Google Maps Turns 20: Canada’s Most Popular Spots Revealed

Over the years, Canadians have turned to Google Maps to find the best spots for food, nature, and adventure and this year the game-changing maps is celebrating its 20th birthday. Apple Maps is still playing catch up to Google Maps.

Here are some of the most reviewed and photographed locations across Canada, as shared by Google in an email to iPhone in Canada.

• Most Reviewed Museum: Casa Loma
• Most Reviewed Restaurant: Paranthe Wali Gali
• Most Reviewed Park: Stanley Park
• Most Reviewed Beach: English Bay Beach
• Most Reviewed Ski Resort: Blue Mountain Ski Resort
• Most Photographed Hiking Trail: Johnston Canyon
• Most Photographed Tourist Attraction: Fallsview Tourist Area

Since launching in 2005, Google Maps has evolved beyond simple navigation into a powerful tool for exploration, adding features like Street View, real-time traffic updates, public transit routes, and AI-powered recommendations. Now, with Gemini AI, Maps is even smarter, making trip planning and discovery more seamless than ever.

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Google Maps is launching three new updates:

• Fuel-Efficient Routing: Now available globally on iOS and Android, showing users the most energy-efficient way to reach their destination.
• Party Bus Navigation Icon: In honour of the milestone, drivers can now swap the blue navigation arrow for a fun party bus.
• AI-Powered Place Discovery: With Gemini AI, Google Maps can automatically recognize places, restaurants, and attractions from your screenshots and create a personalized list—starting with iOS users in the U.S. this month, with Android support coming soon. Hopefully Canada gets this soon.

The complete list of trending places in Canada on Google Maps can be found below (Top 5 anyways):

Most Reviewed Museums

• Casa Loma (Toronto)
• Royal BC Museum (Victoria)
• Museum of Civilization (Gatineau)
• Canadian Aviation and Space Museum (Ottawa)
• The Biosphere, Environment Museum (Montreal)

Most Reviewed Restaurants

• Paranthe Wali Gali (Brampton)
• Schwartz’s Deli (Montreal)
• Desi Bar & Grill (Mississsauga)
• Mandarin (Brampton)
• Sultan Ahmet Turkish Cuisine (Toronto)

Most Reviewed Parks

• Stanley Park (Vancouver)
• High Park (Toronto)
• Mount Royal Park (Montreal)
• Queen Elizabeth Park (Vancouver)
• La Fontaine Park (Montreal)

Most Reviewed Beaches

• English Bay Beach (Vancouver)
• Woodbine Beach (Toronto)
• Coburg Beach (Cobourg)
• Sunset Point Beach (Collingwood)
• Sunset Beach (St. Catharines)

Most Reviewed Ski Resorts

• Blue Mountain Ski Resort (Ontario)
• Grouse Mountain (British Columbia)
• Mont-Tremblant Resort (Quebec)
• Cypress Mountain (British Columbia)
• Ski Bromont (Quebec)

Most Photographed Hiking Trails

• Johnston Canyon (Alberta)
• Athabasca Falls (Alberta)
• Mono Cliffs Provincial Park (Ontario)
• Rattlesnake Point Conservation Area (Ontario)
• Hilton Fall Conservation Area (Ontario)

Most Photographed Visitor Attractions

• Fallsview Tourist Area (Niagara Falls)
• CN Tower (Toronto)
• Vieux-Port de Montreal (Old Port of Montreal)
• Capilano Suspension Bridge Park (Vancouver)
• Chute Montmorency (Montmorency Falls) (Quebec)

Are you using Google Maps or Apple Maps nowadays? Which one do you think is better?