Whoever is in charge of promoting Canada abroad completely have their heads up their asses. It’s all like bears and swatting salmon and Mounties.
Anthony Bourdain
The land of the midnight sun. Well, in Yukon territory anyways. Canada is as diverse as it comes. Thick forests, wide expanses of tundra, modern metropolis that rival the food scenes of New York and Los Angeles. My Canadian bucketlist keeps growing with each visit. Spot the Northern Lights, through-hike the alpine lakes in Banff, and take a fly plane over the mountains and islands of Canada’s perimeter. Canada can satisfy any outdoorsy adventure.
Unlike Bourdain, I quite enjoy the sheer number of bears and mountains and raw wilderness in Canada. It’s one of the big allures of Canada. All that open space. The opportunity to really leave the rest of humanity behind. But the cities of our Northern neighbor are equally impressive. Clean and brimming with mouth-watering cuisine.
Canada Travel Guide
Recommended Cities: Vancouver, Banff National Park, Jasper National Park, Vancouver Island, & Whistler.
Minimum Recommended Trip Length: Canada is a great expanse of wilderness that you could spend months exploring. But for a road trip to the Southwest corner- all the recommended cities could be done in a month.
One Bucketlist Item You Cannot Miss: Spotting black bears (or grizzlies) on Vancouver Island.
Things to Consider Before You Go: Much like the US, Canada is best visited via road trip. & your auto insurance from the United States works here.
Visa Requirements
Canada doesn’t require a visa for travelers from the United States for visits under 6 months.
Estimated Backpacker Budget
On a Shoestring: $35/day
Flashpacker: $60/day
Backpacker Luxury: $100/day
Keep in mind these are backpacker budgets. On a shoestring expect to be cooking your own meals, sleeping in your car or camper, & skipping the more expensive tourist attractions. Backpacker Luxury opts for hotel rooms, eats mostly in restaurants, and splurges on activities. Flashpackers are the middle ground & often do a mixture of both.
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