6 Canadian adventures to try this summer

Too many TikTok influencers turning Aspen’s hiking trails into photo sets? Does driving through Yellowstone National Park feel more like rush hour in the Holland Tunnel? As America’s adventure tourism destinations deal with overtourism and staffing shortages, perhaps it’s time to consider a trip (slightly) further afield.

How about a visit to our neighbors to the north?

Canada’s adventure tourism market is booming. In 2023, it generated over $11 billion in revenue and is expected to reach over $33 billion by 2030. And with 1.6% more land and roughly one-tenth the population of the United States, the Great White North stands only to further solidify its reputation as an outdoors playground. Better still, Canada boasts an abundance of small operators ready to help take you where you’ve never dared before.

“Our vast landscapes and low population density make it easy to escape the crowds and immerse yourself in untouched wilderness,” said Dane Tredway, experience designer for Butterfield & Robinson, a travel company that organizes active small group trips. “Rather than ticking off the same bucket-list sites as everyone else, [travelers to Canada] are seeking out hidden gems that deliver equally epic landscapes and cultural experiences without the crowds.”

This summer, Air Canada alone offers more than 200 daily flights to over 45 destinations in the United States. And with an exchange rate of around $1.35 per greenback, Canada feels even more appealing.  
Chasing adventure? Point your compass north. Here’s how to experience the best of Canada’s wild side.

Polar bear safaris in Manitoba

Each year, roughly 25,000 people make the journey from Winnipeg to Churchill, a small far-northern village on the southern shores of the Hudson Bay home to the world’s highest concentration of polar bears. This is a unique place — residents are encouraged to never lock their doors in case a pedestrian needs to spontaneously seek shelter should a bear saunter through town — but it remains one of the most moving wildlife encounters you can have in Canada, or anywhere.

Tour operator Churchill Wild, known for offering polar bear safaris across the tundra of the adjacent Churchill Wildlife Management Area (packages from $15,995), just opened a new hotel, the Blueberry Inn (a big step up for this town).

A new cafe Ptarmigan also recently opened, increasing this remote town’s restaurant count from four to five. Beyond polar bears, the area’s other main draw is beluga whales — during the summer months, these melon-headed oceanic dolphins migrate to Churchill to feed and give birth in the warmer waters of the Churchill River Estuary. 

Lazy Bear Expeditions just added a new beluga whale-viewing boat, the Matonabee, to their fleet. It features an underwater viewing area with large windows so guests can get up close with beluga whales (two-night packages start from $585). 

Glacier hiking in Alberta

“Having just returned from Banff and Lake Louise, I can see why this area is a beacon for so many travelers looking for a true escape,” said Lauren McWilliams Jones, an independent affiliate of Brownell Travel, a Virtuoso travel agency. “It’s paradise for outdoor adventurers.” New adventures for 2025 include the Ice Odyssey, a premium, small-group tour located at the Columbia Icefields in Jasper National Park. The two-hour experience takes guests aboard a lunar buggy to an exclusive site on the Athabasca Glacier, providing an immersive exploration of the glacier’s history (from $258).

For something more off the beaten track, Explore Banff Tours & Transfers offers guided hikes to Bow Glacier Falls, a glacial waterfall in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. To relax afterwards, visit the new hydrotherapy circuit Basin Glacial Waters at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.

Mountain biking in British Columbia

Recognized as one of the most important regions in the world for mountain biking, the trails of British Columbia attracts everyone from seasoned experts to those experiencing the sport for the first time. New for this summer and just seven miles north of downtown Vancouver, Grouse Bike Park offers the only lift-accessed bike park within the limits of Metro Vancouver (day passes from $69).

Over in the interior, RED Mountain Resort (a 2½-hour drive north of Spokane, Wash.) also just launched a lift-serviced bike park, further turning this cult classic ski resort into a year-round destination (day passes from $65).

For more daring thrill-seekers, Tyax Adventures will helicopter riders into the backcountry and drop them and their bikes off for single- or multi-day adventures in the off-grid beauty of the Chilcotin Ranges (from $1,490).

Whale watching amidst icebergs in Newfoundland

The jagged coast of Newfoundland offers prime access to North Atlantic waters, and one of the best places to spot enormous floating icebergs along “Iceberg Alley,” the stretch of water that connects the island of Newfoundland and mainland of Labrador to the north.

There are a number of small boat tour operators that specialize in bringing guests up close (but not too up close) to icebergs, including Iceberg Quest operating out of the town of Twillingate ($150 per person).

For over 30 years, the family-owned and operated company Sea of Whales Adventures has brought guests up close and personal with fin, humpback, minke, pilot and sperm whales (from $100 per person).

If you’re up in this neck of the woods, book a room at the luxurious Fogo Island Inn, a remote favorite of jet-setters including Gwyneth Paltrow (rooms from $1,675). 

Aurora spotting in the Yukon

The current solar cycle through 2026 makes for particularly prime aurora viewing, and while much of northern Canada offers great northern lights spotting, few destinations give you the chance to experience it up close and personal like the Yukon.

In February 2026, the Northern Lights Resort & Spa is offering a special all-inclusive five-night package including a charter flight (from $6,775) providing rare and spectacular views of the action from the sky.

In the historic gold rush town of Dawson City — the gateway to many other Yukon adventures, such as backpacking the rugged Tombstone Territorial Park — Dawson Lodge just opened the country’s northernmost day spa, complete with a sensory deprivation tank for the ultimate relaxation experience, and an outdoor hot tub for soaking in the northern lights in ultimate comfort (rooms from $210). 

Wild waters in the Northwest Territories

“Adventure tourism is not just alive in the NWT, it’s thriving,” said Tyler Abela, a spokesperson for Northwest Territories Tourism. The territory’s annual visitorship is up 13% year-over-year, and 29% of visitors identify outdoor tourism as their primary reason for visiting.

A national park the size of Belgium and teeming with grizzly bears, wolves and moose, Nahanni National Park Reserve is a bucket-list destination for paddling enthusiasts. Nahanni River Adventures leads extended backcountry whitewater canoe trips through the park (13 days, from $9,990).

For a truly adventurous experience, Tundra North Travel offers multi-day guided tours of the territory’s northernmost reaches, including traditional indigenous fishing along the Mackenzie River, and scenic drives up the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway, Canada’s only year-round road to the Arctic coast (its Signature Package starts from $6,000). 

Accessible adventures

Coast to coast, Canadian operators are also making sure that adventure tourism remains accessible when possible. Parks Canada is working to increase accessibility in many of its parks, including Prince Edward Island National Park, which uses universal beach mats for wheelchairs to access sandy areas, and also offers special buoyant wheelchairs for rental.

In British Columbia, Revelstoke Mountain Resort will soon open the Revelstoke Mountain Highline, a suspension bridge, a viewing platform and a clifftop hiking trail at the top of its Revelation Gondola, with spectacular views of the Columbia Valley — where anyone brave enough to make the journey can savor the views ($39 per person).