Canada’s two most popular cities, Toronto in the East and Vancouver in the West, each offer visitors a great experience, but given the choice, which city should you visit? After you read these descriptions of the amazing things to do in both cities, we are sure you will be ready to get a cheap flight to Canada.
There is a reason why Toronto has Canada’s busiest airport, the city is simply a top choice for those who want to experience one of the best cities in the world. Toronto is known for its Maple Leaf’s hockey team, its international film festival, the CN Tower, and it’s most famous current resident, the musician Drake, but with gems strewn around the city like confetti there are many more reasons to get here.
The city abounds in upscale dining with bunches of cafes, bistros, and restaurants whose offerings rival New York and London, and its shopping is comparable to Los Angeles or Hong Kong.
Those visitors interested in the outdoors have many choices from the Toronto Islands, to beaches to dozens of parks and hiking paths. Or get in a round of golf at one of Toronto’s top golf courses. For culture freaks, Toronto has museums and galleries galore. And for families, the city abounds in activities for young people including the Ontario Science Centre.
But even with all of this, Toronto is different and much more. The city is set on the northwestern shore of beautiful Lake Ontario, and with a fast growing population of 2.6 million, it is now, the fourth largest city North America. Toronto is a very modern city, with almost every building being built during the past twenty years. In 2005 there were only thirteen skyscrapers and today the city has 50 with 130 more being planned or built.
For business, Toronto is Canada’s top city, with a booming business sector and many large international companies setting up shop here and many of Canada’s top companies having their home offices in the city.
With so many reasons to come, how could you possibly stay away from Toronto?
Vancouver, Canada
In 2015, the Quality of Living survey ranked Vancouver as the best city in North America for quality of life, for the second time. The survey looks at personal freedom, crime, political stability and air quality.
Even with these major accolades, Vancouver is still an under-rated destination that excels at being a modern, traveler-friendly place with a moderately mild Pacific Northwest temperature and a host of reasons to visit again and again.
Many say Vancouver is blessed with more natural beauty than any major city in the world. With its gorgeous sites including: the North Shore Mountains, English Bay, Vancouver Island, its temperate rain forests, and an active volcano, Mt. Baker, Vancouver is a wonder to behold.
For gastronomes, the city can’t be beat. You can find every style and taste here and because a large part of Vancouver’s multi-cultural mix comes from Asia, the best Korean, Japanese and Chinese food in North America can be found in Vancouver.
The climate, the ocean and the mountains combine to make Vancouver and area a year-round playground. You can sail, play tennis, snowboard, swim, windsurf, run, mountain bike, paraglide, and ski nearly year round here.
For entertainment, the city features the Vancouver Canucks hockey team, and a full range of museums, parks and sites to engage visitors of all ages, for days on end. And of course the is Vancouver’s famous Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains that with over 8,100 acres of snow-covered slopes, offer the ultimate in big mountain skiing experiences
The city is also a top film and television location destination, with many top films shot here every year. And downtown Vancouver is home to many of Canada’s most successful businesses.
Both Toronto and Vancouver offer a stunning array of amenities and attractions for visitors and each has its own unique character. Which city is the best to visit depends on your personal preference. Is it the big city allure of Toronto, or the beauty and charm of urbane Vancouver? Our vote is you visit both!
