Short answer: with 7 days, ride VIA Rail through the east: Toronto with a day at Niagara Falls, then Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City. With 10 days, go west instead: Vancouver, then a short flight to Calgary for Banff, Lake Louise, the Icefields Parkway and Jasper. With 14 days, either cross the Rockies to the Pacific by train and finish in Victoria, or pair the Toronto–Quebec City corridor with Nova Scotia’s Cabot Trail and Prince Edward Island. Canada is huge, so fly between regions and keep each trip to one or two of them.
This guide turns the sample trips on our Canada travel guide into day-by-day plans, with travel times between stops and the best area to sleep in each night. Pick your season with our best time to visit Canada guide, see the highlights in our top 10 places to visit in Canada, and for a plan built around your dates and interests, use our AI trip planner. Everything was checked as of October 2026.
The three routes at a glance
| Route | Days | Stops and nights | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| The east by train | 7 | Toronto 2, Ottawa 1, Montreal 2, Quebec City 1 | First trip, cities and history, no driving |
| Vancouver and the Rockies | 10 | Vancouver 3, Banff 4, Jasper 2 | Mountains, lakes, wildlife, easy hikes |
| Rockies to the Pacific | 14 | Banff 4, Jasper 2, train 1, Vancouver 3, Whistler 1, Victoria 2 | The big western loop, scenic rail, coast and mountains |
| Quebec to the Maritimes | 14 | Toronto 2, Ottawa 1, Montreal 2, Quebec City 2, Halifax 2, Cape Breton 2, Prince Edward Island 2 | Cities, seafood, coastal drives, fall colors |
Book open-jaw flights: into Toronto and out of Quebec City or Halifax, or into Calgary and out of Victoria or Vancouver. The main international gateways are Toronto Pearson, Vancouver, Montréal-Trudeau and Calgary. Visitors from visa-exempt countries other than the US need an eTA (CA$7, on the Government of Canada’s site only) to fly in.
Travel times between the main stops
These are the legs used in the plans below. “VIA Rail”, “Parks Canada” and “Northumberland Ferries” mark figures published by those operators; the rest are approximate. Drive times assume no stops, and in the mountains you will want plenty.
| Leg | Fastest way | Time or distance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto – Ottawa | VIA Rail Corridor train, 54 a week | 4 h 32 min on average | VIA Rail |
| Toronto – Montreal | VIA Rail Corridor train, 40 a week | 5 h 13 min on average | VIA Rail |
| Ottawa – Montreal | VIA Rail Corridor train | about 2 h | Approximate |
| Montreal – Quebec City | VIA Rail Corridor train, 34 a week | 3 h 26 min on average | VIA Rail |
| Toronto – Niagara Falls | GO Transit train, or train plus GO bus | about 2 h | GO Transit (service); time approximate |
| Vancouver – Calgary | Flight | about 1.5 h | Approximate |
| Calgary Airport – Banff | Car or airport shuttle | about 1.5–2 h | Approximate |
| Banff – Lake Louise | Car or bus | 58 km (36 miles) | Approximate |
| Lake Louise – Jasper (Icefields Parkway) | Car or Brewster Express coach | 232 km (144 miles); at least 4 h one way | Parks Canada (distance); time approximate |
| Jasper – Edmonton | Car, SunDog connector or VIA Rail | 370 km (230 miles) | Parks Canada |
| Jasper – Vancouver | VIA Rail’s Canadian, twice a week | overnight | VIA Rail |
| Vancouver – Whistler (Sea-to-Sky Highway) | Car or coach | about 125 km (78 miles), 2 h | Approximate |
| Tsawwassen (Vancouver) – Swartz Bay (Victoria) | BC Ferries | about 1 h 35 min crossing | Approximate |
| Montreal or Quebec City – Halifax | Flight (or VIA Rail’s overnight Ocean from Montreal) | about 2 h by air | Approximate |
| Halifax – Cape Breton (Baddeck) | Car | about 4 h | Approximate |
| Caribou (Nova Scotia) – Wood Islands (PEI) | Northumberland Ferries, seasonal | 75 min | Northumberland Ferries |
VIA Rail’s Corridor trains run downtown to downtown with free Wi-Fi, which often makes them faster door to door than flying between Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City. In the west, you need a car or tours: there is no VIA Rail to Banff, and the Moraine Lake road is closed to private vehicles.
7 days: Toronto, Niagara Falls, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City
The classic first trip, all by train. Fly into Toronto and home from Quebec City or Montreal.
- Day 1, Toronto: UP Express from Pearson to Union Station ($12). The CN Tower on a timed ticket, the Harbourfront and the Distillery District in the evening. Sleep: downtown, near Union Station.
- Day 2, Niagara Falls: GO Transit to Niagara Falls (about two hours), a boat ride into the mist below the Horseshoe Falls and the Journey Behind the Falls; in season, the WEGO shuttle to Niagara-on-the-Lake for wineries. Back to Toronto at night. Sleep: same.
- Day 3, to Ottawa: Morning VIA Rail train (about 4.5 hours). Afternoon on Parliament Hill, the Rideau Canal locks and dinner in the ByWard Market. Sleep: ByWard Market or downtown.
- Day 4, Ottawa and on to Montreal: The National Gallery or the Canadian Museum of History across the river, then an afternoon train to Montreal (about two hours). Sleep: Old Montreal or downtown.
- Day 5, Montreal: Notre-Dame Basilica and the Old Port, a walk up Mount Royal, bagels and smoked meat on the Plateau, an evening on Saint-Laurent. Sleep: same.
- Day 6, to Quebec City: Morning train (about 3.5 hours). The walls, the Château Frontenac and the Dufferin Terrace, then Petit-Champlain at dusk. Sleep: Old Québec.
- Day 7, Montmorency Falls and home: Montmorency Falls, 15 minutes away and higher than Niagara, then fly home from Quebec City, or take the train back to Montreal.
Swap it: if cities aren’t your thing, trade Ottawa for two nights at Mont-Tremblant in the Laurentians, or a lake cottage in Muskoka, about two hours north of Toronto. More detail on each stop is in our Toronto, Niagara Falls, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City guides.
10 days: Vancouver, Banff and Jasper
The west in one trip: a city on the ocean, then the Canadian Rockies. Fly into Vancouver and home from Edmonton or Calgary, and hire a car in Calgary. This route is at its best from mid-June to early October, when the parkway services and the Lake Louise and Moraine Lake shuttles run; in 2026 the shuttles end on October 12.
- Day 1, Vancouver: Arrive and walk or cycle the Stanley Park seawall. Dinner in Gastown. Sleep: downtown, the West End or Gastown.
- Day 2, Vancouver: Granville Island market by little ferry, Kitsilano beach, the Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Sleep: same.
- Day 3, the North Shore or the Sea-to-Sky: The Capilano or Lynn Canyon suspension bridges and Grouse Mountain, or drive the Sea-to-Sky Highway toward Whistler for Shannon Falls and the Sea to Sky Gondola. Sleep: same.
- Day 4, to Banff: Fly to Calgary (about 1.5 hours), pick up the car and drive to Banff (about 1.5 to 2 hours). Buy your park pass ($12.25 per adult per day, or a Discovery Pass for longer trips). Sleep: Banff town or Canmore (4 nights).
- Day 5, Lake Louise and Moraine Lake: Book the Parks Canada shuttle; it is the way to reach Moraine Lake in a private visit, and the 4 and 5 a.m. “Alpine Start” buses give you sunrise. Walk up to the Lake Agnes tea house.
- Day 6, around Banff: Johnston Canyon early, the Banff Gondola or Sulphur Mountain, a Lake Minnewanka cruise and the Upper Hot Springs at night.
- Day 7, Yoho or a long hike: Emerald Lake and Takakkaw Falls in Yoho National Park, just over the BC border, or a full-day hike from Lake Louise.
- Day 8, the Icefields Parkway: Leave early for the 232 km (144-mile) drive to Jasper: Bow Lake, Peyto Lake, the Columbia Icefield and Athabasca and Sunwapta falls. Fill up before you go; fuel is scarce and there is almost no cell coverage. Sleep: Jasper town (2 nights).
- Day 9, Jasper: Maligne Canyon and a boat to Spirit Island on Maligne Lake; stargazing in the dark-sky preserve at night.
- Day 10, home: Drive 370 km (230 miles) to Edmonton for your flight, or back down the parkway to Calgary.
Swap it: not a driver? Base yourself in Banff and use the town’s local buses and the Parks Canada shuttles, then take a coach along the parkway to Jasper. Want more coast? Replace Jasper with two nights in Victoria. Details for each stop: Vancouver, Banff National Park and Jasper National Park.
14 days: the Rockies to the Pacific
The big western loop, with one of the world’s great train rides in the middle. Fly into Calgary and home from Victoria or Vancouver. Check VIA Rail’s schedule first: the Canadian runs twice a week, so fit the Jasper days around it.
- Days 1–4, Banff and Lake Louise: as in the 10-day plan: Lake Louise and Moraine Lake by shuttle, Johnston Canyon, the gondola, Yoho. Sleep: Banff town or Canmore (4 nights).
- Day 5, the Icefields Parkway: Drive to Jasper, stopping at the lakes and the Columbia Icefield; drop the car in Jasper. Sleep: Jasper town (2 nights).
- Day 6, Jasper: Maligne Canyon and Maligne Lake, or the Jasper SkyTram.
- Day 7, the Canadian: Board VIA Rail’s Canadian at Jasper for the overnight run west past Mount Robson and down the Thompson and Fraser canyons. Sleep: on the train (1 night).
- Days 8–10, Vancouver: Stanley Park, Granville Island, Gastown, and a day trip up the Sea-to-Sky Highway. Sleep: downtown or the West End (3 nights).
- Day 11, Whistler: Coach or car to Whistler (about two hours) for the Peak 2 Peak Gondola and village trails. Sleep: Whistler Village (1 night).
- Day 12, to Victoria: Back to Vancouver and the BC Ferries sailing from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay (about 1 hour 35 minutes), through the Gulf Islands. Sleep: Victoria Inner Harbour (2 nights).
- Day 13, Victoria: Butchart Gardens, the Royal BC Museum, a whale-watching trip from the harbor.
- Day 14, home: Fly from Victoria, or take a floatplane back to downtown Vancouver.
To add the wild west coast, swap Whistler for two or three nights in Tofino across Vancouver Island, for surf beaches, rainforest and whale watching. In late summer, the lakes and wineries of the Okanagan are a good alternative to the train. More in our Whistler and Victoria guides.
14 days: Quebec to the Maritimes
The east in full: the train corridor, then a short flight to Halifax and a road trip around Cape Breton and Prince Edward Island. This route is best from late June to mid-October; mid-September to mid-October brings the fall colors on the Cabot Trail, and the PEI ferry stops for the winter after December 20 in 2026.
- Days 1–7, Toronto to Quebec City: the 7-day plan, with a second night in Quebec City for Île d’Orléans or a day at Montmorency Falls. Sleep: Toronto 2, Ottawa 1, Montreal 2, Old Québec 2.
- Day 8, to Halifax: Fly from Quebec City or Montreal (about two hours). The waterfront boardwalk and the Citadel. Sleep: downtown Halifax (2 nights).
- Day 9, Peggy’s Cove and Lunenburg: Hire a car for the lighthouse at Peggy’s Cove and the UNESCO-listed old town of Lunenburg.
- Day 10, to Cape Breton: Drive to Baddeck on the Bras d’Or Lake (about four hours). Sleep: Baddeck (2 nights).
- Day 11, the Cabot Trail: The roughly 300 km (185-mile) loop through Cape Breton Highlands National Park takes a full day with stops; walk the Skyline Trail (reservations required from late June to October 25 in 2026) and eat at Chéticamp.
- Day 12, to Prince Edward Island: Drive to Caribou for Northumberland Ferries’ 75-minute crossing to Wood Islands (you pay nothing on the way in: PEI collects its ferry fare or bridge toll only when you leave). Sleep: Charlottetown (2 nights).
- Day 13, PEI’s north shore: Red-sand beaches and dunes in PEI National Park, Green Gables at Cavendish, and lobster or mussels for dinner.
- Day 14, home: Leave over the Confederation Bridge to New Brunswick ($20 per car, paid on the way out) and drive back to Halifax for your flight, or fly home from Charlottetown.
Driving tips, park passes and the best stops are in our Halifax, Cape Breton Island and Prince Edward Island guides.
Where to sleep, by stop
| Stop | Best area for a short stay | Why | Taxes on rooms (as of Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto | Downtown near Union Station | UP Express, VIA and GO trains in one place | 13% HST + 6% municipal accommodation tax |
| Ottawa | ByWard Market or downtown | Walk to Parliament, the canal and museums | 13% HST + municipal accommodation tax |
| Montreal | Old Montreal or downtown | Old Port, metro and the train station | GST + QST + 3.5% lodging tax |
| Quebec City | Old Québec, inside or just below the walls | Everything on foot | GST + QST + 3.5% lodging tax |
| Vancouver | Downtown, the West End or Gastown | Seawall, ferries and SkyTrain | GST + PST + municipal and regional tax |
| Banff | Banff town, or Canmore outside the park | Restaurants and buses; Canmore is often cheaper | 5% GST + 6% Alberta tourism levy |
| Jasper | Jasper town | Station, restaurants and tours | 5% GST + 6% Alberta tourism levy |
| Victoria | Inner Harbour | Ferries, floatplanes and museums on foot | GST + PST + municipal and regional tax |
| Halifax | Downtown waterfront | Citadel, boardwalk and restaurants | 14% HST + 3% marketing levy |
| Cape Breton | Baddeck, or Chéticamp and Ingonish on the trail | Central for the loop; closer to the park trails | 14% HST |
| Prince Edward Island | Charlottetown, or Cavendish in summer | Restaurants all year; beaches on the north shore | 15% HST + city levy in Charlottetown |
Listed prices in Canada almost never include tax, so taxes add roughly 19–20% to a hotel bill in Toronto or Montreal and about 11% in Banff, before resort or parking fees. Book Banff, Jasper and the PEI north shore months ahead for July and August.
Alternatives by interest
Hikers and wildlife watchers
Give the Rockies a full week: four nights in Banff or Lake Louise, a night at a parkway hostel and three in Jasper, with Yoho and Kootenay as day trips. Larches turn gold in mid to late September. On the east coast, the Cape Breton Highlands are the place for moose and whale watching from the cliffs, and in British Columbia, Tofino and Pacific Rim National Park Reserve add rainforest trails and gray whales.
Families
Use fewer bases and shorter drives. A week split between Toronto and Niagara Falls works well, with a cottage in Muskoka to finish; in the west, Banff town with its hot springs, gondola and easy lakeside walks, then Vancouver’s beaches and the Capilano bridge. PEI’s warm, shallow beaches are among the best in Canada for small children in July and August.
Food lovers
Montreal and Quebec City are the heart of it: bagels, smoked meat, poutine, sugar shacks in spring and French-style bistros. Add Vancouver for Asian food and seafood, the Okanagan for wineries in late summer and early fall, and the Maritimes for lobster, oysters and PEI mussels. Niagara-on-the-Lake makes a good wine day from Toronto.
Winter travelers
From December to March, swap hiking for skiing in Banff, Lake Louise and Whistler, the Quebec Winter Carnival (February 5–14, 2027) and Ottawa’s Winterlude (January 29 to February 15, 2027). Moraine Lake is closed, and winter tires or chains are required on the Icefields Parkway from November 1 to March 31.
Tips for planning your route
- Don’t try to see it all. Toronto to Vancouver is about five hours by air; pick the east or the west for a week, and fly between them only on a two-week trip.
- Book the Parks Canada shuttle. Moraine Lake’s road is closed to personal vehicles; shuttle seats for Lake Louise and Moraine Lake sell out in summer.
- Buy a park pass. National parks charge $12.25 per adult per day; the Discovery Pass ($83.50 per adult, $167.50 per family or group) pays off after about a week.
- Book trains and ferries early. VIA Rail’s long-distance trains and BC Ferries’ summer sailings fill up; vehicles on some BC Ferries routes must now book ahead.
- Match the season. Late June to early October suits every route here, with mid-September to mid-October the sweet spot for colors and fewer people. In July and August, smoke from wildfires can haze the mountain views in some years. See our best time to visit Canada guide.
- Expect to tip and pay tax. Tip about 15–20% in restaurants, and add sales tax to every price you see.
Canada itinerary FAQ
Is 7 days enough for Canada?
Yes for one region: the Toronto–Quebec City corridor by train, or Banff and Jasper from Calgary. It is not enough to combine east and west without spending much of the week in airports.
Should I see eastern or western Canada first?
The east for cities, history, French culture and easy train travel; the west for mountains, lakes, wildlife and the Pacific coast. If you only come once in summer, most travelers choose the Rockies.
Do I need a car in Canada?
Not in the east between Toronto and Quebec City, where VIA Rail links the city centers. You do need one, or tours, for the Rockies, the Cabot Trail and Prince Edward Island.
How long is the train from Toronto to Montreal?
5 hours 13 minutes on average, with about 40 VIA Rail trains a week; Toronto to Ottawa takes 4 hours 32 minutes and Montreal to Quebec City 3 hours 26 minutes on average (VIA Rail).
How many days do you need in Banff?
Three or four days covers Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Johnston Canyon and the town, plus a day for Yoho or a long hike. Add two days for the Icefields Parkway and Jasper.
Can I take the train across Canada?
Yes. VIA Rail’s Canadian runs from Toronto to Vancouver via Winnipeg, Edmonton and Jasper in four nights, twice a week. The Jasper–Vancouver section alone is an overnight journey and fits neatly into a two-week western trip.
What is the best month for a Canada road trip?
September: warm days, fall colors arriving, fewer crowds than July and August, and the mountain roads, shuttles and ferries still running until mid-October.
Sources
Researched and last reviewed by TravelerCenter on 8 October 2026. Corridor journey times, frequencies and the Canadian come from VIA Rail; Icefields Parkway and Jasper distances, park fees, shuttles, the Moraine Lake road closure, winter tire rules and the Skyline Trail reservations from Parks Canada; the PEI ferry and bridge from Northumberland Ferries and the Confederation Bridge; GO Transit service to Niagara Falls from Metrolinx; the eTA from the Government of Canada; sales and accommodation taxes from the federal and provincial tax authorities and city councils, as listed on our Canada guide; festival dates from the organizers. Ottawa–Montreal, Toronto–Niagara Falls, the BC Ferries crossing, flight times and drive times are approximate. Timetables, fares and rules change, so check with the operator before you travel.
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