7 days in Canada: itinerary

Canada is too big for one week. A 7-day trip works when you pick a single corridor and stay inside it: the eastern cities by train, or the Alberta Rockies by car. Trying to see Vancouver, the Rockies and Toronto in seven days means three of those days are travel days.

The eastern route is the easier first trip. VIA Rail links Toronto, Montréal and Québec City downtown to downtown, so you never need a car, and each city is walkable from the station. Three nights in Toronto gives you one full day in the city and one for Niagara Falls. Two nights each in Montréal and Québec City is enough for the old towns at walking pace.

The Rockies version suits travellers who want lakes and mountains more than cities. Fly into Calgary, drive to Banff, continue to Lake Louise and Jasper, and fly out of Calgary or Edmonton. It is one region, but the drives are long and beds in Banff and Jasper sell out months ahead in summer.

The eastern loop is a straight line, not a loop: Toronto in the west, Québec City in the east, roughly 800 km apart. You can fly home from either Montréal or Québec City, which saves backtracking to Toronto.

The Rockies alternative runs Calgary → Banff (about 1.5 h) → Lake Louise (about 45 min more) → Jasper (about 3.5 h up the Icefields Parkway) → Calgary or Edmonton (about 5 h from Jasper). Distances are approximate; check road conditions and closures before setting out.

Day 1 — Toronto. Land, drop bags, and walk the harbourfront or a neighbourhood close to your hotel. Keep it light if you have flown far.

Day 2 — Toronto. Morning at the Royal Ontario Museum or the CN Tower, afternoon at St Lawrence Market and Kensington Market. Everything is reachable by subway and streetcar.

Day 3 — Niagara Falls. GO train from Union Station or a coach tour, about 2 h each way. Go early; the falls are busiest from late morning. Back in Toronto for dinner.

Day 4 — Montréal. Morning VIA Rail, about 5 h. Afternoon in Old Montréal and around Notre-Dame Basilica; evening on a terrace or at a bagel shop.

Day 5 — Montréal. Markets, Plateau streets and the mountain park. If you want a second city day, this is the one to spend slowly rather than adding a side trip.

Day 6 — Québec City. Morning train, about 3.5 h. Afternoon inside the walls: Château Frontenac, the ramparts, the lower town by funicular or stairs.

Day 7 — Québec City, then home. Morning at Montmorency Falls if time allows, then the airport. Allow 30–40 minutes to the airport and two hours before a domestic flight.

VIA Rail is the backbone of the eastern route. Toronto–Montréal takes about 5 h and Montréal–Québec City about 3.5 h, city centre to city centre. Book early: the cheapest fare buckets disappear weeks ahead, and a flexible ticket costs several times a fixed one.

In the cities, Toronto and Montréal both have metros and streetcars with single fares in the C$3–4 range (2026 estimate). Québec City is compact enough to walk, with buses for the airport and the falls. A car is a liability in all three.

For the Rockies version you need a rental car. Book it months ahead for summer, and note that one-way drop fees between Calgary and Edmonton can be high. Winter driving on the mountain highways needs winter tyres and daylight planning.

Stay downtown in every city on the eastern route. In Toronto, the area around Union Station and the financial district puts you within walking distance of the train and the harbour. In Montréal, Old Montréal is convenient but pricier; the Plateau is quieter and a short metro ride away. In Québec City, inside the walls costs more, and the area just outside the gates is cheaper and still walkable.

Book summer accommodation in Québec City and Banff early. Both fill up in June to September, and prices roughly double at peak. Hostels, chain hotels and apartments are all widely available; check cancellation terms, since rail delays are rare but winter weather is not.

Keep hotel changes to two or three for the week. Every move costs half a day once you count packing, checkout and the trip to the station.

A 7-day eastern trip costs roughly C$1,800–3,200 per person (about US$1,300–2,300) excluding international flights, using mid-range hotels, rail and restaurant meals. Budget travellers who use hostels and cook some meals can come in nearer C$1,200; peak-summer Québec City and Banff push the top end higher.

The biggest variable is accommodation. Rail is the second: a fixed-date VIA Rail ticket can cost a fraction of a flexible one on the same train. Food and city transit are modest by North American standards.

The Rockies version adds a rental car and fuel, and usually costs more than the train route once parking and one-way fees are counted.

If you have more time, 10 days lets you do Vancouver and the Rockies properly, and 14 days covers both halves of the country with one domestic flight. Both are better value per day than stretching 7 days across two regions.

If you want a different 7 days, swap the eastern cities for the Rockies by car, or base yourself in one city and take day trips. Atlantic Canada, including the Gaspé Peninsula, needs its own week and a car.