Discover Toronto, the biggest city in Canada! Toronto is also the 5th biggest city in North America, which is one of the most populated. And because of that, Toronto is often compared to New York City. But even if the city has an American style with high buildings, the Canadian culture is really important and well anchored. Toronto is a cosmopolitan and dynamic city. Located on the North-West side of Ontario Lake, Toronto is a city where life is good.
Best things to do in Toronto
The History of Toronto is large and the city has incredible tourist attractions. For that, the city created the City Pass. The City Pass is a card that helps you to discover the best places in Toronto.
How does the City Pass work?
After payment, you can use your city pass for 30 days. You can buy it online and book your attraction tickets immediately. Your tickets could be used instantly or later in the year. The City Pass is a good option if you plan to visit Toronto because it gives you discounts and helps you save time during your trip.
City Pass prices start at $74.80 for adults (age 13 years or older), and $50.93 for children (age between 4 years and 12 years). For more information about the City Pass, please visit the City Pass official website (available in different languages).
Toronto Attractions
The CN Tower
The CN tower is the main attraction and the emblem of Toronto. It is also the best way to discover the city’s view.
Every year, more than 1.9 million people visit the CN Tower, also called the National Tower of Canada.
Built between 1973 and 1976, the CN Tower is tall at 533.33 meters and has 147 floors. For 34 years, it was the highest tower in the world before the construction of Burj Khalifa and the Canton Tower in 2009.
The tower offers an incredible panorama of Toronto.
On the first floor of the tower, discover the view of the city at 346 meters tall. The second floor offers you the best view, higher and clear. The ticket will be a little more expensive than the first floor. The tower’s ground is made of glass to offer you the best experience.
For the bravest of visitors, you can try the EdgeWalk. A unique activity where you can walk on the tower’s ledge. It is 356 meters away from the ground, around 116 floors, and you can walk around the observatory of the tower.
A restaurant is also in the tower. The particularity of this restaurant is that it is located on a rotating plate and offers you a different point of view of the city during your meal.
Entrance prices
Tower entrances
Adult (14-64) from $39.
Senior(65+) from $26
Young(6-13) from $26
Child (3-5) from $13
All prices depend on the floor you want to go to. The first floor will be less expensive than the higher one.
You can buy tickets a maximum of 30 days before your visit.
For EdgeWalk experience, the price starts at $195.
For more information about prices or details of activities, please refer to the official website: https://www.cntower.ca/intro.html
St. Lawrence Market
St. Lawrence Market is an authentic farmer’s market and 200 years old. The best place to go for discovering Canadian life as a local. There, you can discover the market and try some Canadian specialties on the spot. You can also join one of the guided tours organized to explain to you the history of the market and the food.
In 2012, St Lawrence Market was designed as the best market in the world by the Nation Geographic organization.
Opening hours:
South Market
From Tuesday to Friday: from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Saturday: From 5:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Closed on Sundays and on Mondays.
Farmers Market: Every Saturday from5:00 am to 3:00 pm.
Address: 92- 95 Front St East, Toronto, Ontario, M5E 1C3
How to get there: By subway,Yonge-University-Spadina line, King Street Station.
St Lawrence Market website: http://www.stlawrencemarket.com/
Kensington Market
Kensington Market is the most vibrant and most reputed market in Toronto. It is also the oldest one. Kensington Market is convenient for everyone with different styles and atmospheres. The best place for walking and doing some shopping.
Here you will find vintage stores and worldwide products. There are also a lot of restaurants, including organic restaurants, vegetarian and vegan restaurants.
In that same place, you can also visit the Toronto Chinatown. This one is reputed for excellent restaurants.
If you like the street-art, Kensington Market is a famous place where you can easily find it. By the way, the most reputed road is the Graffiti Alley. This one is located just a hundred meters from Kensington Market.
If you are interested, you can find the best guided tours on the Viator website. There is something for every taste!
Address: Kensington Market
Toronto, ON, Canada
How to get there:
By Subway, the Bloor line, get off at College.
Subway, the Yonge / University line, get off at Spadina or the next stop.
By Bus, take Queen’s Quay/Spadina streetcar, get off at Dundas (or the next couple of stops are also possible).
Opening time:
The Market is open every day from 11:00 am to 07:00 pm.
Be careful, Kensington Market is closed during Christmas and New Years.
Cultural places & museums in Toronto
Ontario Royal Museum
In March 1914, the Canadian governor, Connaught’s duke, inaugurated the first opening of what will become the largest museum of Canada. This museum is recognizable by his specific architecture.
At the start, the museum was built-in a neo-roman style architecture. It is a pretty heavy design that was really popular in North America during the 19th century. In 2002, the museum received a huge renovation. They added a glass and aluminum structure to the original construction. That new structure is a crystal shape that could made huge confusion.
With a collection of more than 6 million objects, it is the first museum in Canada but also the fifth biggest museum in North America. Royal Ontario Museum is dedicated to the natural history specimens and the world’s culture through various cultural objects. There, you can discover the History of the first Canadian nations.
But the most extraordinary part of this museum is the Dinosaurs one. That is an immense exhibition dedicated to dinosaurs through an incredible collection of skeletons.
Sometimes, the museum planned a party named “Friday Night Live”. It’s a huge event where you can discover the museum while participating in one of the best DJ parties.
Royal Ontario Museum also purposes some packages with hotels and restaurants. You can get a discount on these luxuries establishments if you show your museum ticket. More information on the museum tourist information part.
Adress
Royal Ontario Museum
100 Queen’s Park, Toronto, ON, M5S 2C6
Opening hours
Royal Ontario Museum is open from Wednesday to Sunday: 10:00 am to 5:30 pm.
Entrance prices
Adult $23
Student $18
Senior (65+) $18
Young (15–19) $18
Child (4–14) $14
Infant (0–3) Free
How to get there:
By Subway, Bloor-Danforth line, get off at St. George Station. Subway,Yonge-University line, get off at Museum Station.
Toronto Ripley Aquarium
Opened 7 years ago, Ripley’s Aquarium is the biggest aquarium in Canada. With more than 16,000 sea animals, you will discover shark and octopus through the underwater tunnel which is the longest one in North America.
Some ludic spaces are also accessible where you could touch sharks, rays, or others. Those places are well managed and it is a great place for learning more about aquatic specimens.
Located in dowtown Toronto, at he south of th CN Tower, there are a lot of different tickets and packages. But prices start at:
- $39 for adult,
- $26 for young (age 6-13),
- $13 for child (age 3-5),
- $26 for senior (age 65 or older).
Address: 288 Bremner Boulevard, Toronto, ON M5V 3L9 CANADA
How to get there: By subway, get off at Union Station or St. Andrews Station.
The Nature in Toronto
Toronto Islands
Toronto islands are a group of 15 islands interconnected by bridges or boat pathways. Located in Lake Ontario, you can take a ferry from downtown to the Island. It takes 13 minutes. Find the Ferry schedule here. The boat trip offers you a unique panorama of the city with the CN Tower.
The islands have a relaxed atmosphere that will provide you a peaceful moment. Cars are forbidden on all islands. Which gives you the opportunity to explore the beauty of Nature through bicycles or by walking. You can rent a bike on the spot for the all-day or just half-day.
Toronto islands also have really beautiful blue skies and sandy beaches where you can swim or just have a picnic. Depends on your location, aquatic sports are popular for kayaking or surfing. If you plan to explore the islands, you will discover 150 years old summer houses and the 200 years old lighthouse.
The official website of the Toronto Islands gives you two guided tours and one self-tour.
Guided tours:
“Ward’s Island Walking Tours” available on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. 1-hour tour for $20.
Toronto Island Garden Tour is purposed for $10 for adults (cash only).
More information on the official website.
High Park
High Park is the lung of the city. Located in the heart of Toronto, it is a large park of 160 hectares. That is the perfect place for walking, hiking, or doing various sports. High Park is reputed for having a large variety of types of plants. A train is available. You can ride it and discover the park. It takes 30 min to ride the train all around the park. A picnic is also allowed there. A perfect place to feel Nature spirits.
Buy tickets from the train operator. No reservation online.
- Adults (age 12 to 65): $5
- Children (age 11 or younger): $4
- Seniors (66 years old or older) $4
How to get there: By Tramway, line n°504, Roncesvalles Ave At Grenadier Rd Station
By Subway, line n°2, Parkside Dr At Howard Park Ave Station.
Niagara Falls
This incredible spot is not located in Toronto but it deserves to be seen by people from all around the world.
Located at just 1h 30 minutes from Toronto, this natural treasure is an emblematic location of the country. Niagara Falls gets its name from the Niagara River where it is located on the international border between Canada and the United States. The Niagara River is the link between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.
Niagara Falls are not the highest falls but they are really large, and the combined falls have the highest flow rate (2 300m3 / second) of any waterfall in North America and the most popular in the world.
Thanks to that, Niagara falls are an interesting source of hydroelectric power.
You can find many guided tours on the GetYourGuide website. Some of them include transportation!
How to get there
By Train: 2 trains services are purpose: Via Rail & Go transit. For both of them, you could buy a ticket on the website. You just have to mention “Niagara falls” on the destination board.
By Bus: Some bus services are available for this trip. Please find below the bus companies’ websites where you can buy your ticket.
– Go Bus (a part of Go Transit company)
– Greyhound
– Megabus
Time Travel: the historical places in Toronto
Distillery District
The Distillery District is a historic district of Toronto and is located in the heart of Toronto’s old downtown. In 1937, a part of these buildings was used by the Gooderham and Worts Distillery, one of the biggest distillery in the world.
Composed of 13 acres, the Distillery District has 40 old buildings, now used as shopping galleria or catering places. With their red built buildings, the Distillery District was designed as a National Historic Site of Canada in 1988. Now, The Distillery District is a full pedestrian area where you can enjoy local and modern shops.
Because of the important history of this place, guided tours are popular. You can find some of them here.
GoToursCanada also purposes segway tours. A unique way to discover the Distillery District! (The segway tour is available for people who are at least 12 years old and between 100 to 280 pounds). For more information about segway tours click here.
And if you have the opportunity to go to Toronto in December, we highly recommend you to the Distillery District to discover the Christmas Market!
Casa Loma
Casa Loma is a real medieval castle built in 1914 by a rich industrial man. The construction fees were 3.5 million dollars.
Located at Davenport Hills, the view since the towers offers one of the most beautiful sceneries of Toronto.
The castle is composed of 100 rooms whose one is a huge Bibliotheque. All the rooms are available to visit. In the magnificent garden of 2 hectares, you could discover flowerbeds, sculptures, and fountains.
Opening time
Open from Wednesday to Sunday, from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm.
The last tour admission is at 4:30 pm.
Address: Casa Loma
1 Austin TerraceToronto, ON M5R 1X8
How to get there:
By bus, Take the Davenport 127 bus to Davenport & Spadina.
By subway, take Spadina-University line or Yonge line, get off at st Clair West Station, and walking around 15 minutes.
Prices
Adult (age 18-64): $ 32.49
Youth (age 14-17): $ 27.3
Senior (age 65+): $ 27.32
Child (age 4-13): $ 22.15
*Audioguides are available in eight languages
Fort York
Fort York is a National Historic site of Toronto. It is built-in 1793 for protecting the city from the enemy’s attack during the war period.
Fort York is composed of various military structures built in stone or wood by the Canadian and the British troops. Nowadays, visitors can explore these buildings which are a National Historic Site, and also a registered archaeological site.
In this 43-acre, discover Canada’s largest collection of the war of 1812. The visitors center is a new building that purposes you to discover Fort York history through an exhibition.
Opening times:
From Wednesday to Sunday, from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. For more information about Fort York holidays and schedule, please visit the official page.
Prices:
Adults $14.00
Seniors (age 65 or older) $10.00
Youth (age 13 – 18 years old) $8.00
Children (age 6 12 years) $6,00
Children (age 5 and under) FREE
Family (2 adults & 3 children): $35.00
All prices include taxes.
Address: 250 Fort York Blvd, Toronto, ON M5V 3K9, Canada
How to go there:
By Bus, after getting off at Bathurst Station on the subway (line 2) take the Bathurst 511 “Exhibition” bus, and get off at Fleet Street and Bastion Street stop.
Subway + Bus: Take subway line 1 and get off at Union Station. After that, take the 509 Harbourfront streetcar and get off at Fleet Street and Fort York Boulevard stop.
Toronto, Canada has something for everyone of all ages. Visiting this historical landmark will surely be educational as well as fun. Tell us about your favorite part 🙂
