Explore Toronto's museums. Kids especially love the interactive circus exhibit at the Ontario Science Museum and the hands-on Discovery and Biodiversity galleries at the Royal Ontario Museum. The Children's Own Museum is perfect for kids age eight and younger.
Take a trip to the top of the tallest freestanding structure in the world. Stop on all four observation levels, grab a bite to eat at a café and browse through the tower's souvenir shops. Canada's National Tower towers over Toronto at 1815 feet.
Visit the Toronto Zoo, considered one of the best in the world. The indoor and outdoor exhibits house over 5,000 animals including. The zoo has an impressive conservation program and is an excellent venue for teaching kids about animals and their disappearing habitats.
Enjoy breathtaking views of Niagara Falls. Ride the Maid of the Mist, a boat that travels to the bottom of Horseshoe Falls and travel to the top of the Skylon Tower, where you'll have a panoramic view of the falls from almost 800 feet in the air. If you take a boat tour of the falls, wear a poncho or you'll get soaked.
Come face-to-face with Beluga whales, walk amidst hundreds of butterflies and learn about marine biology and conservation at the Vancouver Aquarium. The aquarium offers several adventures, including family sleepovers and honorary marine mammal training tours.
See the totem poles at Brockton Point, the most popular tourist destination in British Columbia.
Take a water taxi to Granville Island where you'll see the Model Train Museum and Science World. Kids particularly enjoy the 3D and Omnimax Theaters featured at Science World.
Visit the museums at Vanier Park. The HR MacMillan Space Centre, attached to the observatory and planetarium, has multimedia shows and interactive exhibits. Kids love the pirate cove at the Children's Maritime Museum.
Walk across the Capilano Suspension Bride at Capilano Canyon Park and watch fish spawn at the Salmon Fish Hatchery. Next head to Maplewood Mud Flats with your binoculars for bird watching.
Visit Duncan, the City of Totems, to learn about some of Canada's First Nations. The Cowichan Native Village has a great multimedia show and features native dance, food and art.
Explore over 100 parks, relax on the beach and enjoy horseback riding on Vancouver Island. Head to the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory at nightfall to see the stars using a 1.8-meter research telescope.
Travel to Victoria, home of the Royal BC Museum, the Butchart Gardens and the Pacific Undersea Gardens. Kids like the Royal Museum's life-size dioramas and the tropical and butterfly gardens of Butchart, but the Undersea Gardens are the real treat for families. Stand in a glass observatory 15 feet under the Pacific Ocean to see marine animals in their natural habitat. Catch the marine dive show, which features a huge octopus, wolf eels and other sea life.
Take in the beauty of the Cascade Mountains at Manning Provincial Park. The hiking is spectacular, there are many campsites and the park is full of wildlife such as beavers and coyotes. Another great spot is Hope, where visitors can pan for gold and attend fly-fishing school.
Visit Banff National Park to explore the Canadian Rockies. Full of crystal-blue lakes, glacier-capped mountains and forests, this is a must-see destination. Sightsee from a gondola, rent horses, take a carriage ride and dangle your feet in ice-cold Lake Louise. In the winter, partake in winter activities ranging from snowshoeing to dog sledding.
Learn about the natural history of Canada at the Banff Park Museum. The museum is a historic site and features over 500 natural life specimens, preserved and presented in accordance with early museum practices.
Climb aboard the Rocky Mountaineer for a luxury train ride through the Canadian Rockies. Tours last for two full days. They run from April through October.
Learn about First Nations culture and history at Head-Smashed-In and Writing on Stone Provincial Park. Listen to traditional Blackfoot storytelling and spend the night in a tipi at Head-Smashed-In or take a tour of beautifully preserved sandstone carvings of the Plains Indians at the park.
