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UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Canada

Canadian World Heritage Sites · UNESCO sites in Canada map · historical landmarks in Canada

Canada has 23 sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List — 10 cultural, 12 natural and 1 mixed inscriptions, inscribed between 1978 and 2023. This map of UNESCO sites in Canada covers every listing, with a short description, the inscription year and the nearest airports — the fastest way to see the country's most important historical sites and landmarks in one place.

Canadian World Heritage Sites range from Anticosti onwards; L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site was the country's first inscription, added in 1978; Anticosti is the most recent, listed in 2023; recurring threads across the list include ancient civilizations and volcanoes nature.

One inscription is transnational, shared with neighbouring countries: Waterton Glacier International Peace Park. Start with Anticosti, Canadian Rockies and Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, then use the map above to plan a route between the rest.

Sites
23
Cultural
10
Natural
12
Mixed
1
First inscribed
1978

Sites on the map

Loading the map…

Flying in

Airports closest to the most sites in this country.

  • YYCCalgary2 sites
  • YQLLethbridge2 sites
  • YAYSt. Anthony2 sites
  • YHZHalifax2 sites
  • YPNPort-Menier1 site
  • YXHMedicine Hat1 site

Keep exploring

Plan the trip

Top highlights & itineraries in Canada

Canada's inscriptions are overwhelmingly natural and widely spread, so routes work best regionally: the Rockies in the west, fossil and Viking coastlines in the Atlantic east, and prairie badlands between them.

  1. Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks heritage poster01

    Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks

    Banff, Jasper, Yoho and Kootenay in one inscription — the flagship Canadian heritage journey.

  2. Historic District of Old Québec heritage poster02

    Historic District of Old Québec

    The only walled city north of Mexico, and Canada's most complete historic centre.

  3. Gros Morne National Park heritage poster03

    Gros Morne National Park

    Exposed ocean crust and fjord-like ponds on Newfoundland's west coast.

  4. Dinosaur Provincial Park heritage poster04

    Dinosaur Provincial Park

    Badlands with one of the richest late-Cretaceous fossil records anywhere.

Rockies & Prairie Badlands

10 days Calgary, Banff and Jasper

One rental car, four mountain parks and three prairie inscriptions on the way back east.

  1. Days 1–5

    Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks

    Drive the Icefields Parkway between Lake Louise and Jasper; shuttle reservations are required for the busiest lakes.

  2. Days 6–7

    Waterton Glacier International Peace Park

    Head south to the prairie–mountain edge; the Canadian side is quieter than Glacier in Montana.

  3. Day 8

    Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump

    An interpretive centre built into the cliff, with 6,000 years of Blackfoot hunting history.

  4. Days 9–10

    Dinosaur Provincial Park

    Book a guided badlands hike; the fossil beds are off-limits without one.

Atlantic Heritage Coast

9 days Halifax and western Newfoundland

Colonial ports, fossil cliffs and the earliest known European settlement in North America.

  1. Days 1–2

    Old Town Lunenburg

    A planned British colonial town still fishing; walk the waterfront and the ridge streets above it.

  2. Day 3

    Landscape of Grand Pré

    Acadian dykelands on the Bay of Fundy — time your visit to the extreme tides.

  3. Day 4

    Joggins Fossil Cliffs

    Beach-level guided walks only, and strictly around low tide.

  4. Days 5–7

    Gros Morne National Park

    Ferry or fly to Newfoundland; the Tablelands and Western Brook Pond are the two essential days.

  5. Days 8–9

    L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site

    Drive the Northern Peninsula to the Norse settlement; combine with whale and iceberg viewing in June.

Québec & the Rideau

6 days Québec City, Montréal and Ottawa

Canada's urban heritage: a walled French colonial capital and a working 19th-century canal.

  1. Days 1–3

    Historic District of Old Québec

    Upper and Lower Town on foot; the ramparts walk gives the clearest sense of the fortifications.

  2. Days 4–6

    Rideau Canal

    Follow the locks from Ottawa to Kingston in summer, or skate the frozen canal in February.

All 23 sites in Canada

List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Canada

Every inscription with its year and category. Open a site for its story, map location and nearest airports.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Canada with inscription year and category
SiteYearType
AnticostiSituated on the island of Anticosti, the largest island in Quebec, this property is the most complete and best…2023Natural
Canadian RockiesGlacial lakes beneath jagged peaks.1984Natural
Canadian Rocky Mountain ParksThe contiguous national parks of Banff, Jasper, Kootenay and Yoho, as well as the Mount Robson, Mount Assiniboine and…1984Natural
Dinosaur Provincial ParkIn addition to its particularly beautiful scenery, Dinosaur Provincial Park – located at the heart of the province of…1979Natural
Gros Morne National ParkSituated on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland, the park provides a rare example of the process of…1987Natural
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo JumpIn south-west Alberta, the remains of marked trails and an aboriginal camp, and a tumulus where vast quantities of…1981Cultural
Historic District of Old QuébecQuébec was founded by the French explorer Champlain in the early 17th century.1985Cultural
Joggins Fossil CliffsThe Joggins Fossil Cliffs, a 689 ha palaeontological site along the coast of Nova Scotia (eastern Canada), have been…2008Natural
Kluane / Wrangell-St. Elias / Glacier Bay / Tatshenshini-AlsekThese parks comprise an impressive complex of glaciers and high peaks on both sides of the border between Canada (Yukon…1979Natural
L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic SiteAt the tip of the Great Northern Peninsula of the island of Newfoundland, the remains of an 11th-century Viking…1978Cultural
Landscape of Grand PréSituated in the southern Minas Basin of Nova Scotia, the Grand Pré marshland and archaeological sites constitu.2012Cultural
Miguasha National ParkThe palaeontological site of Miguasha National Park, in south-eastern Quebec on the southern coast of the Gaspé…1999Natural
Mistaken PointThis fossil site is located at the south-eastern tip of the island of Newfoundland, in eastern Canada.2016Natural
Nahanni National ParkLocated along the South Nahanni River, one of the most spectacular wild rivers in North America, this park contains…1978Natural
Old Town LunenburgLunenburg is the best surviving example of a planned British colonial settlement in North America.1995Cultural
Pimachiowin AkiPimachiowin Aki ('The Land That Gives Life') is a landscape of rivers, lakes, wetlands, and boreal forest.2018Mixed
Red Bay Basque Whaling StationRed Bay, established by Basque mariners in the 16th century at the north-eastern tip of Canada on the shore of the…2013Cultural
Rideau CanalThe Rideau Canal, a monumental early 19th-century construction covering 202 km of the Rideau and Cataraqui rivers from…2007Cultural
SG̲ang GwaayThe village of Ninstints (Nans Dins) is located on a small island off the west coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands…1981Cultural
Tr’ondëk-KlondikeLocated along the Yukon River in the sub-arctic region of Northwest Canada, Tr’ondëk-Klondike lies within the homeland…2023Cultural
Waterton Glacier International Peace ParkIn 1932 Waterton Lakes National Park (Alberta, Canada) was combined with the Glacier National Park (Montana, United…1995Natural
Wood Buffalo National ParkSituated on the plains in the north-central region of Canada, the park (which covers 44,807 km2) is home to North…1983Natural
Writing-on-Stone / Áísínai’piThe property is located on the northern edge of the semi-arid Great Plains of North America, on the border bet.2019Cultural

Frequently asked questions about World Heritage in Canada

How many UNESCO World Heritage Sites are there in Canada?
Canada has 23 UNESCO World Heritage Sites: 10 cultural, 12 natural and 1 mixed.
What was the first World Heritage Site in Canada?
L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site was inscribed in 1978. At the tip of the Great Northern Peninsula of the island of Newfoundland, the remains of an 11th-century Viking settlement are evidence of t.
What is the newest World Heritage Site in Canada?
Anticosti, inscribed in 2023. Situated on the island of Anticosti, the largest island in Quebec, this property is the most complete and best preserved palaeontological record of the first ma.
Which sites in Canada are natural World Heritage Sites?
12 of the 23 listings are natural: Anticosti, Canadian Rockies, Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, Dinosaur Provincial Park, Gros Morne National Park and Joggins Fossil Cliffs.
Which UNESCO sites in Canada are easiest to reach?
Each site page lists the closest airports with distance, so you can pick the gateway city first and work outwards. The "Flying in" panel on this page shows the main gateways for Canada.
What are the main historical sites and landmarks in Canada?
The 23 UNESCO-listed sites above are Canada's internationally recognised historical sites and landmarks, starting with L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site (1978). Each entry links to a full page with a map, photos and travel notes.
Is there a map of Canadian World Heritage Sites?
Yes — the map on this page plots all 23 Canadian UNESCO World Heritage Sites; click any marker to open that site's page.

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