Scarborough has the Bluffs, the best South Asian food in Ontario, Rouge National Urban Park, and a culinary scene that downtown Toronto can't match. Here's how to spend a day.
Scarborough is Toronto's most underrated day out. It's a former city that was amalgamated into Toronto in 1998, and it has the food culture, natural scenery, and community institutions to match any neighbourhood in the old city — with a fraction of the crowds and tourist infrastructure. If you've only seen downtown Toronto, you haven't seen the city.
The Scarborough Bluffs are the non-negotiable opening act. These 90-metre white clay cliffs run for 15km along the Lake Ontario shoreline east of the city — a geological formation left by the last ice age. Bluffer's Park at the base of the cliffs has a beach, a marina, and the most dramatic waterfront scenery in Greater Toronto. The best cliff-top views are from the Scarborough Bluffs Park lookout above; the best lake-level views are from Bluffer's Beach below. Do both.
The walk along the Doris McCarthy Trail from Scarborough Bluffs Park down to Bluffer's Beach is the best hiking within city limits in Toronto — about 2.5km with significant elevation change, great views, and almost nobody doing it. Allow 45 minutes one way if you're taking it easy.
Gerrard Street East (Gerrard India Bazaar, technically at Gerrard and Coxwell, adjacent to Scarborough) is Toronto's South Asian commercial strip — sari shops, spice stores, music stores, and about 40 Indian restaurants in 10 blocks. This is where Greater Toronto's South Asian community actually eats. Udupi Palace (1460 Gerrard St E) serves South Indian vegetarian food that is genuinely excellent and costs about $12 for a full meal. Lahore Tikka House (1365 Gerrard St E) is the halal grill that's been drawing crowds for 30 years — the seekh kebab and karahi are the orders.
The Scarborough Town Centre area (Ellesmere/McCowan) has a completely different food scene: authentic Hong Kong-style dim sum, Vietnamese pho houses, and Korean BBQ restaurants that have no equivalent downtown. The Golden Wheel (Brimley Road area) and T&T Supermarket are worth an afternoon circuit for anyone serious about food.
Rouge National Urban Park Rouge National Urban Park is the only national park within the boundaries of a major Canadian city. Hiking trails through the Rouge Valley, seasonal salmon runs in the Rouge River, and wetland habitats 40 minutes by transit from downtown. Free entry, no booking required. Access from Rouge Hill GO Station.
Scarborough's evening dining scene runs late and runs cheap. The stretch of Sheppard Avenue East through Agincourt has excellent Sichuan, Hunan, and Xi'an cuisine at prices that will recalibrate your sense of what Toronto food costs. For something with more of a destination feel, Scarborough Junction (Midland/Sheppard area) has newer restaurants drawing people from across the city. End the night at one of the dessert shops along Sheppard — Hong Kong-style egg waffles and mango sago are the current obsession.
Scarborough Bluffs Guide → — Explore Scarborough Bluffs and the best of the east end
Absolutely — the Scarborough Bluffs are one of the most spectacular natural features in the Toronto area and genuinely worth the trip. The 90-metre white clay cliffs overlooking Lake Ontario are unlike anything else in the Greater Toronto Area. Bluffer's Park at the base has a beach and marina. The best experience combines the cliff-top lookouts with the walk down the Doris McCarthy Trail to the beach.
The Scarborough Bluffs are accessible from Kennedy Station (Line 2 Bloor-Danforth) via the 12 Kingston Road bus. For Gerrard India Bazaar, take the 506 Carlton streetcar east to Coxwell Station. For the Scarborough Town Centre, take Line 2 to Kennedy and then the RT/bus connections. Google Maps with TTC selected gives accurate directions from anywhere downtown.
Scarborough is famous for having the most authentic South Asian, East Asian, and Caribbean food in Greater Toronto. The Gerrard India Bazaar is the centre of Toronto's South Asian commercial and culinary life. The Sheppard/Agincourt area has the best Sichuan and Cantonese restaurants outside of downtown. The Markham Road area has exceptional Jamaican and Caribbean food.
Rouge National Urban Park is Canada's first urban national park and the only national park within the boundaries of a major Canadian city. Located in northeast Scarborough, the park covers over 79 square kilometres of Rouge Valley forests, wetlands, the Rouge River, and the Lake Ontario shoreline. Entry is free and there are trails for all skill levels.
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