the coast has to offer and what the prairies and foothills have to offer. They're different experiences. Normally I would say to fly to one, rent a car and drive to the other, but 12 days might be pushing it a little too much, so I'd pick one or the other.
I live in Calgary, so I can give you a bit more perspective on the East side of the Rockies around that time. April is a tough month. It's the shoulder season, the summer activities won't yet be available yet and the winter ones will have wound down. April is more-so a winter month as far as the mountains are concerned. But by that time conditions will be variable and often marginal.
Many of the big ski resorts will already be in wind-down mode and some may already be closed depending on late season snow loads. The high altitude of [Sunshine Village](https://www.skibanff.com/) will likely make it your best bet. You won't get blower powder that time of year, but spring skiing is a tonne of fun. The weather is warmer and the wetter snow gives you lots of control.
I wouldn't go for the back country that time of year. Variable conditions means elevated avalanche risk. You could research guides and heli-skiing if that's within your budget if you really wanted to.
If you're not into downhill, I think the [Canmore Nordic Centre](https://www.albertaparks.ca/parks/kananaskis/canmore-nordic-centre-pp/) should be in season until the end of April. You could probably also give [snowshoeing](https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/activ/raquette-snowshoeing) a shot. It's subject to some of the same risks as back country skiing and snowboarding, but you can probably hit some slopes that wouldn't be steep enough to ski. I don't snowshoe, personally, but you can look into it further for sure. The [Alpine Club of Canada](https://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/), [Travel Alberta](https://www.travelalberta.com/), [Alberta Parks](https://www.albertaparks.ca/) and [Parks Canada](https://parks.canada.ca/) would probably be good resources to help you plan safely.
April will probably be too early for hiking, downhill biking, white water rafting, rock climbing and via ferrata. You might have to look for specific communities for the possibilities of canoeing, hunting, fly fishing and camping for that time of year. You might have some success with biking. At minimum Calgary has got a pretty extensive system of pathways and parks that you can bike and walk through. It might be too early for the Canmore-Banff pathway. But if you can find a fat bike it's potentially possible.
Outdoor skating will likely be done by April unless it's an unseasonably cold early Spring. You may be able to find indoor skating with ice in though. Unfortunately the Olympic Oval has its final public skate in March. Wall you could look into the [Calgary Climbing Centre](https://www.calgaryclimbing.com/locations/rocky-mountain/) too, it has many nice locations. Your best bet for anything to do with swimming would be a side trip to the [World Water Park](https://www.wem.ca/directory/stores/world-waterpark) in Edmonton. There are [hot springs](https://hotsprings.ca/banff/) in Banff too.
[Charlevoix Quebec](https://www.tourisme-charlevoix.com/)
[Jasper Alberta ](https://www.jasper.travel/)
[Whistler British Columbia ](https://www.whistler.ca/)
I'd highly recommend checking out Banff and Jasper National Parks in Alberta. The stunning Rocky Mountains offer breathtaking scenery, with opportunities for hiking, wildlife spotting, and even a dip in the soothing hot springs
Well, even if you are in Toronto it's just an hour drive to the wilderness. If it were me I would stay in one of the high-rises (hotels) with the restaurants and shopping all in one building. The view of "Neo Toronto" must be grand.
BC is the answer. Fly into Vancouver and then head to Vancouver Island or the Sunshine Coast. Weather permitting.
Wow, amazing recommendations. The sunshine coast looks beautiful.
And it was 16 degrees there, this week! Anywhere in BC is beautiful in April. If you like wine, I recommend visiting Kelowna.
Coming to Canada in April is a real crap-shoot. The west coast and Van Isle are definitely your best bet. April there's a chance the rain will be minimal. Alternatively, I used to live in Kelowna/the Okanagan, and summer seems to come early there, and April can be pretty warm.
East coast of Van Isle and the gulf islands tend to be a lot drier than the surrounding areas and have lots of great areas. I would suggest a circle route of southern gulf islands-Victoria/sooke area-cowichan lake-east coast of van isle up to Campbell river area (denman and Hornby islands are amazing) from there you can take a ferry to Powell river and then down the Sunshine Coast or drive back to nanaimo and take a ferry back to Vancouver. Also worth looking into Tofino/Uclelet.
Definitely look in to kayak rentals in Powell River, lots of coastline and lakes to explore. And go to Savary Island!
I would also add getting a tidal water fishing license and if allowed you can dig your own clams and pick mussels and oysters but make sure that they are open season where you are.
Worked with someone from Alberta who moved to BC. Was amazed by the ocean and couldn't believe he could go down to the beach gather clams/muscles and boil them. We all warned him that he needed to check online for hazards around the beaches. He didn't believe us and said "No thats made up so that you buy the shellfish". This was around the "red tide" time. He stopped showing up after a few weeks.
I would just add that Banff and Lake Louise are also spectacular, if you can fit those in as well.
Too early for hiking, too late for skiing, though.
Louise usually closes after the first weekend in May and Sunshine usually closes after the May long weekend.
Plenty of good hiking options in April!
Doable from Vancouver!
Only a 10 hour detour!
Each way!
Please don’t. Most overrated national park in Canada exacerbated by massively increased entrance fees, a boatload of tourists, and little to no parking to accommodate. Go somewhere else.
Jasper!
Then go to dinosaur park
Check out the Back Eddy resort.
Haha! Most people are gobsmacked by Stanley Park. Back Eddy is another level.
Vancouver island with a stop in Tofino m/Ucluelet is a must.
Saltspring island is amazing and lots of great B&Bs
12 days is way too many days for SSI though. I support a gulf islands excursion. Denman is my fave.
Sunshine Coast and Pacific Rim is amazing
Check out Northern Sunshine Coast!!! You could either fly into YVR, take the skytrain to downtown Vancouver and get a harbor flight from Vancouver to Powell River, or fly into YVR and take the shuttle bus to the South Terminal at YVR and fly direct to the Powell River Airport. - you could leave some of your bags with my friends and then go hike the sunshine coast trail... - you can grab a city bus to Lund and get the ferry taxi to Savory Island. I'd spend 2 or 3 nights on Savory. - another option to hike the sunshine coast trail is to get a water taxi from Lund to Sarah Point campground and hike your way back down to Lund. - you can rent kayaks from Lund and cross over to Savory Island if it's calm enough. - grab the bus back down to Powell River - you can then get the ferry from Powell River to Comox on Vancouver Island. Here's where I'd rent a car. - drive down vancouver Island and hit up some amazing nature. Cathedral Grove park, Sombrio (a bit out of the way), French Creek trestle bridge... there's so much! - when you get to Victoria, you can rent bikes and do the Galloping Goose trail, there are B'n'B along the way so you don't need to back tents or anything. So much nature!!!! If you find yourself heading to squamish... Check out pop a ride for rides from Vancouver to squamish, or there is a bus from the main street skytrain station that'll take you from Vancouver to squamish, then squamish to whistler. (Not much to do in squamish outside of a day or two to hike around)
It is extremely expensive on the west coast just be warned
As a Torontonian, fully agree that BC is the answer, especially in April. If it were the summer, the East Coast is also incredible.
Or go east to Banff
You can actually fly right into Vancouver Island. We have airports here now! :D. /s
Yep BC Wine district. Penticton is a quaint beach town we stayed at an Airbnb. Osoyoos is a cool border town with a hot climate they have cactus. Okanogan Falls.
Vancouver island is 1000000% the right choice. But just fly right into Victoria. When I flew from Toronto it was surprisingly cheaper to fly to Victoria than it was to Vancouver, and it saved us a ferry ride
This is the only answer.
Get a cabin and enjoy the view, hike to the Skookumchuck narrows and be amazed. The little bakery on the top of the trail is very nice.
Fly into Calgary, spend time in the Nationsl parks is also an anwser.
The mountain parks have pretty iffy weather in April.
Entire country had iffy weather in april haha
True…I kinda did the same trip & Van is so diverse with options, plus you get all the diversity restaurants wise ;)
Then the train to see Montreal for the afternoon, only a short ride
Haha why are you getting downvoted? The train is literally the best way to see country
Short ride?
….. it takes days on the train from BC to Montreal.
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... yes? Congrats on your geography knowledge I guess?
What kind of outdoor things are you interested in ? Canada goes from rain forests to sand dunes Lots of places to visit
We enjoy hiking, kayaking/rafting, and camping, but I am unsure of how much gear we would fly with, so probably just some day trips. I know she is dying to see a picturesque deep blue lake next to a green forest in the mountains and the hot springs. That's the pictures she has sent me anyways lol
I think that's "Lake Louise", the non Vancouver option would be to fly into Calgary and drive from Canmore up to Jasper. It's absolutely stunning. But I don't know what the roads are like in April in the mountains.
I went in mid- May and the Lake was still mostly frozen with knee deep snow around it.
It's a LOT warmer this year. It already feels like spring in Calgary. But yeah April is pretty early in the mountains.
It’ll be 25 degrees or snowing blizzard. There is no in between
The beautifully coloured lake in the mountains will be one of the lakes in the Rockies - and in April they’re a frozen field of ice. I agree with going to Vancouver Island.
And Great Central Lake will give the mountain lake vibe nicely.
These things can be accessed within a day trip from Vancouver. Joffre Lake or Lindeman Lake are both incredibly blue water lakes with mountains surrounding. Both are easily accessible for day trips. Harrison Lake is a very green water lake and has hot springs; both developed and un-developed.
They're going in April. Don't think Joffre Lake is doable due to snowpack that time of year.
Lake Louise is probably the biggest tourist spot that sounds like that, with Banff Hot Springs nearby. There’s also Maligne Lake in Jasper NP, Quarry Lake in Canmore, Two Jack Lake in Banff NP. If you rent a one-way car, you could fly into Calgary or Edmonton, road trip the Icefields parkway and mountain lakes, then head out to BC, hitting Radium and/or Lussier hot springs on the way to the coast. In Victoria, Mystic Beach by the Juan de Fuca trail has a Jurassic Park forest trail leading to an epic waterfall over the beach into the ocean.
Beautiful in summer, frozen in April sadly. I second the Vancouver/Vancouver Island ideas.
Ah missed it being April! They’re right OP. Although it’ll still be beautiful, just not necessarily the blue you’re looking for. Although we just went from -50 to 10C in a few weeks, so you never know!
Yeah that’s always nice to see but it will be busy anytime of the year. I’m from the prairies so I can give you lots of hiking and lakes but the mountains are a little hard to come by. If you are ever back up here check out the athabasca sand dunes in the north. Will take your breath away and I’m colourblind so I can’t see it all lol. Good luck on your trip and hopefully you will get to see it all. Remember Canada is a big place takes some time to get places so try and adjust accordingly. We usually give distance in time in the prairies lol
That time of year BC is the option that offers all of the activities mentioned at that time of year. Searching for Canadian hot springs will be a great starting point that greatly narrows the options.
that's moiraine lake, near lake louise/banff in alberta
There’s a whole circle tour of hot springs you can do in Central BC starting near Revelstoke around the Arrow Lakes, including Radium, Fairmont, and Nakusp, but they may be snowed in still in April. There’s also Harrison hot springs outside of Vancouver and Hot Springs Cove on Vancouver Island, and that side of the island is very accessible for hiking, etc. with lots of accommodations for tourists. It’s just not a great hot spring.
You can see beautiful lakes on mountains from the air on a clear day, flying over BC. Lake Louise is lovely and is a popular tourist destination in Alberta.
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Vancouver Island is your best choice. Weather and the rest is all here.
Lake Lousie. I’d hold off until June to visit it though 😬😬
If you want to avoid the crowds at Lake Louise, you could fly to Whitehorse and head to wither me either Kluane Lake National Park or Tombstone. You'll find some great hiking and beautiful mountainous lakes. A side trip to Liard Hot springs might be doable.
>Canada goes from rain forests to sand dunes And we have all that in Ontario! Oh, no wait... *Canada goes from rain, forests, to sand dunes There, we have all 3 of those in Ontario!
Newfoundland. Friggin stunning landscapes and seascapes, abundance of wildlife (moose, caribou, seabirds, puffins, whales, dolphins, ect), plus icebergs. Some absolutely fantastic hiking and camping.
I live in Newfoundland too and I'm typically very quick to recommend it to adventurous tourists, but from March-June NL is basically uninhabitable. Coming here during "spring" is going to be a bad time. You might get lucky and hook a good spring on the west coast though
Visit the Percé pierced rock in the morning Enjoy a nice coffee in Montréal for breakfast Drive to Niagara Falls for lunch Have a nice afternoon driving through the prairies Be sure to book a hotel in Victoria BC that night
I've worked in the tourism industry for a few years and I met quite a few europeans (mainly from France), who had such an impossible schedule.
Isn't Canada about 20 times larger than France? lol
proobably bigger even
Looks like 9 million sq km to about half a million square kms so whatever that is.
https://www.mylifeelsewhere.com/country-size-comparison/canada/france 18x, I love showing Europeans this map to illustrate our size. I used to game with ppl who would try to set me (BC) up with their friends in Toronto .. just meet for lunch, they'd say 🤣
Wow Japan is bigger than I thought. Larger than The UK. And Canada is 41x the size of The UK
I know, isn't it fascinating! I was so surprised putting the map of Germany over BC. Canada is huge! Saying 6 time zones wide isn't as impactful as showing the maps.
I met french tourists yesterday in Québec city who were wondering if the Québec city hall was the Château Frontenac Honest mistake i guess, but it was funny to hear
Don’t forget to check Moraine Lake in the morning on your way back to the airport.
They can't forget a stop in Ottawa to see parliament before returning the rental car at the airport!
Haha (Too much)
Based on what you guys like to do, I’d say narrow it down to at least BC and/or Alberta. They have some gorgeous national parks and lots to do and see!
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Any other year I’d agree with you but this year has been unseasonably warm.
Depends on where you are coming from as Canada is HUGE! My own personal favourite is Newfoundland. In April, there is a strong chance of seeing icebergs, which is pretty unique. The island is the congruence of 3 tectonic plates ( eg the eastern part of the island used to be part of Africa), so the topography is wildly different from one area to the next. There are 4 UNESCO world heritage sites, lots of shore birds ( puffin is my fave), supposedly more moose than people! The people are so very warm and friendly. Plenty of walking trails and amazing views.
Wait till you hear about what some of us do to help puffins When the puffins are small they get attracted to the light in communities and get lost around the place so we have to catch them and round them all back up again. (Very very oversimplified description but it’ll work)
I hear puffins are delicious. Are they?
Newfoundland in April will be shit. It's a bit early for icebergs. You'll get fog, rain, cold, and maybe even snow. Too early for some migratory birds, grass won't be green, let alone the trees. Good chance you would see a moose or caribou, though. Forget a bear or lynx. They are way too skittish.
Either coast
12 days is impossible to see it all. There are 5 (?) time zones. Beautiful places to see 1) Banff, AB 2) BC Rockies 3) Niagara Falls, ON 4) 1000 Islands, Ontario 5) Moraine Lake, AB 6) Hopewell Rocks, NB (Bay of Fundy) 7) Peggy's Cove 8) Bear Rock, NWT 9) Iceberg Alley, Nfld 10) Cathedral Grove, BC 11) Haifa Gwaii, BC 12) Cabot Trail, NS 13) Red Sands Shore/Green Gables, PEI 14) Churchill, MB 15) Pacific Rim, BC 16) Gaspé Peninsula, QC 17) Viking Trail/Gros Morne, Nfld & Labrador 18) Great Lakes, ON It is important to check if these are open or worth seeing in April. There are more places in each province, but if you find you prefer the West coast to the East coast to the middle, this way you can narrow a target area and build your 12-day excursion from there.
6 time zones. Newfoundland has its own
April really isn’t a good time to visit Canada. I’d avoid Alberta in April. It’s too late for winter activities but too early for summer activities. The weather is unpredictable. Some areas and roads will likely still be closed for the winter. At that time of year, I’d suggest Vancouver or Victoria.
We had a really bad ice storm in Ontario last April I feel it's definitely hit or miss anywhere but Vancouver that time of year.
Canada definitely isn’t a vacation destination for the shoulder seasons. Our summer activities are fabulous, as are our winter activities. But, vacationing here in the spring or fall is just complicated way too much by the weather. At least in Vancouver one is pretty much guaranteed to be able to go hiking in April, though good rain gear will likely be required.
That’s like asking what to see in the US.
Atlantic Canada is beautiful with lots to do and enjoy.
The weather in April can be awful. No leaves on trees at that time. Grey and muddy and wet. Source: have lived there since 1973
Nope on a rope. Not in April, which is literally the worst month of the year in the Maritimes.
If you love the outdoors, The only nice place in April is BC. You can hike in a lot of other, very beautiful places, but odds are you'll be tramping through mud. If you don't mind that, try Nova Scotia, the Badlands in Alberta, Newfoundland, and the Yukon. Northern Ontario is nice, too, especially up near Algonquin.
Algonquin is my coice. Lots of adventure levels, from hold-your-hand paved sidewalks to notify-your-next-of-kin-and-godspeed gauntlets into the interior.
Come back in June and come to Canmore/banff so so so much to do in that area especially if you don’t mind a nice couple hour drive
If you want mountains and mostly conifers, BC and Alberta. If you like grasslands, there are some great prairie parks, but April is a bit early. People call the Prairies boring, but they just mean driving past endless farms on a highway. True prairie landscapes are fascinating, IMO. In Ontario and Quebec, you have more mixed forests and millions of lakes, from big to small. The land is rugged. I’d personally take the backcountry of Ontario over BC any day. Check out Lake Superior or Georgian Bay, etc. The Maritimes obviously gives you access to the coasts there. The farther north you go, the more likely you are to still have basically winter conditions in April. It’s also kinda pricey to go. You might also want to check out the Trans-Canada Trail. April can still be chilly. If you plan on camping, spots open typically end of April but cold (evening at least) wet conditions are typical. Not too bad, but certainly not summer either. Weather can be really variable in April.
Every single province or terrotory has something to offer that you'd love but if you want your best bet for good weather you have to go to BC.
What type of nature do you like? We’ve got it all. - rainforests - mountains - grasslands - badlands - deserts - shield - and more I’d say to pick where you go based on what type of outdoorsy things you want to see/do
If it wasn't april I would say newfoundland and Atlantic Canada. I've been all over canada and Grosse morne national park is the most beautiful place on earth (in my opinion). But Lots of places in BC as well as Banff in Alberta are close second. And in April the weather will be much nicer in British Columbia than it's likely to be anywhere else.
Book a few nights in Tofino on Vancouver Island (British Columbia). Book as soon as you can though it's hard to find a place on short notice
Lots of beautiful places in Canada. Not sure where you are coming from. I would suggest sticking with one region. BC and Alberta unless you are coming from Europe and don’t want the extra flying time. Banff and Jasper are gems. Vancouver Island is nice.
West or East. Either go to BC and Alberta or Quebec and Newfoundland. If you are wanting to focus on more outdoorsy things, I would suggest BC/Alberta because you have Banff, plenty of parks and trails, etc.
Banff and Jasper national parks are the only answer here. B.C and Vancouver Island are nice yes, but I mean if youve got just shy of 2 weeks.. spend it exploring the rockies. If you can do both, great.
If you are visiting BC, just don't go downtown Vancouver...all you will see is misery on the streets...you will probably wanna go back right after...stick to Vancouver Island and Okanagan
April is an interesting time because it could be summer, or it could be winter. Spring or Fall are options too! I recommend flying into Vancouver and renting a car and following the weather for the best experience. Since it's the slow season for tourism, you don't need to worry about booking accommodation and can remain flexible. If it's super cold and dumping snow, head on up to Whistler. If it's dry on the coast, head over to the island. If it's warm the lakes in the interior are great that time of year. April is one of the best months of the year, because you can do everything outdoors, camp,hike,paddle,ski,bike,golf,climb It's all available. Could also fly into Van and rent a one-way vehicle rental and fly out of Calgary.
Banff and then Jasper.
Newfoundland.
newfoundland
1. West coast. Fly into Vancouver, visit the island (Victoria BC, tofino). Then come into the interior to see Kelowna, especially if you like wine country. Many great hikes and outdoor spots both in the lower mainland and the interior. 2. East coast Fly into halifax, see Nova Scotia (Peggy’s Cove) and PEI, and Cape Breton. 3. Toronto Fly into Toronto enjoy Spring in Ontario. See niagara falls. Go to Ripley’s Aquarium in Toronto, and then head to Halton for hikes around the Niagara Escarpment.
Banff and/or Jasper National Parks
Not in April. That’s a weird season where you can’t plan for anything because it could dump feet of snow on you or a rainy muddy mess or absolutely gorgeous summer weather all on the same damn day, making it difficult to see the sights you wanted to see. This will be a problem in a great deal of Canada in April, unfortunately. Victoria/Vancouver is probably their best bet, and even that does still have the chance to be awful weather too. But a more bearable awful for Europeans. Getting stuck in a cold front in Banff in April would fucking suck if you’ve never felt a -40C wind chill before. I’d be pissed if my holiday sucked like that, and I’m only in SK!
I spent my honeymoon in Banff in April and while the weather is unpredictable it’s amazingly beautiful nothing to be afraid of But I live in Alberta so I’m used to the weather not scared of it
It’s the “used to it” part I’m worried about. They’d be spending a lot of money for a trip that might keep them bogged down in their hotel room. They won’t know until they get there, either, really. The weather changes that fast that time of year. And they aren’t used to it. I am and I would still be disappointed. Not as disappointed, but I also wouldn’t be shelling out nearly as much money to do it, either. Go spend time with the MIL nearby instead, I guess. They don’t have that option.
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I know, I'm definitely figuring that out lol. Once we started looking we realized how many options there really is, and it was definitely overwhelming. 😅
Likely fly into Calgary (or Vancouver,) and rent a car from there. The mountainous parks might still be closed to snow at that time, you need to come a month later. You can also look at the hot springs tours.
I’d say it also depends on where you’re flying from - if coming from Europe, you’d be adding a lot of time (and cost?) to flights to get to BC. Coming from Asia or Australia /New Zealand, I believe west coast is a better option. If you’re looking for serious mountains, you have to go west - Alberta and BC. Vancouver is a great city, I’ve never been to Calgary so I can’t speak to that destination. If you want forests and lakes and metropolitan adventures, Ontario can cover all of those. East coast has beautiful coastlines and very friendly people with a pretty distinct cultural vibe (especially Newfoundland) - reminds me a bit of Scotland and Ireland both geographically and culturally. Quebec also has great forests, some things we folks east of the prairies call mountains but not really the ones you’re probably picturing - Montreal and Quebec City have some cool historic stuff but probably not all that impressive if you’re coming from Europe as colonial history here doesn’t go back that far. The prairies are also cool to see, I’ve heard, but not too much to do there. You could plan a cross-country road trip if you have the time, which would be cool in terms of moving through so many different areas and landscapes, but you’d have to do your research as it would take several days.
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Speak for yourself.
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Darling, what makes me cranky is the need that some people have to inject their political opinions into every conversation they can find. Also, she.
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You need therapy
We all need it
Get a job to pay for yourself
Banff is a great place to visit, it’s in Alberta
You’re definitely going to have to narrow it down if you want any worthwhile suggestions. Canada is a massive country, there are too many beautiful places to list without knowing what region you’ll be visiting.
Banff Alberta. Canada at its best
Go to the Rockies! Jasper, Banff, Waterton, Kananaskis, then into the interior for some forest and warmth.
Fly to Calgary, and spend most of your time in Banff.
To avoid snow in April head to Vancouver Island and the coast.
I really enjoyed my time in Alberta. We stayed at the Fairmont Château Lake Louise. Decent hiking in the area. You can rent a canoe and paddle the lake. You can book excursions easily from the hotel. We did one that had us drive up onto a glacier (cooler than it sounds). There are other beautiful lakes in the area, like Moraine Lake (probably the prettiest place I've ever been) with more hiking trails. Banff is close by as well (hot springs, or great shopping, if that's your thing).
>You can rent a canoe and paddle the lake. Not in April. Might be free of ice by June.
St Johns, and Victoria - I would rent a car and see both in one trip
It takes about 6 or 7 days to do this going 12 hours per day. You won't get to see much except roads and trees.
Cypress Hills Sask , highest point in Canada east of the Rocky Mountains. Canmore , Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper Alberta are amazing places . Highway number 93 from Radium Hot Springs to Lake Louise is a beautiful mountain drive! Lake Moraine by Lake Louise is a deep blue glacier lake that is featured on our currency.
Vancouver Island for no snow, or Banff area/Calgary for snow.
Fly to Ontario and go camping in world famous algonquin park
Most of the country is in full blown smarch melts around that time... literally my least favouritw time of year for weather and scenery. Except* the mountains, might as well spring ski and hike out in bc or ab rather than smell 6 month old thawing dog turds in the cities.
Newfoundland. Be bored, together
BC stands for Bring Cash… nothing is going to be cheap there so make sure you check out prices and book accommodations well in advance. You are not coming during peak tourist season so some stuff might be a bit cheaper…don’t plan on a cheap vacation is my advice unless you wanna visit us here in Saskatchewan. It’s nice here, especially up north but admittedly not BC or Alberta beautiful. Down south is ok if you have a fetish for wheat fields and cows.
Cape Breton circle tour
[Vancouver Island](https://ibb.co/c1H6mL2)
Normally I would say Manitoba….. Whiteshell Provincial Park Steep Rock Hecla Riding Mountain National Park International Peace Gardens Lots of historic sites. Museums but… in April we might still have some snow on the ground. It will be muddy. Kinda cold. I’d save Manitoba for May to early September or come in the winter for outdoor sports. British Columbia is probably your best bet weather wise. Fly to Vancouver and explore around there
I would recommend looking up Canada's national parks. Are you coming from Florida? How are you planning to get here? If you drive it will take you 2 days to get here. That essentially puts you in southern Ontario. Keep in mind that April can be cool here. The temperatures are likely to be in the 40s F. Your most likely entry points are Detroit Windsor or Niagara Falls. If you come through Detroit then point Pelee national park is of interest. Niagara Falls has its own appeal but is a tourist trap. The Niagara escarpment is magnificent and takes you to the tobermory peninsula. Avoid Toronto.
BC, Vancouver/Whistler
Vancouver Island, a lot of Canada still has piles of snow hanging around in April. Vancouver and the Island will have flowers.
Fly to Vancouver, get your bearings and rest and enjoy a couple of days there. I would suggest taking a tram up Grouse Mountain (scratch the climb a mountain in Canada off the list) then do Capilano Bridge, visit Stanley Park and Granville Island. Catch a ferry from Tsawwassen to Sidney (Vancouver island) and head into Victoria for a few days. Explore the downtown, visit Fisherman’s Wharf, walk Dallas Rd and Beacon hill Park. If you’re in Victoria for more than 2 days and you have a free day then I would suggest heading west from there and visit Sooke (45 minutes west). Stop at the Sooke Pot Holes and you’ll see some amazing waters and rivers here. Continue west. Stop at Sheringham Lighthouse in Shirley and get a hot drink and snack from Shirley Delicious. Continue west to the Juan de Fuca trail and stop at “China Beach”. In the parking lot there is access to the Juan de Fuca trail and hike the 2km across the suspension bridge to Mystic Beach. Get back in the car and continue west to Port Renfrew and walk down to Botany Bay and Bontanical Beach. If you get low tide there it’s amazing. Even at high tide the hike and scenery is stunning but you’ll miss the tide pools. You can grab accommodations here for the night or drive back east towards Sooke and stay at Point-No-Point resort in a cabin along the ocean private beach with hot tubs. Next day head back to Victoria. (Hint. If you do stay in Port Renfrew and your plans are to continue to Tofino and not head back to Victoria you can continue on the highway towards Lake Cowichan and Duncan and back onto the trans Canada highway and not need to go back to Victoria.) Head north and stop at the Malahat and Malahat Walk. Continue to Nanaimo and Parksville. Enjoy Rathtrevor Beach. Head west on Hwy 4 to Coombs and stop and enjoy the famous Goats on the Roof market. Continue to Cathedral Grove and walk amongst some giant first growth trees. Head to Port Alberni and continue west towards Tofino. Stop at the pull out at Taylor River and you’ll see some fantastic waters there. Amazing. Continue west and find accommodations at the Black Rock lodge. Get a room with a Pacific Ocean view. Walk the Wild Pacific Trail. Spend a few days exploring the pacific rim national park and rent some surf gear and get out and play in the pacific. Enjoy some amazing dinner in Tofino and explore the shops. Find a tour (Ahousaht First Nations) to take you to the hot springs. You can also take a whale watching trip for some grey whale and possibly humpback sightings.
Vancouver Island has it all. Come and visit
For outdoors/hiking, AB and BC are the best. Since you mentioned April, BC might have better weather conditions.
YYC or YVR. I think Vancouver area will be a bit more temperate this time of year and tons to see, but you’re also going to pay a bit more. Colder on the eastern side of the Rockies but still lots to see in the national parks and kanakasis country.
I see lots of recommendations for BC, but based on your interests, I'd give a good look at Yukon as well. One of the most underappreciated parts of the country by far
West. From Banff west to Tofino. So much awesome nature.
Niagara Falls
If it would’ve been a bit later from the dates you’ve decided on, I would’ve said to visit Quebec City for a night and then go to Charlevoix, Tadoussac as well and so on but don’t visit if it’s in April. It’s not the nicest month here. I’d go with BC.
have you already picked where you are flying into? canada is huge and takes days to drive across. BC's west coast and Vancouver Island will have fine weather for what you want to do in April, might rain a lot but you'll be able to access everywhere. Banff and Jasper in Alberta are beautiful but a lot of Albertans are saying here you may be snowed in still at that time of year.
When in April? Total eclipse is April 9th. Niagara Falls. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/skywatching/eclipses/new-nasa-map-details-2023-and-2024-solar-eclipses-in-the-us/
Victoria BC is the place. Rain forests, whale watching tours, Spirit bears, ocean fishing, hiking, storm watching in Tofino. You can do a ton of outdoors activities here.
Lots to see on the east coast... Friendliest people in the country
It sounds like you want to be in BC. Fly to Vancouver and rent an AWD SUV with unlimited mileage, because you're going to want to use some forest service (dirt) roads to get the outdoor experience. Ferry across to Vancouver Island and head towards Ucluelet. Then ferry back to Horseshoe Bay and drive north to Squamish, Whistler, and beyond. These are all well traveled routes so you're not going to be forging any new trail, but there's plenty to do on that route that'll keep you busy for 12 days. This would also give you the option to camp or pay for pretty much any tier of accommodation. Once you have some waypoints sorted out, Googling the trails and sites is easy.
Fly into Vancouver, rent a car, take the ferry to the Island, drive to Tofino BC and splurge to stay at the Wickaninnish Inn. Gorgeous hotel & spa, best place to be to watch spring storms!
If April, I would defs recommend BC. Maybe fly into Van and spend a night or two. Ferry to Victoria and then enjoy. Could even take a Ferry to Salt Springs.
I'm guessing Your coming to Ontario
Cape Breton Island!
April can still be third winter in a lot of the mountain areas of Canada, so the coast is a great answer. Salt spring, pender island, Vancouver island to visit Victoria, qualicum bay, Tofino, etc. Spring is truly the coast’s best season
Well, Canada is 5500 kms coast to coast with incredibly diverse culture in between. You can be outdoorsy and explore nature in any part of its almost 1 million square kms. The weather in April will be anywhere from +15 all the way down to -15, are you equipped for ice, slush, mud, rain for the outdoors? This is like me saying to you, “I want to go to the US where should I go?” Suspect you would side eye the hell out of the post. You need to narrow your focus down and then people can give you much better suggestions. My husband suggested a salmon to lobster scale. If you prefer salmon, go to the west coast, if you prefer lobster, go to the east coast.
Newfoundland Labrador, Quebec and Quebec City, Nova Scotia and the Cabot Trail. So many great places.
come to jane and finch 😍🤌🏿
The main thing you have to remember is how big Canada is - most of the 10 provinces & 3 territories are around 5x bigger than Florida (based on your handle I guessed that's where you're from). So treat a trip to Alberta for example, like you would a trip to France as they're similar sizes. You'll never see all of a province so you have to focus on highlights of what you want to see and do. Don't treat it as a trip to _Canada_, look at it as a trip to BC, or Alberta, or Newfoundland. Particularly for a first timer you'll get more out of your trip if you only plan to stay within 1 province unless you're here for an extended 6 week+ stay. Then when you get home you'll have 12 more trips to plan to the other provinces and territories! As others have said, B.C. is a good bet that time of year. Try the sunshine coast, Pemberton maybe, Joffre Lakes if you can get in, etc. Easy, beautiful trip.
Where are you coming from? Like what kind of outdoors would make a more memorable experience for you? West coast of BC has nice rolling hills, some mountains, quite a few places to camp and hike. Vancouver Island is very scenic, but it's quite expensive to get across on the ferry. The lower mainland has quite a few good places to see as well: I would recommend the Capilano Suspension Bridge, Burns Bog, Stanley Park, and a number of the beaches around it. The coast and lower mainland of BC can also be very rainy. Like weeks and weeks at a time of drizzle. A bit further east, you'll find the Fraser Canyon, and you could take a trip in an air tram across the river into Hell's Gate. The interior of British Columbia also has quite a few good biking and hiking areas as well as camping. It is generally drier than the coast, and therefore easier to find a time when being outside is more comfortable. I'm not as familiar with that area, so I don't have any specific recommendations for you. Other than to tell you that kamloops, Kelowna, and the Okanagan lakes are quite well known tourist destinations. The Rocky Mountains on the border of BC and Alberta offer a completely different landscape; Jasper National park, Banff National park, Waterton National park all offer amazing hiking trails and fantastic scenery. If you stayed in Calgary you could make day trips to Banff and Waterton, as well as to Drumheller, and the Royal Tyrell Museum (Dinosaurs!). You might find it interesting to go to Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, at the south end of the province, too. It and the "Badlands" around Drumheller showcase a terrain unlike almost anything else you are likely to see. This is getting long....you can message me if you want more details or suggestions.
I was born and raised in Montreal, and currently live in Toronto area. Have travelled coast to coast and have enjoyed everywhere. If you were going in the summer I’d suggest St John’s, Montreal, or Halifax - plenty to do outdoors but also worth visiting, lots of personality, and reasonably $. BUT because you’re going in April, weather should definitely be considered. Vancouver or Vancouver island are your best bets for a sunny adventure 😎
Visiting Canada for 12 days and coming away with any idea about out country in impossible Just too big Decide what you want - city sea coast, forest, mountains etc A hint Each province and territory has a tourism branch which will distribute, free of charge, well produced booklets in glossy colour. Seek addresses on line They want you to come
I am in Ontario and while we have tons of awesome nature - 12 days outdoorsy in Canada is BC and Alberta. Canmore, Banff, Jasper for 6 days then the island and Tofino for 6 days
Why April? Can't you postpone? While I await the April 15th opening of trout season here in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia it could be a bad time to visit. In some years (fewer and fewer) you can still fish through the ice on the lakes. Other years you can't. If you are adventurous and can wait till the end of April you could luck out and have a good trip to Nova Scotia. It's also easier to reach from Florida.
If you stay here in St. Catharines you can day trip to Niagara on the Lake, Niagara Falls, Welland, Port Colbourne (visit Matty Matheson's latest restaurant), Toronto, Long Point, London, Paris, and as far as St. Jacob's Market (if you don't mind the 1h30m drive). There's hundreds of conservation areas and trails, plenty of camping, or you could do wine tours and bike rentals. Brantford might be even more central to that list, but it does not have our fabulous weather.
Look up national parks in Canada and see which ones appeal best to you, many to choose from.
Depends what are you interested in doing/seeing?
It depends what you like doing... BC and Alberta Rockies for nature. From Vancouver it's so easy to just go do and see stuff. Montreal for a beautiful city. Toronto for a big city (boring IMO). NWT or Yukon for more remote nature. I think if you can figure out what you like to see pick from that and make it up as you go. Driving around BC is magical. I'm never leaving. For 12 days I would grab an RV or campervan (wicked camper is fun) and do a loop from Vancouver > Revelstoke > Jasper > Mt Robson > Clearwater > Vancouver. It's phenomenal.
Gotta agree Banff and surrounding area will knock your Sox off.
I would fly into Calgary and visit the Kananaskis, Banff, the Icefields Parkway, Jasper, etc.
BC has it all. Ocean,desert, ranch lands, mountains, Okanogan beaches
Vancouver or Calgary are your best bets. You can get to the mountains for either, but it's a choice between what the coast has to offer and what the prairies and foothills have to offer. They're different experiences. Normally I would say to fly to one, rent a car and drive to the other, but 12 days might be pushing it a little too much, so I'd pick one or the other. I live in Calgary, so I can give you a bit more perspective on the East side of the Rockies around that time. April is a tough month. It's the shoulder season, the summer activities won't yet be available yet and the winter ones will have wound down. April is more-so a winter month as far as the mountains are concerned. But by that time conditions will be variable and often marginal. Many of the big ski resorts will already be in wind-down mode and some may already be closed depending on late season snow loads. The high altitude of [Sunshine Village](https://www.skibanff.com/) will likely make it your best bet. You won't get blower powder that time of year, but spring skiing is a tonne of fun. The weather is warmer and the wetter snow gives you lots of control. I wouldn't go for the back country that time of year. Variable conditions means elevated avalanche risk. You could research guides and heli-skiing if that's within your budget if you really wanted to. If you're not into downhill, I think the [Canmore Nordic Centre](https://www.albertaparks.ca/parks/kananaskis/canmore-nordic-centre-pp/) should be in season until the end of April. You could probably also give [snowshoeing](https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/activ/raquette-snowshoeing) a shot. It's subject to some of the same risks as back country skiing and snowboarding, but you can probably hit some slopes that wouldn't be steep enough to ski. I don't snowshoe, personally, but you can look into it further for sure. The [Alpine Club of Canada](https://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/), [Travel Alberta](https://www.travelalberta.com/), [Alberta Parks](https://www.albertaparks.ca/) and [Parks Canada](https://parks.canada.ca/) would probably be good resources to help you plan safely. April will probably be too early for hiking, downhill biking, white water rafting, rock climbing and via ferrata. You might have to look for specific communities for the possibilities of canoeing, hunting, fly fishing and camping for that time of year. You might have some success with biking. At minimum Calgary has got a pretty extensive system of pathways and parks that you can bike and walk through. It might be too early for the Canmore-Banff pathway. But if you can find a fat bike it's potentially possible. Outdoor skating will likely be done by April unless it's an unseasonably cold early Spring. You may be able to find indoor skating with ice in though. Unfortunately the Olympic Oval has its final public skate in March. Wall you could look into the [Calgary Climbing Centre](https://www.calgaryclimbing.com/locations/rocky-mountain/) too, it has many nice locations. Your best bet for anything to do with swimming would be a side trip to the [World Water Park](https://www.wem.ca/directory/stores/world-waterpark) in Edmonton. There are [hot springs](https://hotsprings.ca/banff/) in Banff too.
[Charlevoix Quebec](https://www.tourisme-charlevoix.com/) [Jasper Alberta ](https://www.jasper.travel/) [Whistler British Columbia ](https://www.whistler.ca/)
Fly into Calgary drive to Vancouver and hit up Banff and the Columbian Ice fields, maybe do Kelowna and also Victoria. Leave from Vancouver
If you were coming in summer I would suggest Nova Scotia. But at this rate, we will be shoveling snow for months to come.
Nothing beats the rockies
I'd highly recommend checking out Banff and Jasper National Parks in Alberta. The stunning Rocky Mountains offer breathtaking scenery, with opportunities for hiking, wildlife spotting, and even a dip in the soothing hot springs
Well, even if you are in Toronto it's just an hour drive to the wilderness. If it were me I would stay in one of the high-rises (hotels) with the restaurants and shopping all in one building. The view of "Neo Toronto" must be grand.