Are you planning a family road trip and need some inspiration to craft your cross-Canada road trip itinerary? We’ve got you covered.
In 2020, we drove across Canada with our two toddlers. We took our time and drove from Quebec City, BC to Victoria, BC in approximately one month. During our trip, we got to exchange our experience with other traveling families.
So today, we are sharing a few different cross-Canada road trip itineraries for families (including toddler, young children and even teenagers). Three of the four itineraries were part of a RV trip across Canada.
Also, make sure to scroll to the end of the article to find a few tips to help you plan your trip across Canada.
Traveling to Canada? Get your Canada Road Trip Guide for Families
Note: Most itineraries for this Canadian road trip are between Quebec/Ontario to British Columbia, for a detailed itinerary for a East Coast road trip including Prince Edward Island, Bay of Fundy and Nova Scotia, check out this 124-Day Itinerary from Toronto to Halifax.
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Cross-Canada Road Trip Itinerary: 4 Ideas to Inspire You
Below are four (4) unique cross-Canada road trip itinerary to help you plan your epic family road trip. If you are looking for tips on planning a road trip across Canada, you’ll want to read those resources instead:
30-Day Itinerary With School Aged Kids
Contributed by Amélie
This itinerary is for a 30-day cross-Canada road trip from Quebec (QC) to Vancouver (BC), via Canada, then back from Vancouver (BC) to Quebec (QC), via the USA. It was taken by a family with two (2) school aged kids (7 and 9 years old)
Distance traveled: 10 855 km
Type of Road Trip: RV travel across Canada
General Itinerary – Where do you stop on a cross Canada road trip?
- Ontario: Deep River (ON), Kapuskasing (ON), Kakabeka Falls (ON)
- Prairies: Winnipeg (MB), Regina (SK), Swift Current (SK)
- Alberta: Drumheller (AB), Calgary (AB), Banff National Park (AB)
- British Columbia: Sicamous (BC), and finally Vancouver (BC)
- USA part: Ellensburg (WA), Yellowstone National Park (WY), Buffalo (WY), Mount Rushmore (SD), Chicago (IL)
- Ontario: Niagara Falls (ON), and finally home.
Cross Canada Road Trip Map: From Quebec to Vancouver (and back)
Things to see across Canada – Highlights of the Trip
- Kakabeka Falls, in Ontario
- Downtown Winnipeg, in Manitoba
- Driving in Saskatchewan and seeing the wide-open sky.
It can be surprising, but it feels good to drive across Saskatchewan and seeing the wide-open sky. After many kilometers in the forests of Ontario, the Prairies are refreshing.
- Drumheller
Drumheller is in the heart of the Canadian badlands and the land of dinosaurs. Any kids who love dinosaurs will have a blast in Drumheller. We visited the Royall Terrell Museum and loved the Black Beauty (it’s the most complete skeleton of a T-Rex in the world). We also walked up the 106 stairs of the World’s Largest Dinosaur.
- Banff National Park
Banff is also high on the list, with a special love for Morraine Lake. Most people visit Lake Louise, which is great, but everyone should go to Moraine Lake as well.
- Grand Market and Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia
- Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone is a huge park with nearly 3,500 square miles. If you want to see canyons, hot springs, and geysers, as well as bears, bison, elk, and antelope, Yellowstone is the place to explore.
There is so much to see, that it’s important to allow lots of time to explore it. I would recommend to anyone visiting the park to wake up at dawn to see the wild buffalos and walk along with the herd. It’s amazing.
- Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a huge 60 ft high sculpture of 4 former U.S. presidents, carved into Mount Rushmore. It’s funny because we had zero expectations before stopping at Mount Rushmore.
6-Week Cross Canada Road Trip Itinerary With Teenagers
Contributed by Amelie
This itinerary is for a 6-week cross-Canada road trio from Montreal (QC) to Vancouver (BC), via Canada, then back from Vancouver (BC) to Montreal (QC), via the USA. It was taken by a family with three (3) teenagers.
Distance traveled: 11 387 km
Type of Road Trip: RV travel across Canada
General Itinerary – Where do you stop on a cross Canada road trip?
- Ontario: Petawawa (ON), Upsala (ON)
- Prairies: Sidney (MB), Swift Current (SK)
- Alberta: Dinosaurs Provincial Park (AB), Banff National Park (AB), Jasper National Park (AB)
- British Columbia: Okanagan Valley (BC), Vancouver (BC)
- USA Part: Mt Rainier National Park (WA), Mt. St Helen (QA), Glacier National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Lake Michigan
- Ontario: Niagara Falls (ON)
Cross Canada Road Trip Map: From Montreal to Vancouver (and back)
Things to see across Canada – Hightlights of the Trip
This was kind of a hidden gem in Alberta! It’s beautiful and any kids would love the part about dinosaur fossils. Also, I remember we saw a rattlesnake there and were really impressed.
- Jasper National Park
The highlight of that road trip was Jasper National Park. Everyone knows about Banff National Park, but I would actually recommend Jasper over Banff since it’s a bit less touristy and even more beautiful in my opinion.
- Stanley Park
I always love to go to Stanley Park when I go to Vancouver. Bike along the park and stop along for beautiful views of the city and boats!
- Kitsilano Beach
Have an evening BBQ or picnic there and enjoy the breathtaking sunset where mountains meet the sea!
- UBC Rose Garden
UBC has a really beautiful campus, but the rose garden is particularly beautiful!
- Victoria on Vancouver Island
Victoria is such a beautiful little city and kids would enjoy the ferry ride! Orca whale watching was a favorite activity during our visit and I would definitely bring older kids (like 7+). Government House Garden was also a hidden gem! It’s a beautiful garden in the middle of the city and the small museum would be enjoyable for kids!
- Whistler
It’s a skier’s paradise! But also fun to enjoy for non-skiers or as a family because there’s just so much to experience! Everything is expensive though.
2-Month One-Way Road Trip Across Canada
This itinerary is for a 2-month cross-Canada road trio from Quebec City (QC) to Victoria (BC). t’s a one-way road trip that was taken by a family with two (2) toddlers aged 2 and 4 years old. It’s in fact the trip we took in 2020.
Distance traveled: 4 700 km
Type of Road Trip: Regular car road trip across Canada
General Itinerary – Where do you stop on a cross Canada road trip?
- Ontario: Ottawa (ON), Pembrook (ON), Sault Ste-Marie (ON) to Thunder Bay (ON), Kenora (ON)
- Prairies: Regina (SK), Swift Current (SK)
- Alberta: Brooks (AB), Calgary (AB), Edmonton (AB), Banff National Park (AB), Canmore (AB)
- British Columbia: Radium Hot Spring (BC) Revelstoke (BC), Kelowna (BC), Nanaimo (BC), Victoria (BC), Vancouver (BC).
Cross Canada Road Trip Map: From Quebec City to Victoria
Things to see across Canada – Highlights of the Trip:
- Participate in the changing of the guard parade at the Parliament (Ottawa)
- Follow a French “voyageur” through time at Fort William (Thunder Bay)
- Meet Scotty the T-Rex at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum (Regina)
- Discover the badlands at Dinosaur Provincial Park
- Admire the view from the Banff Gondola (Banff)
- Get transported in a fairytale at the Enchanted Forest (Revelstoke)
- Get lost in Stanley Park (Vancouver)
- Eat some Fish & Chips at Fisherman’s Wharf (Victoria)
- Visit the Fisgard Lighthouse National Historical Site
3-Month One-Way Ottawa to Vancouver Road Trip
Contributed by Cyrielle from Together We Meander
This itinerary is for a 3-month cross-Canada road trio from Ottawa to Vancouver. It’s a one-way road trip that was taken by a family with one young child aged 3 years old.
Distance traveled: 7 320 km
Type of Road Trip: RV travel across Canada
General Itinerary – Where do you stop on a cross Canada road trip?
- Ontario: Ottawa (ON), Marmora (ON), Waterloo (ON), St Catharines (ON), Waubaushene (ON), Orillia (ON), Sault Ste Marie (ON), Marathon (ON), Thunder Bay (ON), Dryden (ON)
- Prairies: Winnipeg (MB), Portage La Prairie (MB), Yorkton (SK), Saskatoon (SK)
- Alberta: Lamont (AB), Edmonton (AB), Drumheller (AB), Rosemary (AB), Fort Macleod (AB), Calgary (AB), Banff (AB), Jasper (AB), Lake Louise (AB)
- British Columbia: Golden (BC), Armstrong (BC), Vernon (BC), Merritt (BC), Vancouver (BC), Penticton (BC), Grand Forks (BC) and Creston (BC).
Cross Canada Road Trip Map: From Ottawa to Vancouver, then back to Creston (BC)
Things to see across Canada – Highlights of the Trip
- Niagara Falls (ON)
We also had an amazing experience taking the boat to see Niagara Falls (ON). I would totally recommend the experience
- Marmora in Ontario
It was a lovely surprise. We had never heard of this town and found it by accident on our way to Niagara. It’s the halfway point in between Ottawa and Toronto. The main attraction of the town is an old abandoned open-pit iron mine, now filled with hundreds of feet of water.
- Old Woman Bay (ON)
On our way to Thunder Bay, and it was amazingly beautiful. It’s by Lake Superior, maybe 20 minutes before the town of Wawa, really close to the highway. It’s the perfect rest stop after a long drive.
- Drumheller
It wasn’t in our first plan to go to Drumheller, but it was great. This town had the badland landscape, the hoodoos, and the famous Tyrrell Museum where we got to see lots of dinosaurs. This year, visitors had to book in advance to visit the museum and tickets sold out really quickly.
- Elk Island National Park
We were able to see lots of bisons roaming freely in Elk Island National Park. Our daughter loved it! However it was swarming with mosquitoes so we avoided the hikes after the first couple of days.
- The Forks area in downtown Winnipeg
near the Human Right museum. It’s a market and a public place where we can find the Winnipeg sign.
Who doesn’t like to take pictures for city signs?
- Canadian Rocky Mountains
The Canadian Rockies are definitely the highlight of our trip. We got to do a canoe tour on the Bow River and in Lake Louise. We did a few hikes that were amazing, like Lake Agnes (near Lake Louise), Maligne Canyon, and the Valley of the 5 lakes, both in Jasper National Park.
- Salmon Arm
Salmon Arm is the home of the longest inland wooden curved wharf in Canada. It’s definitely worth a stop.
- Merritt in the Nicola Valley
Walking around the town was nice as the buildings reminded us of Western movies and there was lots of live music on the streets (it is the capital of Canadian country music).
- Steveston in Richmond, Vancouver
We also enjoyed our visit to the village of Steveston, in Richmond in Vancouver. It’s where the tv show Once Upon a Time takes place.
Where to Stay While Driving Across Canada
There are so many options when it comes to finding the best place where to stay while driving across Canada. For hotels, you can check what is available where you are planning to stay overnight on Booking.com. For longer stays in a city, VRBO or HomeExchange are great options.
If you are planning a family RV trip across Canada, then here are a few of our favorite campgrounds across Canada. Make sure to book your campgrounds in National Parks in advance (if possible).
KOA Thunder Bay, Thunder Bay (ON)
We also loved the amenities at KOA Thunder Bay. This campground is opened to RVs and tents, but cabins can be rented. There was a swimming pool, a big kid’s play area, and mini-golf.
When we were not in national parks, we always went with KOA campgrounds. They even offer a 10% discount to all their members, and they have locations everywhere in Canada and in the USA, so we were able to save there.
Lamont RV Park and Campground, Lamont (AB)
We loved the privacy and space offered by Lamont RV Park and Campground, less than 60 km away from Edmonton and very close to Elk Island National Park. It also had a great playground for the kids, which is always important. This campground is operating year-round, but only open to RVs, no tents.
Tunnel Mountain Campground in Banff National Park
Tunnel Mountain Campground is a great option when visiting Banff National Park. It’s important to book well in advance if visiting in July and August. The campground offers campsites for RV and tents, in two different locations. There are lots of trees and shade. Plus, firewood is included (when there is no fire band).
Camp-Along Resort, Penticton (BC)
We loved the view at the Camp-along Resort in Penticton, BC. Penticton is in the heart of Okanagan Valley. It’s a campsite for tents and RV trailers. The cool thing about this park is that the land was originally an apricot and pear orchard. It was converted to a campground about 30 years ago.
Black Hills KOA, Black Hills (SD)
One of the best KOA campgrounds is in the Black Hills (SD), near Mount Rushmore. This is a resort holiday site, so they have everything (camping, hotel, cabins). The site is impressive, the nicest we visited during the trip.
Driving Across Canada in Winter
If you are thinking of driving across Canada in the winter, there are a few precautions to take:
- Plan more time than you would when driving in the summertime.
- Research the local regulation regarding winter tires.
- Check the weather report regularly.
- Prepare your emergency car kit.
For more information on driving across Canada in the winter, read our detailed guide. And if you’re thinking of RVing across Canada in the winter, checkout this great resource and itinerary example.
F.A.Q Cross Canada Road Trip
What is the Best Route to Drive Across Canada
One of the best route to travel across Canada is by using the Trans Canada Highway. This highway crosses all Canada and is pretty simple to follow. Of course, if you have more time, you’ll want to get out of the main highway and explore a big more of the off-the-beaten path destinations.
How Long Does it take to Drive Across Canada
It really depends on how many hours of driving you’re planning per day, what you want to see and who you’re traveling with. If you want to enjoy your trip and have time to see some of the cities and national parks, you will need a minimum of one month. But if the goal is simply to drive across Canada with minimal stops, than you could do it a 5-6 days.
Is it worth driving across Canada?
Yes! It is worth driving across Canada IF you have the time. Don’t rush it. If you have limited time for this cross-country road trip and you simply want to hit the Canadian Rockies as soon as possible, you might want to discover flying and renting a car or a camper van in Calgary or Vancouver.
What is the best month to drive across Canada?
The best time to do a trip across Canada is between April and October, when the weather is better and limited chances of snow storm. It’s possible to drive across Canada in the wintertime, but it’s more fun in the summertime.
How much does a trip across Canada cost?
That is a great question and it will vary a lot depending on: the type of car you’re driving, the cost of gas (2022 may not be a cheap year for long road trips), the type of accommodation you’re using and where you get your food.
The cheapest way to drive across Canada would be to use a small camper van and do dispersed camping across Canada.
Final Thoughts: Cross-Canada Road Trip Itinerary
A big thanks to Amelie, Amélie et Cyrielle for taking the time to respond to our questions, and diving back into their memories and photo albums to share their amazing trip with us.
- Cyrielle from Together We Meander is a French family of 3 (4 if we include their cat), though they’ve been Canadian permanent residents since 2019. They drove for 3 months across Canada in an RV with their 4 year old daughter. You can follow their traveling journey on their blog, on YouTube and on Instagram.
- Amelie is a French Canadian mom of two little boys aged 2 and 4 years old, with a third baby on the way. Her husband, from the province of Quebec as well, and her are raising their family in the beautiful city of Seattle, on the west coast of the United States. That means they get to and explore the Pacific Northwest whenever they get the chance.
- Amélie is a French Canadian mother of two boys (now 9 and 11 years old), a travel lover, and a french blogger. With her family, they were used to traveling a few times per year outside the province of Quebec. But this cross-country adventure was the first time they experienced a road trip style of travel. You can (and should) follow her on her blog, on Facebook, and on Instagram.
Emilie is the founder of Love Life Abroad. She helps moms plan epic road trips and outdoor adventures with their families. Because who said adventuring had to stop once we have kids? She’s based in the Canadian Rockies and shares her love for the region as well as other unique places in Canada & USA. She works with tourism boards and outdoor brands to inspire families to experience new unique destinations and outdoor activities.