An Expert Travel Guide To Toronto, Canada

We spent three awesome days in Toronto in January. As you can expect it was cold, snowy, and temperatures did not get above 15 degrees! Although we did know all this ahead of time and were prepared; we bundled up and drank loads of hot chocolate! We also planned a bunch of activities indoors. This blog is a full travel guide to Toronto: what to do, where to eat, where to stay, and a few bonus tips!

Canada is such a beautiful country! I would love to spend months just exploring it (that’s every country, but still). Toronto is such a fun city to visit! There are so many wonderful shops and restaurants to try! In the summer Lake Erie is perfect to rent a boat and view the city from the water!

Hockey Hall of Fame

Canada is the home of hockey. You must visit the Hockey Hall of Fame while you are in Toronto! I am not a huge sports fan, but even I found the museum super fun and interesting! I loved seeing the old uniforms and jerseys from almost 100 years ago! One of the coolest things is seeing the Stanley Cup! I got to see the Washington Capital’s name on there too (my hometown). Sam was excited to see his Chicago Blackhawks on there several times.

One of the most fun things to do there is interactive hockey games! In one game you can be the goalie and try to stop the pucks from getting into the net. In another game, you can be the shooter. They have a news broadcasting studio set up if you want to try your hand at a sports broadcaster (see our stories for the fun)!

• $20, per person, they stamp your hand, so if you want to come back later in the day you can
• Opens 362 days a year, except Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and Induction Day (NOV).
• Located downstairs of the Brookfield Place

CN Tower

Another great place to visit in Toronto is the CN tower! This is one of Canada’s highest skyscrapers. I am not a very big fan of heights and the elevator ride up was the scariest part for me (think glass windows and floors).

Once you are up in the tower, there are floor-to-ceiling windows to see the view – which is incredible! There is an option to do the Sky Walk in the summer – this is where you experience the outside of the CN Tower roof hands-free! There is also a place inside, where you can walk on glass!

• $53 to get up into the tower
• Opens from 9 am-sunset, we arrived in the morning and there was hardly anyone else there!
• Edge Walk is available starting in April! 

Casa Loma

This is a beautiful castle, located right in the heart of Toronto! It is such a stunning home and hard to miss! Casa Loma was built in 1914 by Sir Henry Pellatt. The castle is regarded as a treasured heritage landmark; from its stunning architecture to its gorgeous gardens it is the perfect place to add to your itinerary when visiting Toronto!

• Tickets $30, if you are short on cash it is just as beautiful on the outside!
• Parking $5

Bonus – Who doesn’t like bonus tips?! Here are just a few more things to do when you are visiting Toronto!

Raptors Game

Of course, one of the main reasons we visited Toronto was to see the Raptors play! For any of you unfamiliar with sports, this is Toronto’s basketball team! It was such a fun night – we got to eat in the Platinum Club restaurant and come out on the lower section! It was a blast!

Where to Stay:

We certainly lucked out with our Airbnb. It was a fantastic condo on the 13^th floor! It has a great view of the city, a full kitchen, and an apple tv! I do have to note, it was a bit difficult to get in, there were several key fobs for the garage and the room. However, once we got to the room it didn’t matter!

What to Eat:

We had so much delicious food in Toronto! Here are just a few of our favorite places!

Sunset Grill

The Sunset Grill was right around the corner from where we stayed. It is an all-day breakfast place! We could tell from the moment we walked in the restaurant was popular! The seating space was small but perfect for us. I ordered the hot chocolate and pancakes, Sam had the full breakfast; including eggs, bacon, and potatoes! So yummy! They are open 354 days a year; Monday – Friday 7 am – 3 pm & Saturday & Sunday 7 am to 3:30 pm.

Total meal cost: $35

Tim Hortons

If you do not go to a Tim Hortons when in Canada, did you even go to Canada? Seriously though, they had some of the best hot chocolate and donuts I have ever had (sorry Dunkin Donuts)! You can find them all around the city, they are usually open 24 hours. When we went there for lunch, I got their chili and it was spectacular! It’s something you cannot miss in Canada!

Total meal cost: $17

Smoke’s Poutinerie

One of Canada’s traditional foods is poutine. Poutine is french fries with cheese curds, covered in gravy. Now, this did not sound too appetizing to me at first; but it was delicious after a full day of walking in the cold! We went to Smoke’s Poutinerie, and we ordered the traditional poutine, but there were so many more options! Including jerk chicken, pulled pork, and Korean to name a few!

Total meal cost: $9

Boston Pizza

This was right across the street from our Airbnb, but there are several other locations around Toronto. It was a great restaurant with a fun, sports bar atmosphere! We obviously got pizza (I got the meat and Sam got the Hawaiian) and it was delicious! Most locations close around 1 am and will open again at 11 am.

Total meal cost: $35

Scaddabush

This was by far my favorite restaurant! A truly classic Italian-style restaurant, complete with family-style tables and meal options! I highly recommend making a reservation before you go – we did not and waited 30 minutes before we were seated. For starters, we had the mozzarella and I was in heaven! Sam ordered the spaghetti sorrentina for the main course and I had the shrimp spaghetti. I wish I could give you a taste because I am falling short of how delicious this food was! To top it all off, we got the cheesecake for dessert! OMG, I need to go again!

Total meal cost: $70

2^nd Bonus – I thought I might as well add a second bonus to this travel guide…because why not!?

Drive to Niagara Falls

Another great activity to do, if you are looking to travel outside the city, is visiting Niagara Falls! It is just an hour away from Toronto and the drive is so easy! Most people say Canada’s side has a better view of the falls, but I like both viewpoints. 😊

Horseshoe Falls 

When we visited the falls, it was a frozen wonderland, and the railings, street lamps, and greenery were covered with ice! We parked ($10) close to the falls and enjoyed a nice walk soaking in the beauty! There are loads of shops and gift shops around, as well as a Tim Hortons if you need lunch or a coffee!

Crossing the US/Canadian Border

You can cross the Canadian border and visit the American side of the falls if you want. Here are just a few tips on how to cross the border (via Rainbow Bridge):

◾Bring your passport

◾There will be a toll for crossing the bridge (if you have an EZ pass, that will work also)

◾We were not asked to get out of our car

◾We were only asked about what we did in Canada; how long and where we stayed

USA Side-New York

American Falls

There are three parts to Niagara Falls; the American Falls is the second largest of the three. There are several viewpoints to see the American Falls.

One is located to the left of the falls. This is where we saw the Illumination colors at night! This is also a great spot to see the falls from a farther standing point.

The second location is to the right of the falls. Here you can actually feel the mist from the falls!! It was so crazy!

◾Parking is $5 for the day

Bridal Veil Falls

The Bridal Veil Falls are the smallest of the three falls. They are right next to the American Falls (I thought they were one and the same lol).

Here is a full guide on exploring Niagara!

I hope you enjoyed reading this guide to Toronto! It was such a fun city to explore! We would love to come back and visit in the summer!

If you have any specific questions about visiting Toronto/Canada please be sure to leave a comment below or contact us!