Finding your way around this busy metropolis is easier with the subway and a good pair of walking shoes. Alternatively, hop-on hop-off bus tours provide a great way for visitors to navigate the city. The range of activities in Toronto is broad, but essential to any itinerary are the SkyDome, home to the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team, and the iconic CN Tower, which dominates Toronto’s skyline.
Toronto is a hub for the arts with numerous theatre, dance, symphony, and opera companies. The Royal Ontario Museum houses exhibits dedicated to natural history and world culture, and the hands-on Ontario Science Centre even has a tornado machine. Toronto Zoo, home to over 5,000 animals is one of the largest in the world.
For fine dining and high-end shopping, the Yorkville neighbourhood, frequented by celebrities is the place to see and be seen. Greektown offers countless restaurants to satisfy anyone’s tastes and Kensington Market is a feast for the senses with its cafés and clothing shops.
Car hire services offer a convenient way to explore the region, including the spectacular Niagara Falls , just over an hour’s drive away.
When are the best times to travel to Toronto?
In Toronto’s sun kissed summer months, from June through August, the city erupts with buzzing outdoor music festivals, Pride Week and comedy fairs – the balmy weather’s also perfect for al fresco dining and strolls through the lush parkland. Travel during April and May, right before summer, for a quiet atmosphere and great Toronto hotel rates. During December, the city transforms into a snowy winter wonderland – after the Christmas and New Years week, you’ll find plenty of discount hotels in this season.What are the top must-see attractions in Toronto?
See the CN Tower, a looming sharp-pointed concrete communications tower in downtown Toronto with a futuristic glass walled revolving restaurant and observation area at the top. In Midtown, architecture enthusiasts can’t miss the Casa Loma, an enormous, stately Gothic Revival house, crowned by red-capped turrets and surrounded by immaculate lush green flower gardens. For some truly jaw-dropping architecture, swing by the Royal Ontario Museum, where a subdued 19th-century Neo-Romanesque building adjoins a dazzling and jagged aluminium, steel and reflective glass addition, which is known as “The Crystal”.What are the best types of food and restaurants in Toronto?
Toronto champions fresh, locally sourced produce. This is made clear in the city’s many farmers’ markets, like the labyrinthine St Lawrence and Riverdale Farm markets where you can find delectable fruits, vegetables, breads and cheeses. Toronto also offers a melting pot of restaurants – from the easy-going Chinese eateries in Chinatown to the cafes, bistros and brunch spots in Baldwin Village. Bloor Street blooms with inexpensive Japanese restaurants, while fine diners will find premium European-style cuisine in Yorkville, and in the luxury hotels in Toronto.What are the top things to do in Toronto?
Toronto’s Art Gallery of Ontario is a truly vast art museum spread across several old and modern buildings showcasing a mix of Beaux-Arts and futuristic architecture. Inside, stretching corridors house an expansive collection of Renaissance and Baroque paintings, alongside a captivating contemporary collection. If you’re travelling with the kids, visit Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada and explore the underground maze of shark, stingray and sea turtle tanks. Shoppers can bargain hunt in the Distillery District, a restored historic area of redbrick warehouses and cobbled streets, lined with boutiques and galleries.What are some fun facts about Toronto?
Before Western occupation, Toronto was inhabited by the Iroquois – the name Toronto is thought to be derived from the Iroquois word tkaronto, which roughly means “place where trees stand in the water”. When you visit the CN Tower, take a moment to appreciate that it is the tallest free standing structure in the Western Hemisphere. Culture vultures will feel right at home in the city – Toronto has 2 symphony orchestras, 6 opera companies and over 50 ballet dance companies.What kinds of public transport are there in Toronto?
Toronto’s extensive, clean and efficient public transport network includes buses, streetcars and subway rail – altogether, the public transport will get you just about anywhere you need to go in the city. If you’re travelling on multiple forms of public transport, make sure to ask for a transfer ticket, allowing you to hop from bus to streetcar to subway. In summer, it’s also popular to travel in Toronto by bicycle. There are plenty of taxicabs for quick and easy rides, too.
