5 small Canadian cities you can use points and miles to visit this year

Quick summary

The article highlights five lesser-known Canadian cities—Victoria, Quebec City, Yellowknife, Halifax and Jasper—offering unique cultural, culinary and outdoor experiences.
It provides practical guidance on booking flights and hotels in these destinations using various airline and hotel loyalty programs.
Detailed recommendations include notable attractions, seasonal activities and the best points hotels in each city.
The guide emphasizes off-the-beaten-path travel, focusing on smaller cities rather than major urban centers.

What to consider

Flight options often require connections through larger Canadian hubs, especially for remote destinations like Yellowknife and Jasper.
Award availability and pricing can vary due to dynamic pricing and seasonal service, so flexibility is important when planning.
Hotel options in smaller cities may be limited, with boutique or independent properties sometimes offering better value than points hotels.

What you'll miss from the article

In-depth strategies for maximizing points and miles when booking travel to and accommodations in these specific Canadian cities.

Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.

Editor’s note: This post has been updated with new information.

Canada is one of my favorite places to vacation. It’s nearby and full of culture, great food, amazing cities and plenty of places to experience the great outdoors. I spent quite a bit of time in Canada in 2019 and visited recently when the Canadian border reopened. Plus, I have plans for an extended visit later this year.

However, my Canadian travel plans this year are vastly different than my previous trips. In the past, I mainly focused on the big cities, visiting Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, British Columbia. Now, I plan to visit a handful of smaller cities — starting with visiting my cousin in Victoria, British Columbia and eventually making my way to other places like Quebec City, Jasper, Alberta, and Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories.

In this article, I’ll show you the best small Canadian cities you should visit in 2022 and how to book flights and hotels in these cities using points and miles.

Visiting small Canadian cities with points and miles

View of the inner harbor in Victoria. CANADASTOCK/SHUTTERSTOCK

When writing this article, I focused on finding off-the-beaten-path destinations in Canada ripe for tourism in 2022. I made a point to find destinations you may not already know about, so you’ll see many small cities and nature-focused destinations on this list.

I’ll give you a quick overview of each destination as well as tips for using points and miles to book flights and hotels.

Victoria, British Columbia

House Boats at Fisherman's Wharf in Victoria BC — DAVID GN PHOTOGRAPHY/GETTY IMAGES

Let’s start with my first (tentative) Canadian destination: Victoria, British Columbia. My cousin lived in Victoria for about a year, and from what he has told me about the city, it's a vibrant area with a strong (and unique) local culture.

What to see in Victoria

Victoria is a city on Vancouver Island, located off the western coast of Canada. The city is known for its beautiful parks and nature preserves, such as Beacon Hill Park and Fisherman’s Wharf Park. You can also take in stunning architecture when you visit the Craigdarroch Castle and the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, all of which are centrally located in downtown Victoria.

Victoria also has a bustling craft beer and food scene. Some breweries on the island include Hoyne Brewing and Vancouver Island Brewing, both of which put out an excellent mix of IPAs, stouts and other fantastic craft brews. You can also find an excellent blend of seafood, farm-to-table gastropub fare and other excellent culinary delights on the island, so make sure to come hungry.

Outside the city, you can visit other islands like North Pender Island. These can be accessed via ferry, giving you plenty of easy day trips from Victoria.

Getting to Victoria with points and miles

Americans have four airline options for flying to Victoria: Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, Swoop and WestJet. Three of these airlines are part of a major alliance or have partnerships with major American carriers, so you can easily use points and miles to fly from the U.S. to Victoria International Airport (YYJ).

Using Aeroplan to book Air Canada flights

You can typically route to Victoria through Calgary, Alberta; Montreal; Toronto; or Vancouver, giving you one-stop access to Victoria from most large and mid-sized American cities.

You can transfer American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards to Air Canada Aeroplan to book these tickets. Pricing may vary as Air Canada offers dynamically priced tickets on its own metal, but sometimes they start at under 6,000 miles one way.

Air Canada Seattle to Victoria award ticket — AIRCANADA.COM

Using British Airways Avios

Your best bet for booking Alaska Airlines flights to Victoria is British Airways Avios. This program also employs a distance-based award chart and prices out awards by segment. So, we only recommend using Avios to book Alaska Airlines flights to Victoria if you live in Seattle and take a nonstop flight.

If you fall into this camp, you’ll pay just 7,500 Avios one way from Seattle to Victoria in economy class with minimal taxes and fees. You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points, American Express Membership Rewards points and Capital One miles to British Airways.

Using American Airlines miles

Booking a connecting ticket through Seattle? Book your Alaska Airlines award ticket with American AAdvantage miles and you’ll pay 12,500 miles one way in economy. There are many ways to earn American Airlines miles, including transferring points from Marriott Bonvoy and Bilt Rewards.

Using Delta SkyMiles

Delta has a limited presence in Canada, so it partners with Canadian low-cost carrier WestJet. WestJet flies to Victoria from several different Canadian cities, with the most notable being Calgary and Edmonton in Alberta, and Vancouver, as well as seasonal service from Toronto.

The airline also flies from several different U.S. cities to its Canadian hubs, including New York, Los Angeles and Orlando, among others. This gives Americans yet another great option for getting to Victoria.

New York to Victoria award ticket on Delta's website — DELTA.COM

We’ve found that all WestJet tickets price at 12,500 SkyMiles one way when booking from the U.S. to Victoria through the end of the year. There are many ways to earn Delta SkyMiles, but the easiest way is to transfer points from Amex Membership Rewards.

Where to stay in Victoria with points

There are a handful of points hotels located near downtown Victoria. These are your best options:

Delta Hotels by Marriott Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort

Delta Hotels is one of Marriott’s newest brands. While the Delta brand typically focuses on business travelers, the Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort also caters to leisure travelers. The hotel is in a beautiful building that blends modern architecture and classic British Columbia style. It has a restaurant and pool on site as well as newly renovated rooms. You can redeem between 30,000 and 40,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Suites Victoria

Hilton loyalists can stay at the DoubleTree Hotel & Suites in downtown Victoria. This hotel is just steps away from the Victoria ferry docks, so you can avoid Uber or taxi fare if you arrive by boat. Beyond that, the hotel is pretty standard for a DoubleTree: It has nice rooms, an on-site restaurant and a fitness center.

You can use Hilton Honors points or weekend night certificates from select Hilton credit cards. Hilton uses dynamic pricing for award nights, but most nights toward the end of 2022 cost between 55,000 and 100,000 points per night.

Days Inn by Wyndham Victoria On The Harbour

Don’t let the Days Inn brand scare you — the Days Inn Victoria On The Harbour is a surprisingly nice budget property in downtown Victoria. It’s right next to the ferry docks and has beautiful waterfront views.

The property is well-priced, too — you can book a one-night weekend stay in November 2022 for around $97 per night, including taxes. Alternatively, you can use 15,000 Wyndham Rewards points to book the same stay, although this isn’t a great value as you’d only get 0.65 cents per point in value (less than TPG’s current 1.1 cents per point valuation of Wyndham points).

Best Western Plus Inner Harbour

Best Western operates several properties in Victoria, one being the Best Western Plus Inner Harbour. This hotel is centrally located and has pretty standard rooms, all of which have a balcony. Plus, you can enjoy a continental breakfast regardless of the room you book.

A weekend night in late 2022 costs just under $120 after taxes, or you can use 24,000 Best Western Rewards points for a free stay.

Quebec City, Quebec

Autumn in Quebec City. DENIS TANGNEYJR/GETTY IMAGES

Quebec City has been on my list of places to visit since I returned from Montreal last year. Friends have told me that the city is the most European place in North America, even more so than Montreal. Plus, it’s a quick flight from my home in New York City, so it’s an intriguing weekend destination.

What to see in Quebec City

As you might expect, Quebec City is known for its European architecture. The city has many French-inspired castles and districts filled with cafes, French restaurants and independent shops. The city’s must-see districts include Old Quebec and Quartier Petit Champlain.

Looking for a little nature in your trip to Quebec City? Head over to Montmorency Falls. You can hike around waterfalls that feed into the Montmorency River, which runs through the city center. You can get to the falls by walking or taking a quick public bus ride from Quebec City center.

Getting to Quebec City with points and miles

Being the capital of Quebec, Quebec City has nonstop flights from several major U.S. airports. Air Canada, Air Transat and American Airlines offer seasonal service from the U.S., while United offers year-round service from Newark. American Airlines typically also operates seasonal nonstop service. So, here are my favorite ways to book flights operated by American Airlines or United Airlines to Quebec City.

Using American Airlines miles

American Airlines usually operates seasonal nonstop service from its hubs in Chicago and Philadelphia to Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB), giving U.S.-based travelers on the East Coast and in the Midwest easy connections to the capital city. Note that Chicago flights run over the summer season and are slated to end on Oct. 6, 2022.

If you’re booking a nonstop flight, your best bet is to book using British Airways Avios. Flights from Philadelphia and Chicago cost just 7,500 Avios and have low taxes and fees attached. You can transfer points in from Amex Membership Rewards, Capital One and Ultimate Rewards. Just remember, British Airways charges by segment, so connecting flights will cost significantly more points.

British Airways Award Philadelphia to Quebec City. BRITISHAIRWAYS.COM

Chicago flights are a bit longer and cost 9,000 Avios plus taxes and fees one-way in economy.

British Airways Award Chicago to Quebec City. BRITISHAIRWAYS.COM

As such, connecting passengers will want to book with AAdvantage miles. Saver awards cost 12,500 American miles with minimal taxes and fees, but you may be able to score a better deal if you find discounted Web Special award space.

Using United miles or Avianca LifeMiles

United typically flies to Quebec City from Newark. You could book a one-way award through Avianca LifeMiles for 12,500 miles. You can transfer Amex Membership Rewards points, Capital One miles, Citi ThankYou points and Marriott Bonvoy points to LifeMiles if you don’t have enough miles in your account.

Alternatively, travelers with Chase Ultimate Rewards points can transfer points to United MileagePlus to book these flights. United prices its awards dynamically, but I've found prices as low as 10,400 miles one way in late 2022.

United Newark to Quebec City award. UNITED.COM

Where to stay in Quebec City with points

While most hotels in Quebec City are independent boutique hotels, there are some points properties to be found. Here’s a quick look at some of my favorites:

Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac

With its imposing, castle-like architecture, The Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac is one of the premier hotels in Quebec City. It’s located downtown near the St. Lawrence River, giving sweeping views of the city and the river. Inside, you can expect luxurious rooms, five restaurants and even an on-site florist.

A weekend night at the property costs around $200 in November 2022. Alternatively, you can book with Accor Live Limitless points (2,000 points gives you a 40 euro, or roughly $40.48, discount on your stay), so you’d need around 10,000 points for an award night. You can transfer points from Capital One to Accor Live Limitless at a 2:1 transfer ratio.

Quebec City Marriott Downtown

The Quebec City Marriott Downtown is Marriott’s premier hotel in Quebec City. The recently-renovated hotel is in the heart of downtown Quebec City, with breathtaking city views and an on-site restaurant that serves traditional Canadian fare and cocktails. The rooms are nice but pretty bare-bones, so the hotel is a good option if you plan on spending your time exploring the city.

A one-night weekend stay at the property costs between $165 and $255 through the end of 2022, or between 40,000 and 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.

Yellowknife, Northwest Territories

Northern Lights in Yellowknife — A view of the northern lights in Yellowknife. KEN PHUNG/SHUTTERSTOCK

Editor’s note: This post has been updated with new information.

In this article, I’ll show you the best small Canadian cities you should visit in 2022 and how to book flights and hotels in these cities using points and miles.

Visiting small Canadian cities with points and miles

I’ll give you a quick overview of each destination as well as tips for using points and miles to book flights and hotels.