The best things to do in Toronto, selected with a local point of view. Find attractions, parks, tours, markets and neighbourhood finds.
Showing 409–432 of 494 experiences.
Canada's original cat café — 15+ resident cats roaming freely among guests who sip coffee and play. Reservations are essential on weekends. Every cat is available for adoption, and the coffee (from a quality local roaster) is genuinely good.
Time needed: 1–2 hours
A 4-hour private guided city tour of Toronto's highlights with dedicated private transfers throughout — rated by 8 operators, at CA$350. Hotel pickup, private vehicle, expert commentary, and a flexible pace through the city's best districts. The most comfortable land-based city tour available.
Time needed: 4 hours (including all transfers).
A comprehensive 8 to 9-hour small group tour covering the full sweep of Toronto's iconic sights — rated 5.0/5 with 4 reviews. This is the full-day version for visitors who want to see everything in one session: CN Tower, Distillery District, Kensington Market, waterfront, and the city's most photogenic neighbourhoods.
Time needed: Full day (8–9 hours, including breaks and lunch stops).
A 5-hour private Toronto city tour — with 122 operator reviews at CA$825 per group, this is one of the most established private city tour operators in Toronto. A comprehensive private experience covering the full city with hotel pickup, dedicated vehicle, and an expert guide who knows every neighbourhood and story.
Time needed: Set aside a full morning (about 5 hours).
A 4 to 6-hour Toronto city tour with CN Tower views and strong operator reviews. A fully organized city transportation package covering the key Toronto landmarks with CN Tower observation included. The experience reflects a well-established local operation.
Time needed: 4–6 hours, depending on traffic and stops.
Canada's most successful MLS franchise plays in an intimate 30,000-seat stadium steps from the waterfront. The South End supporter section — Inebriatti and Red Patch Boys — creates an authentic soccer atmosphere unlike anything else in North American sports.
Time needed: 2.5–3 hours for the match and crowd flow.
Toronto doubles for New York, Chicago, and Gotham City in hundreds of films annually. King West, the Financial District, and the Distillery are film location central. Self-guided walking maps of film locations are available free from the Toronto Film & Television Office.
Time needed: 1.5–2.5 hours to cover most major spots, longer if you linger for photos or side quests.
One of Canada's oldest folk music festivals — Mariposa Folk Festival has celebrated Canadian and international folk, roots, and world music for six decades. The festival's outdoor stages on Toronto Island or the waterfront create an extraordinary summer music experience unique to Toronto.
Time needed: Plan for a full afternoon and evening—at least 5–7 hours, including ferry travel.
Guided food tours of Kensington Market, Chinatown, St. Lawrence Market, and the Distillery District — led by local food experts who know the best vendors and back stories. A 3-hour eating walk covers more Toronto food culture than most visitors find in a week.
Time needed: 3 hours (plus maybe 30 minutes buffer for chatty groups or allergic detours).
Toronto's dark history revealed — walking tours of Old Toronto cover the city's genuine haunted locations: the St. Lawrence neighbourhood's former gallows, the Alexander Muir Memorial Gardens (reportedly haunted), the Market Lane Hotel, and Old City Hall with its execution history. Costumed guides, archival documentation, genuinely eerie.
Time needed: 1.5–2 hours
A 5 to 8-hour deep-dive group food tour through Toronto's most interesting culinary neighbourhoods — at CA$550, this is the most comprehensive food tour available in the city. Covers hidden gem restaurants, market vendors, and local food stories that go far beyond the standard touristy food trail.
Time needed: 5–8 hours, depending on group size and appetite.
See Toronto from the water — Toronto's harbour cruise operators offer 60–90 minute tours of the inner harbour with commentary on the city's waterfront history, CN Tower up-close, the Islands, and the full downtown skyline. Sunset cruises are particularly spectacular. The Toronto skyline from a boat is the most impressive view of the city.
Time needed: 1.5 hours including boarding and disembarking.
See Toronto from the water — the skyline, the islands, and the waterfront take on a completely different scale from Lake Ontario's surface. Multiple operators run 60–90 minute harbour tours, dinner cruises, and sunset tours from the Harbourfront.
Time needed: 60–90 minutes (or up to 3 hours for a dinner cruise).
The most exhilarating way to see the Toronto skyline — speedboats skim across the inner harbour at high speed with the CN Tower above and the full skyline in view. The 30-minute express harbour loop with a guide covers the full downtown waterfront at a perspective no walking or cycling tour can match.
Time needed: 45–60 minutes total (including check-in and gear-up time).
The most spectacular view of Toronto available — a helicopter tour gives you the CN Tower from above, the islands, the lake, and Canada's largest city from 1,000 feet. 15–30 minute tours reveal the full urban scale of Toronto in a way that permanently changes how you see the city from the ground.
Time needed: Plan 1.5–2 hours including check-in, safety briefing, and your 15–30 minute flight.
Two days for CA$145 — a full Toronto hop-on hop-off bus day combined with a dedicated Niagara Falls day tour. With 13 operator reviews, this is the best-value two-destination package available from Toronto and an excellent option for visitors who want both cities covered efficiently.
Time needed: Full two days — expect 6–10 hours of touring each day including transport.
The classic open-top hop-on hop-off Toronto bus tour combined with a scenic harbour boat cruise — CA$79 for the full flexibility of the bus network plus a harbour cruise included. Covers all major stops across the city at your own pace with the harbour cruise as a built-in highlight.
Time needed: A full loop takes about 2–2.5 hours, but stopping at sites plus the cruise means you’ll want at least 5–6 hours to do it justice.
A 4-hour self-guided walking tour of Toronto's iconic core and key landmarks — available from CA$7, this is the most affordable comprehensive walking tour in the city. Perfect for independent travellers who want structured guidance through the downtown landmarks without paying for a group tour.
Time needed: 3–4 hours, depending on stops and pace.
Annual improv comedy festival celebrating long-form and short-form improv with troupes from across Canada and internationally. Workshop sessions during the day, performances every night — the Toronto improv community is deep and the festival showcases its best.
Time needed: 2–4 hours per evening event; workshops run 1–2 hours each.
One of the world's three most important film festivals — TIFF runs 11 days every September with 300+ film premieres, A-list celebrity sightings on King Street West, and the festival energy that turns Toronto into the global movie capital. The People's Choice Award winner has gone on to win Best Picture eight times.
Time needed: 2–4 hours per screening session, or spend a full day to catch several films and soak in the festival atmosphere.
A 15-minute ferry ride to a car-free island paradise. Beaches, bike rentals, Centreville amusement park for kids, and the best skyline view in the city. The definition of Toronto summer.
Time needed: Half day to a full day, depending on activities and crowds.
The best $8 family day trip in Canada — the Toronto Islands ferry from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal puts you on 612 acres of car-free parkland with beaches, an amusement park, picnic areas, a petting zoo, kayak rentals, and the most spectacular view of the Toronto skyline available. All for $8 round-trip ferry fare.
Time needed: 3–6 hours depending on your chill levels and how many stops (Centre Island, Hanlan’s, Ward’s) you try to squeeze in.
A 2 to 3-hour guided tour of Toronto's most iconic landmarks — rated a perfect 5.0/5 with 6 reviews. Covers the essential city highlights on foot: CN Tower area, Harbourfront, financial district architecture, and the historic neighbourhoods that give Toronto its character. Currently on special offer at CA$52 (was CA$70).
Time needed: 2–3 hours (walk covers about 4 km with lots of stops).
The most passionate hockey fan base in the world watching the most storied franchise in the NHL. Whatever happens on the ice, the crowd energy at a Leafs home game at Scotiabank Arena is a full Toronto experience — expect sold-out, electric, and emotionally unpredictable.
Time needed: 3–3.5 hours including time to get through security and post-game crowds.
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.