Canada

There’s a lot more to Canada than just maple syrup and Mounties. The world’s second-largest country boasts breathtaking landscapes, incredible wildlife and cities rich with cultural and historical treasures.

A self-drive itinerary through the rearing Rocky Mountains provides some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in the world. The views are just as good aboard luxury train, the Rocky Mountaineer, whose all-daylight journeys connect vibrant Vancouver to either Banff or Jasper.

On the unforgiving tundra of the Hudson Bay coast, guests can spot polar bears on their annual migration and may even catch a glimpse of the ethereal Northern Lights. In British Columbia, remote luxury lodges offer rare opportunities to watch grizzly and spirit bears catching salmon in the wild.

You can kayak with orcas off Vancouver Island and spot humpbacks, belugas and even blue whales in Quebec’s Saguenay Fjord. In Ontario, Niagara Falls plunges 20 storeys as if into oblivion. While in the maritime province of Newfoundland & Labrador, folk stock their freezers with fragments of passing icebergs.

It’s not all about wildlife and wilderness though. In Montréal, Parisian flare mixes with the bustle of a cutting-edge city. Built by the French in the 17th century, Québec City is a worthy UNESCO World Heritage site. While Toronto offers breathtaking views from the top of the CN Tower.