Toronto in 4 Days

Base yourself downtown between Union Station and Bloor Street, within a few minutes’ walk of Line 1 (Yonge-University). Everything in this plan is then a short walk or a couple of stops away. The Financial District and waterfront are handiest for days 1 and 2 and for the Niagara train; Yorkville and the Annex are quieter, and closer to the museum and Casa Loma.

From Toronto Pearson airport, the UP Express train reaches Union Station in about 25 minutes, far faster than a taxi at rush hour. Billy Bishop airport on the Toronto Islands, used by some short-haul flights, is a few minutes from downtown by a pedestrian tunnel and a free shuttle bus.

On the TTC (subway, streetcars and buses) you can pay by tapping a contactless credit card or phone at the reader, or use a PRESTO card; transfers within two hours are included. The waterfront, downtown core and Kensington are all walkable, so you will ride less than you expect.

The CN Tower, Ripley’s Aquarium and the Niagara boat all sell timed entry, and summer weekends sell out; book them a few days ahead. The Toronto Island ferry can be bought online to skip the ticket queue at the terminal. Check each official site for current prices and combination passes.

Summer is when the islands, patios and Niagara boats are all in full swing. Late September and October are quieter and bring autumn colour to the ravines and Rouge Park. Winter works if you swap the islands day for more museums; late April or early May adds the High Park cherry blossoms.

With children, keep the aquarium and the CN Tower’s glass floor on day 1, give the islands a long, slow afternoon at Centreville and the beaches, and trade Casa Loma for a longer morning in the ROM’s dinosaur galleries if you need to. The Niagara boat is the highlight for most kids.

Toronto’s great food is in its neighbourhoods, not its tourist strips: a peameal bacon sandwich at St. Lawrence Market, dumplings and noodles along Spadina in Chinatown, cheap and cheerful everything in Kensington Market, and Queen West for dinner. The market’s opening days are limited, so check its hours before you plan around it.

Downtown sits on top of PATH, an underground network of walkways and shopping concourses linking Union Station, the Financial District towers, Brookfield Place and dozens of buildings. On a wet or freezing day you can cross most of day 1 without going outside.