Canada’s natural beauty offers many opportunities for bucket-list adventures, from snow-covered forests to the northern lights and even red-sand beaches.
Canada’s geographical diversity offers just about any sort of terrain or experience you might want to explore.
Many seasoned adventurers and explorers rate Canada as a must-visit location for many of their trips, praising it as a dream for outdoor enthusiasts.
Explore our list of unique and exciting adventures across Canada, and find out what you’ll be adding to your travel bucket list next.
Explore The Athabasca Sand Dunes
Canada is home to some of the world’s most fascinating natural phenomena. One popular destination which fills tourists with a sense of wonder is the Athabasca Dunes, located in Saskatchewan.
These dunes give you a sense of the Kalahari desert in the middle of a thriving forest park. They lie in the middle of Canada’s forests and right next to one of Canada’s biggest lakes, which adds to the beauty.
This natural wonder features dunes reaching 30 meters in height and 400 to 1500 meters in length of pure white sand.
Accessible by float plane or boat, being on top of these dunes will make it seem as if you’re alone on an alien planet.
Candian Arctic Expedition
Multi-day Canadian Arctic expeditions are not for the faint of heart, but they are worth the experience. With tour guides and professionals leading your adventure, you’ll trek across the remote, northern regions of Canada.
Step into history and explore the icy passages of the Northwest, visiting glaciers on ships and sightseeing with helicopters. Travel to Iqaluit to see the archaeological remains of the ancient Thule people, the ancestors of the Inuit.
Pond Inlet offers fjords, glaciers, icebergs, or large pods of narwhal. A place to be for the photographers at heart.
For hikers, climbers, and skiers Pangnirtung is a major attraction. However, for those interested in Polar history, Kekerten, an uninhabited island that once served as a major whaling port, is a must. There is so much more to be explored in this Arctic region.
See The Yukon Northern Lights
Seeing the Aurora Borealis is not just a Canadian adventure but a top bucket list item on many people’s lists around the world.
Take a trip and view this natural wonder from a hot tub, cozy cabin, or even a glass chalet with many different options to enhance your adventure.
No two nights under these lights are the same, with the beautiful colors and shapes dancing across the sky.
The best time to see these lights is from mid-august to mid-April, however, a lot can change depending on weather-related factors. For the best experience, avoid populated light-polluted areas and travel to Whitehorse or the remote wilderness.
The appearance of the lights is heavily dependent on solar flares, weather, and just pure chance. Prepare to wait a few nights for the right conditions.
Clayoquot Wilderness Resort
For anyone looking for a wilderness experience with the glamour of modern conveniences, the Clayoquot wilderness resort is exactly what you’re looking for.
This resort, accessible by a 45-minute seaplane flight, lies in a remote location in the bedwell river valley.
Here, visitors will be able to experience the wild side of nature with activities such as kayaking, fly fishing, bear tracking, horseback riding, and more.
And the good news is, experiencing nature’s wild side doesn’t mean you have to sleep in a tent in the woods. The Clayoquot resort features spacious modern prospector-style tents equipped with indoor heating, bathrooms, showers, and luxurious beds.
Stay In An Ice Hotel in Quebec
Hôtel de Glace is the only ice accommodation in North America, and it sure is one for the bucket list. This amazing hotel is made with over 30000 tons of snow to create a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Over six weeks, 50 people work to get this hotel ready to receive its guests, who will stay in a hotel made entirely out of ice and snow.
The hotel comes with 44 rooms fitted with heaters and beds with sleeping bags, for those wondering how you sleep in a room made of ice.
The hotel also includes an ice bar, an ice chapel, and a giant ice slide for recreational activities.
A day tour is available to take a walk around and learn all about the hotel for those who aren’t staying for a night or two.
Paddle Amongst The Beluga Whales On Somerset Island
At the north of Canada lies Somerset island, where each year, at the mouth of the Cunningham river, thousands of beluga whales migrate from the Arctic.
This once-a-year occurrence is a sight to behold. With various ways to spot them, it makes for quite the trip to watch the beluga whales frolic and nurse their young while learning more about these beautiful creatures.
From helicopter rides to watch from above to canoeing in the very waters they swim in, there are many options for whale spotting.
Skate Along The Rideau Canal
For those looking for an adventure that’s not as extreme, as hiking mountains or arctic expeditions, skating on the frozen Rideau Canal in Ontario is a must-do.
One of the largest outdoor skating rinks in the world, the Rideau Canal stretches for 202 kilometers and offers a skating experience unlike any other.
The canal offers an experience for summer or winter, depending on your preference, in the summer, boat rides are plenty as you sail down the canal taking in the sights.
When winter comes around, the canal becomes a winter wonderland where tourists and locals skate to their heart’s content in this outdoor adventure.
