Canadian Museum for Human Rights
The striking glass-and-stone museum at The Forks, the only national museum in Canada built outside the capital region and devoted to human rights. Plan a half day for its ramps, galleries and the Tower of Hope views.
Manitoba (Canada)
Winnipeg
Winnipeg sits at the geographic heart of Canada, where the Red and Assiniboine rivers meet at The Forks, a gathering place for some 6,000 years.
This guide covers the city properly: the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and The Forks Market on the riverbank, the Royal Canadian Mint and its coin-making tour, Assiniboine Park Zoo and its Journey to Churchill polar bear tunnels, the lakes, trails and bison of FortWhyte Alive, the terra-cotta warehouses of the Exchange District National Historic Site, and the Manitoba Museum with its full-size Nonsuch ship and planetarium. A private city tour gives you a local guide for orientation, and further sights cover the Winnipeg Art Gallery and its Inuit Art Centre Qaumajuq, the Legislative Building, Assiniboine Park and The Leaf, Saint Boniface, Upper Fort Garry, the Royal Aviation Museum, and day trips to Lower Fort Garry and Oak Hammock Marsh. Seven hotels, from a 1913 railway-era chateau to a boutique inn on The Forks, sensible downtown value stays and quieter south-side and airport options, cover the city, and six guides explain a three-day plan, the best time to go, day trips, how to visit on a budget, what to book ahead and where to sleep. Churchill, the polar bear town, has its own guide.
Don't miss
Canadian Museum for Human Rights
The striking glass-and-stone museum at The Forks, the only national museum in Canada built outside the capital region and devoted to human rights. Plan a half day for its ramps, galleries and the Tower of Hope views.
The Forks
Winnipeg's meeting place at the junction of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, a gathering site for some 6,000 years and today a market, riverside park and year-round hub. Free to enter and easy to enjoy in any season.
Assiniboine Park Zoo and Journey to Churchill
A year-round zoo whose Journey to Churchill gallery puts you eye to eye with polar bears and seals, with underwater tunnels. It is Winnipeg's best family day out and a taste of the north in the city.
Royal Canadian Mint Winnipeg
A 45-minute guided tour of the Winnipeg Mint, where Canada's circulation coins and many foreign coins are made. A quick, fascinating stop that suits curious adults and children alike.
Things to do in Winnipeg
Hand-picked: every experience here has strong traveler reviews and a verified booking link.
FreeThe Forks
Winnipeg's meeting place at the junction of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, a gathering site for some 6,000 years and today a market, riverside park and year-round hub. Free to enter and easy to enjoy in any season.
1 to 3 hoursDetails →
Royal Canadian Mint Winnipeg
A 45-minute guided tour of the Winnipeg Mint, where Canada's circulation coins and many foreign coins are made. A quick, fascinating stop that suits curious adults and children alike.
Assiniboine Park Zoo and Journey to Churchill
A year-round zoo whose Journey to Churchill gallery puts you eye to eye with polar bears and seals, with underwater tunnels. It is Winnipeg's best family day out and a taste of the north in the city.
FortWhyte Alive
A 660-acre nature area just minutes from downtown, with lakes, trails, a bison herd and a working farm. Open nearly every day, with a different feel in every season.
FreeExchange District
Winnipeg's National Historic Site of warehouses, terra-cotta facades and cobbled lanes, now home to galleries, theatres, cafes and restaurants. A free, walkable area that rewards slow exploring.
2 to 3 hoursDetails →
Manitoba Museum
Manitoba's largest heritage and science centre, with a full-size replica of the ship Nonsuch, a 1920s street, a planetarium and a hands-on Science Gallery. A strong all-weather choice for families.
Winnipeg Private City Sightseeing Tour
A private guided drive past the Forks, Saint Boniface, Assiniboine Park Zoo and the Legislative Building, with a local to explain the city. A relaxed way to orient yourself, especially in cold weather.
Winnipeg Art Gallery and Qaumajuq
A wedge-shaped art gallery joined to Qaumajuq, the Inuit Art Centre, home to the largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art in the world. A warm, rewarding indoor visit in any season.
FreeManitoba Legislative Building
A grand Tyndall stone landmark topped by the Golden Boy, with free guided tours of its marble halls and a riverside lawn that is lovely year-round. Winnipeg's best free architecture stop.
1 to 1.5 hoursDetails →
Assiniboine Park and The Leaf
Winnipeg's great Victorian park, with formal gardens, a pavilion gallery and The Leaf, a glass conservatory of tropical and Mediterranean plants and a butterfly garden. A green escape in summer and a warm one in winter.
Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada
A hangar-style museum beside the airport, packed with bush planes, airliners and military aircraft that tell the story of flight in the west and north. A good pick for families and plane lovers.
Where to stay
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
The Fort Garry Hotel, Spa and Conference Centre
Downtown Winnipeg
Winnipeg's grand railway-era chateau hotel, opened in 1913, with a spa and a downtown location a short way from The Forks. The splurge pick for travellers who want history and service.
Check rates →
$$$Inn at The Forks
The Forks
A boutique hotel right on The Forks site, steps from the market, the river trails and the Human Rights Museum. The best location in town for first-time visitors who want to walk everywhere.
Check rates →Alt Hotel Winnipeg
Downtown Winnipeg
A contemporary, design-led hotel in downtown Winnipeg from a Canadian group known for compact modern rooms and fair prices. A sensible mid-range base for short city stays.
Check rates →
$$$Delta Hotels by Marriott Winnipeg
Downtown Winnipeg
A large, full-service downtown hotel from the Delta brand, convenient for the arena, the convention centre and shopping, with plenty of room types and facilities. A dependable mid-range to upper stay for families and business travellers.
Check rates →
$$Radisson Hotel Winnipeg Downtown
Downtown Winnipeg
A straightforward, well-located downtown hotel on Portage Avenue, the value pick for travellers who want a central base and a fair price.
Check rates →
$$Hilton Winnipeg Airport Suites
Airport area
An all-suite Hilton near the airport, with separate living space and an easy drive to downtown. A practical base for families, early flights and anyone who wants room to spread out.
Check rates →Four Points by Sheraton Winnipeg South
South Winnipeg
A comfortable mid-range hotel in the south of the city, handy for the university area, FortWhyte Alive and Assiniboine Park by car. A calm, good-value base for drivers.
Check rates →Winnipeg guides
First Time in Winnipeg: What to Book, How to Get Around and How Many Days
A practical primer for a first Winnipeg trip: which sights to book ahead, how to get around, how many days to allow, how winter changes the plan and where each headline sight fits.
Where to Stay in Winnipeg: Downtown, The Forks and the Exchange District
How to choose a Winnipeg base: the case for The Forks, downtown and the heritage core, with five hotels across splurge, mid-range and value.
Winnipeg in Three Days: A Practical Itinerary for First-Time Visitors
A three-day Winnipeg plan that groups the sights by area: The Forks and the Human Rights Museum, the Exchange District and downtown, then Assiniboine Park and a day on the edges of the city.
Best Time to Visit Winnipeg: Seasons, Festivals and What to Pack
How the seasons change a Winnipeg trip: the festivals of summer, the colours of autumn, the deep cold and warm museums of winter, and the thaw of spring, with packing tips for each.
Day Trips from Winnipeg: Forts, Marshes and Lake Winnipeg
The best day trips from Winnipeg by car: Lower Fort Garry, Oak Hammock Marsh, the beaches and Icelandic heritage of Lake Winnipeg and the Mennonite heritage of Steinbach, with distances and seasonal tips.
Winnipeg on a Budget: Free Sights, Smart Savings and Where to Spend
How to see Winnipeg without overspending: the free sights, the days when admission is cheaper, how to choose a hotel and where a little money is worth spending.
