The surprise of our Canada road trip was Winnipeg. Yes, Winnipeg, you read correctly! I’ll admit I did not know much about Winnipeg before visiting.
Sure, I knew it was the capital of Manitoba, but that was about it. But you know what… Winnipeg is awesome!
There is a relaxed vibe, and the art and restaurant scene are booming. Plus, there are loads of fun things to do in Winnipeg, Manitoba!
It didn't hurt that we were very lucky with the weather, during the weekend of our visit it was about 30 degrees Celsius.
In winter, however, temperatures of -40 Celsius are not uncommon. And the temperature isn’t the only thing that varies quite a bit, Winnipeg itself is really diverse as well.
Things to do in Winnipeg, Canada
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Where to go in Winnipeg
Winnipeg is a vibrant cosmopolitan city that deserves a lot more attention and should feature on any Trans-Canada itinerary.
Let me share my Winnipeg itinerary and convince you to visit the Chicago of the north!
In this Winnipeg travel guide and the map below you can find all the Winnipeg tourist attractions we visited during our three days in Winnipeg, as well as recommended places to eat and the hotel we stayed at.
Click here for the interactive map
What to do in Winnipeg
There are lots of places to visit in Winnipeg! Here are all the things to see and do during a 3-day Winnipeg weekend trip.
- Take a Hermetic Code tour in the Manitoba Legislative Building
- Catch a show at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival
- Hop aboard the Winnipeg Trolley
- Learn about coins at the Royal Canadian Mint
- Stroll around Forks Park and the Red River
- Eat your way through the Forks Market
- Explore the Exchange District
- Visit the Canadian Museum for Human Rights
- See the polar bears play in Assiniboine Park Zoo
- Relax at Thermëa Spa
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Winnipeg: a brief history
The name Winnipeg is derived from the Cree words ‘win nipee’ meaning muddy waters, referring to the place where the Assiniboine River and the Red River come together.
For centuries, it was an important meeting place for First Nation people. This National Historic Site is called the Forks nowadays but it remains sacred ground to many Indigenous peoples as well as the Métis.
During the fur trade period, French settlers founded St. Boniface, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Winnipeg. Métis leader, and in retrospect Canadian hero, Louis Riel was born here.
However, the growth of the small town of Winnipeg really took off when city officials bribed the Canadian Pacific Railway to make sure the train tracks to Western Canada would go through Winnipeg.
A clever move, Winnipeg grew rapidly and became a busy train and trading center. Soon enough there were more millionaires living in this Canadian Pacific railway boomtown than in any other city in North America.
Unfortunately, the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914 ended Winnipeg's reign over freight to the West Coast, and the rapid growth came to a stop.
Nevertheless, that boom made Winnipeg the city it is today. A city with the highest concentration of turn-of-the-century buildings (built between 1880 and 1910) in North America.
A city with grand buildings, such as the Manitoba Legislative Building and the Fort Gary Hotel. A city with lovely green spaces, like the Assiniboine Park and The Forks area.
Add super friendly Winnipeggers and an extensive festival and event calendar to the mix and you get modern Winnipeg, the perfect place for a (weekend) trip!
Winnipeg things to do
1. Go on the Hermetic Code Tour in the Manitoba Legislative Building
One of the best places to go in Winnipeg is the Manitoba Legislative Building and there is no better way to explore this beautiful building than by signing up for The Hermetic Code Tour.
This tour is amazing, I had so much fun! Our knowledgeable guide Don led us around the Manitoba Legislative Building and unraveled her secrets…
The story about the architecture of the building is a fascinating one, it's a story that took 10 years of research to uncover! You can read all about it in this book.
For me, the Hermetic Code Tour tour was a perfect occasion to finally apply all my knowledge from the Da Vinci Code and the Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles series (can you tell I’m into fantasy books?).
The Egyptian, Greek, and Roman gods (Ra, Mercury, and Athena) and The Da Vinci Code facts (the Fibonacci sequence, the golden ratio, and the four elements) come together in this extraordinary tour through the Manitoba Legislative Building.
When you finish the tour, you will have learned that this isn't just a beautiful building to see, the architecture is like magic!
I won’t spoil the surprise, however, when you visit the building be sure to stand in the middle of the star in the basement and say something out loud, you’ll be amazed…
2. Watch a show at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival
The Winnipeg Fringe Festival is the 2nd biggest Fringe Festival in North America, with over 170 theater companies attending. We watched 2 great shows:
• A hilarious show by DK Reinemer called ‘Help, I'm an American'.
• Flight the Play, a story about a little prince, laughs and waves, beautifully told through acrobatics and dance.
3. Visit the Assiniboine Park Zoo
I’m always a little apprehensive about zoos because I would much rather see animals in the wild instead of behind bars.
But as we humans do, we mess up the earth, cause climate change and take up too much space…
Subsequently, there is no (safe) place in the world anymore for many animals. Some have already become extinct and many are endangered.
The Assiniboine Zoo plays an important part in conserving several endangered species, such as the Amur tiger, the snow leopard, and of course their famous polar bears.
In the ‘Journey to Churchill' building, there is an underwater tunnel where you can see the bears and seals playing in the water (obviously not in the same tank).
There are lots of other beautiful animals living in this zoo, such as Luna the arctic fox, and Blizzard, the white bison!
4. Ride the Winnipeg Trolley
I love walking around a city, but there are just too many things to see in Winnipeg to cover all on foot. So we hopped aboard a charming orange bus trolley for a Winnipeg Trolley Tour.
I learned a lot about Winnipeg and its history during this 2-hour group tour!
For example: did you know Winnipeg’s Exchange District is a very popular filming location?
Movies like ‘Shall We Dance’ (with Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez) and ‘The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford’ (with Brad Pitt) were shot in this beautiful historic district!
Another beautiful and important neighborhood of Winnipeg is St. Boniface, the French Quarter.
This area is home to the largest francophone community in Western Canada and is especially important to the Métis. Métis leader Louis Riel was buried here after his execution.
On a happier note, you'll also find a very cute chocolate shop in St. Boniface called Constance Popp. Even her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is fond of these chocolates!
St. Boniface is also known for its cute cafes with live music and excellent restaurants serving up some tasty French dishes.
Two other Winnipeg neighborhoods we visited on the tour were Osborne Village (voted Canada’s greatest neighborhood in 2012) and Tuxedo.
I could write much more about this tour, but you should really just go on it yourself!
Let me share one last fun fact: did you know Winnie the Poo also has roots in Winnipeg? I bet you didn't, and neither did I. Read the full story on Wiki.
5. Tour the Canadian Mint
I was really excited about our visit to the Canadian Mint! You see, my office job in the Netherlands was all about process optimization (it really is a lot more fun than it sounds;-).
Whenever I visit a factory my professional curiosity kicks in and I want to know all about the production process and the teams working there.
Anyway, visiting the Royal Canadian Mint was very interesting! Did you know the Mint produces 15 million coins each day?! About 20% of these coins are Canadian, the other 80% are international coins.
More than 75 currencies have been produced at the Canadian Mint in Winnipeg, pretty impressive!
Furthermore, the Canadian Mint is the only facility in the world that used pad printing, enabling them to produce coins with colors.
Another fun fact has to do with the transportation of the produced coins: obviously, you have never seen a truck that says Royal Canadian Mint. That’s kind of like: hey, lots of money here, please rob me!
Instead, random trucks from random companies (say Pepsi or Walmart) are selected to transport coins.
Nobody knows exactly which truck will be used, so next time you are on the highway passing a Pepsi truck, you might be driving next to 15 million coins…
6. Stroll around the Exchange District
The Exchange District is a beautiful district in the downtown core, with lots of turn of historic buildings that were built between 1880 and 1910.
Many buildings that were previously used as a warehouse have been turned into lofts, art galleries, and cute boutique shops.
A prime example is Forth, a very popular Instagram spot. Forth is many things: it’s a great breakfast spot, Dogwood Coffee Canada roasts their coffee on the 1st floor, there are a co-working space and office on the 2nd floor, and in the basement, you'll find a bar (check the calendar for activities).
Finally, on the roof, there is another bar with a great view over the Exchange district, perfect for a warm summer evening.
A very cute shop in the Exchange District is Tiny Feast (pic below on the left), which sells stationery with a Scandinavian design: simple and elegant.
I had to constrain myself not to buy a bag full of pretty notepads and colorful posters, unfortunately, they wouldn't have fit into my backpack…
A stop at Lennard Taylor (pic above on the right) is a must on every Exchange District itinerary and not just because Lennard creates beautiful clothing.
What's more: a visit to his shop will make you smile!
Lennard’s motto in life is to make people happy and I can guarantee you that even a 10-minute chat with Lennard (pic below on the left) will put a smile on your face.
His enthusiasm and energy are contagious and you will walk out with more than a beautiful garment.
Our last stop was at Toad Hall Toys, a unique toy store celebrating its 40th birthday (pic above on the right). The products sold in this shop aren't ten a penny, but a lot more special.
The owners travel the world to find unique products to sell in their shop, I could have spent hours browsing through the aisles of merchandise…
If you happen to be in Winnipeg on a Saturday night, the Exchange District is the place to go (Bar Italia is a good spot for a drink)
7. Visit the Canadian Museum for Human Rights
The Canadian Museum for Human Rights opened its doors in 2014 and is the only museum in the world dedicated solely to Human Rights.
The goal of the museum is to promote thought and conversations about Human Rights, an important and ongoing theme throughout the world.
The Museum doesn't just touch upon Human Rights in Canada, though naturally the history and current situation of indigenous peoples is an important theme.
In the museum, you'll find a section about genocide, but also a floor with inspirational stories about how people stand up for human rights (a beautiful example is like Pink Shirt Day).
Another impressive gallery is dedicated to stories of people wrongfully treated because of their race/religion/sexual orientation/etc. (like the moving story of Viola Desmond).
There is much more to see and read, too much really for one day…
The themes discussed in the museum are not easy, so to end your visit on a lighter (quite literally) note climb up to the ‘Tower of Hope'.
From the tower, you have a beautiful view over Winnipeg and you can contemplate and process everything you learned in the museum.
8. Relax in Thermëa Spa
We were quite tired after our action-packed weekend in Winnipeg and ended our trip with a visit to Thermëa.
It was the perfect way to relax, we thoroughly enjoyed steaming in the sauna, swimming in the outdoor baths, bubbling in the hot tub, and having dinner in our bathrobes, bliss…
Where to stay in Winnipeg: the Mere Hotel
As much as I love our beautiful red van, it can't compete with the comforts of a hotel. For starters, if I have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night there is an actual bathroom to go to…
Also, running water! Sure, we manage fine with our water jug, but you don't realize what a luxury it is to have water on tap! That is until you don't have it anymore.
The Mere Hotel is a lovely boutique hotel in a central location, from the hotel you can easily walk to the Forks and the Exchange District.
The bathroom was beautiful and had a rain shower. Sure, camping showers are okay but rain showers are the best…
Also, after sleeping in our van for two months I had a little trouble finding my husband in our big hotel bed.
The complimentary energy bars and fruit juice were a perfect snack before heading out to explore Winnipeg! Altogether a highly recommended place to stay during a Winnipeg weekend!
Click here to book the Mere Hotel
Where to eat in Winnipeg
There are lots of restaurants in Winnipeg, I sampled as many dishes as I could. Here are my Winnipeg favorites!
Breakfast at Forth
It may have something to do with the fact that I hadn’t eaten avocado in months, but the avocado toast with a poached egg was divine…
Paired with a latte, it was the perfect start to a busy day in Winnipeg!
Lunch at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights
A great place for lunch! I had homemade iced tea and the Californian Club Sandwich with carrot fries.
Despite the fact that it was carrot fries it was probably still not a healthy option. Totally worth it though, they were so yummy!
Dinner at Thermea restaurant
We sampled a delicious fresh 4-course menu with matching wines. Usually, I feel like I ate way too much after eating four courses, but the dishes on this menu were very light!
The crème brûlée was perhaps the least healthy course in the meal, but hey, it’s dessert.
Snacks and treats at the Forks Market
I love street food and food markets! The Forks Market offers dishes from all around the world and I had a hard time choosing what to eat.
I sampled some empanadas with figs and blue cheese but because I haven’t made it to South America I can’t comment on how authentic they were. Still, I thought they were very tasty.
I love frozen yogurt, unfortunately, it's hard to find in Canada. But I was in luck, at the Forks Market they sell more than 20 flavors of frozen yogurt with lots of toppings!
Last but not least, I finally had poutine! At the Canadian Summer Games, we stumbled across the Poutine King food truck.
Of course, we had to try this famous Canadian dish, we choose the original poutine with French fries, fresh cheese curds, and gravy. Probably the least healthy food in the world, but very good!
How to get around in Winnipeg
The Mere Hotel offers complimentary bikes, for us this was the perfect way to get around in Winnipeg!
We drove to the Assiniboine Park Zoo, the Canadian Mint, and Thermëa by car, all the other activities listed on this Winnipeg itinerary are easily reachable by bike or foot!
Click here for the best car rental deals
Winnipeg what to do: in conclusion
That's everything about our Winnipeg sightseeing trip, I hope this post has given you plenty of travel ideas and reasons to visit Winnipeg, believe me, you won't be disappointed!
There are plenty of other worthwhile Winnipeg activities and attractions if you've got more time to spend in this fun city.
Visit the Winnipeg Art Gallery, catch an ice hockey game of the Winnipeg Jets, or go for a late afternoon stroll in the botanical garden (situated in the expansive Assiniboine Park).
If you have any questions, leave a comment below or send me a message. Also read my other Canada post for more Canada travel inspiration!
This post was updated in February 2023.
Disclaimer: I was a guest of Tourism Winnipeg and Travel Manitoba. Nevertheless, all pictures and opinions are my own.
Jason
Sunday 28th of October 2018
I was born and raised in Winnipeg (river heights) and am an owner operator of a longstanding business here. I think this is a great list, although I would put the Canadian Museum of Human Rights at or near the top. It's an incredibly well designed and thought out experience that will really open your eyes and give you hope for our future. Of course, you'll be right at the forks so #6 will happen naturally. The Zoo is also pretty cool since you get to go right up and close to the polar bears. One more thing I would add is that Winnipeg has a long list of hidden gem food spots around the city and we often hear from our customers that that these experiences are highlights of their Winnipeg trip, similar to how when you visit Europe you visit the local bakeries and shops. Our local food scene is really something you can sink your teeth into!
Lotte
Wednesday 7th of November 2018
Hi Jason,
Thanks for reading my Winnipeg post, great to hear from someone who lives there!!! You are absolutely right, the Canadian Museum of Human Rights is a must-visit. This was just the order of all the places we visited during our weekend but if someone had less time available, the museum would definitely be my number one advice. Next time I hope to try more of the food spots, there is only so much you can eat in one weekend;-)
Thanks again for reading! Lotte
Agness
Thursday 24th of August 2017
I wasn't aware of the beauty of Winnipeg until I read your post. How many days would you recommend staying there, are 3 days enough?
Lotte
Thursday 24th of August 2017
If I could have, I would probably have stayed one more day. We had 2,5 days and I think 3 nights and 3 full days would have been perfect. I would have liked to walk around Assiniboine Park and explore Osborne Village. But I can always go back;-)
Ryan Biddulph
Thursday 10th of August 2017
I know so little about Winnipeg Lotte. Especially the wealth of millionaires in the city before the Panama Canal changed the complexion of freight transport. How neat. I know little about my neighbor to the North ;) From the beauty of the place to the warmness of Canadians, I need to book a trip. Or let my wife know we should gobble up a few house sits there.
Lotte
Tuesday 15th of August 2017
We did 2 house-sits in Canada and loved it! I also love the Canadian people, so friendly... I could definitely see myself living there:-)
S.
Tuesday 8th of August 2017
Nice article, but I'm sure that what Tiny Feast sells is "stationery", not "stationary". Very different meanings.?
Lotte
Wednesday 9th of August 2017
Oeps, thanks for catching that! Adjusted;-)