10 Best Family Summer Getaways in Canada

Niagara Falls – the town and the waterfalls – is a top pick for a great family summer getaway in Canada. The city has a host of family-friendly attractions that’ll keep every member engaged and inspired. Besides getting up close to the thundering falls on a boat cruise, you can take the kids for a ride up the Niagara SkyWheel. You can also broaden their knowledge of wildlife at the Bird Kingdom, Butterfly Conservatory, or Aquarium of Niagara.

For a memorable meal, book a table at the long-time family favourite The Rainforest Cafe across the Falls, to enjoy high-quality comfort food like burgers and pasta while surrounded by its volcano-inspired decor and animatronic wildlife. A great outdoor adventure to enjoy under the summer sun in Niagara Falls is the White Water Walk, which takes you down through a tunnel and onto a boardwalk for gentle hikes along a large and scenic stretch of rapids.

Gaspesie, or Gaspe Peninsula, offers one of the most picturesque journeys through Quebec’s Bas-Saint-Laurent region. Vast and rugged, the peninsular area is home to 4 national parks with an expanse of forests and several waterfalls. Families should head to Forillon National Park, where young children can join the activity-filled Parks Canada Xplorers programme.

The peninsula’s northeastern coastline is dotted with lighthouses, from where whales can be spotted breaching the waves. There are also interpretation centres, museums, and historic sites where kids can learn more about the region’s history and wildlife. Must-visits include the Gaspesie Museum (Musée de la Gaspésie) and the Percé UNESCO Global Geopark. Budding mineralogists become prospectors and pick some pretty geodes at the Mount Lyall agate mine. 

Halifax is a compact seaside port city with a rich maritime history and a host of family fun under the sun. For one, there’s Fisherman’s Cove in the suburban community of Eastern Passage. This fishing village is over 2 centuries old and has colourful houses that are great for Instagram or selfies. Stroll and shop for local souvenirs along the boardwalk with an ice cream cone in hand or take a water taxi to nearby McNab’s Island and enjoy coastal views along the way.

In Downtown Halifax, the kids can learn about the city’s history through 18th- and 19th-century military re-enactments at the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site. They’ll have the chance to witness the firing of the noonday cannon and learn to send coded messages. For more sightseeing, you can go on an amphibious boat cruise and see the city’s great landmarks from both land and sea.

A Muskoka family getaway is a tour through Canada’s scenic cottage country, filled with some of Ontario’s finest attractions. It’s one of the best places to take in wild nature, with numerous parks and lakes, and rivers, beaches, and waterfalls that make for adventurous hikes. It draws in summer visitors looking for a refreshing break.

Besides a carefree day out on a lakeside beach, your family can enjoy canoeing, lake fishing charters, or sightseeing steamship cruises aboard the 3-level Lady Muskoka. Beyond the lakes, spectacular hiking awaits at the Algonquin provincial park. There’s great camping to be had at the Six Mile Lake Provincial Park.

Nanaimo is a city and district on the east coast of Vancouver Island that has a wealth of coastal and recreational parks. It’s a great summer getaway for active families, thanks to several quick and easy waterfront hikes. A day trip to Newcastle Island, a provincial marine park, is worth the journey from Nanaimo. You and the kids can explore the tidal pools, kayak around the island, or bike along the trails.

Around the port city are many interesting historic sites to discover. A unique one is the Petroglyph Provincial Park, where you can go on an interpretive forest walk to discover mysterious etchings in rock and stone created over 1,000 years ago. You can even have the once-in-a-lifetime chance to go snorkelling among harbour seals around Snake Island.

A fun family getaway to Victoria, British Columbia often requires more than just a day. During the summer, Victoria’s most beautiful spots like the Inner Harbour are at their liveliest, with mimes and buskers, and colourful souvenir stalls. The whole family can go for a sightseeing cruise from Fisherman’s Wharf. If you’re lucky, you’ll see the majestic sight of whales and orcas breaching the ocean surface.

An excellent family attraction in Victoria is the Victoria Bug Zoo, where the kids get up close and admire spiders and other fascinating creepy crawlies. Beacon Hill Park is a great spot for a hike, with other attractions including playgrounds, a towering totem pole, and a farm for kids to pet bunnies and feed goats.

Banff is a hit for family getaways in the summer, thanks to its beautiful alpine lakes and forests. Your adventure starts right in the city centre, with the streets offering plenty of boutique shopping and dining backed by mountain views. Scenic trails from the town lead you to nearby falls.

The kids will love the Cave and Basin National Historic Site, where explorations of Canada’s national park system start. Take part in a scavenger hunt along trails and through caves, part of the Xplorer programme. Highly educational, the site has multimedia and interactive displays. For breathtaking views, don’t miss the gondola ride to Sulphur Mountain.

Jasper is a mountain resort that serves as a base for discovering some of Alberta’s most stunning wilderness. It’s home to the iconic Icefields Parkway. Even in summer, the scenic alpine ride on custom-built buses over the icefields is magical. Also, the aerial tramway ride on the Jasper Skytram is a must-do for everyone. 

For active and physical pursuits among Jasper’s breathtaking scenery, you can’t pass a hiking adventure with the kids. Old Fort Point is a short and fairly easy hike for kids that reward them with amazing views. For a lakeside hike, there’s the Source of the Springs trail to Miette Hotsprings, where you can swim and enjoy lunch at an onsite restaurant. The twin lakes of Lake Edith and Lake Annette are great for kayaking, fishing, and swimming.

Saguenay in Quebec is best known for its valley setting by Lake Saint-Jean and the Saguenay Fjord. Just 2 hours from Quebec City, the city's wonderful forests and lakes offer an adventure for the whole family. A trip to Val Jalbert Historical Village, for instance, takes you back in time to a historic pulp mill town on the southeastern shores of Lac-Saint-Jean, brought back to life by colourful actors in period costumes.

Parc Aventures Cap Jaseux is an outdoor adventure park where toddlers can improve their agility over treetop courses. Other fun outdoor summer pursuits range from lakeside camping, kayaking, and numerous hiking trails with some moderate enough that even small feet can conquer. Leisurely hikes through Saguenay Fjord National Park can even treat you to spots from where belugas breaching in the fjord can be spotted.

Golden is British Columbia’s small town that’s big on outdoor adventures. The Cedar Lake Recreational Site on the outskirts of town is a great example, perfect for camping or enjoying a lakeside picnic. Another great family destination is Kicking Horse Mountain Resort – take the scenic chairlift ride to visit the grizzlies at the resort’s grizzly bear refuge.

For something more active, you can enjoy downhill, lift-accessed mountain biking at the resort or go whitewater rafting down the Columbia River. A day trip to the Yoho National Park treats you to beautiful alpine vistas of Emerald Lake, which is great for stand-up paddleboarding or kayaking. The hike to Wapta Falls is ideal for families with kids as it’s a relatively easy route.