Chances are that you

’

re up for a winter vacation and are looking to be

anywhere but the States

for a little bit. Our advice? Head north! Most think of sunshine and margaritas when dreaming up a vacation, but this year we’re urging you to try something new and instead fill your days with unusual winter activities. Naturally, Canada is bursting with opportunities for you to try things like driving your own dogsled through the forest and eating maple syrup on snow. If we haven’t sold you yet, check out the breakdown of the amazing winter activities below, and we bet you 20 bucks you’ll be booking your flight immediately.

DOGSLEDDING

Don’t act like after you watched

Eight Below

you didn’t want to immediately jump on the back of a dogsled and navigate yourself through snowy trails. Lucky you, because the

Haliburton Forest & Wild Life Reserve Ltd.

in, you guessed it, Haliburton (three hours north of Toronto), is home to 150 Siberian huskies (which, btw, are the most lovable dogs ever) that you can go on full-day or half-day dogsledding tours with. Honestly, it’s so worth spending the day outside and, hello, you get to be surrounded by huskies all day—major win.

SNOWSHOEING

A cult classic in Canada, snowshoeing is part leisure, part workout—it’s also popular in pretty much every province. The terms

“

beginner

”

and

“

advanced

”

do not apply to this winter sport (unless you’re wanting to scale a mountain, that is)—just strap on the boots and shoes, and head out. This list

here

will let you know all the best spots to get your snowshoe on.

FESTIVAL MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE

Ask anyone who lives even remotely close to Montréal about this festival, and their eyes will light up like it’s Christmas morning. It’s one of the largest winter festivals in the world, lasts ten days, and involves unreal food (plus infinite amounts of mulled wine), family fun, and a ton of performances (aka there is literally something for everyone). As if it couldn’t get any better, bang in the middle of the festival is Nuit Blanche—a night full of free art, winter sports, film screenings, and, most important, a 361-foot urban ice slide. To sum it up, attend this festival and leave having experienced every winter activity ever.

WINTER ZIP-LINING

Self-explanatory. Although zip-lining in the summer is great and all, imagine flying (literally) over snowy evergreen trees and icy cliffs. Not for the faint of heart, Vancouver’s

Grouse Mountain

zip-lining course reaches speeds of up to 50 mph and has you zip-lining straight over a canyon. Swap out your Loubs for a harness, and become an adrenaline junkie.

Want more stories like this?

Savannah, Georgia May be the Most Underrated Weekend Getaway

There Are 6 Secret Islands in Indonesia, & I Visited Them

How to Get Through Airport Security Like a Pro