The best things to do in Toronto, selected with a local point of view. Find attractions, parks, tours, markets and neighbourhood finds.
Showing 241–264 of 494 experiences.
The largest night market in North America — Markham Night Market draws 100,000+ visitors per weekend across its summer run. Over 600 vendors serving Taiwanese bubble waffle, Korean corn dogs, Japanese taiyaki, Hong Kong egg tarts, Vietnamese bánh mì, and every pan-Asian street food imaginable. The atmosphere is electric after dark.
Time needed: 2–4 hours depending on crowds and ticket lines.
Markham's lifestyle shopping destination — Markville combines 140+ stores with a dining wing that includes excellent Asian food options unique to the GTA mall scene. The Fashion District anchor stores and the specialty retailers serving Markham's multicultural community make Markville a shopping experience that doesn't feel like a generic suburban mall.
Time needed: 2–4 hours depending on crowds and dining plans.
Toronto's great outdoor spine — the Martin Goodman Trail runs 56km along Lake Ontario from the Humber River to Scarborough Bluffs. Fully paved, largely car-free, and offering continuous lake views with the CN Tower and downtown skyline in constant rotation. Cyclists, runners, and inline skaters share one of North America's great urban recreational corridors.
Time needed: 1–3 hours for an out-and-back ride; a whole day if you want to cover the full length.
Toronto's regulated massage therapy profession means high standards for registered practitioners — the city has hundreds of RMT clinics offering deep tissue, Swedish, hot stone, and specialized sports massage. Many extended health benefits cover RMT treatments. For visitors, the combination of quality and reasonable pricing makes Toronto an excellent destination for therapeutic bodywork.
Time needed: 1–1.5 hours for a typical massage session including intake and wind-down time.
Toronto's most acoustically perfect concert hall — Massey Hall has been the stage for legendary live recordings since 1894 (Neil Young, Rush, Gordon Lightfoot, and dozens more). The recent restoration returned the heritage building to its full glory while adding new performance spaces. Every seat sounds extraordinary.
Time needed: 2–3 hours for a show, including time to get drinks and explore the building.
One of Canada's most important art collections — the McMichael in Kleinburg holds an extraordinary Group of Seven collection in a stunning hand-hewn log building surrounded by 100 acres of Humber Valley conservation land. The setting is as magnificent as the art inside.
Time needed: 2–4 hours, more if you explore the trails or sculpture garden.
Knights jousting on real horses while you eat a four-course feast with your hands — Medieval Times is genuine theatrical spectacle. The horses are real Andalusians, the swordplay is trained choreography, and the crowd participation (cheering for your knight's colour) makes it irresistibly fun regardless of age. A classic Toronto family experience.
Time needed: About 2.5 hours, including pre-show time and the main tournament.
Toronto's largest performing arts venue — Meridian Hall holds 3,200 and books major theatrical touring productions, dance companies, and large-format arts events that sit between arena-scale and the intimate theatre circuit. The Bolshoi Ballet, Cirque du Soleil spin-offs, and major touring musicals fill the calendar.
Time needed: 2–3 hours, depending on show runtime.
Midtown Toronto's hidden hilltop views — the Eglinton and Mount Pleasant corridor sits on one of the highest natural elevations in the old city. The corner of Leaside Park, the upper Beltline Trail, and certain midtown streets provide unexpected views south over the entire downtown skyline. Often missed by visitors focused on waterfront angles.
Time needed: 45–90 minutes
Toronto's mindfulness scene has grown significantly — from the Shambhala Meditation Centre's regular guided sits, to community drop-in meditation at the Zen Buddhist Temple, to weekly mindfulness events at various wellness studios. The city offers genuine community meditation practice at accessible or free prices.
Time needed: 1–1.5 hours per session
Toronto's finest Turkish hammam experience — a marble-tiled steam room, exfoliation by a trained tellak attendant with a kese mitt, and a full body soap massage. Housed inside the Shangri-La Hotel, Miraj brings an authentic Ottoman hammam tradition to King West with a level of craft and ritual that makes it unlike any standard spa.
Time needed: 2–2.5 hours including steam, treatment, and relaxing afterward.
The site of Toronto's most beloved discount store becomes a heritage destination — Honest Ed's legendary discount emporium (1948–2016) has been replaced by Mirvish Village, a mixed development that preserves Victorian houses from the block and maintains a year-round market. The story of Honest Ed Mirvish himself is part of Toronto's cultural heritage.
Time needed: 1–2 hours, or longer if you linger during market events.
The most conveniently located big club on Queen West — Mister Wolf is an 8,000-square-foot multi-level venue at 567 Queen St W with a proper engineered sound system, Top 40 and hip-hop programming on weekends, and a VIP bottle service setup for up to 500 guests. Cover is a flat $10, the location on the Graffiti Alley strip is unbeatable, and the venue is polished without being pretentious.
Time needed: 2–4 hours, depending how long you want to dance or queue for drinks late-night.
A special Mother's Day premier dining cruise aboard the Odyssey through Toronto Harbour — a full 2-hour plated dining experience with harbour and skyline views, live entertainment, and the signature Odyssey service. At CA$104, this is one of the most memorable ways to celebrate in the city.
Time needed: 2–2.5 hours
Interactive dinner theatre where you are the detective — Toronto's Mysteriously Yours (running since 1984) seats guests in a restaurant while professional actors perform a mystery you investigate between courses. You submit your suspect guess at the end. Equal parts silly and genuinely engaging — consistently one of Toronto's best group night out options.
Time needed: 2.5–3 hours
Toronto's most interactive and photography-friendly attraction — the Museum of Illusions hosts over 70 mind-bending optical illusions, holograms, and perception-twisting installations that make for genuinely surprising and social-media-ready photos. One of the few Toronto attractions that is as good for adults as it is for kids.
Time needed: 1–1.5 hours (add 30 minutes if busy or with a big group).
Understanding Toronto's history — the Museum of Toronto and Heritage Toronto run rotating exhibitions and programs that dig into the city's complex and layered history: Indigenous territory, colonial settlement, immigration waves, urban transformation, and the stories of specific neighbourhoods. Programming changes throughout the year.
Time needed: 1–2 hours, depending on the current exhibition.
Ontario's iconic cottage country — 2 hours north of Toronto. Huntsville, Bracebridge, and Gravenhurst offer pristine lakes, classic Ontario cottages, and the Algonquin Provincial Park gateway. Even a day trip reveals why Muskoka is called Canada's Cottage Country.
Time needed: Full day (including 4+ hours driving round-trip from Toronto).
Ontario's most beautiful lake country — the Muskoka region's 1,600 lakes and rivers offer world-class paddling from Gravenhurst, Bracebridge, and Huntsville. Canoe and kayak rentals at any lake launching point; guided portage routes cover classic Canadian wilderness paddling on lakes surrounded by granite and pine. A 2-hour drive away.
Time needed: Full day, or a weekend if you’re adding portage routes.
The city's public square and outdoor living room. Free concerts, festivals, food trucks, ice skating in winter, and the iconic TORONTO sign that every visitor must photograph.
Time needed: 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on season and events.
Wednesday lunchtime farmers market at Toronto City Hall's outdoor plaza — office workers, tourists, and downtown residents converge on Nathan Phillips Square for local Ontario produce, artisan baked goods, and hot food vendors. The CN Tower backdrop makes every market selfie excellent.
Time needed: 30–45 minutes for a quick shop or lunch break.
Toronto's most iconic winter activity — the outdoor rink at Nathan Phillips Square in front of City Hall offers free skating under the famous TORONTO sign. Free skate rentals available weekdays. December through March, with holiday lighting and hot chocolate from the rinkside café. On a clear winter evening, this is what Toronto looks like at its finest.
Time needed: 1–2 hours depending on crowds and your stamina.
One of the world's top four ballet companies — the National Ballet of Canada performs at the Four Seasons Centre with a season spanning classical ballet (Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker) and contemporary works choreographed by international masters. The Nutcracker every December is Toronto's most beloved holiday tradition.
Time needed: 2.5–3 hours (including one intermission for most shows).
Canada's Grand Slam — the National Bank Open (formerly Rogers Cup) is an ATP/WTA Masters 1000 tournament held every August in Toronto and Montreal alternating. The world's best players compete at Aviva Centre with Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, Serena, and every top-10 player on the draw. Practice courts are free to attend.
Time needed: 2–6 hours depending on matches and wandering the grounds; full day if you want the full experience.
First-timers should start with the CN Tower observation deck for city views, then walk the Distillery District and Kensington Market for culture and food. Add Ripley's Aquarium, a Harbourfront walk, and St. Lawrence Market on a Saturday morning. For a full plan, see our 48-hour first-timer itinerary.
Check our Events page for live concerts, sports, and festivals happening this weekend. Regulars include the Distillery District on weekends, Kensington Market, Saturday morning at St. Lawrence Market, and the Toronto Islands by ferry. In summer, look for outdoor festivals along the waterfront.
Toronto is excellent for families. Top picks: Ripley's Aquarium of Canada (the shark tunnel alone is worth it), the Toronto Zoo, Ontario Science Centre, High Park, the ferry to Centre Island, and the CN Tower glass floor. The waterfront and Harbourfront Centre also have excellent free kids programming in summer.
Some of the best free activities include exploring the Toronto Islands (ferry costs $9.38 return), walking the Harbourfront, visiting High Park and the Scarborough Bluffs, browsing the Distillery District and Kensington Market, and checking out the Art Gallery of Ontario on the first Wednesday of the month from 6–9pm. Graffiti Alley is always free.
Toronto is famous for the CN Tower, the Distillery District, world-class food markets like St. Lawrence Market, its multicultural neighbourhoods (Kensington Market, Little Italy, Greektown, Chinatown), and being a major sports city home to the Raptors, Maple Leafs, and Blue Jays.
3–4 days is ideal to see the main highlights including the waterfront, CN Tower, Distillery District, Kensington Market, and a few neighbourhood restaurants. A full week lets you explore more neighbourhoods, do a day trip to Niagara Falls, and enjoy live events or sports.
June to September is peak season with warm weather, patios, festivals like TIFF and Caribbean Carnival, and outdoor events. May and October offer fewer crowds with still-pleasant weather. Winter is great if you love skating, the Christmas Market, and indoor culture.
Downtown Toronto is very walkable — most major attractions, restaurants, and hotels are accessible on foot or via the TTC subway and streetcar. The PATH underground network connects many downtown buildings. The Harbourfront trail is a beautiful flat walk along the lake.
WTF Toronto creates guides using independent editorial research, official sources, local knowledge and firsthand experience where available. Commercial relationships are disclosed where applicable.