Toronto, a vibrant and diverse capital of the province of Ontario is also Canada’s largest and most populous city. Located on Lake Ontario’s northwestern shore, Toronto grew from original settlements in mid-18th century to become economic and cultural center of Canada. Today, Toronto is a modern city and thanks to Canada’s liberal immigration policies, it is now one of the world’s most diverse city. There are over 80 ethnicities represented in Toronto. Such a vast diversity only added value to this exciting city.
Quick facts
- Name: Toronto
- Founded: 1793
- Population: 3 million
- Area: 630.2 km²
- Known as: Capital of Ontario, ‘The Big Smoke’
It’s a city with something to offer to everyone: filmmakers and artist have many resources, galleries and festivals in Toronto, sports fans have baseball and hockey venues for top sports events, city is environmentally friendly and with many green spaces and Toronto is also famous for great restaurants, bars and night life in general.
And if you want to have some serious shopping, Toronto offers high end brands and outlets downtown or in its outskirts.
Main attractions in Toronto
There are plenty of attractions in Toronto, both inside the city and in immediate surroundings. We are listing here only top 20-25 of them.
CN Tower. A 553-metre high tower featuring a glass floor and a revolving eatery with panoramic 360 degree views. Located downtown Toronto and part of its iconic skyline.
Royal Ontario Museum. Large exhibition place ranging from art, world culture to natural history. Largest museum in Canada and one of the largest in North America. Casa Loma. Grand 18th century, stately castle with seasonal gardens opened seasonally and offering guided tours and visits.
Distillery District. Pedestrian area in Toronto, set in the 19th century area buildings that hosted whiskey distillery and now popular place with restaurants, bars and theaters. Toronto Islands. Set of small Islands across from mainland Toronto with various recreational activities, beaches and a theme park. Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada. Massive public aquarium in downtown Toronto. Contains more than 16,000 marine species. Offering events and classes.
Art Gallery of Ontario. One of the largest art galleries in North America with almost 95,000 exhibits from Canadian and European artists. Recently renovated by famous architect Frank Gehry.
High Park. Large urban green space in Toronto. Featuring hiking trails, sport and recreational facilities and a zoo. Toronto Zoo. The largest zoo in Canada. Home to thousands of animal species from around the world, hosting many events and interactive shows.
Rogers Centre. Multipurpose stadium hosting baseball games, concerts and events. Has a retractable roof to be adjusted depending on weather conditions. St. Lawrence Market. Major public market in Toronto’s old town. More than hundred sellers offering food, artisanal goods and antiques on the weekends. CF Toronto Eaton Centre. Massive shopping mall and office complex located downtown Toronto. Placed in a historic buildings with glass roof in the passageway.
Kensington Market. A compact bohemian neighbourhood in Toronto popular with locals and tourists alike for its indie shops, vintage boutiques and arts spaces. Canada’s Wonderland. Large amusement park with about 200 attractions, including roller coasters and water park.
Ontario Science Centre. Popular interactive science and technology museum. Offering shows and IMAX cinema. Kids and family friendly attraction.
Toronto City Hall. Impressive building complex downtown Toronto, housing municipal government and mayor’s offices. Offering guided tours. Hockey Hall of Fame. The ice hockey museum and hall of fame. Hosting large collection of hockey memorabilia and offering interactive games. Nathan Phillips Square. Large public square with events throughout a year and with ice rink opened in the winter.
Yonge-Dundas Square. Public space designed to host live events, concerts, movies and community gatherings. Queen Street West. Major east-west thoroughfare in Toronto, stretching over the length of 14.2 kilometres. A scenic neighbourhood lined with restaurants, bars, shops and art galleries.
EdgeWalk at the CN Tower. For extreme adventure seekers, this attraction offers walk on the edge of 356 meter high top of CN Tower. Participants are secured with suits and harnesses.
From other attractions in Torontowe recommend: Union Station, Harbourfront Centre, Bata Shoe Museum, Scarborough Bluffs Park and Yorkville.
Top things to do in Toronto
After you visit all recommended attractions, we can suggest following things to do in Toronto: Corktown, Canary and Distillery Historic District Food Tour, Toronto Wine, Cheese, & Chocolate Tasting, Toronto Oyster Shucking Class, West End Brunch Tour, Urban Whiskey Trail Drinking Tour and Toronto Chinatown Food Tour if you want to experience food and drink around Toronto in a right way.
For some serious shopping we recommend Toronto Premium Outlets Shopping Shuttle and since we are near Niagara Falls – Niagara Falls Tour from Toronto.
Festivals and events in Toronto
Toronto has very lively festival and events schedule throughout a year. Here are some of them.
WinterCity Festival (January/February), Saint Patrick’s Day Parade (March), Canada Blooms (March), TD Toronto Jazz Festival (March/April), Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (April/May), GoodLife Fitness Toronto Marathon (May), Pickering Dragon Boat Festival (May), Luminato – Toronto Festival of Arts and Creativity (June), Toronto International Dragon Boat Festival (June), Pride Toronto (June), Toronto Canada Day Celebrations (June/July), Fringe of Toronto Theatre Festival (July), Canadian National Exhibition – CNE (August), Canadian International Air Show (August/September), Toronto International Film Festival (September), World Wine Awards of Canada (September), Windfest (October), Toronto Oktoberfest (October), Gourmet Food & Wine Expo (November), Canadian Aboriginal Festival (November).
Read more: Festivals and events in Toronto
Interesting facts about Toronto
Here are some interesting facts about this amazing city:
- There are 180 languages and dialects spoken in Toronto.
- Approximately a quarter of Hollywood movies are made in Toronto.
- Toronto has 52 outdoor skating rinks.
Read more: More interesting facts about Toronto
Best time for flights to Toronto
The peak season for flights to Toronto is June, July and August. The low season for purchasing tickets is February, March and November.
Toronto is served by these airports: Pearson International Airport (YYZ), Hamilton Airport (YHM) and Toronto City Centre Airport (YTZ). Direct flights to Toronto are offered by 33 airlines.
Top hotel offers in Toronto
These are current top hotel offers in Toronto. The list is updated automatically when page is refreshed.
Safe travels!
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