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Where to Find a Warm Winter Destination in Canada

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You don’t always need to fly south to find a little heat. From cozy cabins and indoor/outdoor spas to a trip to Canada’s warmest city, here are five of our favourite warm winter getaways across the country.

To check Covid–19–related travel restrictions across provinces and territories, visit the Government of Canada's website, as well as Destination Canada's interactive map of where Canadians can go right now.

Canada, Winter
By Heather Greenwood Davis
Photo by Scandinave Spa Whistler
December 24, 2020
Aerial view of a woman in an outdoor pool during the winter at Scandinave Spa Mont-Tremblant
   Photo: Scandinave Spa Mont-Tremblant

  1. Scandinave Spa (locations in British Columbia, Quebec and Ontario) —

    Quick dips in the hot and cold pools that make up the wellness circuit at these indoor/outdoor spas are part of an ancient Nordic blood–circulation improvement technique. Cocoon–like heated hammocks, saunas, steam rooms and massage therapy add–ons elevate the experience from therapeutic to indulgent.

Two people facing the snowy mountains while enjoying a hot tub at Boréale Ranch in the Yukon
   Photo: Dan Barham

  2. Boréale Ranch, Yukon —

    Hop into this lodge’s 24–hour hot tub and enjoy views of the Seven Sisters mountain range by day and, possibly, the aurora borealis by night (December through April).

The grand exterior of the Fairmont Empress by the water in Victoria
   Photo: Fairmont Empress Victoria

  3. Fairmont Empress, Victoria —

    The capital of British Columbia consistently wins the title of warmest city in Canada during the winter (average highs of 7°C–9°C), so you’ll be able to shop Lower Johnson Street or day–trip to Mystic Beach (bring a fleece). Choose to stay in and you can warm up over afternoon tea fit for a queen (or king) inside this iconic hotel overlooking the inner harbour.

An oTENTik stay in a shelter on the grounds of Point Pelee National Park in Ontario
   Photo: Parks Canada

  4. Otentiks, Point Pelee National Park, Ontario —

    Canada’s smallest national park is also the place with the warmest winter temperatures in Ontario. Point Pelee Otentiks are a “camping with benefits” experience: The walled accommodation has a gas or wood stove inside to keep you cozy, and the Dark Sky Preserve on your doorstep provides a nightly spectacle.

The Hotel Arts pool in Calgary with inflatable pillars to keep you warm

  5. Hotel Arts, Calgary —

    Thanks to an inflatable “toque” that covers Hotel Arts’ outdoor pool and keeps things at a balmy 24°C, you can go for a dip and sip a mojito in the middle of winter. For another warm respite, head to Devonian Gardens, an indoor green space spanning an entire city block filled with over 500 trees, fish ponds and an 84–square–metre living wall.