Ontario offers a range of discoveries: waterways with international cultural heritage, vast natural areas and places where you can experience engineering and regional history. The Rideau Canal runs between Ottawa and Kingston in southern Ontario. It is one of Ontario’s two World Heritage Sites and one of Canada’s 20 World Heritage Sites. This makes it a clear point of reference for anyone interested in cultural heritage—and a geographic link between two cities.
Waterways and outdoor trails
Algonquin Provincial Park has a canoe route network spanning more than 2,000 kilometres. This figure refers to a network, not a single trip, and conveys its scale. The 16-kilometre Old Railway Bike Trail offers a different measure and is suitable for all age groups. The figures answer different questions: in Algonquin Park, the focus is on the length of the canoe route network; for the Old Railway Bike Trail, it is the length of a specific route. Visitors can choose between canoe routes and a designated cycling trail without treating the two figures as comparable individual routes.
Landscapes and bird migration
Bruce Peninsula National Park is the core protected area of the UNESCO Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Reserve. Its landscape includes lakes, rocky shores, cliffs, caves, dunes, wetlands and forests. This range spans everything from shorelines and rock formations to wetlands and forests, offering a varied setting for exploring nature.
Point Pelee National Park is the southernmost point of mainland Canada and lies in the so-called Carolinian Zone. It is also one of the best inland places to watch bird migration. More than 390 bird species have been recorded in the Point Pelee Birding Area; the number of species may change as records are updated. Its geographic setting and birdwatching offer two different perspectives on Ontario’s natural environment.
History and experiences in Niagara
Niagara Parks Power Station showcases repurposed artifacts, interpretive exhibits and interactive installations about the history of one of the world’s first hydroelectric power stations. They illustrate how the power station harnessed the energy of water to generate electricity for more than a century.
At Journey Behind the Falls, visitors descend 125 feet through the rock and explore tunnels behind Niagara Falls that are 130 years old. The 20-minute Voyage to the Falls boat tour by Niagara City Cruises offers a different perspective, with views of the Niagara Gorge, the American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. The White Water Walk is a quarter-mile-long boardwalk along the banks of the Niagara River. The historic Whirlpool Aero Car crosses the Niagara Gorge and offers views of the Niagara Whirlpool and Class 6 rapids. The boat tour, riverside boardwalk and gorge crossing each offer a different focus; the tour duration and trail length also make two of them more tangible.
More discoveries
Fort George National Historic Site is located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, where musket demonstrations are held. The Butterfly Conservatory offers a family-friendly, self-guided experience featuring 45 butterfly species from around the world. Alongside cultural heritage and nature, visitors can choose between a demonstration and an attraction to explore independently.
Culinary trails, festivals and other food experiences are also part of what Ontario has to offer. Those who want to make food a focus alongside nature and cultural heritage can consider these offerings as another option when planning their trip.
Explore more destinations: Algoma District, Niagara Regional Municipality, Simcoe County, Lanark County, Elgin County, Wellington County, Hastings County, Parry Sound District, Haldimand-Norfolk Regional Municipality, La Haute-Côte-Nord, Huron County, Manicouagan, Chatham-Kent Division, Muskoka District Municipality, Northumberland County, Regional Municipality of Durham, Grey County, Perth County, Regional Municipality of York, Oxford County, Bruce County, Renfrew County, Regional Municipality of Halton, Prince Edward Division, Cochrane District, Dufferin County, Kawartha Lakes Division, Lennox and Addington County, Sudbury District, Kenora District, Peterborough County, Ottawa Division, Nipissing District, Lambton County, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry United Counties, Thunder Bay District, Leeds and Grenville United Counties, Middlesex County, Timiskaming District, Frontenac County, Waterloo Regional Municipality, Toronto Division, Essex County, Greater Sudbury Division, Peel Regional Municipality, Brant County, Prescott and Russell United Counties, Hamilton Division, Haliburton County, Norfolk County, Manitoulin District, Rainy River District, Schreiber, Kirkland Lake, Mount Forest, Eganville, Deep River, Haldimand County, Durham Regional Municipality and Regional Municipality of Peel.
Go to the broader travel overview: Canada.
