Destination Canada

A totally wild and remote region of islands, First Nations villages, towering peaks and glacier-lined valleys, The Great Bear Rainforest is one of the world’s last remaining coastal temperate rainforests and is home to some of the earth's most magical landscapes, oasis and wildlife – you’ll find cougars and wolves on the land, and sea lines and orcas in the water (hint: the best time to spot orcas in the wild is July – October).

When Canada pops up in conversation at Urban List, it’s often Vancouver or Toronto in the spotlight. And while the attention for both is well deserved, there’s so much more to this insanely beautiful country. Case in point: Banff National Park, Canada’s oldest national park and home to rocky mountain peaks, turquoise glacial lakes, picturesque mountain villages and wildlife.

Marrying the unmatched beauty of Canadian wilderness with the laid back culture of their Alaskan neighbours, British Columbia is a haven for travellers seeking an off-the-grid experience. From surfing along Canada’s famous surf highway to getting up close and personal with grizzly bears in their natural habitat, we've rounded up a list of absolute must-do experiences for all adventure seekers in British Columbia.

From local craft breweries, to Insta famous cocktails and a street dedicated to late-night ramen, we’ve teamed up with our friends at Destination Canada to put together the only guide you’ll need to navigate Vancouver’s coolest neighbourhoods - Gastown, SOMA and The West End.

There are two words that can make any holiday infinitely better: road trip. There is the playlist, the company, the LOLs, and most importantly, the views that pass by your window. Being the prolific road trip supporters that we are when we found this road trip we knew we had to share it with the people who would appreciate it the most—you guys!

Holidays planned around what cocktail to sip by the pool are great and all, but there is something to be said about a holiday that leaves you ticking items off your bucket list in abundance and creating stories that you’ll be able to tell the grandkids one day.

When you think Canadian fare, you’d be forgiven for thinking that poutine and maple syrup are the be all and end all. Turns out there’s a whole load more deliciousness hidden away in the Justin Bieber and Celine Dion motherland—who knew?!

Your bucket list is something that you hold close to your heart. It’s something you curate while slogging away on the treadmill, crafting yet another email to your nightmare co-worker, or doing the dishes. Given the amount of work that goes into curating your bucket list, it’s only fair each inclusion is seriously worth it. Luckily, we’ve found a whole heap of bucket list inclusions that will have you booking a plane ticket faster than you can say “goals!”

Poutine is a national treasure. It sits up there with ice hockey and maple syrup. If you’re unfamiliar, firstly where the heck have you been, and secondly, here’s a quick explainer: poutine is a pile of deliciousness, really—think crispy chips piled with gravy and squeaky cheese curds. It’s heavenly.

As anyone worth their weight in grade eight geography knows, Canada is pretty big. Not only in size, but also in its calibre of bucket list worthy must-sees (you’re going to want to spend a serious chunk of time exploring this beauty). So quit your job*, pack your bags, and jump on a flight to Canada because, you guys, this is the MUST do road trip to see the real Canada. PS—yes, the best way to explore Canada is via road trip!