5 Canadian Road Trips You Have To Try This Summer
What’s summer without a couple of roadtrips? When you get all of your friends together, with snacks that literally create mountains in the back seat, there’s nothing better to do than spend a couple of days kicking back, driving, and drinking a little along the way.
But roadtrips are also about the scenery, right? And what better place to find some great scenery than Canada itself, where you can go from the Rocky Mountains to a beach in just two days, or hit as many lakes as Canada shares with the U.S., all whilst headed towards one of the seven natural wonders of the world. So, without further ado, here’s 5 Canadian road trips you should go on this summer.
1. Icefields Parkway, Alberta
Icefields Parkway is 232 kilmeters (144 miles) through Alberta and the Canadian Rockies, connecting the two cities of Jasper and Banff, which are two of the most famous mountain cities in the world. This highway has often been called the most beautiful scenery in the world, which can only make it one of the prettiest Canadian road trips out there. Plus, with stops such as Banff, Lake Louise (which has great summer activities, don’t worry), Columbia Icefields, and the Sunwapta and Athabasca Falls.
2. Sea to Sky Highway
The Sea to Sky Highway connects the city of Vancouver to Whistler, which are less than two hours apart from each other. The highway is super busy during ski season, but during the summer is a relaxing roadtrip. Popular places to stop on the highway are Whytecliff Park in West Vancouver, one of BC’s largest waterfalls, Shannon Falls, and the Sea to Sky Gondola which is great for amazing instagram shots. Plus, it’s a scenic highway connecting you to two of the best places to go out in B.C. What more could you ask for?
3. Chatham-Kent Corridor
Although this isn’t it’s household name, this roadtrip is seriously to die for. Snaking up near Lake Erie, Lake St. Clair and the Thames River, there’s certainly no shortage of views on this trip, and it’s become especially popular for motorcyclists to cruise down the coast. This trip is especially cool because you can dip into the U.S., or go to the trip’s most infamous location: Niagra Falls.
4. Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is arguably one of the most beautiful islands in Canada, with a mixture of rainforests, beautiful, jagged coastlines, sunny beaches and mountains. The most popular cities to visit on the island are Victoria and Tofino, who have very different vibes but are both worth checking the hell out of. Victoria is Vancouver Island’s biggest city, and is home to B.C.’s Parliament building and rich history, along with amazing views of the coastline and crazy good boutique shopping. Tofino is a more relaxed, surfing destination, with plenty of nightlife to keep you on your feet and beaches to boot. When travelling between the two, you can check out some wineries, and get some good vineyard photo ops.
5. Montreal to Gaspé Peninsula
This journey (about nine hours, the longest roadtrip on this list) takes you along the St. Lawrence River from Montreal to Quebec City, and further towards Gaspé Peninsula. The final destination is covered in beautiful pine forests and cliffs high enough that’ll make you feel like you’re in a romantic comedy set in Scotland. The best spots to hit on this roadtrip are the pieced rock in Percé, boat tours to Bonaventure Island, and Parc de la Gaspésie.
