UltimateCity Guide Toronto
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Stories from Toronto, Canada

Every story, long read and guide in the ULTIMATE Toronto City Guide, in one place.

Areas

Toronto, neighbourhood by neighbourhood

Nine neighbourhoods, each with its own guide: Yorkville’s museums, the towers of downtown, the tower and the theatres, the old town and the Distillery, Queen West, Kensington and College Street, the east end, the islands and High Park.

The Toronto skyline and the CN Tower lit at night across the harbour from Toronto IslandNeighbourhood guideYorkville & the AnnexMuseums and the Mink MileThe Great Hall of Union Station, with its clock and departure boardsNeighbourhood guideDowntown & the Financial DistrictTowers and the PATHThe CN Tower above the harbourfront on a clear dayNeighbourhood guideKing West & the Entertainment DistrictThe tower and the theatresRed-brick Victorian buildings in the Distillery Historic DistrictNeighbourhood guideOld Town & the DistilleryWhere the city beganTIFF Lightbox on King Street WestNeighbourhood guideQueen West & OssingtonIndependents and art hotels

Yorkville or downtown

Stay in Yorkville for the museums and the shops, downtown for the theatres and the trains.

  1. Neighbourhood guideKensington, Chinatown & Little ItalyMarket lanes and College Street
  2. Neighbourhood guideLeslieville & the Don ValleyThe east end and the ravine
  3. Neighbourhood guideThe Waterfront & the IslandsThe lake and the ferries
  4. Neighbourhood guideHigh Park & the West EndThe great park

Practical

Before you go

The eTA, UP Express from Pearson, the TTC and PRESTO, the seasons and the itineraries that work for a first visit.

The Great Hall of Union Station, with its clock and departure boardsBefore you goToronto essentialsThe eTA, 911 and the seasonsA red Flexity streetcar on a Toronto streetGetting aroundGetting aroundUP Express, the TTC and PRESTOaKin, from its own photographyItineraryToronto in three daysThe tower, the ROM and the islandsThe Centreville town hall on Centre IslandItineraryThe lakefront and the islandsQueens Quay and Ward’s IslandThe Michael Lee-Chin Crystal beside the Royal Ontario Museum’s heritage buildingLuxury guideLUX LivingThe finest addresses

On the move

Tap a contactless card on the TTC: the adult fare is the same $3.30 as with PRESTO.

  1. ItineraryThe Gold weekendThe Four Seasons and Sushi Masaki Saito
  2. ItineraryThe Platinum weekendThe Hazelton and Alo

Our advice

Take the ferry to the islands

Ten minutes from the foot of Bay Street, the Toronto Islands give you beaches, a boardwalk and the whole skyline across the water. Buy tickets online in summer. The islands

Day trips

Beyond Toronto

The Horseshoe Falls and the Niagara wine country, the dunes of Prince Edward County, the lakes of Muskoka and Algonquin, and the festival town of Stratford.

The Horseshoe and American Falls from aboveBeyond TorontoNiagara FallsThe Horseshoe FallsQueen Street and the clock tower in Niagara-on-the-LakeBeyond TorontoNiagara-on-the-LakeThe Shaw and the wineriesThe beach at Sandbanks on Lake OntarioBeyond TorontoPrince Edward CountyDunes and wineriesA lake and forest in Algonquin Provincial ParkBeyond TorontoMuskoka & AlgonquinLakes and autumn colourBeyond TorontoStratfordThe festival town

Our advice

Saturday at St. Lawrence Market

The farmers’ market opens at 5am on Saturdays; come early, then walk on to the Distillery. St. Lawrence Market

In depth

In depth: Toronto’s back stories

The lakeside city’s great sights, the table from the starred counters to St. Lawrence Market, the arts from the ROM to Roy Thomson Hall, the hotels, the subway and the rules for foreign buyers: the stories behind Toronto.

Skaters on the City Hall rink at dusk, beneath the archesThe Distillery and City HallChristmas in TorontoThe Winter Village and the rink under the archesThe long aisle of St. Lawrence Market, lined with fish and food stallsThe back storyToronto at the tableStars, Bibs and many kitchensRoy Thomson Hall lit at night among the downtown towersThe back storyFrom the ROM to Roy Thomson HallToronto’s arts

At the table

Book the starred counters as soon as tables are released; the Bib Gourmand rooms are where Toronto eats every day.

  1. The back storyWhere Toronto sleepsYorkville or downtown
  2. The back storyGetting aroundSubway, streetcars and PRESTO
  3. The back storyBuying in TorontoThe rules for foreign buyers

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