Okanagan Valley ©Tourism BC/JF Bergeron
Fall is the perfect time for forest hikes, Sunday drives, wine tours and tucking into autumn harvest meals. But did you know it’s also prime polar-bear-viewing season? From our favourite foliage tours to some unexpected adventures, we’ve rounded up the best fall getaways Canada has to offer.
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- Ever fantasized about starring in a real-life Western? At <a title="http://www.lareata.com/" href="http://www.lareata.com/">La Reata</a> and other working ranches in Canada's "wild west" province you can learn to rope, ride and even barrel race. At the end of a day in the saddle or trolling for walleye and pike on the lake, a home-cooked cowboy dinner and a hot tub under the stars await.
- On horseback at La Reata Ranch<br />© La Reata Ranch.
- Holiday on the Range, Saskatchewan
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- On horseback at La Reata Ranch
© La Reata Ranch.
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- Fall is a fabulous time to sip the new vintages in Canada's premier wine region. BC wines are coming into their own but wine touring here is still a relaxing experience. Base yourself at winery-resort like <a title="http://www.bovwine.ca/" href="http://www.bovwine.ca/">Burrowing Owl Estate Winery</a> and mosey north along the <a title="http://www.discoverwines.com/wine-map.php" href="http://www.discoverwines.com/wine-map.php">Okanagan wine route</a> to Kelowna.
- Vineyards on Okanagan Lake near Westbank, BC<br />© Tourism BC/JF Bergeron
- Okanagan Wine Touring, British Columbia
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- Vineyards on Okanagan Lake near Westbank, BC
© Tourism BC/JF Bergeron
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- Nowhere in North America can you get as close to polar bears as in <a title="http://www.destinationchurchill.com/" href="http://www.destinationchurchill.com/">Churchill</a>, Manitoba, on the Hudson Bay. October and November are prime times for polar-bear tours. Lucky mid- to late-November visitors might also get a glimpse of the northern lights.
- Polar bears near Churchill<br />Photo by Andrew Castellano
- Hudson Bay Polar Bear Tours, Manitoba
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- Polar bears near Churchill
Photo by Andrew Castellano
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- The 300-km Cabot Trail, part of <a title="http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ns/cbreton/index.aspx" href="http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ns/cbreton/index.aspx">Cape Breton Highlands National Park</a>, is at its most spectacular in fall, when the leaves change. The trail hugs the rocky coastline, allowing lookouts over the ocean at numerous points. The island is a centre for Scots-Irish heritage in Canada so is naturally a top golf destination. After dark, warm up with a pint and live celtic music. On right now: <a title="http://www.celtic-colours.com/" href="http://www.celtic-colours.com/">Celtic Colours Festival</a>.
- Fall scenery on the east side of the Cabot Trail along the St. Ann's loop<br />© Nova Scotia Tourism
- Cape Breton Island & the Cabot Trail, Nova Scotia
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- Fall scenery on the east side of the Cabot Trail along the St. Ann’s loop
© Nova Scotia Tourism
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- The cultural season kicks off in fall (check out exhibits at the <a title="http://www.mnba.qc.ca/Home.aspx" href="http://www.mnba.qc.ca/Home.aspx">Musée National de Beaux-Arts du Québec</a>), but the best reasons to visit in fall are that you can enjoy most of the city's summertime delights—fabulous restaurants, strolling the fortified Vieux-Quebec, shopping—with a fraction of the crowds. Nearby <a title="http://www.sepaq.com/pq/jac/" href="http://www.sepaq.com/pq/jac/">Parc National de la Jacques-Cartier</a> has some excellent fall foliage.
- Place-Royal, in Vieux-Quebec<br />Photo by Rick Goldman
- Quebec City, Quebec
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- Place-Royal, in Vieux-Quebec
Photo by Rick Goldman
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- Now that the crowds have thinned, you're more likely to catch a glimpse of elk, bighorn sheep and moose along stunning trails in and around <a title="http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/banff/index.aspx" href="http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/banff/index.aspx">Banff National Park</a>. Try the 3.5-km <a title="http://www.lakeagnesteahouse.com/" href="http://www.lakeagnesteahouse.com/">Lake Agnes Teahouse</a> trail for a sweet post-hike reward.
- Lake Agnes, Banff National Park<br />Photo by lyzadanger
- Hiking in the Rockies, Alberta and British Columbia
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- Lake Agnes, Banff National Park
Photo by lyzadanger
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- Harvest season brings bounty to restaurants throughout the Niagara region, and wineries uncork a series of festivals and wine-and-food events. Perusing the Victorian town of Niagara-on-the-Lake (you can still catch a play at the <a title="http://www.shawfest.com/" href="http://www.shawfest.com/">Shaw Festival</a> in October) and motoring along tree-lined country roads in the region is also time well spent. On in November: <a title="http://wineriesofniagaraonthelake.com/taste-the-season" href="http://wineriesofniagaraonthelake.com/taste-the-season">Taste the Season</a> weekend pairings designed by local wineries and restaurants.
- Food and wine pairing events are frequent in fall in Niagara's wine country<br />Courtesy of Wine Country Ontario
- Wining & Dining in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
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- Food and wine pairing events are frequent in fall in Niagara’s wine country
Courtesy of Wine Country Ontario
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- Serious leaf-peepers should add New Brunswick to their foliage "life list". Come fall, the scenery along this <a title="http://www.fundytrailparkway.com/en/" href="http://www.fundytrailparkway.com/en/">shoreline trail</a> explodes in a fiery palette of reds, oranges and yellows, due to the thick deciduous and boreal forests that cover much of the province. Other reasons to go now: biking, birding, fresh seafood dinners and a chance to see the last of the right whales migrating south.
- One of hundreds of waterfalls on display in Fundy National Park<br />Photo by Ryan Tir
- Fundy Coastal Drive, New Brunswick
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- One of hundreds of waterfalls on display in Fundy National Park
Photo by Ryan Tir
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- When a chill fills the air nothing soothes quite like a soak in a hot tub—or, even better, a Shiatsu massage while soaking in a hot tub. Quebec is known for excellent spas, and there are plenty to choose from, but <a title="http://www.spa-eastman.com/en/eastman/" href="http://www.spa-eastman.com/en/eastman/">Spa Eastman</a>, in the Eastern Townships near Montreal, is one excellent choice for total body rejuvenation, with wraps, massages, beauty treatments, fitness programs, nutritional plans and cleanses.
- Open-air massage is one of dozens of treatments at Spa Eastman<br />Courtesy of Spa Eastman
- Spa Vacation, Quebec
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- Open-air massage is one of dozens of treatments at Spa Eastman
Courtesy of Spa Eastman
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- Fall might be the most spectacular time of year for rail travel. Plenty of companies offer package tours like the <a title="http://www.vacationsbyrail.com/canada/train_travel_vacations/trains_across_canada/index.html#price" href="http://www.vacationsbyrail.com/canada/train_travel_vacations/trains_across_canada/index.html#price">Across Canada by Train</a> 14-day, 7-province whirlwind trip with Vacations by Rail. The journey begins either in Vancouver or Halifax, chugs through the Rockies and prairies, and makes stops at Niagara Falls, Toronto and Quebec City.
- Train winds its way around the mountainside in Jasper National Park<br />Photo by Sean_Marshall
- Cross-Canada Train Tour
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- Train winds its way around the mountainside in Jasper National Park
Photo by Sean_Marshall
Stay, Dine, Do