Complete 7-day Ontario itinerary: 2 days Toronto, day in Niagara, Prince Edward County, and Ottawa. Day-by-day plan with transport and budget.

Ontario 7-Day Itinerary: Toronto, Niagara & Ottawa

Seven days is the sweet spot for a first Ontario visit. Long enough to cover the three major drawcards — Toronto, Niagara Falls, and Ottawa — without feeling rushed, but short enough to maintain energy and avoid itinerary fatigue. This route runs a clean arc from Toronto westward to Niagara Falls, then northeast through Prince Edward County and the St Lawrence corridor to Ottawa, finishing in Canada’s capital with one of the country’s strongest festival and museum scenes.

A rental car makes this itinerary flexible and comfortable, though the Toronto–Niagara Falls leg is manageable by bus or GO Transit, and Ottawa is served by VIA Rail from Toronto in just over four hours. The day-by-day plan below assumes you have a car from day two onward; car-free alternatives are noted throughout.

Overview

DayBaseHighlights
1TorontoCN Tower, St. Lawrence Market, Distillery District
2TorontoROM, Kensington Market, Queen West, Toronto Islands
3Niagara FallsHorseshoe Falls, Hornblower cruise, Journey Behind the Falls
4Niagara-on-the-LakeQueen Street, wine country, Shaw Festival
5Prince Edward CountyWellington, wineries, Sandbanks Provincial Park
6Kingston & 1000 IslandsFort Henry, 1000 Islands cruise, drive to Ottawa
7OttawaParliament Hill, ByWard Market, Canadian Museum of History

Day 1: Arrive in Toronto

Arrive at Toronto Pearson Airport and take the Union Pearson Express train to downtown (25 minutes, CAD $12.35). Check into a downtown hotel — see Toronto neighborhoods for options across price points.

Afternoon: Start at the CN Tower for orientation — the views from the main observation deck give you a physical sense of Toronto’s layout, Lake Ontario, and the Toronto Islands across the harbour. Book tickets ahead to skip the queue.

Evening: Walk to the St. Lawrence Market area and have dinner at one of the restaurants along The Esplanade. The market itself is closed Sundays and Mondays, so time your visit accordingly. Distillery District is a 15-minute walk further east for post-dinner drinks at one of the breweries or a gelato at SOMA Chocolatemaker.

Book CN Tower tickets

Day 2: Toronto’s neighbourhoods and islands

Morning: Subway to Museum station and visit the Royal Ontario Museum for two hours — focus on the dinosaur galleries, the Indigenous Peoples galleries, and the World Cultures floor. Coffee at Boxcar Social in Yorkville after.

Lunch: Take the streetcar to Kensington Market for global street food — roti from a Caribbean spot, tacos at Seven Lives, or Brazilian cheese bread at Pão.

Afternoon: Walk south through Chinatown to Queen Street West for independent shopping and Graffiti Alley. If weather permits, take the ferry from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal to the Toronto Islands — the skyline view on the return crossing is one of the best photos you will take in Canada.

Evening: Dinner in Little Italy along College Street or in West Queen West for a more creative scene. See the Toronto food guide for specific restaurant recommendations.

Browse Toronto tours and experiences

Day 3: Niagara Falls

Pick up the rental car (or take an organised tour) and drive to Niagara Falls (90 minutes via the QEW). Car-free option: GO Transit train service to Niagara Falls or a guided day tour from Toronto.

Morning: See the Horseshoe Falls from the Canadian side promenade — the Canadian falls are visibly more powerful than the American falls across the river. Take the Hornblower Niagara Cruise boat (replaces the Maid of the Mist on the Canadian side) into the base of the falls — you will get wet. Follow with Journey Behind the Falls for tunnel access to viewing portals behind the cascade.

Lunch: The Table Rock Market food hall has views of the falls; better food is available in Niagara-on-the-Lake for dinner.

Afternoon: Drive the Niagara Parkway north toward Niagara-on-the-Lake (Sir Winston Churchill called it “the prettiest Sunday drive in the world”). Stop at the Whirlpool Aero Car — the oldest operating aerial tramway in North America, spanning the Niagara Gorge — and the Niagara Butterfly Conservatory.

Evening: Check into Niagara-on-the-Lake for the night. Dinner at Treadwell Cuisine or Ravine Vineyard.

Book Niagara Falls boat cruise and attractions

Day 4: Niagara-on-the-Lake and wine country

Morning: Walk Queen Street in Niagara-on-the-Lake — one of the most perfectly preserved 19th-century streetscapes in Ontario. Visit Greaves Jams (operating since 1927), Clock Tower, and Simcoe Park. See the Niagara-on-the-Lake things-to-do guide for the full walk.

Late morning and afternoon: Niagara wine country tour — either self-driven with careful tasting portion control or via a guided tour. Recommended stops: Peller Estates (ice wine experience in a subzero cellar), Inniskillin (where Canadian ice wine was invented in 1984), Trius (excellent sparkling), and Two Sisters Vineyards for Bordeaux-style reds.

Evening: If your timing aligns with the Shaw Festival season (April through December), catch an evening performance at the Festival Theatre or Royal George Theatre. Otherwise, dinner at Tiara or the Pillar and Post’s dining room.

Book Niagara-on-the-Lake wine tour

Day 5: Prince Edward County

Drive east from Niagara-on-the-Lake to Prince Edward County (3.5 hours via Highway 401 and 33). This rural peninsula jutting into Lake Ontario has become Ontario’s emerging wine region and a destination for food travellers.

Route: Take Highway 401 east past Toronto (aim to clear the city before 9am or after 10am to avoid commuter traffic). Exit at Highway 49 for the shorter route onto the county via the Bay of Quinte bridge, or continue on 401 to Highway 33 at Glenora and take the short free Glenora ferry onto the peninsula.

Afternoon: Wineries in Prince Edward County — Norman Hardie (the county’s most critically acclaimed winemaker), Closson Chase (Burgundian approach to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), and Grange of Prince Edward are the core recommendations. Lunch at Drake Devonshire (the Drake Hotel’s county outpost in Wellington) or at East and Main Bistro in Wellington village.

Late afternoon: Sandbanks Provincial Park has the largest freshwater baymouth sandbar system in the world — enormous dunes and long beaches that draw families from across southern Ontario. A short walk among the dunes and along the beach.

Evening: Stay in Wellington, Picton, or Bloomfield — the county has excellent bed-and-breakfasts and several boutique hotels (the Drake Devonshire, the June Motel).

Day 6: 1000 Islands and drive to Ottawa

Morning: Drive from Prince Edward County to Kingston (90 minutes). Kingston was briefly Canada’s first capital (1841-1844) and preserves that history in its limestone streetscape. Walk Princess Street, the waterfront, and visit Fort Henry (UNESCO World Heritage Site) above the harbour.

Midday: 1000 Islands boat cruise from Kingston or Gananoque — the St. Lawrence River’s 1800+ islands (of which only the largest thousand are named) include private island estates, the Boldt Castle (technically on the American side), and pristine Canadian Shield rock outcrops. Cruises range from 1 hour to full-day Boldt Castle excursions.

Afternoon: Drive north to Ottawa via Highway 15 and the 416 (two hours from Gananoque). Route goes through Smiths Falls and the Rideau Canal system — a UNESCO World Heritage Site in its own right.

Evening: Arrive in Ottawa. Check into a hotel in the ByWard Market area or near Parliament Hill. Dinner at Play Food & Wine or Riviera.

Day 7: Ottawa

Morning: Parliament Hill — join the free guided tour of the Centre Block (when it reopens from restoration; otherwise the East Block and Senate of Canada Building tours operate). The Changing of the Guard ceremony runs at 10am daily from late June to late August.

Late morning: Cross the Alexandra Bridge to Gatineau for the Canadian Museum of History — one of Canada’s best museums with a sweeping Grand Hall of Northwest Coast First Nations totem poles and the Canadian History Hall. Allow 2-3 hours.

Lunch: Return to the ByWard Market for a BeaverTail pastry (the Ottawa specialty — flat fried dough with sweet toppings) and lunch at one of the market area restaurants. See ByWard Market.

Afternoon: Choose one: National Gallery of Canada (with the iconic Louise Bourgeois Maman spider sculpture outside), Canadian War Museum, or the Rideau Canal walking/cycling path. In winter, the canal becomes the world’s largest skateway.

Evening: Dinner in Ottawa. Fly home from Ottawa International Airport or take the VIA Rail train back to Toronto (4.5 hours, excellent service, more relaxing than flying).

Book Ottawa tours and experiences

Budget estimates (per person, CAD)

CategoryBudgetModerateComfort
Hotels (6 nights)9001,8003,500
Rental car (6 days) + fuel550700900
Food (7 days)4507501,400
Attractions + wine tastings250450700
Total per person2,1503,7006,500

Prices assume two people sharing a room and car. Solo travel adds approximately 30 per cent. Peak summer (July-August) adds 20-30 per cent to hotel rates.

Variations on this itinerary

With kids: Swap the Shaw Festival evening for an earlier dinner and add the Toronto Zoo or Ontario Science Centre on day two. Prince Edward County works well for families with the Sandbanks dunes. See Toronto with kids.

Without a car: Replace Prince Edward County with a return to Toronto, then VIA Rail to Ottawa (4.5 hours). You will miss the Prince Edward County leg but the rest of the itinerary works on bus and train.

Fall colours version (late September to mid-October): Swap Prince Edward County for a day in Algonquin Park (Highway 60 corridor accessible from Huntsville, 2.5 hours north of Toronto). See best time to visit Ontario for seasonal details.

Luxury version: Stay at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto, Prince of Wales Hotel in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Drake Devonshire in Prince Edward County, and Fairmont Château Laurier in Ottawa. Add private wine tours and a private 1000 Islands charter.

Browse Ontario tours and multi-day experiences