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Travel and Tourism in Canada
Travel alerts, currency, climate, transit, health, and safety information for visitors to Canada.
Practical Information
Travel alert status, currency, climate, and transit details.
- Travel Alert Status
- Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions
- Time Difference
- UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time) time zone note: Canada has six time zones
- Currency
- 1.331
- Climate
- The climate varies greatly in the many diversified regions ranging from frigid to mild, but Canada generally may be described as lying in the cool Temperate Zone, with long, cold winters.
- Language(s) Spoken
- English (official) 87.1%, French (official) 29.1%, Chinese languages 4.2%, Spanish 3.2%, Punjabi 2.6%, Arabic 2.4%, Tagalog 2.3%, Italian 1.5%
- Ethnic Groups
- Canadian 15.6%, English 14.7%, Scottish 12.1%, French 11%, Irish 12.1%, German 8.1%, Chinese 4.7%, Italian 4.3%, First Nations 1.7%, Indian 3.7%, Ukrainian 3.5%, Metis 1.5%
- National Holiday
- Canada Day, 1 July (1867)
- Geographic Coordinates
- 60 00 N, 95 00 W
- Location
- Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on the north, north of the conterminous US
- Airports
- 1,453
Destinations
Regions and cities, top sights, national parks, UNESCO sites, and festivals for visitors.
Quebec City and the Province of Quebec
Quebec City is unlike any other city in North America. Founded by Samuel de Champlain in 1608 on a dramatic promontory above the St. Lawrence River, it is the oldest city in Canada and the only walled city north of Mexico. Old Quebec, known in French as Vieux-Quebec, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 in recognition of its extraordinary concentration of historic architecture, its intact fortifications, and its status as the cradle of French civilization in North America. Walking through its streets is as close as the Western Hemisphere comes to walking through a medieval European city, with cobblestone alleys, stone walls, wrought iron lanterns, and the constant drama of the river gorge below.
The undisputed icon of Quebec City is the Chateau Frontenac, the castle-like hotel that crowns the headland above the St. Lawrence and is arguably the most photographed hotel in the world. Built in stages from 1893, the hotel was designed in the Chateauesque architectural style that became a signature of the Canadian Pacific Railway's grand hotels.
Health and Safety
Medical facilities, vaccinations, disease risk, and sanitation conditions.
The level of public health and sanitation in Canada is high. Canada’s medical care is of a high standard but is government-controlled. Quick and easy access to ongoing medical care is difficult for temporary visitors who are not members of each province’s government-run health care plans. Many physicians will not take new patients. Access to a specialist is only by referral and may take months to obtain. Emergency room waits can be very long.