Waymark

Canada travel guide

Best time to visit from the UK, weather, festivals, flights from London and FCDO travel advice.

Moraine Lake
Moraine Lake. Photo: Gorgo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
7hflight from London
Canadian dollarcurrency
Apply onlinefor UK passports
Type A, Bplugs

Rocky Mountain lakes, bears and the northern lights

Don't miss

  1. Banff
  2. Niagara Falls
  3. Vancouver
Good forMountains & hikingWildlife & safariNorthern lights

Best time to visit Canada from the UK

Best value: Dec–Feb, May, Sep–Oct. Jun–Sep; Dec–Mar for skiing. Busiest and priciest: Jun–Aug.

-11.3 C-11°J-10.1 C-10°F-3.7 C-4°M5 C5°A12.6 C13°M17.8 C18°J20.6 C21°J19.7 C20°A15.7 C16°S8.1 C8°O1 C1°N-6.8 C-7°D
Best valueBusy and pricierQuietAverage temperature in Ottawa, °C, 2001–2025 (NASA POWER).

Each bar is the average temperature in Ottawa for that month, and its colour shows the season for visitors: best value (good weather, fewer crowds and lower prices), busiest and priciest, or quiet (off-peak, sometimes because the weather is poorer).

  • Our pick: May and SeptemberThe warmest of the best-value months (13–16°C), with fewer crowds than peak season.
  • Peak season: Jun–AugUsually 18–21°C. The busiest time, so book flights and rooms early and expect higher prices.
  • Quiet season: Mar–Apr, NovAround -4–5°C. The cheapest and least crowded time, but cold, so pack layers.
  • Warmest: July (21°C) · coolest: January (-11°C)A 32°C swing between the warmest and coolest months.
Temperatures as a table
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
-11.3-10.1-3.7512.617.820.619.715.78.11-6.8

Festivals and events

  • Winter Carnival Feb · Quebec City
  • Calgary Stampede Jul · Calgary
  • Toronto International Film Festival Sep · Toronto

Festival dates move from year to year: check before you book.

Getting there from the UK

Flight time
About 7h
Distance
5,343 km
Main airport
YYZ

Flight times are straight-line estimates for a direct flight from Heathrow; journeys with a change take longer.

Add Canada to your bucket list Search flights to YYZ

Practical info and travel guidance

Canadian dollarCapital: Ottawa
Type A, B · 120VBring a UK adapter; check chargers say 100-240V
Drive on the rightOpposite to the UK
911
EmergencyPolice, fire, ambulance
Tap water safeAcross the country
  • VisaApply online before you goeTA before you fly, stays up to 6 months
  • HealthcareNo free healthcareYou pay for treatment, so travel insurance with medical cover is essential.
  • LGBT+ travellersLegal and broadly accepted
  • Women travellersNo specific FCDO warningTake the usual precautions.

For British passport holders, summarised from the FCDO's advice for Canada, checked October 2026. FCDO page last updated 2 June 2026. Rules change: read the official FCDO travel advice for Canada before you book and again before you go.

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