Three days covering the Toronto that locals are actually proud of — the Distillery District, Kensington Market, the ROM's Daniel Libeskind Crystal, the AGO, and the waterfront — without the obligatory CN Tower visit dominating the itinerary. The CN Tower is here, but you do it quickly and move on.
The Bloor Street corridor between the ROM and Kensington Market covers the range that makes Toronto distinctive: world-class institutions, a scrappy multicultural market that has resisted every attempt at gentrification, and a stretch of Queen Street West with the restaurant density to make you want to stay another week. Do the museums in the morning when they're less crowded, walk through Kensington in the afternoon, and land on Queen West for dinner.
The ROM is legitimately world-class, particularly the dinosaur collection (one of the best in North America), the Egyptian and Middle East galleries, the European arms and armour section, and the Bat Cave diorama that has terrified and delighted children for decades. The Michael Lee-Chin Crystal — Daniel Libeskind's angular aluminum and glass extension bolted onto the original Edwardian building — is one of the more interesting pieces of architecture in the city. Budget 2.5 to 3 hours for a proper visit. Adults CAD $28; the ROM is worth it.
Kensington Market is a small, dense neighborhood west of Chinatown that has absorbed wave after wave of immigration — Jewish, Portuguese, Caribbean, Latin American, Southeast Asian — and retained the character of each without losing itself to any of them. Vintage clothing shops, fishmongers, cheese shops, cheap international food counters, and a very particular kind of Toronto creative energy all occupy the same few blocks. The best single block in the city for sheer multicultural density is the stretch of Augusta Avenue between Baldwin and Oxford. Go in the afternoon; the market runs roughly 11am–7pm depending on the vendor.
Queen Street West between University and Ossington is Canada's fashion and arts district — independent retailers, gallery clusters, and a restaurant density that rewards walking and stopping. The 501 streetcar runs the length of it. For dinner, the stretch around Ossington and Queen has the best concentration: Oddseoul for Korean-influenced small plates, DaiLo for upscale Chinese-Canadian, and Bar Raval for Spanish pintxos and serious cocktails. Queen West at night is best experienced on foot, moving east to west from University toward Trinity Bellwoods Park.
This day covers the waterfront axis: the CN Tower (obligatory, brief), the ferry to the Toronto Islands for the best skyline photograph in the city, and a return to the Distillery District for dinner. The CN Tower is something you do once and have done — get it out of the way in the morning, spend the better part of the day on the water.
The CN Tower was the world's tallest freestanding structure from 1976 to 2010. It is no longer that, but it is still 553 metres of telecommunications infrastructure with observation decks, a glass floor, a revolving restaurant, and — if you have nerve and money — the EdgeWalk, a hands-free walk around the outside of the main pod 356 metres above the ground. Adults CAD $43 for the LookOut level (the main observation deck) or CAD $56 for LookOut + SkyPod (the smaller deck at 447m). Book online to avoid the queue. On a clear day you can see Niagara Falls, 90 km to the south. Do this in the morning before the crowds build.
The Toronto Islands are a chain of small car-free islands in Lake Ontario, a 12-minute ferry ride from the foot of Bay Street. Centre Island has beaches, a small amusement park, picnic areas, and — most importantly — the best unobstructed skyline view of Toronto in existence. The photograph of downtown Toronto with the CN Tower framed against the lake is taken from Centre Island; there is nowhere better. The ferry runs year-round; adults CAD $8.70 return. In summer the islands get crowded; go mid-week if possible or get the early afternoon ferry.
Return to the Distillery District for dinner. The evening atmosphere here — lit cobblestones, the brick facades, the absence of cars — is distinctly different from the daytime visitor traffic. Pure Spirits is the definitive Distillery District bar. Cluny Bistro for French-Canadian. El Catrin for Mexican with a room worth photographing. Soma Chocolatemaker for after-dinner truffles. The Distillery District is the one part of Toronto where the tourist version and the local version are essentially the same.
The departure day has two things worth doing before you leave: breakfast at St. Lawrence Market (the peameal bacon sandwich is the Toronto breakfast and you will not regret it) and a walk through the Financial District to see the Gooderham Flatiron Building and the heritage architecture that survived the development pressure. Then Union Station is five minutes away and the UP Express takes you back to Pearson.
St. Lawrence Market has been a public market on this site since 1803. National Geographic once named it one of the top five food markets in the world. The ground floor runs Tuesday through Saturday; the North Market runs on Saturdays. The single thing you must eat here is the peameal bacon sandwich from Carousel Bakery — a split kaiser roll loaded with thick slices of back bacon rolled in cornmeal, mustard optional. It costs CAD $5–7 and is one of the definitive Toronto food experiences. Arrive before 10am to avoid the worst of the weekend queue. Budget 60–90 minutes to walk the full market.
The UP Express departs Union Station every 15 minutes from the dedicated platform in the lower level. Journey time to Pearson is 25 minutes. Allow at least 2 hours before your flight for international departures; 90 minutes for domestic. Cost is CAD $12.35.
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