A 120-kilometre aerial tour of Toronto by light aircraft with iflyTOTO — the city's most expansive air tour option, covering the full skyline, Toronto Islands, Lake Ontario, and surrounding region in a breathtaking low-altitude flight. Rated 4.2/5 with nearly 200 reviews, this is a step up from the helicopter tour for those who want to cover serious ground.
Neighbourhood: Waterfront · Address: Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport area · Hours: Weather permitting — advance booking required · Phone: (905) 878-4908
Why Visit
This is Toronto’s only sightseeing flight covering the entire city and beyond—see everything from the Islands to downtown, the Scarborough Bluffs, and shoreline suburbs all in one go. You’ll get rare aerial views you can’t access any other way.
What Makes It Unique
Unlike the typical helicopter loops, iflyTOTO’s fixed-wing flight covers up to 120km—more than double the city coverage of competitors and at a lower altitude for better sightlines. The route is flexible to conditions, and experienced pilots often point out unique landmarks you’d miss on the ground.
If you want the version of Toronto sightseeing that actually makes your jaw drop, this is it. The 120km aerial tour with iflyTOTO isn’t just a quick spin over downtown—it’s the “okay, now I understand this city” flight. You’re taking off from the Billy Bishop area in a light aircraft, not a helicopter, which means you can cover way more ground and see Toronto as part of the whole region instead of just circling the CN Tower for a few minutes. It’s absolutely a splurge, but for the right person, it earns it.
What makes this one special is the scale. From the air, the skyline looks sharp and compact at first, then the city starts unfurling around it. You see the Toronto Islands stretched out like a barrier between downtown and Lake Ontario, the marinas and waterfront trails, the cluster of condo towers, the industrial edges, the green ravines, and then the wider sweep of Southern Ontario beyond. That bigger context is what you don’t get from the ground. Toronto suddenly makes sense geographically. You realize how much the lake shapes everything.
The flight itself feels exciting without being overly polished or theme-park-ish. It’s more real than that. You check in, go through a safety briefing, and then head out to the aircraft. Once you’re up, you’re low enough to actually pick out details—ferries moving across the harbour, tiny baseball diamonds in the parks, the curve of the Gardiner, even the contrast between dense downtown blocks and quieter residential pockets farther out. If you’re into photography, this is fantastic, especially in the front seat, which gives you the cleanest angles and fewer awkward wing-in-the-shot moments. If that matters to you, ask when booking rather than hoping for it on the day.
I’d especially recommend this for aviation people, big milestone dates, or anyone who’s already done the standard Toronto attractions and wants something that feels genuinely memorable. It’s also a smart upgrade if you were considering a helicopter ride but actually want to see more than the postcard view. With nearly 200 reviews and a solid 4.2/5 rating, it’s clearly not some obscure operator people regret choosing.
A couple of honest tips: book early in your trip, not on your last day, because weather really does matter and rescheduling happens. Clear mornings are your best bet for visibility, calmer air, and better photos before haze builds over the lake. Wear something comfortable, don’t overdo it with bags, and make sure your phone or camera is fully charged before you arrive. The whole thing runs on aviation timing, so showing up late is a bad idea.
This is one of those Toronto experiences that sticks with you because it changes your sense of place. You’re not just looking at landmarks—you’re seeing how the lake, islands, downtown core, and outer edges all fit together. It’s thrilling, a little surreal, and worth doing if you want the city from its most dramatic angle.