Canada’s Tour Guides Share Secret Spots

As the second largest country in the world, Canada definitely has some incredible places to visit and sights to see. Whether you’re looking for adventure and want to go skiing or rock climbing or would prefer something a little tamer such as wine touring or shopping, there is no shortage of activities here. From Stanley Park in Vancouver to Algonquin Park in Ontario to Cape Breton in Nova Scotia and the city of Whitehorse in the Yukon, Canada offers ocean views, prairie excursions, arctic adventures and world-class urban nightlife.

Most everyone has heard of Canada’s more famous landmarks such as Niagara Falls, the Bay of Fundy, the CN Tower in Toronto, Butchart Gardens and Whistler Ski Resort in BC and, of course, the Rocky Mountains, but there are so many other things to see in this country that is almost 10 million square kilometres. To learn more about some of the destinations you may not have heard of we contacted tour guides and adventure tour guides all over Canada. Below are some of their responses:

Mark Waldibllig, hiking guide, British Columbia: The Tombstone Mountains in the Yukon are definitely one of the most beautiful spots he’s ever been to and very few people get a chance to visit. You definitely want to go in the autumn months when the leaves are turning because it’s spectacular.

Gregory Heroux, sailing guide, Ontario: There are so many secret coves and beaches on Lake Superior that he can’t even begin to list them all but what I can tell you is you can only get to them by boat.

Ben Thackery, adventure guide, Alberta: So many people visit Banff National Park when they come to Alberta but there are many other amazing parks around the province with far fewer tourists in them. One of the favourites is the Ghost River Valley just north of Calgary.

Crystal Langford, horse and carriage sightseeing guide, BC: Kaslo is a quintessential little town in the Kootenays that has retained its colonial charm. It’s absolutely beautiful and Crystal offers carriage tours of it regularly. It’s situated on one of the largest lakes in BC but has mountains on its doorstep and the people there are some of the friendliest around.

Armin Johnson, horseback guide, Yukon –  All of the area surrounding the city of Whitehorse is incredible. There’s stunning scenery, wildlife and adventure on your doorstep.

Crystal-Rose Lee, ski guide, BC –  There is so much amazing backcountry skiing around Whistler. Visitors pay top dollar to ride the chairlifts all day here but if you hire a guide like Crystal you’d experience better snow, better fall lines and zero crowds.

Zane Davis, kayaking guide, Ontario –A lot of people think of Algonquin Park when they want to visit the outdoors in Ontario but there are many many other parks including the beautiful Bruce Peninsula region on Lake Huron – the lake is so vast here it’s like being on the ocean.

Austin Behunin, biking guide, Ontario – Niagara Falls are incredible but there are so many beautiful little towns around the area that are worth visiting such as Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Clayton Watson, jet-ski guide, BC – There’s an island he loves to take visitors to just off the coast from Vancouver. It’s not far to get to but when you arrive you feel like you’re in the middle of a nature preserve with all the sea lions and seals hanging about. It’s hard to believe you’re right near Canada’s largest West Coast city.

These are just a few of Canada’s best-kept secrets as shared by tour guides and adventure guides. The following photos depict a few more shared by the Huff Post as well as a few GuideAdvisor staff favourites. (OK, most of us didn’t like the idea of visiting the Narcisse Snake Dens, but they’re definitely unique!) For more about things you can do in Canada, be sure to check out our “103 Things to do in BC before you die” blog.