Celebrate with thrilling, fun, and totally one-of-a-kind experience gifts!
Giving someone socks or a gift card for their birthday is easy, but not exactly memorable. Experience gift ideas, on the other hand, turn summer birthdays into unforgettable stories. And Canada is packed with out-of-the-box adventures that beat any material gift!
If you're shopping for someone who’d rather make memories than collect more stuff, these experiences across the country are full of adrenaline, awe, and “did that really happen?” moments. Bonus: You get all the bragging rights for giving the coolest gift ever.
Check out these ten summer-ready experiences that make it easy to gift something truly special:
#1 Banff or Whistler Via Ferrata Climbing Adventure
If the birthday celebrant loves fresh air and a challenge, the Via Ferrata Mountain Climbing Adventures in Banff or Whistler are a gift they won’t forget. This guided experience lets climbers scale rugged alpine cliffs while safely harnessed to a network of iron rungs, cables, and ladders. It’s an ideal introduction to mountain climbing — thrilling but totally secure.
Picture stunning views of the Canadian Rockies in Banff or the Coastal Mountains in Whistler, depending on the location. Both adventures blend physical activity with jaw-dropping scenery, making it a top pick for active gift seekers.
👉Climb to new heights in Banff or Whistler here:
Banff Via Ferrata Tour
Whistler Via Ferrata Experience
#2 Flight Simulator Experience in Toronto or Calgary
Perfect for aviation buffs or those curious about what it’s like behind the cockpit, these Flight Simulator Experiences offer the feel of flying a commercial jet, without ever leaving the ground. Choose from the Boeing 777 in Toronto or Boeing 737 in Calgary, both offering high-end simulators used by actual pilots for training.
This is a rare chance to captain a jumbo jet and learn how takeoffs, landings, and turbulence are handled. It’s interactive, educational, and surprisingly fun.
✈️Take the pilot’s seat now:
Boeing 777 Simulator – Toronto
Boeing 737 Simulator – Calgary
#3 Dining in the Dark – Dark Table Vancouver
For a birthday dinner unlike any other, Dark Table Vancouver flips the script. Guests dine in complete darkness, allowing their other senses to take over. Taste, smell, and texture become the stars of the show as you're guided and served by visually impaired staff.
It's a powerful, moving, and surprisingly fun experience that sparks great conversations and a newfound appreciation for the senses.
🍽️Experience dining like never before here:
Dark Table Restaurant – Vancouver
#4 Edmonton NASCAR Race Car Driving
Know someone who dreams of the racetrack? Give them a few laps in a real NASCAR-style race car with this Edmonton driving experience. Participants get behind the wheel, suited up and strapped in, for a high-speed thrill on a professional track.
No racing license needed — just a need for speed. It’s as close as it gets to real-life racing without joining a pit crew.
🏁Put them in the driver’s seat here:
NASCAR Experience – Edmonton
#5 Exotic Car Experience at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park
For car lovers, this is the dream. The Exotic Car - Supercar - Hypercar Driving Experience at the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park lets them drive a lineup of legendary vehicles, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and more, on a world-class racing track.
It’s a premium, bucket-list-worthy gift that combines luxury and excitement. There’s no need to just admire these cars from afar when you can put your foot on the gas.
🚗Let them drive their dream car here:
Exotic Car Driving Experience – Canadian Tire Motorsports Park
#6 Great White Shark Cage Diving – Yarmouth, NS
One of the most thrilling experience gift ideas in the country, this Great White Shark Cage Diving experience off the coast of Nova Scotia puts adventurers face-to-face with the ocean’s most misunderstood predator.
Led by marine experts, this safe and professional experience offers a chance to witness these magnificent creatures up close in their natural habitat. It’s thrilling, educational, and unforgettable.
🦈Take the plunge into shark territory here:
Shark Cage Diving – Yarmouth
#7 Bowen Island Dinner and Zodiac Boat Tour – Vancouver
Going out for dinner take on a whole new meaning with this one. This is an exciting 3-hour zodiac boat tour from Vancouver's Granville Island to Bowen Island for dinner at one of the island’s amazing restaurants.
Take date night to a whole new level! Zip along the Vancouver coastline to Bowen Island for dinner at sunset with lots of cool stops and things to see both ways.
🛫Fly High With The Formation Flight Experience in Barrie
#8 Kelowna E-Bike & Axe Throwing Experience
Looking for something lighthearted and fun? This Kelowna combo experience mixes scenic adventure with a bit of friendly competition. Riders cruise the picturesque trails on e-bikes, then wrap up the afternoon with axe throwing.
It’s perfect for couples, best friends, or siblings who want to laugh, ride, and try something different together.
🚴Plan the perfect active day here:
Kelowna E-Bike & Axe Throwing
#9 Open Cockpit Biplane Ride – Ottawa and Witaskiwin, Alberta
An Open Cockpit Biplane Ride over Ottawa or the Prairies near Edmonton is as vintage and charming as it gets. Passengers soar over the prairies in a classic aircraft from the golden age of aviation. With the wind in your face and the roar of the engine, it’s like stepping into history!
It’s ideal for aviation fans, nostalgia lovers, or anyone who’s ever wanted to feel like a 1930s barnstormer.
🛩️Catch the wind in your hair here:
Ottawa Biplane Flight
Biplane Ride – Central Alberta
#10 Formation Flight Experience - Barrie, ON
Experience the thrill of flight with a friend … in separate planes! Soar through the sky, side by side. It’s safe, totally exhilarating, and something most people only dream of doing.
This a birthday gift they will be speechless over ... and you could enjoy it too ... or so you hope. Fingers crossed.🎉
🛩️ Send Them Sky High With This Thrilling Birthday Gift:
Formation Flight Experience, Barrie ON
Final Thoughts: Give More Than a Gift. Give a Story to Tell!
Whether you’re shopping for a thrill-seeker, foodie, or someone who’s always dreamed of flying, Breakaway Experiences has unforgettable birthday gift ideas that fit every personality. Experience gifts offer something better than objects as they create memories that last a lifetime.
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Browse even more unforgettable birthday gift experiences at BreakawayExperiences.com.
