Fortune magazine recently billed Toronto as the world’s “newest great city,” and for good reason: You’ll find an exciting array things to see and do in Toronto. If you’re short on time, you might have trouble figuring out exactly what to do. Let this list help you out:
Amazing Restaurants and Eateries
The St. Lawrence Market on Front St. has served up fresh produce, meats and cheeses since 1901. Food and Wine Magazine calls it one of the “world’s best food markets.” Once your shopping bag – or your tummy – is full, be sure to browse the market’s many antique displays, flea markets, and seasonal wares, which are sold mostly on weekends.
For dessert, check out the Bang Bang Ice Cream and Bakery on Ossington Avenue. This delectable bakery/dairy focuses on hand-stuffed, homemade ice cream sandwiches and ice cream-filled macaroons. Along with great staple flavors like Burnt Toffee, the bakery regularly tantalizes its customers with a “surprise” flavor-of-the-day.
Fascinating Museums
After you’ve fed your stomach, feed your brain with an educational trip to one of Toronto’s premier museums. You simply cannot go wrong with a visit to the Royal Ontario Museum, or ROM, situated just north of the University of Toronto campus. This place has something for everyone: a gallery of dinosaur skeletons, a Chinese sculpture display spanning 1,500 years, archaeological textile and costume layouts from centuries ago. The kids will not be bored either; they can enjoy a fun array of hands-on projects, learning labs and a close-up view of a young Egyptian mummy.
The Ontario Science Centre is an equally fascinating interactive museum. Visitors can make full-body music in a sound panel room, watch electromagnetic ferrofluid dance, or create their own frame-by-frame animated movie. Children can build their own roller coaster and play with moveable dams and water wheels at KidSpark, a child-centered area of the museum. There’s also the Space Room full of cosmic rays and astronaut artifacts, the Living Earth area filled with natural wonders large and small, and the Science Arcade where guests can touch a tornado and take a virtual flight from the perspective of a raptor.
If you’re a hockey fan, the Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum is a great place to spend a few hours. This is not just a place where guests stand around admiring the Stanley Cup and other hockey memorabilia; it is a hands-on museum where visitors can play interactive hockey with animated versions of players like Carey Price and Sidney Crosby, compete against one another in “Slapshot Trivia,” and take in exciting 3D hockey films.
Toronto Theater District
Toronto’s theatrical offerings rank right up there with New York City’s Broadway and the fine productions of London’s West End. The city hosts several theatrical festivals each year and is a regular stop for touring theater troupes from New York and London. Landmark theaters include the Ed Mirvish Theater (formerly known as the Pantages), the Princess of Wales Theater, and Air Canada Centre, where guests can lose themselves in brilliant dramatic and musical performances for a few hours.
Current and recent professional theatrical productions in Toronto include Tony Award winners like Wicked by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, The Book of Mormon by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and Once, a newer musical based on the book by Enda Walsh. Concert-lovers will also find a treasure trove of offerings in the city’s theater district, including performances by musical greats like Cher, Jason Mraz, and Itzhak Perlman. Comedy seekers regularly enjoy top-notch stand-up performers like Jay Leno and Lewis Black.
Tickets to Toronto’s high-demand productions sell fast, so travelers would be wise to plan ahead if they wish to see a show or catch a concert during their trip. Last-minute tickets can sometimes be snagged, however, so if you’re in the area and hoping to relax with a night at the theater, be sure to scour your options.
Beautiful Sights
Your Toronto visit wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the top of the 1,168-foot CN Tower. Enjoy a panoramic view of the city before you set out to explore, or ascend the tower after your sight-seeing adventure is through for a cumulative review of all the magnificent things you experienced on your vacation. Tickets to the CN tower can be purchased online for singles or groups.
The Toronto Islands offer a peaceful reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the big city. The islands – eight in all – offer a car-free and carefree environment where visitors can hike, bike, and sun bathe on the beach. Adventurers can rent boats in the summer, ski in the winter, or check out the Centreville Amusement Park for water rides, kiddie rides, mini golf, and a roller coaster. At the park’s Far Enough Farm, guests get to meet farm animals, waterfowl, rodents, and other fun fuzzy creatures.
Other can’t-miss attractions include the Toronto Zoo with animals from exciting locales like Australia, Eurasia, and the African tundra and Canada’s most iconic destination, Niagara Falls, where families can enjoy water parks, attend festivals, and sneak up-close peeks at the falls on the legendary Maid of the Mist. If you’re overwhelmed by all these fantastic choices – and who wouldn’t be? – check out this list of Toronto events from Expedia to help narrow your itinerary search.
Relaxation within a Big City Vibe
After a day of pleasurable exhaustion in Toronto, sleep feels heavenly in any one of the city’s fine hotels. If you’re up for a unique hotel with one-of-a-kind rooms and artsy creature comforts, check out the Gladstone on Queen Street West. If you’ve got budgeting on the brain, the Rex Jazz & Blues Bar Hotel might be the perfect place for you to rest your head. Not sure what to choose? Hop on your favorite travel sites to help you with these tough decisions.
Stop searching for destinations online and buy your ticket to one of the greatest cities in North America. It’s all about living life to the fullest in Toronto.
