Toronto Activities Guide: CN Tower, Niagara Falls, Kensington & the Waterfront

How to split your time in Toronto

Toronto is Canada's largest city and the logical base for a southern Ontario trip. For 5–7 days, split your time between the downtown waterfront and inner-city neighborhoods (days 1–3) and a day trip to Niagara Falls (day 4), with the remaining days for the outer neighborhoods — Kensington Market, Little Italy, Leslieville. The TTC subway is limited in coverage but useful for the main north-south corridor (Yonge line) and downtown east-west (Bloor line). Single ride costs $3.30 CAD with a Presto card; a day pass is $13.50 CAD. Uber and Lyft are widely available. Cycling infrastructure is decent in the inner city — Bike Share Toronto has stations every few blocks at $7/day for 30-minute trips (unlimited trips within the 30-minute window).

CN Tower and the waterfront

The CN Tower stands 553 meters tall on the lakeshore edge of downtown. General admission (observation level at 346 m and glass floor at 342 m) costs $43 CAD for adults, $28 CAD for children (ages 4–12). The SkyPod, higher at 447 m, costs an extra $18 CAD. The EdgeWalk — a hands-free walk on a 1.5-meter ledge outside the tower at 356 m — is $245 CAD per person and requires a booking at least 24 hours in advance. Weather can cancel it; you get a full refund if it does. The tower is open daily 9:00–22:00 (last entry 21:00). Go on a weekday morning before 11:00 to avoid school groups and tour buses. Lake Ontario is directly south of the tower. Toronto Island is a 13-minute ferry ride from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal (Bay Street dock); adult round-trip is $9.13 CAD, child $4.57 CAD. The island has beach swimming (Hanlan's Point Beach is clothing-optional), bike rentals ($10–15 CAD/hour), and the best skyline view in the city. Last ferry back is around 23:00 in summer. Ripley's Aquarium of Canada, attached to the CN Tower base, costs $41 CAD adult, $28 CAD for ages 6–13. The shark tunnel with moving walkway is the main draw. Allow 90 minutes.

Distillery District and St. Lawrence Market

The Distillery District is a pedestrian-only village of Victorian industrial buildings on the east side of downtown, converted into galleries, restaurants, and boutiques. No entry fee. The Gooderham & Worts Distillery operated here from 1832 to 1990; the heritage brick architecture is largely original. Best visited on foot — the main strip from the parking lot to the far courtyard takes about 30 minutes leisurely. Christmas Market here (late November to December) is the largest in North America; free entry Sunday to Thursday, $8 CAD on Friday and Saturday evenings. St. Lawrence Market, a few blocks west, was named the world's best food market by National Geographic in 2012. The south market building is open Tuesday–Thursday 9:00–19:00, Friday 9:00–20:00, Saturday 5:00–17:00; closed Sunday and Monday. The peameal bacon sandwich ($8–10 CAD) from Carousel Bakery has been made at the same stall since 1983 — worth the short queue. Upper level vendors sell produce, cheese, and specialty foods. Free to enter.

Niagara Falls day trip

Niagara Falls is 130 km south of Toronto — 1.5 hours by car on the QEW highway, or 2 hours by GO Bus from Union Station ($17.50 CAD one-way). The falls straddle the Canada–US border; the Canadian side (Niagara Falls, Ontario) has the better views. Horseshoe Falls is the main Canadian falls — 57 meters tall and 670 meters wide. There is no entry fee to view the falls from the public walkways along Niagara Parkway. Maid of the Mist boat (departs from the base of Horseshoe Falls) costs $32 CAD adult, $19.50 CAD child. Rain poncho included; expect to get wet. Journey Behind the Falls (tunnel walk behind the water curtain) is $25 CAD adult, $16 CAD child — worth it for the roar and the spray through the portals. Book both online in advance in summer (June–August); lines are long. The best free views are from Table Rock, the overlook platform right at the brink — free, open 24 hours. Come at dusk; the falls are lit with colored LED lighting from sunset until midnight year-round. Hornblower Niagara Cruises runs the Canadian boat tour; Maid of the Mist operates on the US side. Both offer similar experiences.

Kensington Market and Little Italy

Kensington Market is a half-square-kilometer neighborhood of vintage clothing, international food stalls, and murals, roughly bounded by Dundas Street West, College Street, Bathurst, and Spadina. No market hall — it is an open street neighborhood, free to walk and browse. Pedestrian Sundays (last Sunday of each month, May–October) close the main streets to traffic 12:00–18:00. Best for grazing: empanadas ($3–4 CAD), fresh fruit ($1–2 CAD a bag), and jerk chicken ($10–12 CAD a plate). Courage My Love at 14 Kensington Ave is one of the oldest vintage stores in Canada, open since 1974. Little Italy (College Street between Euclid and Shaw) is five minutes' walk east. Espresso on a patio at Bar Diplomatico has been the neighborhood ritual since 1968. The street turns into a street festival during Italy's World Cup games — it fills itself without any organizing body. Chinatown overlaps with both neighborhoods on Spadina Avenue; bubble tea shops open until midnight, and Spadina has the best dim sum outside Richmond Hill.

Practical: weather, transit card, currency, and winter

Toronto weather: June–August is warm (22–30°C), occasionally humid, and the best time for the island and outdoor festivals. September and October are excellent — 12–22°C, clear, minimal rain. Winter (December–March) is serious: temperatures drop to –10 to –15°C with wind chill, and snow is frequent. The PATH system — 30 km of underground walkways connecting downtown office towers, hotels, and subway stations — lets you survive entire days without going outside. Useful in January. Currency is Canadian dollars (CAD); credit cards accepted everywhere. USD is not accepted in stores at any favorable rate — use an ATM or exchange at a bank. ATM fees from foreign banks average $3–5 CAD per transaction; Scotiabank has the most ATMs with the lowest fees for international cards. Tipping is 15–18% at restaurants, 10–15% at cafes and bars. Sales tax in Ontario is 13% HST, added to listed prices — prices on menus do not include tax. International visitors can apply for the Visitor Rebate Program for tax paid on short-term accommodation.