In Canada, experiential travel goes deeper, honoring people, place, and planet.

Alberta’s first Métis cultural interpretive center was built on a 512-acre site that was home to some of the original river lots of these early settlers. Located in Smoky Lake, Alberta, Métis Crossing is an immersive exploration of the Métis culture via leathercraft, moccasin making, and a variety of other hands-on workshops. Outdoor experiences include a canoe paddle on the North Saskatchewan River, an interpretive native plant hike, and a “Meet the Métis” celebration with dance, storytelling, and traditional practices.

This is a UNESCO-designated area along the upper Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick, Canada. Encompassing over 1,700 square miles, it’s home to climate research, coastal hikes, and community-led ecotourism. The reserve includes diverse ecosystems like Acadian mixed wood forests, rugged coastlines, extreme tidal ranges, salt marshes, and tidal mudflats. It’s also known for its rich cultural heritage, including the Mi’kmaq Peoples and early European settlers.

A remote archipelago off British Columbia’s west coast, Haida Gwaii, also known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, offers a rare chance to witness living Haida culture. Travelers can explore ancient village sites including SGang Gwaay (a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where centuries-old totem poles still stand) and engage with stewardship-based tourism like the Haida Gwaii Watchmen Program.

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On the central coast of British Columbia, the Gitdisdzu Lugyeks (Kitasu Bay) Marine Protected Area earned the Marine Conservation Institute’s Blue Park Award in 2024. Managed by the Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation, the conservation area is a designated “blue park,” an internationally recognized example of excellence in marine protection and the first Indigenous-led blue park in the world.

This group of 12 windswept, red-cliffed islands in Québec’s Gulf of St. Lawrence is celebrated for its Franco-Acadian culture, sustainable fishing tours, and one of Canada’s most climate-aware communities. Travelers can visit seal colonies, taste seaweed-based cuisine, and learn about sea-level rise resilience.

This section of the Cabot Trail passes through Cape Breton Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia, Canada. While the Cabot Trail is a well-known, 185-mile road that circumnavigates the northern tip of Cape Breton Island, many travelers rush through the Highlands area. However, longer stays here, in communities like Chéticamp, Inverness, and Meat Cove, are rewarding, supporting Mi’kmaq heritage, Gaelic traditions, and local makers.

A unique protected area in Nova Scotia, Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site is the only national park in Canada that’s also a national historic site, primarily due to its importance to the Mi’kmaq people. Kejimkujik’s name comes from the Mi’kmaw word “kejimkuji’jk,” which means “little fairies.” For thousands of years, Kejimkujik’s canoe routes have been used by Mi’kmaq to travel between the Bay of Fundy and the Atlantic Coast. In the past, the Mi’kmaw would make their mark while on those journeys, leaving stone carvings on slate outcroppings along the shore, aka “little fairies.” These petroglyphs can still be seen on guided tours through the area by canoe, kayak, and stand-up paddleboard.

A sacred site and gathering place for more than 6,400 years, Wanuskewin Heritage Park provides an opportunity to delve into the past and discover what life was like pre-contact for the Wanaskewin, the First Peoples of the Northern Plains. Located just outside the city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, it’s Canada’s longest running archaeological dig site. Still active today, travelers gather here to discover and share significant objects and stories from past and present.

Left Image: Photo by Robert Postma

Located in the Yukon, above the Arctic Circle, this is the first national park created as a result of an Indigenous land claim agreement. Operated in collaboration with the Inuvialuit people (Ivvavik means “a place for giving birth” or “nursery” in Inuvialuktun), the 3,925-square-mile space features a diverse range of wildlife including grizzly bears, caribou, and muskoxen. Accessible only by bush plane, the park offers guided tours, rafting expeditions, hiking, camping, and the opportunity to learn about Inuvialuit culture and traditions.

In Canada, the extraordinary comes naturally.