In this ultimate weekend guide to Toronto, we provide you with the top things to do as well as other tips to ensure you have the best weekend getaway.

The Ultimate Weekend Guide To Toronto

In this ultimate weekend guide to Toronto, we provide you with the top things to do as well as other tips to ensure you have the best weekend getaway.

Weekend Guide To Toronto

We absolutely loved Toronto. It’s one of the places we’ve visited where we loved it so much we’d consider moving there (if it wasn’t so cold). The diversity of it’s people and food, the architecture, and the many fun attractions are what made Toronto so unforgettable to us. Below are some places we recommend you see during your weekend in Toronto.

CN Tower

Visiting the CN Tower is something you simply must do while visiting Toronto. The iconic structure has been a part of the Toronto skyline since 1975 and is the tallest tower in the western hemisphere. Once inside and on the way to the elevator, you’ll pass placards and memorabilia that tell the history and story of the tower.

Inside the elevator, hold on tight! Not only do they travel at 15 miles (22 kilometres) per hour, they also have glass panels in a portion of each elevator floor so you can see the ground get further away as you zoom to the top. If that wasn’t enough, once you’re on the LookOut Level you can walk over to the Glass Floor area (first in the world when it opened in 1994) and look 1,122 ft (342 m) straight down.

There’s also an observation deck, restaurant, and Outdoor SkyTerrace. We were pretty happy to experience another glass floor, since we’d already been to the one in Chicago and really enjoyed the views from the observation deck. If you can, plan your visit to be around dusk for some amazing sunset views.

No weekend guide to Toronto would be complete without the CN Tower!
Inside the CN Tower in Toronto
Beautiful view from the CN Tower


Ripley’s Aquarium Of Canada

This is one of the top things to do in Toronto with kids, but we guarantee you’ll enjoy this aquarium even if you don’t have kids. We like to visit zoos and aquariums every time we’re in a new city, so to see animals we’d never seen before and learn new things about different habitats was pretty impressive.

There were giant tanks filled with all kinds of creatures (we managed to spot Nemo and Dory swimming together) and also an underwater tunnel that allows you to see stingrays and sharks up close. In the Discovery Centre, everyone has a chance to touch horseshoe crabs and bamboo sharks in the touch pool.

Another thing that we really liked about the aquarium is that it stays open pretty late. This allows you to see other “must-sees” on your list that might close earlier, before heading over to the aquarium.

Ripley's Aquarium Canada in Toronto
Inside the Ripley's Aquarium in Toronto
Kids play area inside the Ripley's Aquarium in Toronto


Casa Loma

Heralded as North America’s only full-sized castle, Casa Loma (Spanish for “Hill House”) will transport you back in time. This home was completed in 1914 and has 98 rooms, secret passages, towers, gardens, stables, a pool, and even a bowling alley!

The history of the castle is quite interesting because it only served as a private home for about 10 years. Since then it has been a luxury hotel, a secret location for construction of sonar equipment during World War II, and now a popular tourist attraction.

A lot of movies and television shows have been filmed here as well (including Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows). We really enjoyed going through all of the rooms and seeing the elaborately decorated suites and living areas. You can even climb up a tower and get great views of Toronto.

outside of Casa Loma in Toronto
Inside Casa Loma in Toronto, flags, bed, living area
View of Toronto from a tower in Casa Loma Toronto


Nathan Phillips Square

This square is definitely a fun place to hang out and people watch. There’s always something going on at Nathan Phillips Square, like concerts, farmers markets, exhibits, and during the winter months, the reflecting pool is turned into an ice skating rink.

It’s also the home of the Toronto sign. It was installed in 2015 for the Pan American Games but became so popular with both locals and tourists that the city of Toronto decided to keep it there permanently.

Toronto sign in Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto
Selfie with Toronto Sign at Nathan Phillips Square


Hockey Hall Of Fame

With the largest collection of hockey memorabilia in the world, the Hockey Hall of Fame is a pretty fun place to check out. The Hall of Fame also has a 3D hockey film, interactive games where you can go head to head with life-size animated versions of today’s top goalies, and is home to all major NHL trophies.

What we enjoyed the most was actually getting to see and touch the Stanley Cup. We’ve gone to a few hockey games in Florida, Texas, and Colorado, but I wouldn’t say we are huge hockey fans. But still, we can appreciate what a big deal the Stanley Cup is so we were pretty happy that we got to spend some up close and personal time with it.

Inside the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto
Stanley Cup, hockey memorabilia inside the hockey hall of fame in Toronto


Downtown Yonge

If you really want to feel the buzz and energy of Toronto, then head over to Downtown Yonge (pronounced like “young”). Here you’ll find Yonge-Dundas Square, or Dundas Square, where there is always something going on. It’s very much like Time Square in New York City.

Across the street you’ll find the Toronto Eaton Centre, a large mall known for its many stores, restaurants, and glass ceiling. Even if you’re not there to shop, take a peek inside and marvel at the size of it or hang out and do some people watching.

Outside the Toronto Eaton Centre
Panoramic view of Yonge-Dundas Square
Inside the Toronto Eaton Centre


Sugar Beach

We feel like this is one of the most unique things to do in Toronto. We had no idea Toronto had a beach until our tour with Toronto Bicycle Tours. It may not be exactly what comes to mind when you think of a beach, but it’s a beach nonetheless.

It is considered an “urban beach” and gets it’s name from the Redpath Sugar Refinery that it sits across from. It has been open since 2010 and has great views of Lake Ontario. We didn’t spend much time there since it was a bit cold (you can see a bit of snow in the picture below) but we were told it’s a popular hang out spot during the warmer months.

Chairs and umbrellas at Sugar Beach in Toronto


Toronto Neighborhoods

Want to get to know the real Toronto? Head to it’s many eclectic neighborhoods. Toronto’s citizens come from all over the world and that cultural diversity has led to some pretty amazing and colorful places. Some of the most popular Toronto neighborhoods are Chinatown, Kensington Market, and Old Town.

While in Old Town, visitors can stop by the St. Lawrence Market and see a variety of food, antiques, and displays. Also located in Old Town is the  Distillery Historic District. This recently renovated area has trendy restaurants and shops, but if you’re lucky enough to be there between the end of November and December, you’ll also get to see the Toronto Christmas Market (considered one of the world’s best holiday markets!)

Chinatown in Toronto
Pizzeria in Kensington Market, Toronto
St. Lawrence Market, Toronto
Distillery District Toronto
Christmas Market at the Distillery District in Toronto
Christmas Market christmas tree and clock at the Distillery District in Toronto


Toronto Architecture

As you’re exploring Toronto and it’s many attractions and neighborhoods, make sure to look around you. And sometimes up. Toronto has some of the best architecture we’ve ever seen! From buildings with actual gold in the windows, to buildings that look like a table top, Toronto has it all. What we loved the most was the constant clash between older and more modern architecture.

Royal Bank Plaza building, Sharp Centre at the Ontario College of Art and Design, Brookfield Place architecture Toronto
Gooderham Building, CN Tower architecture Toronto


Toronto Street Art

If you’re a fan of street art, Toronto will not disappoint, so always be on the lookout for colorful murals. The most well know street art in Toronto can be found in Graffiti Alley near Chinatown, but there is plenty of street art in other neighborhoods as well.

Street art in Kensington Market Toronto
Toronto street art in graffiti alley


Getting To Toronto

Toronto has two airports: Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ). We chose to fly into Billy Bishop because it is closer to the city center and it has a free shuttle that takes you to Union Station which was within walking distance to our Toronto hotel.

If you do choose to fly into Pearson, take the UP Express train to Union Station. The trip takes 25 minutes, with trains leaving every 15 minutes and tickets costing $12.

Getting Around Toronto

We found that Toronto is a very walkable city, which we loved! We walked to many of the attractions we wanted to see and anything that was a bit farther we got to by using Uber. Toronto does have a decent public transportation system as well as an underground walking path, but locals told us to stick to walking and Uber because the public transportation wasn’t always timely and because it was easy to get lost in “The Path.” The furthest ride we took with an Uber was to Casa Loma and it only took about 15 minutes, so nothing is really that far away.

Where To Eat

Because of the diversity of this big city, you’ll find a lot of amazing food from all over the world. From poutine to contemporary French cuisine, Toronto has it all. You can click here for our suggestions on where to eat in Toronto.

Cash And Currency

Because of it’s close proximity to the US, there are some places that allow you to pay with American dollars. The only time that we needed cash, however, was when we bought some poutine from a food truck. Other than that, we were fine using our credit cards.

Pro Tip: Make sure you let your debit and credit card companies know of your upcoming travels to avoid any cancelled transactions. For other useful pre-travel tips, click here.


Also, to help you save a little extra cash we recommend purchasing the Toronto CityPASS. It’s valid for nine days and includes admission to five major Toronto attractions (saving you about 44% on admission).

Map Of Toronto’s Top Attractions

We created this map to go along with our weekend guide to Toronto so that you can get an idea of where everything is.


Final Thoughts On A Weekend In Toronto

So there you have it, the best things to do in Toronto on a weekend getaway. We hope that you found this guide useful and that you enjoy your stay in The Six as much as we did.

If you’d like to recommend anything for our next visit, feel free to leave them in the comments below! 🙂

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In this ultimate weekend guide to Toronto, we provide you with the top things to do as well as other tips to ensure you have the best weekend getaway.

**We’d like to thank See Toronto Now for providing us with an Attractions Passport. Although this allowed for a complimentary visit to many attractions, as always, all opinions are our own.**



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12 Comments

  1. I would love to visit Toronto. I’ve heard so many good things about the city. So far, I’ve only really spent time in Montreal, one of my all-time favorite cities. There is quite a good food scene in Toronto too, which I would love to explore. Even the famous Momofuku group from NYC have 3 restaurants there. Besides food, it seems like Toronto has a lot of offer visitors, which is perfect. I would probably skip the glass floor section of the CN Tower though…that looks terrifying!

  2. Toronto looks amazing – some great street art and fabulous architecture. The ‘beach’ is one place you wouldn’t find me in winter though!

  3. I have been to Toronto, technically, but only in the airport. I have several friends who live there, and I need to head up for a visit. Casa Loma looks especially interesting, and I love the view from the tower, but then I am always a sucker for historical buildings. Soon, perhaps!

  4. I really need to visit Canada, starting with Toronto. Really nice city and the tower really is iconic! Amazing views.

  5. I used to go to Toronto a lot when I was a kid. I grew up in Erie and my mom and I would take the bus up to go to a show or do some shopping. Of course, Toronto has changed so much since my last visit. The CN Tower didn’t have the glass floor or the tower walk the last time I was there! I’d say it’s time to a re-visit.

  6. A good comprehensive list to do in Toronto. The RIPLEY’s museum makes me curious 🙂 The architecture is amazing! I loved the street art too, wonderful photo opportunity!

  7. It just feels wrong that I’ve not yet been to Toronto. It just looks like a really fun city. It’s too bad that castle isn’t a hotel anymore. I love staying in castles. Is it always a long line to go up in CN tower?

  8. Believe it or not, Toronto (and Montreal) has been on my list ever since from the early 90s *gulps* when a junior from school moved to study over there and kept inviting me over for a visit. Sadly, I’ve never gotten around to visiting him there because I’d need a long holiday for a visit, considering the half-way across the globe distance. Have heard of the Glass Floor area at CN Tower back then and knew I’d never try that, ever, haha! And now they have glass panels in a portion of each elevator floor?? Madness! Haha!

  9. Thanks for showing me Toronto through a traveller’s eye. My apartment overlooks Casaloma and I’ve still never been! I do love the Aquarium, the CN Tower and all the unique neighbourhoods in the city. You’ve inspired me to get out and sightsee!

  10. I haven’t visited Toronto since I was a little girl and I remember those glass panels at the CN Tower. Would love to go back one day and experience everything as an adult!

  11. This really is an amazing place to visit. Thanks for sharing this wonderful post with us

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