25 Best Things to Do in Toronto

Toronto rewards visitors who go beyond the obvious. The CN Tower and the Royal Ontario Museum deserve their reputations, but the city’s real character emerges in the markets, the side streets, the waterfront trails, and the multicultural neighbourhoods that make this the most diverse major city in North America. This list covers the 25 best experiences across central Toronto — a mix of iconic landmarks, neighbourhood wandering, cultural institutions, and day-trip possibilities — giving you everything you need to plan a visit that matches your interests.

For a broader orientation, start with the Toronto destination guide and the overview of Toronto neighbourhoods before diving into the specifics below.

CN Tower

The 553-metre tower held the world’s tallest free-standing structure record for over three decades and remains Toronto’s defining landmark. The main observation deck at 346 metres has a glass floor section that still produces nervous laughter from everyone who steps onto it. The SkyPod at 447 metres costs extra but delivers the highest public view in the Western Hemisphere. For thrill-seekers, the EdgeWalk — a hands-free stroll around the outside of the tower on a 1.5-metre ledge — is one of the most memorable experiences in all of Canada.

Book CN Tower tickets and skip the line

Royal Ontario Museum

The ROM is Canada’s largest museum and one of the ten largest natural history and world culture museums in North America. The dinosaur galleries alone justify a half-day visit — the collection includes rare specimens from the Alberta badlands and Mongolia’s Gobi Desert. The Bat Cave is a favourite for families. The Michael Lee-Chin Crystal addition that punctures the original Edwardian facade has become a landmark in its own right.

Book Royal Ontario Museum admission tickets

Casa Loma

Toronto’s Gothic Revival castle on Davenport Hill was built between 1911 and 1914 by electricity magnate Sir Henry Pellatt. The 98-room mansion includes secret passages, a 245-metre underground tunnel to the stables, an Oak Room that took three European craftsmen a full year to panel, and terraced gardens with some of the best views over central Toronto. Seasonal escape rooms and the Christmas overlay make it a year-round destination.

Book Casa Loma entry with multimedia audio guide

St. Lawrence Market

Consistently voted one of the world’s best food markets, St. Lawrence Market has anchored Toronto’s food culture since 1803. Over 120 vendors occupy the historic South Market building — butchers, cheese shops, fresh pasta makers, coffee roasters, and the non-negotiable peameal bacon sandwich at Carousel Bakery. Saturday morning is the peak experience when the Farmers’ Market takes over the North Market. See the dedicated St. Lawrence Market guide for a deeper dive.

Toronto Islands

A 10-minute ferry from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal lands you on a string of small islands that feel genuinely removed from the city. Centre Island has a century-old amusement park suited to young children, while Ward’s Island has a quiet residential community and excellent picnic spots. The south-facing beaches are good for swimming in summer, and the skyline view across the inner harbour is one of the best urban photographs you can take in Canada. See Toronto Islands for full planning.

Distillery District

The pedestrian-only Victorian industrial village east of downtown was once North America’s largest distillery and is now a cluster of galleries, boutiques, restaurants, and breweries set among beautifully preserved brick warehouses. The cobblestone lanes host the city’s most atmospheric Christmas Market each December. See the dedicated Distillery District guide.

Kensington Market

A riot of Victorian rowhouses converted into vintage clothing shops, global food stalls, fishmongers, and independent cafes. The adjacent Chinatown along Spadina adds another layer of food and street energy. Pedestrian Sundays (last Sunday of each month, May to October) are the peak experience. See Kensington Market for the full guide.

Queen Street West

Toronto’s creative corridor stretches from downtown past Trinity Bellwoods Park into the Ossington area, with independent fashion, galleries, brunch spots, and some of the best cocktail bars in the city. Graffiti Alley off Queen Street is the most concentrated street art corridor in Toronto. See Queen West.

Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada

Immediately below the CN Tower, Ripley’s has become one of Toronto’s most popular family attractions since opening in 2013. The Dangerous Lagoon tunnel — a moving walkway beneath sharks, sawfish, and sea turtles — is the signature experience. Book online and aim for a mid-week arrival to avoid weekend queues.

Art Gallery of Ontario

The AGO holds one of North America’s most important Canadian art collections, including the largest public collection of Henry Moore sculpture. The Frank Gehry redesign that completed in 2008 added a striking glass-and-wood facade to the Dundas Street West frontage. The Group of Seven and Thomson galleries are the highlights for first-time visitors.

Hockey Hall of Fame

For hockey fans, the Hall of Fame in the heritage Bank of Montreal building at Yonge and Front Streets is essential. The collection includes the Stanley Cup (touchable), rare equipment and jerseys, and interactive virtual-reality goalie experiences. Allow two hours.

Toronto Zoo

The 287-hectare Toronto Zoo in Scarborough is one of Canada’s largest and most ambitious zoological parks. The Canadian Domain, Tundra Trek, and Great Barrier Reef habitats are standouts, and the zoo’s conservation programming is internationally respected. Budget a full day and plan for significant walking.

High Park

High Park is Toronto’s largest public park — 160 hectares of forest, ponds, formal gardens, a small zoo, and Ontario’s most photographed cherry blossom grove. Late April is when the sakura peak; the crowds are enormous but the experience is genuinely worth it. Grenadier Pond at the park’s northwestern edge is a favourite for skating in winter.

Edwards Gardens and Toronto Botanical Garden

Quieter than High Park and more manicured, these adjoining gardens in central Toronto are an ideal antidote to city fatigue. The spring tulip beds and the autumn colours are particularly beautiful, and the walking trails connect to the Don Valley ravine system for longer nature walks.

Toronto waterfront and Harbourfront Centre

The Martin Goodman Trail runs for 56 kilometres along Lake Ontario and the stretch through central Toronto — past the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal, Harbourfront Centre, and the Music Garden designed by Yo-Yo Ma and landscape architect Julie Moir Messervy — is the best urban waterfront walk in the city. Bike rentals are widely available.

Browse Toronto Harbourfront cruises and boat tours

Yorkville

Once Toronto’s bohemian heart, Yorkville is now the city’s most upscale retail and dining district — Bloor Street West here rivals Madison Avenue for luxury boutiques. The Village of Yorkville Park with its Canadian Shield granite outcrop is a surprising pocket of landscape architecture. See Yorkville.

Graffiti Alley

Running parallel to Queen Street West between Spadina and Portland, Graffiti Alley is over 400 metres of commissioned and permitted street art — some of Canada’s most significant urban muralists work here regularly. The walk takes 20 minutes and is entirely free.

Scarborough Bluffs

The 15-kilometre stretch of white clay cliffs along Lake Ontario’s north shore in Scarborough rises up to 90 metres above the water and includes Bluffer’s Park — the only beach access along the bluffs. The views from the top are unlike anything else in Toronto. See the Scarborough Bluffs guide.

Evergreen Brick Works

A former brickyard transformed into a sustainability-focused public space in the Don Valley, Brick Works hosts an excellent Saturday farmers’ market, rotating public art, and hiking trails into the ravines. The Café Belong restaurant inside the main hall is outstanding for a weekend brunch.

PATH underground walkways

Toronto’s 30-kilometre underground pedestrian network connects the subway, hotels, office towers, and downtown attractions. It is genuinely useful in winter and during peak summer heat, and the Commerce Court and First Canadian Place sections include interesting public art installations.

TIFF (September)

If your visit overlaps with the Toronto International Film Festival in early September, the city’s energy shifts visibly — red carpets along King Street West, celebrity sightings at Yorkville restaurants, and public screenings at venues across the core. Even without tickets, the atmosphere is worth experiencing.

Day trip to Niagara Falls

Ninety minutes southwest, Niagara Falls is the most popular day trip from Toronto. A guided tour typically includes the Hornblower boat cruise. For a fuller regional experience, add Niagara-on-the-Lake for its 19th-century main street and surrounding wineries.

Book the Toronto to Niagara Falls day tour

Day trip to Muskoka or Prince Edward County

For a contrast to the city, Muskoka cottage country (two hours north) offers lakes, rocky shorelines, and classic Ontario summer towns. Prince Edward County (two hours east) is Ontario’s emerging wine region with excellent restaurants and Sandbanks Provincial Park. Both require a car.

Live music and nightlife

Toronto’s live music scene is one of the strongest in Canada. Massey Hall (1894, recently restored) hosts touring acoustic and jazz acts in a legendary room. Scotiabank Arena handles arena-scale tours. The Horseshoe Tavern and the Dakota Tavern cover indie rock and roots music at the club level. The cocktail scene on Ossington Avenue and in Leslieville consistently makes “world’s best” lists.

Toronto Christmas Market

From mid-November through December, the Distillery District hosts Toronto’s most atmospheric seasonal market — German-style wooden stalls, mulled wine, a giant Christmas tree, and live music filling the cobblestone lanes. Free admission on weekdays; small fee on weekends to manage crowds.

Planning your Toronto visit

Budget four to five days to cover the major attractions while leaving time for neighbourhood wandering and at least one day trip. Three days is the minimum for a meaningful first visit. The Toronto weekend itinerary is the best starting point for a two-day plan. For transit advice, see getting around Toronto and getting to Toronto from the airport.

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