Hints & Tips for Visiting Canada with Kids
This is a collaborative post
*Disclosure – At the time of writing, COVID19 restrictions apply, however with the majority of us longing for the day that we get to travel again, here is some inspiration for when it is safe and permitted to do so.*
Canada has always been pretty high on my travel wish list and now that I have a family, I would absolutely love to one day to take them on the holiday of a lifetime. Canada is however, a pretty vast country. It’s huge. So big in fact that it spans over 6 different time zones, which means deciding where, when and how to visit can be quite a challenging itinerary to arrange. When planning flights to Canada, you need to consider the key reasons you want to visit and the elements you’d like your family to experience. Here are some of the family friendly elements on my wishlist!
The Wonderful Wildlife
Living close to the great British countryside, we are lucky that we get to see a fair bit of wildlife close to home. There’s UK wildlife however and then there is Canadian wildlife, with the latter being raised to a whole new level.
Whilst my girls have only ever seen creatures like these in books, Canada is home to the Grizzly Bear, Black Bears and Polar Bears all of whom can be seen in their natural habitat.
Moose and Elk can be seen patrolling in all their glory, and Killer Whales (otherwise known as Orcas) which the girls have only ever seen on Free Willy can be seen swimming freely in the ocean (normally in big groups!). Canada is proven to be the best place in the entire world to see killer whales in the wild!
If you want to get up close and personal with some of the most fascinating creatures on the planet, then Canada is a great place to start.
Sense of Exploration
My girls absolutely love The Great Outdoors and if we’ve learnt anything over the last 12 months, it is to be grateful for the beauty in our surroundings. Canada has a huge amount of outdoors to explore; vast open spaces where you can truly be at one with nature.
With a large number of National Parks, Banff National Park is up there with my top choices. Banff is one of Canada’s oldest national parks and offers over 2500 square miles of serene landscapes to explore and discover.
Within Banff National Park, one lake that you can’t afford to miss is Lake Louise, known for its bright green turquoise waters surrounded by mountain peaks and a beautiful ancient chateau. Lake Louise is also home to an annual Ice Making Festival where talented artists show off stunning ice carvings and sculptures made entirely from ice!
You can also expect to get your skates on at their outdoor skating rink for a truly immersive Winter experience!
Another must see location is Yellowknife – the best place in the World to see the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis). These natural colourful light displays are simply dazzling. I was lucky enough to catch a small glimpse when I visited Iceland – however, I would love to get a better view and try and capture some of the dazzling colours on camera!
Memories to last a lifetime..
When you’re heading to Canada, you can’t leave before taking a trip to the Niagra Falls!
As the World’s most famous waterfalls, most people will have Niagra Falls on their bucketlist and I am no exception! Contrary to popular belief, Niagra Falls is not one massive waterfall, but actually 3 individual ones named the American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and the Horse Show Falls (Canadian Falls), which range between 70 and 110 feet in height.
Whilst the falls are amazing to visit at any time of year, Winter turns the Niagra Falls into an even more magical destination, with etting close to the freezing spires and icicles, frozen ice blocks and cascades of falling ice a truly stunning sight to behold.
With the sun setting earlier and longer darker nights, it also means you get to appreciate the Niagra Falls illuminations for much longer in the Winter months and visit them earlier in the evening which is ideal if you have younger children.
Where would you like to visit in Canada?
