7 days in Toronto

Day by day

1. Day 1: CN Tower and Ripley's Aquarium of Canada

   CN Tower and Ripley's Aquarium of Canada, then Nathan Phillips Square in the evening.

   1. Morning

      CN Tower

      Entertainment District · 1.5–2 hours · mid-priced. Timed tickets bought online avoid the longest queues; EdgeWalk must be booked well ahead.

   2. Late morning

      Ripley's Aquarium of Canada

      Entertainment District · 2–3 hours · mid-priced. Book a timed ticket online for weekends and school holidays.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Peameal bacon sandwich

      Carousel Bakery and other counters at St. Lawrence Market.

   4. Evening

      Nathan Phillips Square

      Come after dark for photos of the lit sign, and bring or rent skates in winter.

2. Day 2: Royal Ontario Museum and Art Gallery of Ontario

   Royal Ontario Museum and Art Gallery of Ontario, then King Street West in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Royal Ontario Museum

      Yorkville · 3 hours · mid-priced.

   2. Late morning

      Art Gallery of Ontario

      Grange Park · 2–3 hours · mid-priced.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Butter tart

      Bakeries across the city and at farmers' markets, including the bakeries of St. Lawrence Market.

   4. Evening

      King Street West

      Clubs, rooftop lounges and late restaurants in the Entertainment District, busiest on Fridays and Saturdays.

3. Day 3: St. Lawrence Market and Distillery District

   St. Lawrence Market and Distillery District, then Ossington and Dundas West in the evening.

   1. Morning

      St. Lawrence Market

      Old Town · 1–2 hours · low cost.

   2. Late morning

      Distillery District

      Distillery District · 1.5–2 hours · free.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Jamaican beef patty

      Caribbean bakeries in Little Jamaica on Eglinton Avenue West, in Kensington Market and at corner stores citywide.

   4. Evening

      Ossington and Dundas West

      Dense strips of cocktail bars, wine bars and small music venues favoured by locals.

4. Day 4: Day trip to Niagara Falls

   About 1.5–2 hours by car, train or bus each way. Getting there: GO Transit from Union Station, a coach, or car.

   1. Morning

      Travel to Niagara Falls

      About 1.5–2 hours by car, train or bus (GO Transit from Union Station, a coach, or car); about 130 km.

   2. Day

      Niagara Falls

      Boat trips sail into the spray at the base, and the Journey Behind the Falls tunnels lead to viewing portals beside the curtain of water. The nearby Clifton Hill strip is busy and commercial.

   3. Evening

      Back in Toronto

      Dinner: try Trinidadian roti.

5. Day 5: Toronto Islands and Kensington Market

   Toronto Islands and Kensington Market, then Church-Wellesley Village in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Toronto Islands

      Toronto Harbour · Half a day to a full day · low cost. On summer weekends buy ferry tickets online to skip the ticket-office queue.

   2. Late morning

      Kensington Market

      Kensington Market · 2 hours · free.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Trinidadian roti

      Roti shops in the west end and in Scarborough.

   4. Evening

      Church-Wellesley Village

      Canada's best-known LGBTQ+ neighbourhood, with bars and clubs around Church and Wellesley streets.

6. Day 6: Day trip to Niagara-on-the-Lake

   About 1.5 hours by car each way. Getting there: Car or tour, often combined with Niagara Falls.

   1. Morning

      Travel to Niagara-on-the-Lake

      About 1.5 hours by car (Car or tour, often combined with Niagara Falls); about 130 km.

   2. Day

      Niagara-on-the-Lake

      The Shaw Festival theatre season usually runs from spring into late autumn.

   3. Evening

      Back in Toronto

      Dinner: try Poutine.

7. Day 7: Casa Loma and Bata Shoe Museum

   Casa Loma and Bata Shoe Museum, then Queen West and Kensington in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Casa Loma

      The Annex · 2 hours · mid-priced.

   2. Late morning

      Bata Shoe Museum

      The Annex · 1–1.5 hours · low cost.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Poutine

      Pubs, diners and food trucks across downtown.

   4. Evening

      Queen West and Kensington

      Live music at long-running venues such as the Horseshoe Tavern and the Rivoli, plus dive bars in Kensington Market.

Before you go

Reserve timed tickets for CN Tower, Ripley's Aquarium of Canada and Toronto Islands before you travel; the rest of this plan needs no advance booking.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 7 nights, Entertainment District keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Old Town and St. Lawrence ($$$) suits first-timers, food lovers, couples and culture. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 20–25 hours of visiting over 7 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 8.9 hours in December to 15.4 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

More or fewer days

• One day in Toronto
• 2 days in Toronto
• 3 days in Toronto
• 4 days in Toronto
• 5 days in Toronto

Questions travellers ask