World's Best

Travel + Leisure Readers' 5 Favorite Cities in Canada of 2023

Charm-filled, easily walkable Canadian cities won out in our annual "World’s Best Awards" survey for 2023.

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Published on July 11, 2023

Canada has no shortage of charming small towns, but its powerhouse cities are where travelers can fully experience sophisticated culture, delicious cuisine, and stylish hotels. T+L readers’ ranking of their favorite cities in Canada has stayed consistent over the years, with many of the same places appearing time and again.

How Voting Works

Every year for our World's Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Nearly 165,000 T+L readers completed the 2023 survey, an increase of nearly 25 percent over pre-pandemic voting levels. A total of more than 685,000 votes were cast across over 8,500 unique properties (hotels, cities, cruise lines, etc.).

Cities were specifically rated on the criteria below:

Sights/landmarks
Culture
Food
Friendliness
Shopping
Value

For each characteristic, respondents could choose a rating of excellent, above average, average, below average, or poor. The final scores are averages of these responses.

Aerial view of University of Toronto against city skyline with Ontario Legislative Building in the foreground. — Wei Fang/Getty Images

What Readers Loved

Montreal (No. 3) was described by one T+L voter as “one of the best, if not the best, food cities in North America.” Plus, while some may not think to travel there during the winter months, others argue, “it’s the most romantic time to visit.” Also, it's the perfect time to cozy up in one of the city's luxury hotels. This year, Toronto (No. 5) re-entered the list, after dropping off for a few years. Readers praised its multicultural culinary scene. “Incredibly impressed with the amount of international foods!” said one reader, adding, “This is a great ‘first time out of the country’ destination.”

Across the country, in the western province of British Columbia, the smaller city of Victoria (No. 2) was praised for its beautiful scenery: “The island is lovely, with the coastline, gardens, and historic buildings in a picturesque setting.” Another T+L reader favorite, Vancouver (No. 4) also received top marks, particularly for its natural surroundings. “Ah, Vancouver: mountains, water, and incredible Chinese food — what’s not to love?” one reader wrote. Another voter said they appreciated the Indigenous education available at Vancouver parks and art galleries.

Still, no city could unseat the perennial winner, Quebec City. Keep reading to see why, for the 8th year in a row, Quebec City continues to top the list of our readers’ favorite cities in Canada.

The Winner

Québec City

Street in old town Quebec City — Emilien Edmond/Getty Images

Each year, this WBA Hall of Fame honoree is praised for its quintessentially European vibe, which stems from its romantic cafes and bistros, historic sites like the Citadelle of Québec, and, of course, snippets of French conversation around every cobblestoned corner. With only 550,000 residents, Québec City is an approachably-sized city, and readers appreciated that intimate feel — not to mention its walkability. “Wonderful, friendly people, great architecture, art, and food,” commented one reader. “We loved the cider farms and biking out to Montmorency Falls,” said another. Consider staying at the Auberge Saint-Antoine, a gorgeous property voted by our readers as the third best city hotel in Canada.