Trip readiness checklist for Canada
Canada is easy company. Here's the trip-readiness checklist for Canada: what to pack, when to go, entry rules for your passport, and the official sources to confirm before you fly.
Build my checklistEntry rules for a US passport
Up to 6 months per visit
Up to 6 months per visit. The officer decides the actual length at the border and may write a shorter date in your passport.
- US passport (US citizens flying in don't need a visa or an eTA)
- Green-card holders: your green card plus a valid passport from your country of citizenship — no eTA needed since 2024
- Proof of onward or return travel — a booking on your phone is enough
- If you're bringing a child without both parents: a signed consent letter from the absent parent
Source: U.S. Department of State, checked September 14, 2026. Other passports get their own answer in the app. Confirm at the official source before you book.
What to pack
Canada is big and its weather has range. Pack hard for the season you're hitting — summers are warm, winters are genuinely cold — and layers for everything in between.
Season-appropriate outerwear
Winters are seriously cold (a proper insulated coat, hat, gloves); summers can be hot. Match your gear to the season and region.
Layers
Temperatures swing between day and night and between regions; layering is the answer.
Walking shoes or winter boots
Cities are walkable; winter needs insulated, grippy boots.
Bug spray (summer, outdoors)
Mosquitoes and blackflies are fierce near lakes and forests in summer.
When to go
Summer (Jun–Aug) is peak — warm, lively, and busiest in the parks and cities. Fall foliage is the show everyone drives out for; winter is cold but prime for skiing and the northern lights. Spring is quieter and cheaper.
Money & getting around
Canada uses the Canadian dollar (CAD). Cards and tap are accepted nearly everywhere. Tipping is expected and meaningful — around 15–20% in restaurants and for many services. Sales tax is added at the till, not shown on the price tag.
Local quirks worth knowing
Canada is easy company. Apologize freely, respect the wildlife's personal space, and remember Québec runs in French.
'Sorry' is punctuation
Someone bumps into you, you both apologize. Just go with it — it's social lubricant, not guilt.
Wildlife wants distance
Bears and moose are photographed with zoom lenses, not proximity. Never feed anything; lock food away when camping.
Québec is French first
Signs, menus, and greetings run in French. A 'bonjour' before switching to English is basic courtesy in Montréal and Québec City.
Weather talk is the handshake
Commenting on the forecast is how strangers say hello. You'll be fluent within a day.
A week in Canada, the list starts here
Quantities scale with your dates, the weather groups arrive once we have your travel days, and your own plans add their gear on Trip Pass.
- Passport & travel documents1
- Phone charger & adapter1
- Wallet, cards & some local cash1
- Toiletries bag1
- Any daily medicationsenough for the trip
- Underwear7
- Socks7
- T-shirts / tops5
What am I forgetting?
A real answer from Trip Happens for a sample week in Canada, departing in five weeks with a checked bag and nothing packed yet. Yours is built from your own trip.
A week in Toronto, five weeks out. Three things.
- 1.
Proof of onward travel
The entry guide says Canada expects a booking showing you leave. Save your return flight to your phone so it's there offline at the border.
- 2.
Late-October layers
Toronto in late October is the shoulder season Canada is famous for swinging through, and nothing is packed yet. Plan a warm mid-layer and a rain-resistant outer shell rather than one heavy coat.
- 3.
A tap card that works abroad
Everything is in Canadian dollars and cards are taken nearly everywhere, but tipping runs 15-20% and tax lands at the till. Check your card's foreign transaction fees before you rely on it for a week.
Entry, advisories & health
These change. Confirm at the official source before you book.
Entry and visa requirements depend on your nationality. Confirm the current rules for Canada with the official source below before you book.
U.S. State Department travel advisory for Canada — check the current level and any alerts before you go.
CDC traveler health page for Canada — recommended vaccines, health notices, and a packing checklist.
Get the full Canada checklist
Add your dates and passport and we build the complete, checkable list: weather-aware packing, crowd forecasts, entry rules for your passport, and free advisory alerts if anything changes before you fly. Free, no sign-up needed.
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