6 Places to Visit in Ontario this Summer
- Motorcycle
Summer is a fantastic time to shake up your regular routine and explore some of the incredible regions and cities on offer in Canada.
To help inspire your next adventure, we’re sharing 6 great summer travel destinations in Ontario that will give you options to please every type of traveller.
Prince Edward County
The first destination we recommend checking out this summer is Prince Edward County.
Home to excellent restaurants, cideries/breweries, art galleries, boutique hotels, and wonderful rural towns, the New York Times describes Prince Edward County as « a Canadian island where hip meets historic. »
Located along the Lake Ontario coast, less than one hour from Kingston and around 2.5 hours from Toronto, Prince Edward County offers something for everyone. Whether you’re looking to enjoy the outdoors with some paddling or a bike tour, or you’d like to explore the food and culture scene in towns like Picton and Bloomfield, the area is a popular choice for all styles of summer travel.
With all the great food and drink options in the area, you’ll definitely want to bring your American Express Cobalt® Card to take advantage of the 5x earning rates in the food/drinks category.
As one of our favourite (and most recommended) credit cards, the American Express Cobalt® Card is a wallet must-have for when you explore Ontario this summer.
- Annual fee
- $191.88
- Our valuation
- $255Milesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$255Total$255Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$255Total$255Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- Welcome offer
- Up to 15,000 points
on American Express's website
Apply with confidence — no impact on your credit scoreApply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).
Bruce Peninsula
For travellers looking to take in some absolutely stunning natural scenery, a trip to the Bruce Peninsula is a great option.
The Bruce Peninsula is home to the beautiful, rugged shores and blue waters of Lake Huron and provides a jumping-off point for awesome outdoor adventures, both on land and in the water.
While visiting the region, you can try the following (and more!):
- scuba dive the shipwrecks near Tobermory
- hike part of the Bruce Trail, Canada’s oldest and longest marked footpath, which runs between Tobermory and Niagara
- explore the limestone shores and visit The Grotto, Lion’s Head, and Flowerpot Island
- go rock climbing or bouldering
- take a kayak or canoe to explore the coast from the water
- treat yourself to some ice cream and saltwater taffy in Tobermory
The Bruce Peninsula is most easily accessed with a car, which will give you the ability to move between the many worthwhile sights and activities.
If you’re renting a car for your excursion, make sure you get a credit card that offers some car rental insurance coverage to save yourself from having to pay this cost out of pocket. Also, if possible, choose a card that also offers discounts and/or bonus privileges on the car rental cost.
If you’ve got your own vehicle for this adventure, there’s lots of ways to earn helpful perks and rewards on your fuel expenditures, so make sure to check out our top credit cards picks for gas expenses.
Manitoulin Island
For a unique summer travel destination in Ontario, take the Chi-Cheemaun ferry from Tobermory to Manitoulin Island, the largest freshwater island in the world!
A visit to Manitoulin Island offers the chance to camp, hike, fish, swim, and more, and its also a fabulous opportunity to explore the rich Indigenous culture and heritage of the space.
While there, you can hike to Bridal Veil Falls, an 11-metre waterfall, spend the day Providence Bay Beach enjoying the clear water and white sand, or camp under the stars at one of the islands many campgrounds.
In fact, Manitoulin Island is home to a designated DarkSky Preserve, an area designed to protect the quality of the night sky, giving you a great view of the stars, visible planets, and maybe even the northern lights.
If camping isn’t really your thing, you could always book a hotel, bed & breakfast, or an Airbnb to give yourself a nice bed and a few more amenities.
If you decide to go the Airbnb route and you collect British Airways Avios (perhaps with the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite) don’t forget that you can earn an additional 2 Avios per $1 spent on your booking (and on your Airbnb experiences) by simply going through RBC’s Airbnb portal. This is a great way to maximize your rewards earnings, getting you that much closer to a free trip!
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $120 | |||
| $120 | |||
| $399 | |||
| $165 |
Stratford
Our next pick for great summer travel destination in Ontario is Stratford and its world-famous Shakespeare theatre festival.
The Stratford Festival started in 1953 as a way to help revitalize the town after its economy suffered due to the decline of the railway industry. For the first few years, the performances were held in a single specially made tent, but now the festival boasts multiple permanent venues and runs from April to October each year.
While in area, in addition to taking in a show, you can enjoy a relaxing walk around Stratford’s beautiful downtown, perusing the local shops and stopping for a meal at one of the many excellent restaurants.
We recommend spending at least a couple days in Stratford so that you can take in a couple shows and explore the town at a leisurely pace.
If you’re planning to see a few shows during the festival, it’s a good idea to make the purchase with a credit card that has a high earning rate in the entertainment category. For example, the Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card earns 5 Scene+ points per $1 on theatre tickets (and other eligible entertainment expenses).
Alternatively, you could choose a card like the CIBC Adapta Mastercard that adapts to your spending each month, giving you bonus Adapta points on your top three spending categories (including entertainment).
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $120 | |||
| $0 |
Niagara Region
The Niagara Region has some similar offerings to Prince Edward County in that its got loads of wineries, distilleries, breweries, and restaurants, but the area has been a destination for a lot longer than the County.
Tucked between Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, and the US border, the Niagara Region has an abundance of diverse activities on offer. Depending on what you like, you could explore the Niagara Escarpement (a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve), take a boat trip to see the mighty Niagara Falls, or relax on one of the many sandy beaches.
Of course, no visit to the area would be complete without taking a trip to the local wineries, distilleries, and breweries for which the region is famous.
In fact, a trip to this region is an excellent opportunity to use up any annual travel or dining credits you may have through credit cards such as the American Express Platinum Card®.
Not sure if you have a credit card that offers an annual travel or dining credit? Check our guide to credit cards in Canada that come with annual credits to learn about what’s being offered by each card.
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $799 | |||
| $499 |
Wawa
To round out our list of recommended summer travel destinations in Ontario, we had to make sure we included one more northern adventure spot.
Wawa is located near Lake Superior about halfway between Sudbury and Thunder Bay. It’s a fantastic spot for paddling, hiking, fishing, camping, visiting the famous Wawa Goose, and more.
The area is home the southern edge of Canada’s boreal forest, a unique ecosystem unlike anything you’ll find in the southern part of the province. From Wawa, you can take guided trips into the forest by foot or by boat, or you can explore Ontario’s Boreal Driving Route, connecting multiple provincial parks and showing off the region’s vastness and beauty.
Keep in mind that when travelling to smaller towns, its a good idea to make sure you’ve got a solid all-around Visa or Mastercard with you since smaller retailers and outfitters don’t always take American Express.
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0 | |||
| $599 | |||
| $0 |
How to Save Money on Accommodations
When planning a summer trip, one of the big things to consider is where you’re going to stay. Do you want to stay in a beautiful hotel? Maybe a cozy bed & breakfast? Or maybe you prefer to book an Airbnb so you can have the whole place to yourself.
With accommodations being one of bigger expenses during a trip, let’s explore some strategies for using points and credits cards to save money on this part of your summer travels.
Enjoy free stays with Marriott
A great way to save money on accommodations when travelling is to use Marriott Bonvoy points to book a stay at one of Marriott’s 8,000+ locations, including those in Niagara Falls and Kingston (near Prince Edward County).
You can earn Marriott Bonvoy points every time you stay at a Marriott-brand hotel, and you can also earn points by spending on a Marriott co-branded credit card like the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card or the Marriott Bonvoy® Business American Express®* Card. Once you’ve got some points saved up, you can easily redeem them for free stays around the world.
Plus, both of the co-branded Marriott Bonvoy cards have the added bonus of giving you automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status and an annual Free Night Certificate, making it even easier to save money and relax on your vacation.
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $120 | |||
| $150 |
Save on independent hotels and Airbnbs
If you’re looking to book a smaller, independent hotel or an Airbnb, there’s lots of ways to save money on this part of your vacation budget.
One versatile option is to use credit card points to help offset the expense. Many credit cards let you use your accumulated points to pay for eligible travel expenses when you’ve used that card to pay for them. For example, you can offset the cost of your Airbnb or other accommodations using the following loyalty program points:
- American Express Membership Rewards
- Scene+ points
- NBC À la carte Rewards
- CIBC Aventura
- BMO Rewards
- AIR MILES
Check out our guide to saving on Airbnb bookings to learn more!
Other ways to save on your accommodations costs include using a rewards portal to make your booking, using an annual travel credit from one of your credit cards, paying for the booking using a strategic credit card to earn maximum points, and more.
We’ve written a guide to saving on independent hotels using these methods and others, so if you’d like to save some money this summer, we recommend you take look.
FAQs
What’s the weather like in Ontario in the summer?
Ontario’s summer weather varies tremendously. Depending on where you are, you may experience cool evenings/nights, very hot and humid days, thunderstorms, gorgeous sunny days, and more.
To get a good idea of what weather to expect on your trip, it’s best to search for the specific town/region that you’re visiting, and when in doubt, pack layers, sunscreen, and mosquito repellent!
Do I need a car to travel in Ontario?
Although you don’t NEED a car to travel in Ontario, having one will certainly make your trip easier and give you more options.
If you want to travel without a car, there a few public and private transportation options that can get you to many of the destinations in our guide above.
The Park Bus can take you from Toronto to the Bruce Peninsula, Killarney National Park (near Manitoulin Island), and more. The Stratford Festival runs the Stratford Direct bus service from Toronto.
Additionally, you’ve always got the option of riding a bicycle to explore a number of these locations; in particular, Prince Edward County, Bruce Peninsula, and Manitoulin Island make for wonderful cycling locations.
Our featured card
- Annual fee
- $120
- Our valuation
- $990Milesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$990Total$990Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$990Total$990Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- Welcome offer
- Up to 110,000 points
- Ends Sep 22, 2026
on American Express's website
Apply with confidence — no impact on your credit scoreApply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).
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