Wonders such as the vibrant Northern Lights, the mighty Niagara Falls or the rugged Rocky Mountains are even more awe-inspiring when travellers can stay in the best places and have access to private tours and upmarket experiences.
Niagara Falls
Guests can marvel at the Falls up close on a private boat tour; book a VIP Niagara Falls Illumination experience, or eat at the fine-dining restaurant above the Skylon Tower for an elevated view.
For the thrill of a lifetime, a helicopter tour is the ultimate way to view the Falls and the surrounding area.
Upmarket accommodation options include The Fallsview Casino Resort, offering high-end dining and a casino floor, or the Hilton Niagara Falls and Fallsview Hotel ad Suites, which has suites and easy access to the casino. The Niagara Falls Marritt Fallsview Hotel and Spa has a luxurious spa and outdoor hot tub with waterfall views.
Luxury Rocky Mountaineer
The Rocky Mountaineer offers spectacular rail journeys across Western Canada – and for an upmarket experience, guests can book the GoldLeaf Service.
GoldLeaf Service features a two-level coach with a full glass dome for panoramic views on the upper level and a dining room on the lower level, where passengers can have gourmet meals, complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. up to four dedicated hosts who provide personalised service and storytelling.
All travel is in daylight, with overnight stays in a hotel. Options include the ‘First Passage to the West’, from Vancouver to Banff or Lake Louise; the ‘Journey Through the Clouds’ itinerary, which links Vancouver and Jasper, while the ‘Rainforest to Goldrush is an extended Vancouver-Jasper journey via Whistler and Quesnel, through mountains, waterfalls, ranch lands and rainforest.
New for 2026 – and only available next year – is a ‘Passage to the Peaks’, between Banff or Lake Louise and Jaspar, via Kamloops.
Northern Lights
Canada is renowned as one of the best countries to see the Aurora Borealis and luxury options include lodges with viewing features such as glass roofs or panoramic windows.
There are several options for guided aurora tours, such as in jeeps, on horseback, on a husky sled or a snowmobile.
One accommodation, Blachford Lodge & Wilderness Resort, about 100km southeast of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories, hosted Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales during their 2011 Canadian royal tour.
It’s a remote eco-lodge that promises a ‘balance of comfort and wilderness immersion’ and which is reached by a bush plane on floats in summer or skis in winter,
The resort has five lodge rooms and five stand-alone log cabins, each with running hot water, showers, sauna, hot tub, and Aurora-watch wake-up service.
Another option is the Northern Lights Resort & Spa in Whitehorse, Yukon, set in 160 acres. Guests stay in well-appointed log cabins with fireplaces, en-suite bathrooms and large living/bedroom areas. There is also a spa and outdoor hot tub.
Chasing icebergs
There’s an area called Iceberg Alley, off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, where tourists can chase icebergs in style on tailor-made itineraries. Experts can organise customised road trips – and if guests don’t want to drive themselves, they can book a private driver, a helicopter or private yacht.
Guests stay in exclusive accommodation in restored historic properties and can have a private chef prepare a local feast. Iceberg tours can be combined with other activities such as whale watching, puffin tours or visits to historical sites.
Locations include the National Historic Site of Cape Spear or St John’s, 12 kilometres away, which are both popular starting points for boat trip tours. Others are Fogo Island, Bonavista and Twillingate, which is known as the Iceberg Capital of the World.
