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Jan
11
Toronto Travel & Sightseeing Guide
Filed Under Canada
A trip to Toronto
Toronto’s astounding variety of neighbourhoods speaks for its status as the most multi-cultural city of Canada. Pedestrian-friendly and offering an endless stream of things to do, this city attracts all types of visitors looking for a refreshing urban destination.
Flights to Toronto
Toronto Pearson International Airport offers both long-haul international flights and connections to many North American cities. A 45-minute drive from the city centre, the airport is easily accessed by frequent shuttles, in addition to taxi services. Toronto City Centre Airport, located on an island near the city, is used solely for domestic and charter flights. A ferry carries passengers from the airport to mainland Toronto. If you are looking for a cheap flight to Toronto try Expedia .
Toronto
Within the city, the reliable public transport system provides buses, subways and streetcars; taxis are also available.
Sightseeing in Toronto
The famous CN Tower, which was the world’s tallest free-standing structure until recently, offers incredible views from its lookout deck and revolving restaurant. Art-lovers should head to the Art Gallery of Ontario, which holds an impressive collection of paintings by Canadians.
The vibrant Harbourfront zone often hosts festivals and concerts, and is worth a visit. Exploring Chinatown and the many other ethnic neighbourhoods is a fun way to sample Toronto’s diversity. An unexpected attraction is Casa Loma, a castle built in the early 1900s by a local millionaire. Sports fans will enjoy Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, which highlights the achievements of Canada’s best athletes.
Fun by night – eating drinking and partying
With its mind-boggling selection of different cuisines, Toronto is widely considered one of the top food cities on the continent. Wonderful restaurants are found in every neighbourhood, and reasonable prices make dining out an enjoyable experience.
Toronto’s pumping nightlife is heavily centered in the Clubland and Queen Street West districts. Those seeking to take in some art and music with their drinks should check out the hipster spots in Parksdale and the Annex/Kensington Market areas, where bars and galleries reside alongside nightclubs and tasty restaurants, and live music fills the streets.
Fun by day - shopping and activities
Kensington and St Lawrence markets are must-sees for serious shoppers. To escape winter weather, shoppers can dive into the huge Eaton Centre and the shopping mall underneath the CN Tower. The many farmers’ markets are worth a visit as well, with some being seasonal and others opening year-round.
Toronto is less than an hour’s drive from many natural attractions, of which Niagara Falls is the most popular. Besides the wonderful views of the falls, the town of Niagara has several tourist attractions.
Heading to nearby beaches is a great way to cool off in summer, and they offer many activities to keep visitors busy. Lake Ontario tends to maintain a pleasant temperature, even during the hot summer months.
A quick ferry ride from downtown Toronto will take you to Centre Island, a perfect spot for biking, rollerblading or walking. Kids will enjoy the amusement park on the island.
Daytrips
Located upon the southern shores of Georgian Bay, Collingwood is one of the most popular recreational spots within the province and only a couple hours drive from Toronto. Home of Ontario’s Blue Mountain ski hill, Collingwood offers daytrip travellers numerous outdoor activity options regardless of the time of year.
Outside of the busy ski season, late summer and early autumn accounts for the most visitors, who arrive seeking to enjoy the countryside’s natural beauty. Possessing the longest beach and most extensive hiking-trail systems in the province, Collingwood has operators who can organise boating excursions, winter skiing and snowmobiling, exploration of scenic caves and small plane sightseeing adventures.
The cultural village of St Jacobs is an old fashioned, quiet community whose apparent resistance to modernisation has made it a popular place to visit. Despite the year-round arrival of curious travellers, the quaint village has not abandoned its roots. Complete with country inns, cultural exhibits and known for its hospitality, St Jacobs, at roughly 130kms from Toronto, manages to blend the best of the old with the new.
Must-see attractions
Dominating the city skyline, the CN Tower has remained one of Toronto’s, and Canada’s, most recognisable symbols since its construction in 1976. Spearing into the sky to a height of more than 1,800 feet, Toronto’s tower is the world’s tallest structure, and receives more than two million visitors yearly who ride the elevator to the top for a truly spectacular view. The restaurant beneath the observation deck completes one rotation every 72 minutes and offers more than 500 superior wines from its internationally renowned cellar.
The 150-year-old community of the Toronto Islands sits across the harbour only a short ferry ride away. More than a million people visit the 600 acres of parkland here each year, intent upon exploring the pristine natural surroundings. Walking trails, lifeguard monitored beaches, bike and boat rentals, and fire-pit equipped picnic sites make the area an extremely popular short-stay getaway for both locals and visitors.
For something a little different, try the self-guided audio tour, available in eight languages, of Casa Loma, an elegant old world mansion dating back to the city’s most romantic historical period. Meandering paths wind through sculptured gardens and secret passages within the mansion’s stately suites and lead to an 800-foot long underground tunnel that resurfaces within an expansive stable amid five acres of landscaped grounds. Located upon a hilltop within the heart of Toronto, Casa Loma is south on Spadina Avenue past St Clair.
Best time to go
Toronto offers so much to see and do, regardless of the time of year, that the arrival of tourists remains fairly constant. However, it is generally agreed that the most pleasant times to visit the provincial capital is during the spring or autumn.
Toronto summers are stifling hot and humid, and the winters are typically Canadian; extremely cold, dry and windy. Springtime offers a rich event schedule, with festivals, markets and fairs held during the months of March through May. Autumn presents the city in startling colour as the leaves of the city trees turn red, yellow and orange with the approach of colder weather.
Rainy day suggestions
There are numerous museums throughout the city, any of which would be perfect indoor alternatives to the outdoor restrictions of bad weather days. The Bata Shoe Museum and the Museum for Textiles are among the best, but the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) takes the limelight with its interactive exhibits and Egyptian and dinosaur relics. The Art Gallery of Ontario, Canada’s biggest art museum, and the Hockey Hall of Fame are also worth visiting.
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