One of the best ways to get out and see Canada is to explore a tiny, perfect corner of our country over a long weekend. Whether you use a precious vacation day for a Friday or Monday off, or take advantage of official national and provincial holidays, it's the perfect lower-commitment and lower-budget answer to the big trip. But since time is tight on a long weekender, you need the inside track on where to go, what to do (or skip!), especially in cool places like the ones we've listed below that are bound to have lots of attractions. So, trust us, we've done the legwork and highlighted the absolute must-do's in 5 of our favourite long weekend spots in Canada to travel to right now.

1. A music and sights escape to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

If you've spent the past few years looking at jaw-dropping photos of St. John's on Instagram, like we have, it's time to finally go see it for yourself, and a long weekend is the perfect amount of time for a jam-packed adventure in this extraordinary city. Book a hotel overlooking the St, John's Harbour that's walking distance from all the major downtown attractions. The first thing to do is grab an order of fish and chips at a fun spot like the Yellow Belly Brewery, then work it off by walking up Signal Hill to experience one of the most breathtaking views of your life - overlooking the St. John's Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean. Take a different trail to walk back down, every turn is something out of a storybook. If you're a beer person, you'll want to celebrate your walk with a visit to the Quidi Vidi Brewery.

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Of the many wonderful restaurants and seafood dishes to try, we definitely recommend booking the Mallard Cottage, especially for the lobster supper. But even the Jack Astor's is on the water, so you just can't go wrong. In the evenings, you can pop into just about any bar or pub on the famous pedestrians-only, George Street, which (so they say) boasts the most bars per capita in Canada. You can skip the "screeching in" ceremony but not the music. Check local venue listings for popular or up-and-coming artists, or simply visit historic pubs like The Ship or The Duke of Duckworth, which was famously recreated (to a tee) in the hit CBC series, Republic of Doyle.

2. A whirlwind weekend in Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario

Prepare to change pace a few times over this jam-packed weekend. We suggest starting in Niagara Falls for some Friday night casino time, plus comedy, kitschy fun at Ripley's Believe it or Not and Louis Tussaud's Waxworks, and a stay in a Fallsview hotel. Phew!

Next day, prepare for one of the incredible natural wonders of the world, Niagara Falls. We like to get as close as possible in one of the Hornblower Niagara Cruises or you can see them from above in the Whirlpool Aero Car, which has been running since 1916.

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Once your heart stops racing, take the pace way down with a day touring Niagara-on-the-Lake's wine country, which is only 20 to 30 minutes from Niagara Falls. There you can visit the vineyards of popular Canadian brands. We suggest hiring a car from the falls to the vineyards; from there you can rent bicycles for a day of sippin' and cyclin'.

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3. A three-day food fest in Montreal

What was once touted as the "sin city of the north" - indeed bars are open until 3am and you can buy alcohol in any corner store - has evolved into one of the go-to cities in Canada for food and restaurant lovers. If you really want to economize on time, get a hotel in the heart of the action - close to the major shopping street of Ste Catherine and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and then you can head out to most of the trendy neighborhoods on foot!

The David McMillan empire draws the likes of world leaders; Joe Beef is the original spot, and much beloved by tourists, Liverpool House hosted Obama and Trudeau. But the locals and insiders have embraced Vin Papillon as their spot. To be honest, you may want to plan to go more than once. Of course, you also can't miss staples like: Schwartz's deli (yes, it IS worth the wait in the line), St. Viateur Bagel, Beauty's Luncheonette and famous Old Port restaurants like Chef Chuck Hughes' Garde Manger and Le Bremner. If you have kids, a visit to the big Orange Julep will stay with them forever!

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Depending on what time of year you go, you may experience some of Montreal's many indoor/outdoor festivals with major street activations, including the Just for Laughs comedy festival or the International Fireworks Festival. And there are a few sightseeing spots that are a real kick, like the lookout top of Mont Royal, the Notre-Dame Basilica - a replica of the one in Paris plus the spot of Celine Dion's famous first wedding to René Angélil - and the Montreal Casino.

4. A trip back in time to Charlottetown and Green Gables, Prince Edward Island

Our obsession with Anne on CBC has us craving a pseudo-cosplay trip to the home of Anne of Green Gables. By cosplay we mean we will definitely wear the fashions and the DIY hair looks and be photographed against the spectacular east coast landscapes.

If you're going to Charlottetown, you've got to stay by the water and the boardwalk. Start your explorations with trip to Province House for some Canadian confederation history followed by Prince Edward Island National Park and actual Green Gables. The Green Gables Heritage Place, home of Lucy Maude Montgomery's Anne, is exciting as any hotspot or theme park in the country for us right now, considering you can wander through "Anne's home", play old timey games, have Victorian-style picnic and join in Island singing and dancing.

Anne of Green Gables was first staged as a musical at the Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlottetown and it's still running for its 53rd season.

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5. A romantic getaway to beautiful Victoria, British Columbia

The beauty of BC's capital will melt your heart. Stay in the downtown inner harbour and you can actually walk to sites like Beacon Hill Park, which is basically 200 acres worth of the most romantic strolling grounds in the country. Also know as a "photographer's dream", you'll have ample photo ops along the lakes, ponds, bridges and trees. Chances are you'll even spot some of the free-roaming peacocks. You can pretty much spend all of day one of your weekend there. Luckily you can pop back and forth from your hotel for Instagram outfit changes. Finally, even without the kids, you must visit and pet the adorable animals at the Beacon Hill Children's Farm.

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Day two can be a day of food and other indulgences, starting with a lover's favorite: ice cream. Visit Kid Sister Ice Cream for some of the shop's delicious creamsicles, bars and cones and stroll through Victoria's Chinatown. Then test out the taps at local craft brewery Hoyne Brewing Co., followed by dinner at Fishhook, where "Top Chef Canada" alum Kunal Ghose offers the hottest fare on Antique Row.

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Speaking of antiques, Victoria is, well, pretty Victorian and you'll want to explore the bric-a-brac and collectibles of the dozens of shops on Antique Row. A day of shopping romantic old finds followed by the west coast ocean views of the Fisgard Lighthouse might make for a great proposal idea. Just putting that out there.

Our final tip for getting the most out of a long weekend holiday anywhere is to save the splurging for the food and activities. Stay with a solid and trusted hotel chain like Choice Hotels, which you know will be an extremely comfortable and quality experience, with all the amenities you could ever want, but won't break the bank. Then take all the helicopter rides and and buy all the antiques your heart desires.

This is paid content produced on behalf of Choice Hotels Canada