Toronto is the capital of the Ontario province in Canada. This city offers a multitude of attractions for visitors and a walkable city. It is a completely different city in the summer vs. the wintertime. During summer, sidewalk cafes are abundant and sailing is a must. In wintertime, people visit museums and indoor attractions.
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Where to Stay
TripAdvisor is a great place to start your hotel search. Search for the best Toronto hotels here!
Toronto has many areas that are centrally located and reasonable to stay in. We chose to get an Airbnb in the downtown west area. It was reasonably priced and centrally located. Another nice area to stay in is Chinatown.
Transportation
Toronto is quite easy to get around. There are buses, trams, and a metro system. From the airport, visitors can hop on the UP Express which ends at Union Station. If you are going to be there for a few days, you can buy a Presto pass. This will get you some discount on the UP train from the airport. You can also get a daily, weekly, or monthly pass. Uber and Lyft are also available.
What to See
Art Gallery of Ontario: The Art Gallery of Ontario is the perfect place for art lovers to visit. It contains a wide variety of art, from Canadian artists and European art to modern Andy Warhol pieces. On Wednesday evening, the museum is free!
Attend a show at one of the many Toronto theaters: Did you know Toronto has the most theaters in the world after New York and London? They usually have many broadway productions running and it is usually pretty easy to get rush tickets during the week.
Bata Shoe Museum: The Bata Shoe Museum is known as Toronto’s “unusual and unique attraction.” It contains a collection of shoes from all around the world and researches the history of footwear in different countries.
Casa Loma: Casa Loma was once the residence of Sir Henry Pellatt. This Gothic-Revival mansion cost over $3.5 million dollars to build. Do not miss the views from the towers!
CN Tower: The CN Tower is the main landmark of Toronto. It was the largest free-standing tower for 32 years. Take the elevator to the top for breathtaking views of Toronto. If you are feeling daring, embark on the EdgeWalk around the outside of the tower.
Distillery District: This area once housed whiskey distilleries. Present-day, it is an area full of shops and eateries. In December, this area holds a large Christmas market.
Eaton Center: This shopping mall was once supposed to be the largest mall in the world. However, the plans fell through and it became the mall it is today. Where Nordstroms now stands was once the popular department store, Eaton’s named after the Eaton family.
Fort York: This historic site contains military buildings built by the British Arm in the late 1700s. It helped defend the area from attacks during that time. Present-day, it is not a National Historic Site.
Go on a free Walking Tour with the Toronto Guys: The Toronto Guys offer several free walking tours. I chose to go on the historical walking tour to learn some more about the history of Toronto. Make sure to register online beforehand to ensure a spot on the tour.
Graffiti Alley: Toronto has a TON of street art. Make sure to spend time wandering through Graffiti Alley for some superb pieces of art (and great photo-ops).
Hockey Hall of Fame: Canadians love their hockey. A visit to the Hockey Hall of Fame features exhibits about famous players and hockey teams. Make sure not to miss a photo-op with the Stanley Cup.
Kensington Market: This neighborhood contains shops, boutiques, and a wide variety of food places. Make sure to spend some time walking around this area and sample some of the cuisines. There are also various guided tours you can take.
Old Town Hall: This historic building was built in the 1890s and was only supposed to cost $400,000. It ended up costing almost $2.5 million to build and is very ornate. Make sure to check out the hidden faces in the entranceway and see if you can find the hidden message at the top of the building.
Ontario Science Center: This science museum contains various exhibits featuring geology, astronomy, and anatomy as well as some hands-on exhibits. The center also contains an Imax theater and has various visiting exhibits.
Royal Ontario Museum: The Royal Ontario Museum is the largest museum in Canada. They have a vast collection of Egyptian and Roman artifacts as well as some great dinosaur skeletons.
St. Lawrence Market: This is a major public market. People come here to buy fresh produce and other goods.
The Toronto Islands: The Toronto Islands lay just south of downtown Toronto in Lake Ontario. There are a plethora of recreational activities visitors can partake in while on the island. Bikes, canoes, kayaks, paddleboats are just some of the items that can be rented. To get here, catch a ferry from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal. During the summer season, ferries leave every 15-30 minutes.
Where to Take Your Lunch Break
Amsterdam Brewing: Amsterdam Brewing is right on the water and has pub fare and brews made on site. They also do some seasonal drinks as well.
BeaverTails: When you need a sugar rush, BeaverTails is the perfect stop. These pastries have been around since 1978. I really enjoyed the Nutella and banana one.
The Lockheart: The Lockheart is the bar for any Harry Potter fan! The atmosphere is magical and the drinks have a Harry Potter theme. Make sure to try the “Better Beer,” for a delicious treat.
Oliver & Bonacini Cafe Grill: Oliver and Bonacini has several locations throughout Toronto. It is a great place for brunch with a wide variety of vegetarian and gluten-free options.
The One-Eighty: This restaurant and bar is on the 51st floor and overlooks downtown Toronto. It is a great place to grab an after-dinner drink and a view.
PAI: PAI is a delicious Thai place. Many of the dishes are easy to make vegan, vegetarian, or without seafood.
Ristorante Sotto Sotto: This is the place to go for delicious Italian eats. It is not overly expensive and has a fancy atmosphere. If coming during a busy time, make sure to make a reservation.
Smoke’s Poutinerie: Poutine is a must when visiting Canada. A popular chain is Smoke’s. They are located across Canada as well as several other countries. Smoke’s serves traditional poutine as well as poutine with many other toppings.
Steam Whistle Brewing: This brewery produces a pilsner. The brewery is a nice place to relax after visiting local museums and attractions. They also serve some light eats. Make sure to listen every hour for the blowing of the steam whistle!
Sunset Grill: This breakfast place was conveniently located next to the Eaton Center. During the week they have a $5 breakfast special!
19 thoughts on “Things to Do in Toronto”
Argh my mouth is watering looking at those pastries! Yum!
I’ve spent a fair amount of time travelling around the East Coast but I am yet to make it up to Toronto. Looks like my kind of city! I’m strangely fascinated by TV towers having just visited one in Serbia. Did you go to the top? I bet the views are spectacular!
They were delicious! I did not because the weather was bad but I’m hoping to go back this summer and do it!
Thanks for the “study guide.” I like that terminology. Photos are gorgeous. Makes me want to get back to Toronto soon!
Thank you! I loved Toronto! Trying to go with the teacher theme! 🙂
We love Toronto! But we’ve never spent much time exploring the street art- that looks amazing! And I didn’t know you could get beaver tails in Toronto- we’ve never seen them! Had them in Montreal once and LOVED them so much!
The beaver tails were amazing!
I was lucky to do an internship in Toronto so I could call that awesome city home for three months. I have fond memories of my time there. I was there September-December and saw summer turn into fall and fall turn into winter, although I missed the snow as it did not snow early that year and I was gone when it finally came. The Island in the fall colours was gorgeous!
That is awesome! I want to go back when it’s a little warmer. It was very chilly.
I’m from Toronto and this is a really solid list! You’ve captured a nice mix of indoor and outdoor activities. I love Beaver Tails, they’re one of my favourite guilty dessert snacks.
Thank you! That’s one of the things I liked about Toronto was the mix between indoor and outdoor!
Oh wow, those pastries look amazing! And the Royal Ontario Museum looks right down my alley. Toronto looks like such a fun city!
It was a surprise favorite for me!
I’ve always been so curious what’s there to do or see in toronto other than the grafitti walls! I’m so happy to know there’s a lot to do!
There was so much to do! I definitely didn’t get bored!
Such a great guide! Canada is a place that I’ve always wanted to visited but I’ve always thought of going to places more like Alberta. But it seems that will need to make a stop in Toronto- seems like there’s so much to do there
I absolutely loved Toronto and I have been there only for a couple of hours. now I can see that I have to go back and check all those places and stuff my self with pastries!
My parents live in Toronto, and these are all great tips! The Distillery District is my favorite area to hang out in and is actually where we’re having our wedding welcome drinks in August! Glad you got to try beaver tails and poutine – make sure you stop by Tim Horton’s for an iced capp next time – another Canadian staple!
I haven’t been to Canada yet ad loved reading your study guide. I loved the sculpture of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
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