Best Time to Visit Canada

Summer is easy, but it's busy

For most of Canada, July to September is the sweet spot. Days are warm, not scorching. July is the hottest month in most of the cities we cover, with Ottawa the warmest at 26°C. Vancouver and Victoria peak in August instead, and they stay cooler, at 22°C and 21°C.

Summer is also high season. Canada Day on 1 July and the long weekends in August fill up beaches, campsites and trains. The Calgary Stampede, a huge rodeo and fair, takes over the city in July. Hotels there go fast. If you hate crowds, aim for September.

September is the safest pick

September shows up as a good month almost everywhere: Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton. The kids are back in school, prices ease and the air feels fresh. In Quebec and Ontario, leaves start turning red and orange by late September into October. That's peak time for a drive through the Laurentians, the hills north of Montreal.

Montreal's wettest month is October, so don't leave it too late. Ottawa is also lovely in May, when the tulips bloom. The Canadian Tulip Festival is a good reason to go then.

The west coast runs on a different clock

Vancouver and Victoria are dry in summer and very wet in winter. November is the wettest month for both, and Vancouver gets a lot of it. If you want whale watching, the Butchart Gardens in Victoria or a walk around Stanley Park, go in July or August.

Rain on the coast often means snow in the mountains. Winter is high season for skiing around Whistler and the Rockies, and you'll want to book early for the holidays. In Quebec City, the Winter Carnival brings snow sculptures and cold, bright days if you don't mind bundling up.

Want quiet and low prices? Try late April or November in the cities. Expect grey skies, and some attractions may be closed. Summer in Toronto can feel sticky, and July is also its wettest month, but the showers usually pass fast.