Toronto in a Day

Due to our tight schedule we only had one full day to see Toronto so we made a plan to walk from West to East while discovering all of the cool pockets in the city. We wish we had seen even more but here are a few places we really enjoyed.

Entering the Distillery
I love Toronto

West Queen West

Toronto is a cool city and this neighborhood is super hip! This art and design mecca is chock-full of galleries, vintage shops, nifty bars and eclectic eateries. We were lucky to find some arepas at Arepa Café, a Venezuelan eatery nearby. To walk off our meal we then headed over to the lovely Trinity Bellwoods Park near our Airbnb.

Arepa Cafe
Arepas in Toronto
Playing with letters
Roam and Find fun with letters

Princes’ Gates

We were heading towards the shoreline of Lake Ontario when we stopped by this lovely architectural gem for pictures.

Princes' Gates
Princes’ Gates

Coronation Park

The walk along the shoreline of Lake Ontario is a beautiful one with many scenic parks along the way. Relax at Coronation park by taking in the sights of the resident ducks and boats passing by.

Marina along Lake Ontario
Marina along Lake Ontario

Toronto Music Garden

This intricate garden designed in collaboration with cellist Yo Yo Ma was inspired by Bach’s music and is gorgeous! We spent a couple of hours winding up and down the garden among the enchanting flowers. It truly is a special place.

Beautiful views from the Toronto Music Garden
Beautiful views from the Toronto Music Garden

HtO Park

This chill urban beach in the middle of the city is complete with real sand, lounge chairs and huge yellow umbrellas.

HtO Beach on Lake Ontario
HtO Beach break

Harbour Park Centre

Enjoy beautiful views of the marina at this cultural center offering performances in theater, dance, music and more. Pet lovers- be sure to visit Purina PawsWay nearby offering exhibits on responsible pet care, notable heroic animals, agility courses for pets, and even a memorial section for those pets who have passed.

Swan on the lake
Swan near Harbour Centre
swan diving in water
Swan dive
CN Tower in the distance
Walking around the city- CN Tower and street car

Roundhouse Park

Our next stop, the site of the Toronto Railway Museum and the Steam Whistle Brewery. At the brewery you could take a tour ($10.00) and also sample their beer for free. We thought the tour was a bit pricey so we skipped it but we did partake in the free sample which was perfect for a hot day.

Steam Whistle Brewery
Steam Whistle Brewery

CN Tower

When in Rome… we had to visit the CN tower before leaving Toronto. Once we arrived I was a bit disappointed with the steep price ($35.00 pp) and how packed the place was. It was all very touristy (which was expected) and the views behind a steel cage were not that great (not expected). We had visited a similar viewpoint in Chile before where the views were behind glass and at least in this case you could take good pictures. They did have a cool glass floor that was a bit thrilling… that is if you could get to it while stepping over 50 people. It’s definitely more of a one time experience. I’ll say that the view of the tower was better from a distance, especially since it was beautifully lit up for pride (month in Toronto!)

CN Tower
CN Tower
Glass bottom
Glass bottom
Vertical views from the glass floor
Vertical views
View from the top of the CN tower
View from the restaurant at CN Tower
CN Tower during Pride
CN Tower all lit up- View from our room

 

Old Town Toronto

Here you’ll find the St. Lawrence Market– founded in the 1800’s this market is one of the largest in the world and named one of the best in the world by National Geographic.

St. Lawrence Market Old Town Toronto
St. Lawrence Market

St. James Park and Cathedral– This lovely church from the 19th Century surrounded by lush gardens is a great place to rest after a long walk across the city. We even enjoyed some live Jazz while we were visiting.

St. James Park and Cathedral
St. James Park and Cathedral

Distillery Historic District

Probably one of the coolest places to see restored buildings in the city! Repurposed into boutique shops, cafes, restaurants, a microbrewery (and more) this distillery from the 1800’s has been designated a National Historic Site. The area is very well designed and a great place to shoot some good pictures.

Gooderham & Worts Distillery
Gooderham & Worts Distillery
Distillery buildings
Cool buildings
Lovely sculptures
Lovely sculptures
Shops and restaurants in the Distillery
Shops and restaurants in the Distillery
Old bottles displayed at the distillery
Up for a drink?

 

Thanks for a great time Toronto! We’ll be back!
Reflection of the CN Tower
Reflection of the CN Tower

Where we’re headed next:

  • Niagara Falls