Travel guide · Canada
Toronto travel guide
Lakefront towers, global food neighbourhoods and Niagara Falls within reach
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Dillan Payne, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Quick answer
Toronto is Canada's largest city, spread along the north shore of Lake Ontario around a compact downtown of glass towers, Victorian streets and the CN Tower. Visitors come for big museums such as the ROM and the AGO, food from every corner of the world in neighbourhoods like Kensington Market and Chinatown, summer days on the Toronto Islands and easy trips to Niagara Falls. Most stay downtown or in Yorkville and get around by subway and streetcar. Plan 4 days for a first visit; the best months are May–October.
Key facts
- Country
- Canada
- Best time to visit
- May–October
- Ideal stay
- 4 days
- Main airports
- YYZ, YTZ
- Mid-range daily budget
- $200–$350 per person (estimate)
- Known for
- CN Tower, Multicultural food, Toronto Islands and TIFF film festival
Why visit Toronto
- The CN Tower, the ROM, the AGO and Ripley's Aquarium are all within a short subway ride of each other.
- Neighbourhoods such as Kensington Market, Chinatown, Little Italy and the Danforth offer some of North America's most varied eating.
- A 15-minute ferry reaches the car-free Toronto Islands, with lake beaches and the best skyline view in the city.
- Niagara Falls, the wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake and autumn colour in Algonquin Park are reachable on day trips.
- Festivals run all year, from Winterlicious and TIFF to Pride and the Caribbean Carnival.
Top things to do
The six sights most first-time visitors build a trip around. See all 19 things to do.
Landmark · Entertainment District
CN Tower
At 553 metres, the CN Tower was the world's tallest free-standing structure for more than 30 years after it opened in 1976.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Views
- Kids
- After dark
- Photo spot
Aquarium · Entertainment District
Ripley's Aquarium of Canada
At the foot of the CN Tower, Ripley's Aquarium holds around 20,000 animals, with a moving walkway through the Dangerous Lagoon shark tunnel, a gallery of glowing jellyfish and touch pools of rays and horseshoe crabs.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Museum · Yorkville
Royal Ontario Museum
Canada's largest museum mixes natural history and world cultures, from dinosaur skeletons and a walk-through bat cave to Chinese temple murals, Egyptian mummies and First Nations art.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Gallery · Grange Park
Art Gallery of Ontario
The AGO holds one of North America's larger art collections, strong on Canadian painting, including the Group of Seven and Indigenous artists, alongside European works and the Thomson Collection.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Market · Old Town
St. Lawrence Market
Toronto has had a market on this site since 1803.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- History
- Rainy day
- Shopping
Historic site · Distillery District
Distillery District
The Victorian brick buildings of the former Gooderham and Worts distillery, once among the largest in the world, form a car-free quarter of galleries, cafés, chocolate shops and a craft brewery on cobbled lanes.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Shopping
- Couples
Where to stay
Entertainment District is the easiest base for a first visit. Compare all 8 areas.
$$$ · Best for first-timers, families and nightlife
Entertainment District
CN Tower, theatres and Union Station in the downtown core
$$$ · Best for first-timers, food lovers, couples and culture
Old Town and St. Lawrence
Victorian streets, St. Lawrence Market and the Distillery District
$$$$ · Best for luxury, shopping, couples and culture
Yorkville
Designer shops, galleries and luxury hotels beside the ROM
$$$ · Best for nightlife, shopping, food lovers and solo travellers
Queen West and Ossington
Independent shops, galleries and bars along Queen Street West
What to eat
- Peameal bacon sandwich — Lean back bacon cured and rolled in cornmeal (once ground peas, hence 'peameal'), griddled and piled into a soft bun with mustard.
- Butter tart — A small, flaky pastry shell filled with a runny mixture of butter, sugar, syrup and egg — an Ontario classic, with fierce debate over whether raisins belong in it.
- Jamaican beef patty — Flaky, turmeric-yellow pastry filled with spiced beef, a legacy of Toronto's large Jamaican community; locals often order it tucked inside a soft coco bread.
- Trinidadian roti — A soft split-pea flatbread (dhalpuri) wrapped around curried chicken, goat or chickpeas and potato; a filling lunch that reflects the city's Caribbean communities.
- Poutine — Fries topped with squeaky cheese curds and hot gravy.
- Dim sum — Toronto has one of North America's largest Chinese communities, and weekend dim sum of har gow, siu mai and barbecue-pork buns is a family ritual.
When to go
The best time to visit Toronto is late May to early October, when days are warm, patios and the islands are open and festivals fill the calendar; September and early October are often the most comfortable. Winter (December to March) is cold and snowy but cheaper, with skating rinks, winter festivals and the underground PATH for getting around.
| Season | Months | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | March–May | Slow to arrive: March is often slushy, April changeable and May mild, green and pleasant, with cherry blossoms in between. |
| Summer | June–August | Warm to hot and humid, with long days, lake beaches, the islands and festivals such as Pride, the Caribbean Carnival and the CNE. |
| Autumn | September–November | September is warm and busy with the film festival; October brings crisp days and red maples, and November turns grey and cold. |
| Winter | December–February | Cold and snowy with wind off the lake; skating, holiday markets and indoor museums make the most of it, and hotel prices drop after New Year. |
Getting there and around
Toronto Pearson (YYZ), about 25 km northwest of downtown, is linked to Union Station by the UP Express train in about 25 minutes; taxis and ride-hailing take 30–60 minutes depending on traffic. Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ), on the Toronto Islands, handles short-haul flights and is reached through a pedestrian tunnel minutes from downtown.
Downtown Toronto is compact and walkable, and the TTC's subway, streetcars and buses reach the rest of the city. The underground PATH links much of the financial district in winter, and GO Transit regional trains run from Union Station to the suburbs and towards Niagara.
Plan your days
Three days covers the CN Tower, the waterfront and islands, the ROM or AGO and Kensington Market. A fourth day adds Niagara Falls; with a week you can add Niagara-on-the-Lake, Stratford or autumn colour in Algonquin Park.
Practical information
- Currency
- CAD
- Language
- English
- Plugs
- Type A and B sockets, 120 V, 60 Hz
- Tap water
- Tap water is safe to drink, and drinking fountains are common in parks in summer.
- Emergency number
- 911
- Tipping
- Tip 15–20% of the pre-tax bill in restaurants and bars, and about 10–15% for taxis and hairdressers.
Toronto is generally calm for visitors; the most common problems are bike and car break-ins and occasional incidents on late-night transit and around a few busy downtown intersections. In winter, icy pavements and severe wind chill are real hazards, so dress for the weather.
Flights to Toronto
Questions travellers ask
+How many days do you need in Toronto?
Three days covers the CN Tower, the waterfront and islands, the ROM or AGO and Kensington Market. A fourth day adds Niagara Falls; with a week you can add Niagara-on-the-Lake, Stratford or autumn colour in Algonquin Park. How to split your days.
+When is the best time to visit Toronto?
The best time to visit Toronto is late May to early October, when days are warm, patios and the islands are open and festivals fill the calendar; September and early October are often the most comfortable. Winter (December to March) is cold and snowy but cheaper, with skating rinks, winter festivals and the underground PATH for getting around.
+What is Toronto known for?
CN Tower, Multicultural food, Toronto Islands, TIFF film festival, Niagara Falls trips, Hockey and Neighbourhood markets. The CN Tower, the ROM, the AGO and Ripley's Aquarium are all within a short subway ride of each other.
+Is Toronto expensive?
Toronto is expensive for international visitors: a mid-range trip costs roughly $200–$350 per person per day before flights (AMZBooking estimate). Costs and money-saving tips.
+Do you need a car in Toronto?
Not for the city: transit, walking and taxis are easier than driving and paying for downtown parking. A car is useful for Niagara wine country, Prince Edward County or Algonquin Park.