Road Trips in Canada

This winding 150-kilometer portion of Highway 99 connects Horsehoe Bay in Vancouver all the way to Whistler, British Columbia. It recently enjoyed a multi-million dollar face-lift for the 2010 Winter Olympics, so it's in good condition and safe to drive, and it offers continuous views of coast mountains, gushing waterfalls, wondrous lakes and lush green forests. Make sure to make a pit stop at the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge, where you can watch the 230-foot-high Brandwyne Falls as well as ride up the 3, 000 foot Sea to Sky Gondola for absolutely breathtaking views of the fjord.

A mountain highway linking Banff National Park to Jasper National Park, this 230 kilometer stretch of road offers some of the most scenic delights in the world. You'll see pristine glaciers, some of which are hundreds of years old, cascading waterfalls, lush meadows, and the top of the snowy Canadian Rockies. That's not even to mention the incredible and diverse wildlife you're likely to encounter along the way. You'll spot elk, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, black bears and, if you're lucky, caribou, lynx, and grizzly bears!

Unlike many of Canada's other scenic drives, the Badlands Trail, looping through Calgary all the way to Lethbridge, isn't rich with lust forests and glistening seaside scenery. Instead, the trail combines a mixture of hoodoo rock formations, sandstone walls, and calming desolate desert to provide one of the most unique sights in Canada. In fact, many of the landscapes are home to some of the most extensive dinosaur fossil fields in the world.

This 300-kilometer drive, named after explorer John Cabot, winds around Cape Breton Island, and is famous for its picture-perfect ocean vistas, green meadows, and prehistoric formations. Typically, the Cabot Trail takes about three hours to drive, but with quaint towns known for serving some delicious seafood, some incredible hikes, like the Skyline Trail, and welcoming hospitality, you'll want to stay for longer.

Spanning 443 kilometers, from Newfoundland's West Coast all the way to Southern Labrador, the Viking Trail is the lone Canadian route to pass through not one but two UNESCO World Heritage Sites! You'll be amazed by the presence left behind by Viking and Basque inhabitants, taking you through sweeping valleys, snow-topped mountains and the stunning Newfoundland coast.