£50 off your first booking on select hotels. T&Cs apply.
HotHotels
BISHA, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Toronto., Toronto

Things to do guide

The best things to do in Toronto

Updated 1 October 2026 · 17 things to do

Pictured: BISHA, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Toronto.

Toronto is Canada's biggest city and its most mixed. Walk a few blocks and the language, the food and the street signs change: dim sum in Chinatown, jerk chicken in Little Jamaica, souvlaki on the Danforth, a market stall piled with maple syrup. It's polite, relaxed, and just a little bit proud of its tall tower on the lake.

Four days is a comfortable visit: the CN Tower and waterfront, the markets and neighbourhoods, a day of museums, and a day out to Niagara Falls. Go in summer for the islands and patios, or autumn for the colours and the crowds thinning out.

Don't miss

  1. 1The CN Tower
  2. 2Niagara Falls
  3. 3The Toronto Islands
  4. 4St Lawrence Market
  5. 5The Royal Ontario Museum

The big sights

  1. The CN Tower

    Landmark

    The CN Tower rising above Toronto
    Photo: Scott Webb scottwebb, CC0

    The tower that defines the skyline stands more than 550 metres high, and once held the title of the world's tallest free-standing structure. The glass floor and observation levels give you giddy views over the city and out across Lake Ontario. If you're brave, the outdoor EdgeWalk circles the roof.

    Tip: Visibility matters here. Check the weather and book a clear day.

  2. The Royal Ontario Museum

    Museum

    The Royal Ontario Museum and its angular Crystal extension
    Photo: Maksim Sokolov (Maxergon), CC BY-SA 4.0

    Canada's biggest museum is part art, part natural history, with dinosaurs, Egyptian mummies and gallery after gallery of world cultures. The jagged glass-and-metal Crystal extension, by Daniel Libeskind, is a landmark in its own right.

  3. Casa Loma

    Landmark

    The turrets of Casa Loma, Toronto's Gothic Revival castle
    Photo: Dpalma01, CC BY-SA 4.0

    A Gothic Revival castle on a hill, built in the early 1900s as a private home, with turrets, secret passages and a tunnel to the stables. The gardens and city views are lovely, and it's a fun change from the glass towers downtown.

  4. Hockey Hall of Fame

    Museum

    A temple to Canada's favourite sport, with the Stanley Cup, goalies' masks and interactive games. Even non-fans enjoy the Great Hall, with its stained-glass dome and the display of trophies.

Water and green space

  1. The Toronto Islands

    Nature

    The Toronto skyline and CN Tower seen from the Toronto Islands
    Photo: Jchmrt, CC BY-SA 4.0

    A short ferry ride from the downtown waterfront brings you to a car-free chain of islands with beaches, bike paths, picnic lawns and a cluster of tiny cottages. The skyline views from the islands are some of the best in the city.

    Rent a bike or a kayak, and bring a picnic.

    Tip: Take an early ferry on summer weekends to beat the queues.

  2. High Park

    Nature

    Cherry blossom in bloom in High Park
    Photo: Fabian Roudra Baroi, CC BY-SA 4.0

    A big, wooded park in the west of the city, with trails, ponds and a hillside of cherry trees that bloom in spring. Locals picnic here, play tennis and swim in the outdoor pool in summer.

  3. The Scarborough Bluffs

    Nature

    The tall clay cliffs of the Scarborough Bluffs above Lake Ontario
    Photo: The Cosmonaut, CC BY-SA 2.5 ca

    Dramatic clay cliffs rising up to 90 metres above Lake Ontario in the east of the city. Walk the beach beneath them, or peer down from the clifftop parks, for a very different view from the downtown towers.

Neighbourhoods and markets

  1. St Lawrence Market

    Market

    St Lawrence Market in downtown Toronto
    Photo: – Wladyslaw [Disk.], CC BY-SA 3.0

    A famed food market in a handsome old hall, with butchers, cheesemongers, bakers and fishmongers on two floors. The famous peameal bacon sandwich is the thing to eat here, piled into a soft bun at a counter on the ground floor.

  2. Kensington Market

    Neighbourhood

    A street corner in Kensington Market
    Photo: Arild Vågen, CC BY-SA 4.0

    A cheerful jumble of vintage stores, cheese shops, taco counters, cafes and street art, spread over a few lanes west of downtown. Walk it slowly, nibble as you go, and don't expect anything tidy.

  3. The Distillery District

    Neighbourhood

    A pedestrian village in beautifully restored Victorian industrial buildings, with cobbled lanes, galleries, craft studios and restaurants. It's picturesque and a little touristy, but lovely for an evening stroll.

  4. Chinatown

    Neighbourhood

    Spadina Avenue and Dundas Street West are lined with dim-sum restaurants, bakeries, herbal shops and fruit stalls. It's one of the largest Chinatowns in North America, and a great place for a lunch you didn't plan.

Eat and drink

  1. Peameal bacon sandwich

    Food

    A peameal bacon sandwich from a Toronto bakery
    Photo: Leventio, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Toronto's signature sandwich: thick slices of cornmeal-crusted back bacon, griddled and stacked in a soft kaiser roll with mustard. Eat it standing at a counter in St Lawrence Market, and you've had a proper local breakfast.

  2. Poutine

    Food

    Chips topped with squeaky cheese curds and hot gravy, a Quebec invention that's become a Canadian classic. You'll find it everywhere, from late-night counters to smart gastropubs that pile on pulled pork or lobster.

  3. Butter tarts

    Food

    A small pastry case filled with gooey butter, sugar and egg, sometimes with raisins or pecans. It's a Canadian classic, and the bakeries around the city are good places to hunt one down.

Day trips

  1. Niagara Falls

    Day trip

    A boat approaching the mist of the Horseshoe Falls at Niagara
    Photo: DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0

    The thundering Horseshoe Falls is a short trip from Toronto, and the sight of so much water pouring over the edge is genuinely stirring. Take a boat ride into the mist at the base, and walk the paths on the Canadian side for the best views.

    The town itself is a gaudy carnival of attractions, but the falls are real.

    Tip: Go early in the day to beat the coach parties, and take a waterproof.

  2. Niagara-on-the-Lake

    Day trip

    Queen Street and the clock tower in Niagara-on-the-Lake
    Photo: DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0

    A pretty, flower-filled town with a historic main street, a lakeside setting and vineyards all around. It's known for its Shaw Festival theatre and for wine, including the sweet ice wines that Niagara is famous for.

Where to stay in Toronto

Not sure which area suits you? Read our guide: Where to stay in Toronto →

Getting around

The subway, streetcars and buses reach nearly everything, and downtown is walkable. A car isn't needed in the city, but it makes Niagara and the wineries easier, though coach tours and trains also run to the falls.

When to go

Summer is warm and lively, with patios, festivals and island beaches. Autumn brings colour and mild days. Winters are cold and snowy, but the city is cosy, and the underground PATH walkway links much of downtown out of the weather.

Questions about visiting Toronto

What is Toronto best known for?
The CN Tower, a very mixed food scene, the Toronto Islands, big museums and its closeness to Niagara Falls.
How many days do you need in Toronto?
Three days covers the main sights and a market or two. Add a fourth for a day trip to Niagara Falls.
Can you visit Niagara Falls from Toronto in a day?
Yes. Coach tours, trains and hire cars all make the trip, and many visitors combine the falls with a stop in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Do you need a car in Toronto?
Not in the city, where public transport is good. A car helps for Niagara and the wineries.

More guides