Vancouver and Toronto will be a regular presence on TV screens for six weeks this summer when the World Cup 2026 dominates the sporting calendar.
And, at the time of writing, Wales and Northern Ireland are both still in the running to be Canada’s opponents in the host country’s opening game at Toronto Stadium (usually known as BMO Field) on June 12.
However, tour operators remain uncertain as to whether bookings will strengthen or fall away during the tournament itself – “to date, we have seen no increase in enquiries or booking for the weeks when the World Cup will be on,” said one – but the country can expect a post-football boom of enquiries later in the year and into 2027.
And that interest will not be confined to Canada’s two World Cup host cities.
For example, many UK travellers are unaware that St John’s, the provincial capital of Newfoundland and Labrador, is just 500 miles further from London than Tenerife is.
May and June are the peak months for viewing icebergs drifting past the mouth of St John’s harbour and off the coast of nearby Cape Spear, which is North America’s most easterly point.
Canadian Affair’s St John’s City Escape is available year-round. The three-night trip costs from £849pp (this price is based on departing on May 4 2026), and includes Economy Class flights from the UK and three nights’ accommodation.
Canada is an easy and popular destination for a time-is-your-own self-drive, but seeing the country by rail is in demand as it is a leisurely way of appreciating the ever-changing scenery.
Audley Travel has an 11-day Canada’s Eastern Cities by Train tour, priced from £3,270pp, including international return flights, accommodation and rail travel. A day trip to Niagara-by-the-Lake, a guided walking tour of Québec City and a guided bike tour of Montréal are also part of the package.
Starting in Toronto (three nights), the tour includes two nights in each of Ottawa, Québec City and Montréal.
