Planning an Ontario road trip itinerary? Here’s our travel guide on how to spend 10 days in Ontario driving through the best places to visit. We highly recommend you have a vehicle for this route, however, we have some tips for backpacking the province after the road trip in Ontario itinerary. Let’s discover how to plan a 10 Day Ontario road trip itinerary!
Ontario is one of the largest provinces in Canada – home to the country’s capital, Ottawa and the biggest city in Canada, Toronto. Located on the east/central side of Canada, it borders Quebec, Manitoba and many US states!
We’ve created this 10 day Ontario road trip itinerary for those who are driving from east to west (or west to east) in Canada and want to visit the best places along the way.
Although it’s totally possible to do this road trip in Ontario as a return trip and spend a day driving back to your starting point!
When we were living in Canada, we drove from Quebec to British Columbia for over 3 months whilst living in our van and couldn’t recommend it more!
Ontario surprised us with beauty! The province is filled with lakes, beautiful drives, absolutely amazing nature and the friendliest of people.
That’s why we’re so excited to share our 10 day Ontario road trip route and some of the amazing spots you can visit along the way. We’ll be sharing places to sleep in each destination if you’re off-grid camping or finding campsites or even hotels nearby.
Here’s our guide on how to plan an Ontario road trip itinerary!
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Quick Tips for a 10 Day Ontario Road Trip Itinerary
- Currency – Canadian Dollars (compare to your own currency here)
- Language – English (with a bit of French)
- Cuisine – Canadian/American Cuisine (poutine, maple syrup, bagels, international)
- Apps – iOverlander (free camping), GasBuddy (cheapest gas), GoogleMaps (offline maps!)
- Power Voltage – US Plugs A & B (120V)
Need to find accommodation on the road? We use Booking.com to find the best rates.
Need a rental car? Check out Discover Cars to compare prices!
10 Day Ontario Road Trip Itinerary
This guide has been written based on our experience in Ontario! We started in Montreal and ended in Winnipeg so we drove through Ontario one way.
If your 10 days in Ontario is a return trip just make sure to factor in enough time to get back to your starting point.
This itinerary can also be swapped around the other way if you’re coming from Manitoba. Here’s our 10 day road trip in Ontario itinerary!
Ottawa to Golden Lake | Day 1 – 2
To start this 10 days in Ontario itinerary – you’ll spend the day in Ottawa and then move onto a beautiful lake to make dinner and have an evening dip!
Ottawa is Canada’s capital and a great city to spend a few hours on your Ontario itinerary! Although it’s the capital, it’s not as big as Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver so you can easily spend half a day seeing the highlights of the city.
Things to do in Ottawa
- Visit the National Gallery of Canada
- See the Parliament Building
- Have lunch in ByWard Market
- Find the Ottawa Sign
- Visit the Canadian War Museum
- Walk along the Rideau Canal
There’s a lot to do around Ottawa such as visiting the Quebec province and seeing Parc de la Gatineau with the Pink Lake Lookout. However, after walking around the city it’s time to hit the road and move on to your next stop on this 10 day road trip in Ontario – Golden Lake!
Golden Lake was named purely for its beautiful sunsets, so it’s really one of the best spots in the area to appreciate nature in Ontario. Here’s the rest stop at Golden Lake that we found (near Golden Lake Chinese) with picnic tables, washroom facilities and swimming access to the lake!
Total driving time – 2 to 3 hours. It will take around 2 hours to get from Ottawa to Golden Lake and depending on where you stay could be a difference of 10 minutes or 45 minutes.
Where to stay near Golden Lake
- Free/Off-grid – Tom and Mick Murray Millennium Park – A local spot next to a lake with pit toilets (location here)
- Campsite – Golden Lake Park Campground – Check the website here!
- Hotel – Balmoral Hotel & Bistro – Here’s the Booking.com link here!
If you also want to visit Toronto on this 10 day Ontario road trip itinerary, head to Toronto after Ottawa – it can take around 4-5 hours.
Spend around 2 days in Toronto and drive up to Huntsville ready for the end of Day 3 of this Ontario itinerary. Plan your trip with our 3 Days in Toronto Itinerary!
Algonquin Provinicial Park | Day 2 – 3
The next place to visit on your road trip in Ontario is Algonquin Provincial Park! Start your day early to make the most out of your day and also avoid crowds.
We arrived at 7 am and discovered mosquitos are everywhere at this time, so definitely pack mosquito repellent!
When you get to Algonquin Provincial Park there’s a map to pick up with a list of all the trails you can do and the price is $21 to enter the park by vehicle. Find out more info here on their website!
Algonquin Park is one of the most popular parks in Ontario and it’s huge! Only a fraction of the nature here has trails and they are beautiful ranging from viewpoints to seeing wildlife and walking over bogs.
Things to do at Algonquin Provincial Park
- Centennial Ridges Trail – 4 to 6-hour hike | moderate – difficult
- Track and Tower Trail – 3 to 4-hour hike | difficult
- Beaver Pond Trail – 1.5-hour trail | easy
- Logging Museum Outdoor Exhibit Trail – 1 hour |easy
- The Lookout – 1-hour hike | moderate
- Big Pines – 1.5-hour hike | easy
- Spruce Bog Boardwalk – 30 minutes | easy
We recommend picking a long trail or 3-4 short ones and bringing lunch with you! If you didn’t pick up any food in Ottawa, there’s a Charbonneau’s Freshmart before the park and a small Lake of Two Rivers grocery and camp store inside the park.
When you’re finished in the park, unless you’re camping there, head to Huntsville for some dinner and a place to stay.
Total driving time – 1.5 to 2 hours. You’ll be spending the day hopping on different trails in the park.
Where to stay near Algonquin Provincial Park
- Free/Off-grid – Huntsville, the small spot next to a lake on Camp Kitchen road (near here)
- Campsite – Algonquin Provincial Park has many campgrounds in the area such as Kearney Lake Campground – Find more details here!
- Hotel – Rodeway Inn King William Huntsville – Here’s the Booking.com link here!
Check out our full 3 Month Road Trip in Canada Itinerary where we drive from east to west!
Huntsville & Driving | Day 3 – 4
Spend your morning browsing through Hunstville, a small town in Muskoka, Ontario. As it’s close to many provincial parks, you’ll find this town is geared for adventure! There’s a lovely lakeside walk to do before moving on to your next destination of the day.
Things to do in Huntsville
- Lions Lookout
- Have lunch at one of the local restaurants
- Check out Arrowhead Provincial Park
- Visit Muskoka Heritage Place
After wandering around Huntsville, we hit the road towards Lake Superior / Sault Ste Marie but chose to stop driving and stay the night in Lorne which is on the way.
If you have more time, add Killarney Provincial Park to your road trip in Ontario itinerary! It’s the best place for hikers, campers and those who like to be on the water.
Check out the hikes here such as The Crack, Cranberry Bog Trail and Granite Ridge Trail. We chose Algonquin Provincial Park instead and would visit Killarney next time.
Total driving time – 3 to 3.5 hours. Spend the afternoon driving west and stop whenever you want!
Where to stay near Lorne
- Free/Off-grid – The beauty of off-grid camping is finding unique spots that are difficult to find! Here’s one of our favourite spots in Ontario to free camp, although it is very bumpy to get to! – Here’s a rough location, but use iOverlander to find it exactly!
- Campsite – Spanish River Resort and Campground – Find out more on their website here!
- Hotel – Goodman’s Motel – find their location here!
Sault Ste Marie & Batchawana Bay | Day 4 – 5
When you wake up at your destination near Lorne/Sudbury, head to Sault Ste Marie which is the beginning of your Lake Superior adventures.
The drive takes around 3 hours on the Trans-Canada highway passing many more lakes in Ontario.
Sault Ste Marie is a city on the border of Canada and the United States split by the St Marys River. There isn’t much to do in the city, but it’s a good stopover on your 10 day Ontario road trip to stretch your legs before making it to Lake Superior.
Things to do in Sault Ste Marie
- Take a stroll along the boardwalk
- Check out the shopping (here’s the mall!)
- Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre
- Walk around Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site
After stopping at Sault Ste Marie, make your way to Batchawana Bay for the afternoon and find a place to stay. Lake Superior is one of the world’s largest freshwater lakes! It holds 10% of the world’s surface freshwater, which is crazy to think.
Stop off at Chippewa Falls on the way to break up the hour drive and when arriving at Batchawana Bay, take a walk and a dip in the lake! If you don’t fancy cooking, have dinner at The Voyageur’s Lodge (they have massive apple fritters!)
Total driving time – 3.5 to 4 hours. Split into two parts, a big 3-hour drive and then a 1-hour drive!
Where to stay near Batchawana Bay
- Free/Off-grid – A pullover near Stone Beach – here’s the location!
- Campsite – Sunset Shores Resort – Find out more on their website!
- Hotel – The Voyageur’s Lodge and Cookhouse – Here’s their website!
Lake Superior Provincial Park | Day 5 – 6
On Day 5 of your 10 day Ontario road trip itinerary, head back to The Voyageur’s Lodge for some breakfast before making your way to Lake Superior Provincial Park.
Things to do in Lake Superior Provincial Park
- Take in the views at Agawa Bay Scenic Lookout (location)
- Check out the Agawa Rock Pictographs (location)
- Visit Sand River Falls (location)
- Swim at Katherine Cove (location)
- Walk along the beach at Old Woman Bay (location)
As it’s a Provincial Park, it will cost around $15.50 to enter with a vehicle, but there are a few things to do in the park to make it worth the price! When visiting the Agawa Rock Pictographs, be very careful as the hike down involves slippery rocks and ropes. Check Google Maps for more reviews!
After enjoying the views of Lake Superior, make your way to Wawa and visit Dr Roses Beach. There are parking spots to make your own food or a few restaurants around the town.
Total driving time – around 2 hours, with many stops along the way.
Where to stay near Wawa
- Free/Off-grid – Near Sandy Beach or Dr Rose’s Beach – here’s the location!
- Campsite – Wawa RV Resort & Campground – Here’s their website!
- Hotel – Algoma Motel – Here’s the Booking.com link here!
Wawa | Day 6 – 7
Take the day off driving on your road trip in Ontario and spend the day at Wawa Lake. Wawa was one of our highlights in Ontario as took the day to appreciate the province and didn’t drive much at all.
Things to do in Wawa
- Visit the Scenic High Fall
- Admire the Wawa Goose (location)
- Swim in Wawa Lake from Dr Rose’s Beach
- Visit Sandy Beach
- See the views from Lake Superior Scenic Lookout
Spend the day checking lovely sights in Wawa, including the 28 feet tall Goose statue with a wing span of 20 feet! Wawa lake is a beautiful place to rest during your 10 days in Ontario road trip and it’s even better if you have an inflatable ring! End your day in Wawa at the same camping spot or accommodation.
Total driving time – 30 minutes. Today is a driving break day!
Where to stay near Wawa
- Free/Off-grid – Near Sandy Beach or Dr Rose’s Beach – here’s the location!
- Campsite – Wawa RV Resort & Campground – Here’s their website!
- Hotel – Algoma Motel – Here’s the Booking.com link here!
White River & Nipigon | Day 7 – 8
After a relaxing day on your Ontario itinerary, hit the road towards Nipigon with a few stops on the way.
The first stop of the day is – White River! It’s known for being the home town of the black bear cub that inspired Winnie the Pooh!
Long ago, a Canadian lieutenant and veterinary surgeon named the bear Winnie after his own hometown (Winnipeg, Manitoba) and brought the bear to England during World War I.
Winnie was taken to London Zoom which is where Christopher Robin saw the bear, and the famous story began. White River also has a monument, gift shop and museum with a few places to eat in the town.
After White River, we carried on driving and stopped at Aguasabon Falls along the way before arriving in Nipigon. There are a few things to do in Nipigon to spend the rest of your day before getting some rest.
Total driving time – 4 hours.
Where to stay near Nipigon
- Free/Off-grid – Parking lot at Nipigon Lookout – find the location here!
- Campsite – Nipigon Marina Campground – Find out more on their website!
- Hotel – The Pine Crest Motel – Here’s their website here!
Sleeping Giant Provincial Park | Day 8 – 9
The next place to visit on your 10 day Ontario road trip itinerary is Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. It’s located on the west side of Lake Superior and is an amazing spot for hiking.
The price to enter is $15.50 with a vehicle and it’s worth it for the views!
As an alternative, there’s also Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park nearby offering beautiful hikes!
Things to do in Sleeping Giant Provincial Park
- Top of the Giant Hike – a full-day hike of almost 7 hours (half easy, half difficult)
- Head Trail – 16km round trip | difficult
- Twinpine Lake Trail – 9km round trip | moderate
We highly recommend Top of the Giant Hike, although long, it’s not too bad for a moderate hiker and it’s a great activity to do on your Ontario road trip. After your hike, head to Thunder Bay for some dinner and to find a place to stay,
Total driving time – around 2.5 hours. The drive from Nipigon to Thunder Bay is only 1.5 and it’s a 1-hour detour to visit Sleeping Giant Provincial Park.
Where to stay near Thunder Bay
- Free/Off-grid – Wallamart in Thunder Bay – here’s the location!
- Campsite – Sleeping Giant Provincial Park – Find out more info here!
- Hotel – Prince Arthur Waterfront Hotel & Suites – Here’s the link!
Thunder Bay & Kakabeka Falls | Day 9 – 10
On day 9 of your road trip in Ontario, you’ll wake up in Thunder Bay (or a nearby camping site). This is a great opportunity to stock up on any food or items you need as the next big city after Thunder Bay is Winnipeg.
After browsing the city, there are a few more things to do in the area before continuing west on your 10 day Ontario road trip.
Things to do in Thunder Bay
- Mount McKay Scenic Lookout – say goodbye to Lake Superior
- Kakabeka Falls – impressive waterfall
There’s a small parking fee at Kakabeka Falls but it’s worth a visit on your Ontario itinerary. After visiting the falls we chose an off-grid camping spot (with beavers!) before our big drive the next day.
Total driving time – 1 to 1.5-hours.
Where to stay near Raith
- Free/Off-grid – Central Time Zone Truckstop (washroom facilities) – here’s the location!
- Campsite – Open Bay Lodge
- Hotel – Savanne River Resort – Here’s the link!
Driving day | Day 10
The last day of your 10 days in Ontario road trip will be spent driving out of the province, preparing to enter Manitoba the next day.
Things to see in Western Ontario
- Max the Moose (location) – a big statue of a moose!
- Kenora (location) – lovely city next to a lake in Ontario
- Husky the Muskie (location) – a big sculpture of a fish!
Although it’s a long drive, there are a few stops to make along the way, and yes two of them are big statues of animals! Day 10 isn’t the most interesting of days, but if you’re driving across the country it’s the only way to do it!
Total driving time – 4.5 to 5 hours – the longest driving day in your 10 day Ontario road trip itinerary.
Where to stay
- Free/Off-grid – Ontario border stop (washroom facilities) – here’s the location!
- Campsite – Sunnyside Camp – Find out more on their website here!
- Hotel – Super 8 by Wyndham Kenora – Here’s the link here!
10 Day Ontario Road Trip Itinerary Breakdown
Day 1 – Ottawa/Golden Lake / Day 2 – Algonquin Provincial Park / Day 3 – Huntsville & Driving / Day 4 – Sault Ste Marie & Batchawana Bay / Day 5 – Lake Superior Provincial Park / Day 6 – Wawa / Day 7 – White River & Nipigon / Day 8 – Sleeping Giant Provincial Park / Day 9 – Thunder Bay & Kakabeka Waterfall / Day 10 – Driving Day
Other places to visit on an Ontario Itinerary
- Toronto – Canada’s biggest city in southern Ontario – check out our 3 Days in Toronto Itinerary!
- Cheltenham Badlands – beautiful red hills near Toronto!
- Niagara Falls – possibly the most famous waterfall in the world!
- Bruce Peninsula National Park – a popular park near Toronto!
Best time to visit Ontario, Canada
The best time to visit Ontario is May to September when the weather is warm. In the winter months (November to March) it can get very cold in the east of Canada and often snows!
We highly recommend planning your 10 day Ontario road trip in the summer or the shoulder months so you can fully experience the beautiful lakes, hikes and nature in the province.
Ontario Itinerary Without A Car
Trains – Trains aren’t the easiest way to get around Canada, however, there is a train that runs the whole way across the country. This is an awesome way to travel through Ontario, you just won’t get to see many spots on this Ontario itinerary. Find train times here!
Buses – The most popular bus service in Canada is Megabus. However, Megabus only has routes around Southern Ontario such as Toronto. Parkbus has routes from Toronto to any provincial parks in the area – it’s a great way for locals without cars to see nature.
Flights – It’s definitely possible to fly into Ontario, with Toronto being the largest airport. However, it’s not really possible to do this Ontario itinerary by flying. Check Skyscanner for flight times and prices (most likely WizzAir or RyanAir)
Car Rental – There are many car rental companies in Ontario to help you go on the best 10 day Ontario road trip! Find a car rental company here!
As this is an Ontario road trip itinerary, we highly recommend travelling in a vehicle whether it’s a rental or your own.
10 Day Ontario Road Trip Travel Essentials
- Stainless Steel Water Bottle – A reusable water bottle can be used all over Ontario, Canada.
- Amazon Basics Packing Cubes – The easiest way to pack your clothes!
- Anker Power Bank – Always have a full battery when on the road.
- Rain Mac in a Bag – Just in case it rains on your Ontario road trip.
- Joby GorillaPod 3K Pro Kit – We absolutely love our Joby GorillaPod to take independent photos and use it for our Sony A600. There’s also a Joby Phone Tripod too!
Best apps for a 10 Day Ontario Road Trip
- iOverlander – The easiest way to find free camping spots in Canada.
- Google Sheets – Keep track of your itinerary by creating a travel itinerary on Google Sheets.
- GasBuddy – Find the cheapest gas.
- Husky – Collect points from the Husky gas stations.
- Duolingo – If you’re a passenger, learn some French on the road.
- Google Maps – Download offline maps of the whole province of Ontario for times when you don’t have a phone signal.
How many days in Ontario is enough?
This road trip in Ontario itinerary involves around 22 hours of driving with a few extra hours for places to visit off of the highway. If you’re in a rush to travel across Canada, you can do this trip in a minimum of 3-5 days.
We recommend at least 1 week in Ontario if you want to visit the places on this itinerary and spend time hiking in the provincial parks.
Helpful Links: Book your hostels here / Trains here
SafetyWing Nomad Insurance
Don’t forget Travel Insurance! SafetyWing is a totally flexible monthly-rolling travel insurance to help you stay safe on your trip anywhere in the world. Find out more here!
More Canada guides:
- The Best 3-Month Road Trip in Canada Itinerary
- 3 Days in Toronto on a Budget
- The Best Bowen Island Day Trip from Vancouver
- The Best 3 Days on the Sunshine Coast
- Top 25 Best Things to do in Vancouver, Canada
- Easy hikes in Vancouver
- All Canada posts:
That’s the end of our The Best 10 Day Ontario Road Trip Itinerary (2025)! Enjoy your Ontario road trip adventures and if you need any more help planning – send us a message on Instagram (@thesunrisedreamers) or leave a comment below!
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