10 Best Places to Visit in Ontario

Ottawa is the capital city of Canada, serving as both a geographic and cultural hub for the country. No matter the time of year, Ottawa likes to celebrate in the form of festivals. There are music festivals galore, as well as more seasonally-themed occasions. The Canadian Tulip Festival is one of the largest in the world, and Winterlude celebrates Canadian winter culture and activities.

Even though Ottawa is a densely populated urban area, there’s still a lot of green space to enjoy. The National Capital Greenbelt protects forests, farms, and wetlands. Outdoor activities include hiking and whitewater rafting.

Niagara Falls is so much more than the waterfall – it’s an entire city. If you are looking for a place for a romantic getaway with your sweetheart, then Niagara Falls is your destination. From fine dining and drinking establishments to all kinds of festivals, Niagara Falls is hopping year-round.

Possible activities include ziplining or helicopter rides giving you up close epic views of Niagara Falls. On warm summer nights, you can take your love to see the nightly illumination of the falls with fireworks flying above. Winter brings freezing temperatures, making the waterfalls a magical winter wonderland.

Ontario is home to the largest freshwater lake in the world – Lake Superior. The largest of the 5 Great Lakes in North America, Lake Superior is 350 miles long and gets its water from more than 200 rivers. Lake Superior is bounded on the north and east by Ontario, and the United States to the west and south.

The shoreline of Lake Superior has sweeping vistas of deep, blue water surrounded by dramatic high cliffs. Much of the land surrounding the lake is protected, providing ample recreational opportunities in the form of hunting, fishing, boating, and other water sports.

Kingston is the oldest city in Ontario. This charming lakeshore community is nicknamed “Limestone City” for its grand 19th-century buildings made of limestone. Situated on Lake Ontario and near the headwaters of the St. Lawrence River, the city is steeped in history. Visitors can learn about the storied history of Kingston at the many museums and historic sites, including Historic Fort Henry, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Bellevue House National Historic Site is in Kingston and features a grand house and garden estate to commemorate Canada’s first prime minister, Sir John Macdonald.

Ontario is also the location of the biggest freshwater island on our great planet – Manitoulin Island. The island is located in Lake Huron and spans 1,086 square miles, large enough that the island itself has 100 lakes within it. Dubbed Northern Ontario’s “best-kept secret,” Manitoulin Island is a great spot for the outdoor enthusiast.

The clear blue water of Lake Huron provides the backdrop for a variety of outdoor activities. Spring and summer are great times for hiking and biking, while Autumn and Winter offer snow sports, such as ice fishing, snowmobiling, and curling.

Fort William Historical Park is a living history site located in Thunder Bay, near the northwestern shore of Lake Superior. From 1803 to 1821, Fort William served as the inland headquarters of the North West Company, once the largest fur-trading enterprise in the world. The park features the reconstruction of 46 buildings from the trading operation.

In addition to history, Fort William Historical Park also has year-round festivals, an RV and tent campground, and educational programming about the site’s rich history. The park is also home to one of the largest telescopes in the country at the David Thompson Astronomical Observatory.

If you are looking for the perfect spot to escape the crowds and spend some time connecting with nature, Lake of the Woods in Northern Ontario might just be the place for you. This quaint part of Ontario is the prime destination for fishing and venturing into the backcountry.

The lake is 1,700 square miles and has more than 14,000 islands within its shores. Anglers can hope to catch muskie, lake trout, perch, crappie, walleye, pike, bass, and whitefish. Birders might catch glimpses of nesting piping plovers, American white pelicans, or bald eagles.

The Cheltenham Badlands is a geological gem in southern Ontario popular with photographers eager to capture the site’s unique beauty. The badlands, close to Toronto, consist of exposed and eroded Queenston shale, and the entire site is protected space. The badlands formed at the base of an ancient sea that covered the area 450 million years ago.

The rolling hills of this heritage site are extremely popular with visitors. The site closed for a few years to study erosion but opened back up in 2018. In addition to photography, Cheltenham Badlands is a great spot for hiking, dog walking, and birding.

South Georgian Bay is in the northeastern arm of Lake Huron in Southern Ontario. It’s about a 2-hour drive from Toronto. The picturesque landscape around the bay features pine forest to the north and sandy beaches to the south. The western side of the bay is home to the Bruce Peninsula National Park.

A great home base to stay and explore this area is the small town of Collingwood. It’s a great setting-off point to explore other small towns that dot the bay. Collingwood is located on the Nottawasaga Bay section of the South Georgian Bay and is near the popular Blue Mountain Ski Resort.

Located within the South Georgian Bay is Flowerpot Island. It gets its name from the unique rock formations that look just like flowerpots. The island is also part of the Fathom Five National Marine Park, sparkling clear blue waters popular with Scuba divers seeking to explore sunken ships.

Visitors can get to Flowerpot Island via a tour boat that leaves from Little Tub Harbour in the town of Tobermory. Visitors can camp overnight on the island and enjoy hiking, swimming, and snorkelling. They can also visit a historic lighthouse to learn what life as a lightkeeper is like.