Toronto is the most diverse city in North America, and that diversity produces a food culture that is genuinely extraordinary — there are more than 200 languages spoken here, and most of those communities have a restaurant district to match. The dim sum in Scarborough’s Chinese communities rivals Hong Kong. The Little Portugal neighbourhood on Dundas West has pastéis de nata and bifanas as good as Lisbon. Little India on Gerrard Street East has tandoori and chaat that people drive from across the province for. The Ethiopian restaurants on Bloor West. The Korean BBQ halls in North York. You could eat a different global cuisine every night for a month without running out of options.
The CN Tower is 553 metres tall and was the world’s tallest free-standing structure for 32 years after it opened in 1976. It still defines the skyline, visible from the Lake Ontario shoreline on every clear day and from 100 kilometres away in the right conditions. The glass floor observation deck is a reliable test of acrophobia, and the EdgeWalk — where you walk the exterior of the tower at 356 metres, attached by cable, hands-free, looking straight down at Lake Ontario — is one of the more intensely memorable activities I’ve done in any city. $225 CAD, 90 minutes, unforgettable.
Kensington Market is the neighbourhood that Toronto points to when it wants to show you its soul — a few blocks of Victorian houses converted into vintage shops, independent cafes, Mexican food stalls, West Indian roti shops, and cheese vendors, all in a state of creative density that resists gentrification by sheer force of character. The Saturday morning energy in Kensington is the best free show in the city.
The World's City
Two hundred languages. A food scene that maps the entire world. The CN Tower above it all. Toronto is Canada's most dynamic urban destination and a genuinely global city that most international visitors underestimate.
Why Toronto should be on your Canada itinerary
Toronto is the essential Canadian urban experience — not the most beautiful city (Vancouver wins that), not the most culturally distinctive (Montreal claims that), but the most diverse and the most energetic. It’s the city where Canada’s immigrant story is most visible and most delicious, and where the combination of excellent public transit, walkable neighbourhoods, and a genuinely world-class food scene creates a city that rewards exploration in every direction.
Niagara Falls is 90 minutes by car or 2 hours on GO Transit — the most natural day trip from Toronto, and one that can be done without a car. Ottawa is 4 hours by VIA Rail for those extending a Canada trip to the capital. The train connections work.
Budget note: Toronto is Canada’s most expensive city. Mid-range hotels run $200–280 CAD/night ($147–206 USD equivalent). Food is excellent value compared to US cities of similar quality — dinner for two at a very good restaurant runs $80–120 CAD with wine. The Presto transit card works on all TTC subway, streetcar, and bus routes — a day pass is $13.50 CAD.
What To Explore
The glass floor of the CN Tower. Kensington Market on Saturday morning. The Distillery District's cobblestone Victorian complex. St. Lawrence Market's 120 vendors. And the lakefront trail from Harbourfront to the Beaches.
What should you do in Toronto?
CN Tower — Observation deck with glass floor, exterior walkway, and revolving restaurant at 360m. Tower entry $43 CAD adult, glass floor included. EdgeWalk exterior experience $225 CAD. Buy tickets online. The best time to visit is at sunset when the city transitions from gold to blue.
Kensington Market — The most interesting neighbourhood in Toronto for walking — vintage shops, roti stalls, cheese vendors, taquerias, and record stores in a half-dozen blocks of Victorian housing. Free. Saturday mornings are the most alive.
Distillery District — A 13-acre Victorian industrial complex (the old Gooderham & Worts distillery, founded 1832) converted into restaurants, galleries, boutiques, and performance spaces. The preserved 19th-century red brick architecture is the finest in the city. The Christmas Market here (November–December) is outstanding.
St. Lawrence Market — In continuous operation since 1803, with 120 vendors selling everything from Ontario cheese and fresh fish to artisan bread and peameal bacon sandwiches (the quintessential Toronto food). Open Tuesday–Saturday. The Saturday morning farmers market on the north side of the building adds a second level of local produce. Free entry.
Royal Ontario Museum — World-class collections covering natural history, world cultures, and art. The dinosaur galleries are exceptional. $28 CAD adult. Allow 3–4 hours. Free admission on the first Friday of each month after 4:30pm.
Toronto Islands — Three connected islands a 13-minute ferry ride from the foot of Bay Street. A car-free park with beaches, kayak rentals, picnic areas, and the best view of the Toronto skyline. Ferry $9.85 CAD return. The Hanlan’s Point beach is clothing-optional. Open May through October.
- Getting There: Fly into YYZ (Pearson) — the Union Pearson Express train runs downtown every 15 minutes ($12.35 CAD, 25 minutes). Porter Airlines into Billy Bishop City Airport (YTZ) is closer to downtown but has fewer routes. Skip the taxi; take the UP Express.
- Best Time: June through October. Summer for waterfront and festivals. September and October for fall colours in High Park and the Don Valley and smaller crowds at major attractions. The Toronto International Film Festival (September) is worth timing a visit around.
- Money: Budget $85 CAD/day, mid-range $175–250 CAD/day. The dining is excellent value — a bowl of dim sum at Dragon Dynasty in Scarborough costs $4–6 CAD per item. A meal at a Yorkville fine-dining restaurant costs $80–150 CAD/person. Both are genuinely worth it.
- Don't Miss: The Saturday morning St. Lawrence Market. Come at 8am before the crowds build. Get a peameal bacon sandwich at Carousel Bakery ($7 CAD — the definitive Toronto food), walk the market stalls, and finish with a pastry at one of the European vendors in the back section.
- Avoid: Taking a taxi or rideshare for anything under 3km in downtown Toronto. The TTC streetcar network on King Street and Queen Street is excellent and direct. The Presto card works immediately. Taxis add time and cost in downtown traffic.
- Local Tip: Go to Scarborough for Chinese food. The mall food courts in Pacific Mall and First Markham Place are where the best and most affordable dim sum, Sichuan hot pot, and Taiwanese beef noodle soup in the city are found. It's a 40-minute subway-and-bus journey from downtown — completely worth it for serious eaters.
The Food
Two hundred cultures. Every cuisine on Earth available within the city limits. The best dim sum outside Asia in Scarborough. The best roti in Canada on Dundas West. And peameal bacon sandwiches at St. Lawrence Market for $7.
Where should you eat in Toronto?
- Aloette — The best restaurant in Toronto right now. French bistro technique with Canadian ingredients in a compact dining room. Book weeks ahead. $40–70 CAD.
- Lee — Susur Lee’s Asian fusion restaurant. Creative, technically excellent, and a splurge that delivers. $45–80 CAD.
- Carousel Bakery (St. Lawrence Market) — The peameal bacon sandwich. $7 CAD. Non-negotiable for any Toronto visit.
- Pai Northern Thai Kitchen — Exceptional Thai food downtown with the best northern Thai dishes in the city. $18–28 CAD. Lines form.
- Banu — Persian food in Kensington Market with lamb dishes, flatbreads, and mint tea in an atmospheric space. $22–35 CAD.
- Grand Electric — Excellent tacos and margaritas in a loud, fun setting. Lines on weekends. $18–26 CAD.
- The Stockyards — Smoked barbecue (brisket, ribs, pulled pork) and craft beer. The best BBQ in Toronto. $20–35 CAD.
Where to Stay
Downtown and Yorkville for walkability and access. The Hazelton for the best boutique experience. The Drake Hotel in West Queen West for neighbourhood character. And Global Village Backpackers for budget travelers near Kensington Market.
Where should you stay in Toronto?
The Hazelton Hotel ($400–900 CAD/night) — Toronto’s finest boutique hotel in Yorkville, with beautifully designed rooms, impeccable service, and the Hazelton Bar for an excellent cocktail. The best special-occasion stay in the city.
The Drake Hotel ($200–350 CAD/night) — West Queen West’s iconic boutique hotel and arts venue. Creative rooms, excellent underground bar, and the best neighbourhood location for Toronto’s independent restaurant scene.
One King West ($180–300 CAD/night) — The former Dominion Bank headquarters turned hotel, with two towers connected by the original 1914 banking hall. Suite-style rooms, good location, distinctive architecture.
Global Village Backpackers ($35–65 CAD/dorm) — The best budget option in downtown Toronto, near Kensington Market and Chinatown with a rooftop patio and social events.
Before You Go
Get a Presto card at the airport. Book Aloette or Lee dinner weeks ahead. Check TIFF dates for September. And leave a day for a Niagara Falls trip — it's 90 minutes by car and genuinely worth it.
When is the best time to visit Toronto?
June through September — Summer is when Toronto is fully alive, with outdoor festivals, the waterfront, the Toronto Islands, and the patios that the city spends all winter waiting to open again. July and August are peak; September combines good weather with smaller crowds.
September — The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) runs in early September and turns the city into a film event — public screenings, celebrity sightings, and an energy that is unlike any other time of year.
October — Fall colours in High Park and along the Humber and Don rivers. Smaller crowds. The Distillery District Christmas Market opens in late November, running through December.
January through March — Cold (-15°C at peak) but fully functional. The PATH underground walkway system connects downtown buildings. Ice skating on Nathan Phillips Square. The quietest and cheapest time to visit.
Toronto is the hub of southern Ontario — Niagara Falls is 90 minutes, Ottawa is 4 hours by VIA Rail, and Montreal is 5 hours. It’s also the primary entry point for visitors arriving from the US by air. See the full Canada destinations guide for Ontario and eastern Canada planning.