Attraction
CN Tower
Toronto's 553-metre communications tower on Bremner Boulevard, with a Glass Floor, an outdoor terrace, the higher Top level, a revolving restaurant and the seasonal EdgeWalk.
There are plenty of things to do in Toronto, Canada's most populous city, which stands on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. The skyline is defined by the CN Tower, and the downtown core holds most of the main sights, from the Royal Ontario Museum and the Art Gallery of Ontario to the waterfront, where ferries cross to the car-free Toronto Islands. Neighbourhoods are a large part of the appeal: Kensington Market and Chinatown, the Distillery District, Yorkville, Queen Street West and the east end each have a character of their own.
The food scene reflects a city often described as one of the most multicultural in the world, with Michelin-starred tasting menus alongside Thai, Mexican, Chinese, Pakistani and Roman Italian cooking, as well as local classics such as the peameal bacon sandwich at St. Lawrence Market. Three to four days is enough for the main museums, the CN Tower, the islands and a few neighbourhoods, with an extra day for a trip to Niagara Falls.
Attraction
Toronto's 553-metre communications tower on Bremner Boulevard, with a Glass Floor, an outdoor terrace, the higher Top level, a revolving restaurant and the seasonal EdgeWalk.
Attraction
Canada's largest museum of world cultures and natural history, on Queen's Park, known for its dinosaur galleries, Chinese collections and Daniel Libeskind's Crystal entrance.
Attraction
One of North America's larger art museums, on Dundas Street West, with a Frank Gehry-designed building, major Canadian holdings and a permanent Yayoi Kusama Infinity Mirror…
Attraction
A large aquarium at the foot of the CN Tower with more than 20,000 animals, an underwater tunnel with a moving walkway, jellyfish galleries and a…
Attraction
A Gothic Revival mansion built for financier Sir Henry Pellatt between 1911 and 1914, with 98 rooms, towers, a tunnel to the stables and five acres…
Attraction
The museum of ice hockey at Yonge and Front, inside Brookfield Place, home of the Stanley Cup, NHL trophies, hands-on rink games and changing exhibits.
Café
A family-run bakery inside St. Lawrence Market, known as the home of Toronto's famous peameal bacon sandwich, with breads, bagels, pastries and hot sandwiches.
Café
A two-storey coffee house in the Distillery District's restored 1890s Pump House, run by Ontario roaster Balzac's and open every day from early morning.
Café
A bright yellow Queen Street East diner, open since 2016, with a Michelin Bib Gourmand for its breakfasts, house-smoked bacon, buttermilk biscuits and house-made donuts.
Café
A Toronto coffee roaster and espresso bar founded in 2009, with its original Harbord Street café and branches in Parkdale, Ossington and the PATH.
Café
An Italian bakery whose King Street West flagship, in a converted former truck rental shop with arches and an open kitchen, serves breads, pastries and its…
Café
A French patisserie founded in 2009 by Lyon-born, fourth-generation pastry chef Nadège Nourian, with its main shop on Queen Street West selling macarons, cakes and croissants.
Hotel
A grand railway hotel opened in 1929 opposite Union Station, with more than 1,300 rooms, the Library Bar, a pool and spa and a rooftop garden…
Hotel
A Forbes Five-Star hotel in Yorkville at Bay Street, opened in 2012, with 259 rooms, Daniel Boulud's Café Boulud, a cocktail bar and a two-storey spa.
Hotel
A Forbes Five-Star hotel on University Avenue, in one of the city's tallest towers, with 202 rooms, the restaurants bosk and Mott 32, a Lobby Lounge…
Hotel
Toronto's first upscale hotel, opened in 1903 on King Street East to designs by E. J. Lennox, now run by Omni, with 301 rooms, the Consort…
Hotel
A 51-room boutique hotel in an 1890 building on Queen Street West, known for its contemporary art collection, the Drake Underground music venue and the Sky…
Hotel
Toronto's longest-operating hotel, an 1889 Romanesque building on West Queen West with artist-designed rooms, a bistro, event spaces and a working 1903 elevator.
Bar
A long-running jazz and blues bar on Queen Street West presenting around 19 shows a week, most of them pay-what-you-can, with pub food and live music…
Bar
Grant van Gameren's College Street pintxos and cocktail bar, open since 2015, with a curved mahogany interior, sherries and highballs and a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
Bar
A Queen Street West live music tavern open since 1947, with a front bar open daily and a 400-capacity back room that has hosted the Rolling…
Bar
Toronto's historic concert hall at Shuter and Victoria Streets, opened in 1894 and reopened in 2021 after renovation, home to famous recordings by Neil Young, Rush…
Bar
A rock concert hall on Bloor Street West since 1985, in a former 1919 cinema, with a painted facade and the Dance Cave nightclub upstairs.
Bar
An independent brewery in the historic John Street Roundhouse beside the CN Tower, brewing a Czech-style pilsner, with tours, a taproom and a restaurant.
Restaurant
A weekday fine-dining restaurant on the 54th floor of the TD Bank Tower, cooking seasonal Canadian ingredients with a tasting menu, à la carte dinner and…
Restaurant
Chef Patrick Kriss's Michelin-starred restaurant on the third floor of 163 Spadina Avenue, serving changing four-, six- and ten-course tasting menus of contemporary French cooking.
Restaurant
A Michelin-starred Mexican restaurant on College Street cooking over wood-fired grills and hearths, with house-made heirloom corn tortillas, a tasting menu and agave cocktails.
Restaurant
A popular Thai restaurant on Duncan Street, run by chef Nuit and her husband, serving Northern Thai dishes such as khao soi alongside pad thai, curries…
Restaurant
A family-run steakhouse on Elm Street since 1959, known for dry-aged steaks butchered in-house, a huge underground wine cellar and a long list of famous guests.
Restaurant
A Roman-style Italian restaurant on Dundas Street West since 2010, with house-made pasta, bread and charcuterie, a marble bar and a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
Thing to do
Toronto's historic food market on Front Street East, with food stalls in the South Market, part of the 1845 city hall, and a Saturday farmers' market.
Thing to do
A National Historic Site of narrow streets west of Spadina Avenue, known for independent food shops, vintage clothing, cafés and a long history as an immigrant…
Thing to do
A car-free district of Victorian industrial buildings on the site of the Gooderham and Worts distillery, with independent shops, galleries, theatre and a winter market.
Thing to do
A ten-acre non-profit arts and events campus on Queens Quay West, with a contemporary art gallery, craft studios, theatres, a lakeside stage and many free festivals.
Thing to do
A former brick factory in the Don Valley ravine reborn as an environmental centre, with a Saturday farmers' market, quarry gardens, trails and a free shuttle…
Tour operator
A family-owned Toronto food tour company running small-group tastings since 2011, best known for its St. Lawrence Market tours with peameal bacon, cheeses and smoked salmon.
Tour operator
A Toronto cruise company operating since 1991, best known for public sails on the Kajama, a three-masted schooner built in Germany in 1930, from the downtown…
Tour operator
A locally operated sightseeing company offering hop-on hop-off double-decker bus tours with 13 stops, a 45-minute harbour cruise and guided Niagara Falls day trips from downtown…
Tour operator
A Toronto bike tour company founded in 2011, running small-group rides downtown and on the Toronto Islands, plus e-bike, culinary and full-day tours with bikes and…
Tour operator
The City of Toronto's heritage charity runs a season of more than 60 walking tours and experiences from May to November, led by volunteers, community partners…
Three to four days covers the CN Tower, the main museums, the islands and a few neighbourhoods, with a fifth day for Niagara Falls.
Downtown and the Financial District are closest to the main sights and Union Station, Yorkville suits shoppers and luxury travellers, and Queen Street West and the east end have characterful boutique hotels.
The UP Express train runs from Toronto Pearson to Union Station downtown, taking about 28 minutes, and Billy Bishop Airport on the Toronto Islands is reached by a pedestrian tunnel from the waterfront.
Hotels and fine dining are pricey, but many sights such as the parks, markets and neighbourhoods are free, and some museums have free evenings.
Toronto is generally considered safe for visitors; take the usual city precautions with valuables, especially on busy transit and late at night.