A friend just pointed out to me that my blog is seriously lacking on “things to do in Toronto” and as she is visiting in a few weeks (yay), here I am. Here you go Miriam, this one is just for you! Here are my top things to do in Toronto, in no particular order.
The CN Tower. An obvious one but it has to be done. The CN Tower is Canada’s tallest building and offers stunning views of the city. On a clear day, you can apparently see across Lake Ontario to New York state. For those of you who are daredevils,you can also do the Edgewalk – hailed as Toronto’s most extreme attraction. A harnessed walk out in the open air, 116 storeys up – sounds like a great way to spend a Sunday! The CN Tower also has a revolving restaurant at the top, which I personally really like. The food is good and the views are even better. Sure, it may be slightly overpriced, but the view is really worth it. Check the CN Tower out here.
Steamwhistle Brewery. I bring everyone here that comes to visit. I just love it. It’s a cool brewery and they do great short tours, that are cheap – only $12! They also have a great area where you can just sit and enjoy a beer. The brewery is also the only place that you can try their unfiltered beer, which is amazing! I’ve done the tour at least 5 times and I will do it again! Check them out here.
Toronto Zoo. If you’re a zoo fan, and I am, then you will love Toronto zoo. It’s huge and has an amazing variety of animals to see. Be prepared for a lot of walking, it really is a gigantic zoo. Myself and Phil have been 2-3 times and we will no doubt make a visit this summer. A general ticket is $29 which, in my opinion is totally worth it. The only issue with the zoo is it take about an hour and a half to get there by public transport from downtown. You can buy your zoo tickets here.
Poop Cafe. Okay, this one is not for everyone! I went with my sister when she came to visit last year, and I have to say, we enjoyed it! It’s Toronto’s first (and maybe only) toilet themed cafe! Yes, you read that correctly, toilet themed. You sit on toilets in there, the ice cream is served in mini toilets and everything is poop related, but in a cute way. It reminded me of being back in Korea where they try to make weird non-cute things cute! If you’re looking for a fun, weird experience, this is it!
Casa Loma. For Europeans, Casa Loma might not be that unusual given that we have castles literally everywhere and our castles are proper castle that are thousands of years old. This castle was built in 1911 so it’s really still just a baby ! However, it is architecturally speaking, gorgeous, and I think it’s worth seeing. There’s also some pretty cool views from the grounds. Casa Loma also does this great show during the summer called “Symphony in the Gardens” which runs every Monday night during the summer. The Toronto Orchestra plays in the gardens and you can sit and listen with a glass of wine and pretend to be fancy. I love it! You can read more about Casa Loma here.
Toronto Islands. If you’re here during summer (and honestly, why would you come during winter?), then a trip to the Toronto Islands is a must! The Toronto Islands are a chain of 15 small islands in Lake Ontario. The main ones being Centre Island and Ward’s Island. You can get the ferry across, pack a picnic and spend the day at the beach! There are no cars allowed so it’s a great relaxing way to spend a day. Also, the views of the city from here are pretty stunning. You can find more info here.
Eat. This one may seem weird but you need to eat as much good food as possible while in Toronto. Toronto is a foodies heaven and we are spoiled for choice here. You can taste food from literally every corner of the earth here. Some of my favorites are: for Ethiopian food; Nazareth (although I’ve heard rumors it closed down) or Lalibela, for wings (come on, beer and wings is a must while in North America!) Crown and Dragon or St. Louis, for Tacos and Mezcal; El Ray Mezcal Bar, for Korean Dak Galbi, Hankook Cheese Dakgalbi or for Korean BBQ Daldongnae is a MUST, for Indian; Banjara, for Italian; Piano Piano, for poutine; Smoke’s Poutinerie or Nom Nom Nom Poutine. If you’re looking for somehwere to really splurge then i recommend Canoe and if you are a meateater and want to go somewhere for an excellent meal then i cannot recommend Antler enough, we go there at least once a year. I’ll stop there but you get my drift.
Distillery District. This is a pedestrian only area, set in quaint buildings that once housed a whiskey distillery. It’s cobblestone streets are full of cool restaurants, boutique stores and of course – bars! I particularly love the sushi restaurant there – Boku Noodle Bar and the Spirit of York Distillery. Read more about the Distillery District here.
Kensington Market. Kensington market is a bohemian neighborhood that has a great collection of cafes, restaurants, bars, and cute stores. It’s also a great place to buy cheese! It’s a very diverse area and it’s a place you should definitely add to your list of places to see in Toronto. There’s also some great graffiti around the area. This company offers a walking food tour of Kensington market, I’ve never done it but it sounds good!
Canada’s Wonderland. If you’re a fan of roller coasters, then this is the place for you! Canada’s WonderLand is Toronto’s theme park, full of daring and thrilling rides to get your heart pounding. I’m a huge roller coaster fan so i love this place. A new roller coaster opened this year which is the tallest, fastest and longest dive coaster in the world! It’s called The Yukon Striker. Canada’s Wonderland also has a water park if that’s more your style. Tickets to the theme park will set you back $44. Check it out here.
Ok, they are my top ten things to do when visiting Toronto. Did I miss anything? Is there anything you love to do in Toronto that wasn’t included? Let me know!
Enjoy 🙂
