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Don’t ski? Try these Canadian winter activities instead

Not everyone loves to schuss down the side of a mountain. Here are nine fun things to do during a Canadian winter for folks who like the outdoors but don’t want to ski.

Skating in Toronto

Toronto has one of Canada’s best-known outdoor rinks, a large affair that sits in front of the city’s iconic, twin-spired City Hall.

You can bring your own skates or rent them from the kiosk. The rink is artificially frozen so you don’t have to worry about weather.

New Year’s Eve is a wildly popular time to skate here, so arrive early if that’s your plan.

There’s another large rink at Harbourfront but it can get a little windy down at the lake. nathanphillipssquareskaterentals.com

Dog-sledding in Canmore

This is one of the most iconic winter activities you can undertake in Canada.

The dogs love this as much as the people, barking and yelping as the sled owners get them ready for a mad dash.

Sliding across a frozen lake under the icy-blue Alberta winter sky a few years ago was one of the most stunning experiences I’ve ever had in this country.

Try Mad Dogs and Englishmen Expedition for a fun ride.

Riding a sled in Le Massif

This is an easy but thrilling experience that you can take at your own pace.

Le Massif is a, well, massive (7.5-kilometre) downhill run west of Quebec City in the Charlevoix region.

After a short lesson, you get to lie down on a sled and schuss your way down a series of winding trails, with the St. Lawrence River glittering in the distance below your feet.

There’s a halfway point for hot chocolate or coffee. A truly fantastic experience.

Quebec Carnaval

This is the most iconic winter festival in the world, with everything from kids’ rides to parades to outdoor sledding in one of the world’s most romantic cities.

Try some frozen maple syrup on a stick or visit an old cabin to see what life was like in Canada back in the 1700s. Have your picture taken with the Carnaval mascot, the much-beloved Bonhomme (don’t forget to have a dance with him).

The city’s restaurants and bars go wild during Carnaval.

There’s also an ice palace you can tour or even spend the night in, made with enormous blocks of ice harvested in the area. Next year’s event runs January 29 to February 12.

Scandinave Spa Whistler

This is decadence beyond belief; a fantastic wellness centre with a series of warm, hot and cold pools in the outdoors, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and fragrant, deep-green trees.

They also have a series of steam rooms (some with soothing eucalyptus to make Aussies feel at home) and saunas to warm your bones and send your troubles packing.

When you’re finished, sip on locally produced Namasthé Tea in the woodsy Scandinave Cafe.

Snowshoe in Alberta

This is a winter activity that’s easier than it looks, thanks to modern equipment and lightweight shoes made for Alberta’s light, fluffy snow.

I did a hike a couple years ago near the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise: a glorious couple of hours through waist-high powder in pristine conditions.

Okay, minus-16 Celsius is a tad cold for some folks, but if you’ve got the right clothing, the exercise will warm you up in no time. A brilliant way to escape into the bush and appreciate the beauty of a Canadian winter.

Winter surfing in Nova Scotia

This is for the really, really hardy folks out there. I mean, anyone can surf at Bondi in January. But to head out into the waves at Lawrencetown Beach near Halifax in January when it’s zero Celsius or colder?

That takes courage. You can surf here year-round but often the biggest waves come at the coldest time of year, so get out there and get to it. novascotia.com

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Fat-tyre biking and biathlon

Fat-tyre biking is catching on around the world, with special, heavy frame bikes and wide tyres with knobby treads that do well on packed snow.

It’s a very strange – but enjoyable – feeling to pedal about on an upright bike in the snow. Small hills are a challenge, but downhill is a ton of fun. They have them for rent at the Whistler Olympic Park.

They also have a program where you can pretend you’re an Olympic biathlete, taking part in cross-country skiing and then rifle shooting.

Quite an insight into a very demanding sport. whistlersportlegacies.com

Montreal en Lumière

The city of Montreal comes alive with light every winter, with hundreds of light fixtures all over the town.

You’ll find marvellous concerts and exhibits from a city with joie de vivre to spare, as well as free outdoor events.

Look for enormous puppets, as well as ziplines and fashion events.

Special dining programs also are part of the festivities. Next year’s event runs February 23 to March 12 and will be the 18th annual running. montrealenlumiere.com

Need more non-ski holiday ideas?

If you need inspiration for more non-ski ideas, here’s a few of our favourite picks from our list of 100 Things to do in Canada Before You Die:




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12 grand journeys throughout North America

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    Discover North America’s epic adventures — from Route 66 and Alaska cruises to Hawai‘i road trips, NYC culture, Mexico trails and more.

    1. Route 66, the Main Street of America

    Travelling with: Ricky French

    Sunset on Route 66 in the California Mojave Desert.
    Hit the open road and trace America’s legendary highway. (Image: Getty/Der_Thomasa)

    Dubbed the Main Street of America, Route 66 radiates serious main character energy, cemented into popular culture through everything from John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath to the Disney Pixar film Cars. Spanning nearly 4000 kilometres from Chicago to Los Angeles, the historic highway celebrates its centenary next year, a timely invitation to take the mother of all road trips along the Mother Road. Allow two to three weeks to tackle the full length, or bite off a smaller chunk at either end, cruising the dramatic deserts of California or the more pastoral landscapes of Illinois, lined with neon-lit diners, retro gas stations and quirky roadside attractions.

    2. Mexico’s Día de los Muertos

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    emblematic catrina of mexico with flowers and necklace with sempasuchil flowers
    Celebrate life and honour loved ones in vibrant style. (Image: Getty/Fabian Pacheco)

    You might know Oaxaca as the birthplace of mole and mezcal. But the state in southern Mexico is also where the Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) began. Time your visit to coincide with the colourful holiday, on 1–2 November, which honours and celebrates loved ones who have passed away. Oaxaca is also Mexico’s Michelin-starred culinary capital, with 18 restaurants and a humble taco stand listed in the 2025 guide.

    3. Museum-hop in New York City

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    The Guggenheim Museum’s iconic spiralling exterior, a highlight of North America Epic Adventures.
    Step inside and marvel at bold, world-class art. (Image: Damiano Fiore)

    Your map app will look like it’s been scattered with confetti after you’ve dropped pins on all the museums you want to visit in New York City. Must-sees are the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art aka the Met, and the Museum of Modern Art. The American Museum of Natural History is also a draw. It’s also worth venturing into the boroughs to browse institutions such as the Brooklyn Museum, which has a huge permanent collection categorised by culture.

    4. The USA’s music scene

    Travelling with: Elizabeth Whitehead

    The Seattle skyline at night, aglow with city lights on North America Epic Adventures.
    Soak up skyline views and dive into the city’s coffee culture. (Image: Abigail Boone)

    If you’re a muso, chances are you’ve wanted to make a pilgrimage to the United States, the epicentre of so many beloved genres. Whether you’re head-banging your way around the Grunge Circuit in Seattle, chasing the twang of the pedal steel through Tennessee or bouncing between blues bars in the Mississippi Delta, the USA’s rich music culture has something that’ll strike a chord.

    5. Road-tripping Hawai‘i

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    A woman surfing in Hawaii, gliding across turquoise waves on North America Epic Adventures.
    Catch the waves and ride Hawaii’s iconic swells. (Image: Ben Ono)

    Hawai‘i is one of the most diverse US states to road trip around. Of the six major islands to visit, the Island of Hawai‘i packs in everything from the snowy summits of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa to black-sand beaches and lava fields frozen in the act of flowing forward. Change down a few gears on the island of O‘ahu, too, where you can find your own patch of sand on Waimanalo Beach. Visit poi and pineapple plantations. And hang ten on beginner-friendly waves on the North Shore.

    6. Cruising Alaska

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    Explora Journeys ship cruising in Alaska.
    Sail past glaciers and spot whales in pristine waters.

    Seeing Alaska from the sea allows you to cover a lot of distance quickly. This immersive frontier now beckons more than ever before with Explora Journeys adding the American state to its global destination portfolio. Best of all are the pre-and post-journey immersions that connect the luxury of a cruise onboard Explora III with the rugged grandeur of the Alaskan interior. UnCruise Adventures also weaves in access to remote national parks, legendary wildlife corridors and authentic cultural experiences on its Alaskan itineraries.

    7. The Wixárika Route in Mexico

    Travelling with: Elizabeth Whitehead

    People journeying through the Wixarika Route.
    Journey deep into sacred Huichol traditions and art.

    For generations, the Indigenous Wixárika People of Mexico have walked a sacred path known as Tatehuarí Huajuyé, or ‘The Path of Our Grandfather Fire’. The annual pilgrimage route spans 500 kilometres, taking in significant sites in Wixárika spirituality and cosmology. The route passes through the deserts, mountains and forests of northern Mexico before reaching Wirikuta, believed to be the place the sun first emerged. The route is a living cultural landscape of Indigenous culture pre-Columbian influence and, in July this year, was formally inscribed into UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

    8. Drive the Iceberg Coast in Canada

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    Iceberg off the east coast of Canada
    Chase icebergs along Expedition 51 on Canada’s east coast. (Image: Canadian Tourism Commission/ Chris Hendrickson)

    Download the icebergfinder.com map to better plan your road trip along Canada’s Iceberg Coast. The new highway, which has been nearly 25 years and CAD$1.1 billion in the making, threads through the country’s pleated coastlines around Quebec, Newfoundland, Labrador, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick before looping in the French islands of St Pierre and Miquelon. As well as chasing icebergs along Expedition 51, travellers will have the opportunity to engage with cultures that have thrived in the pristine provinces for thousands of years.

    9. A foodie tour of Nova Scotia

    Travelling with: Katie Carlin

    Lunenberg Nova Scotia
    Try lobster rolls in Lunenburg on the east coast of Canada in Nova Scotia. (Image: Natalia Kvitovska/ Unsplash)

    World-famous for its lobster, Nova Scotia is a Canadian province best savoured through its culinary clout shaped by sea and terroir. Bite into lobster rolls at historic Lunenburg’s Salt Shaker Deli & Inn and sip maple rum at Ironworks Distillery. Winery-hop around Wolfville’s rising vineyards (don’t miss Lightfoot & Wolfville). Take a maple syrup tour at Sugar Moon Farm near Earltown. And pull up a seat at waterfront Bar Sofia in Halifax, where Nova Scotia oysters aguachile arrive bright with cucumber, lime and pickled onion.

    10. Soak up the sun in the Caribbean

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    Overwater bungalows off a beach in the Caribbean
    Experience the white-sand beaches and cerulean seas of the Caribbean on board a cruise.

    The Caribbean is on the radar for seasoned cruisers. And it’s easy to see why, with white-sand beaches, cerulean seas and swaying palms so picture-perfect they look AI-generated. Cruise with Windstar, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity on its inaugural Xcel season to the Caribbean to enjoy action-packed excursions such as snorkelling coral reefs and shopping for local trinkets. And those sea days? Spectacular.

    11. Red Chair Hikes of Canada

    Travelling with: Kassia Byrnes

    Red Adirondack chairs overlooking Lake Minnewanka in Canada
    Take a seat at Lake Minnewanka, one of more than 400 red Adirondack chairs scattered across Canada’s hiking routes. (Image: Getty Images/ Autumn Sky Photography)

    No one appreciates the great outdoors more than Canadians, emerging from snow-covered winters to tread glacial rivers and snowshoe through forests, or to hike mighty mountains and wildflower-strewn valleys come spring. Along popular hikes around the country, more than 400 red Adirondack chairs have been placed in peaceful, breathtaking locations. What started as a social media contest now sees hikers soaking in classic Canadian lake and mountain vistas, overlooking historic sites or gazing down on the mountainous path they just travelled.

    12. Ride the Rocky Mountaineer from Denver to Moab, USA

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    Sweeping views from the Rocky Mountaineer.
    The Rocky Mountaineer will continue as the Canyon Spirit in 2026, seen here carving through Ruby Canyon.

    Sighting wild animals is one of many incredible thrills along the two-day luxury Rockies to the Red Rocks route onboard the Rocky Mountaineer across America’s Southwest between mid-April and mid-October. In addition to the lone bear, we spot bighorn sheep, elk, beavers, pronghorn antelope, bald eagles and ospreys. Riding the rails onboard the luxury train, which was founded in Canada in 1990 and has been awarded the prestigious World’s Leading Travel Experience by Train several times, has never been about just getting from A to B. Ride the train from Denver to Moab and you will see the scenery change from snow-capped peaks to meadows, red-rock canyons and soaring cliffs that resemble ornate Gaudí-esque cathedrals. But it’s not until you get off the train that you can produce the ultimate Venn diagram, with nature and adventure in the intersecting spheres.