Here are eight small towns and cities in Canada to visit this Christmas if you want to spend the holidays in a real-life Hallmark movie.
Squamish, B.C.
Why You Need To Go: Squamish has been the filming site of many holiday movies, like the 2016 Hallmark movie Christmas Cookies, in which a woman must shut down a cookie factory in a small town called Cookie Jar but finds herself swept up by the factory owner and the town's Christmas spirit.
The small town is an absolutely stunning place to visit in winter, with beautiful natural landscapes to explore and tons of winter activities like skiing and tubing.
Website
Almonte, Ontario
Why You Need To Go: Tons of holiday movies have been filmed in the small town of Almonte, Ontario, which has been called a "mini Hollywood North."
Notable titles include Unlocking Christmas (2020), A Cheerful Christmas (2019), and Christmas Scavenger Hunt (2019), in which a woman heads to her hometown for the holidays and teams up with her ex-boyfriend for the annual Christmas scavenger hunt.
A walk through the quaint downtown area will have you feeling like you stepped right into one of the movies, and you might even recognize some filming spots.
Website
Hope, B.C.
Why You Need To Go: B.C. is a popular filming spot for holiday Hallmark movies, with the small town of Hope used as the location for 2018's Winter's Dream, in which Former pro skier, Kat, is asked to coach a younger skier, named Anna, and finds love with the girl's widowed father, Ty.
Hope also played the role of a faux Colorado in 2020's A Christmas Tree Grows In Colorado, which was actually filmed solely in B.C.
The movie centres on Erin, who is planning the town's Christmas celebration and must win over Kevin, a firefighter, in order to get his spruce tree for the celebration.
Established in 1848, Hope is full of charm, with quaint boutiques, stores and restaurants in its downtown area and an incredible natural landscape waiting to be explored.
Website
Fort Langley, B.C.
Why You Need To Go: Fort Langley served as the setting for the 2012 Hallmark movie Hitched for the Holidays, the story of two strangers who agree to pose as each other's significant other over the holidays to keep their meddling families at bay, only to discover that their fake feelings might not be as fake as they thought.
The scenic town is a charming place to visit any time of year, but especially so over the holidays, with festive events, quaint boutiques and shops, cute antique stores and bed and breakfasts to enjoy.
Website
Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, Quebec
Why You Need To Go: In Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, Quebec, you'll find a one-of-a-kind ice hotel (the only thing like it in North America, in fact) that's appeared in multiple Hallmark movies — and with a dreamy interior and location, how could it not?
The Hôtel de Glace was the setting of 2019's Winter Castle, in which Californian Jenny attends her sister's wedding at the ice hotel and instantly falls in love with it, also becoming smitten with Craig, the wedding's best man.
You can feel like the star of your own holiday movie by booking a stay at the icy hotel, or even just visiting for a tour.
Website
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
Why You Need To Go: While it isn't an actual Hallmark movie, the 2018 film The Holiday Calendar has all the hallmarks (no pun intended) of the classic holiday films.
The Netflix movie follows a struggling photographer who inherits an antique holiday advent calendar that seems to predict the future.
The movie was shot around the picturesque Niagara-on-the-Lake, featuring scenes of ice skating in Simcoe Park, coffee at Balzac's Café, and dinner at the Prince of Wales Hotel.
The rest of the town is just as magical around Christmas, transforming into a winter village with holiday displays and a year-round Christmas store.
Website
Whistler, B.C.
Why You Need To Go: Whistler is a beautiful place year-round, but it's also been the site of some holiday movies.
One notable movie filmed here was 2020's Chateau Christmas, which tells the story of a world-renowned pianist who reunites with her ex at a chateau over the holidays and rediscovers her love for him and music in the process.
The chateau in the movie is actually the stunning Fairmont Chateau Whistler. If you want to feel like you've stepped right into the film you can book a stay for the night at the charming resort.
Website
Victoria, B.C.
Why You Need To Go: Victoria is a beautiful city to visit for the holidays, and especially so if you want a snow-free Christmas.
The city was disguised as Pineberry, California, for the 2020 Hallmark movie Christmas, She Wrote, in which a writer heads home to visit family after getting her column cancelled, only to receive an unexpected visit from the man who cancelled it.
The film was shot in downtown Victoria, complete with fake snow on Broad Street. To get into the Christmas spirit here, you can check out the holiday lights around the Inner Harbour and the Parliament Buildings.
Website
Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.
