A Weekend in Toronto

	Strolling Yonge Street: One of the World's Longest Streets1

Big, bustling Toronto—Canada’s most populous and eclectic city—offers a diversity and energy like nowhere else. From the artistic to the sporty, the cultural to commercial, the scenic to the urban, the kinky to the family-friendly and everything beyond and between, there is a scene for everyone.

Toronto’s downtown and surrounds is a patchwork of distinct communities and these cultural pockets buzz with various sights, sounds and flavours. Inhale the Indian Bazaar before discovering the Distillery District’s historic charm. Check out Chinatown then visit the Beach for a lakeside stroll. Little Italy is a favourite place to sup and Bloor-Yorkville the spot to shop. So much to do… so little time!

But with a bit of planning, a convenient base downtown and thanks to the inner city’s excellent public transit system, visitors can more than scratch the surface of this brimming city in a couple of tightly-packed days.

NAVIGATION

The Toronto Pearson International Airport is located west of the central city in neighbouring Mississauga, and is an approximate 40-minute taxi ride to Toronto’s downtown core. Taxis lined up outside the airport await arrivals, or alternatively, there are plenty of rental car desks located in the terminal. Public transit buses also travel from Terminals 1 and 3 to the city centre.

Downtown Toronto and its surrounding areas are easily navigable via the Toronto Transit Commission’s highly user-friendly subway, bus and streetcar services. Pick up a free route map from any subway station. Day passes, also available from any subway station, offer great value for visitors trying to squeeze as much of the city as possible into each day, otherwise pre-purchased tokens, tickets, or exact change is required.

Taxi stands are peppered throughout downtown within the vicinity of subway stations, or for complete freedom organise a rental car.

Sky High: the CN Tower2

ON ARRIVAL: FRIDAY

With a reservation for accommodation in the downtown area, visitors will be most conveniently placed for experiencing as much of Toronto as possible in a short time frame. There are plenty of comfortable places to stay in the central core, ranging from hostels to swanky hotels. For something at the “budget” end of the scale, try Global Village Backpackers or the EconoLodge. Reliable mid-range options include the Holiday Inn Express and the Courtyard Marriott, while properties such as the InterContinental, Metropolitan Hotel and the Fairmont Royal York offer guests a more luxurious stay.

Browse WorldWeb.com's comprehensive Toronto accommodation directory here.

Checked in? Drop those bags and head out—the night is young and there's no time to lose! Make a beeline for the entertainment district, downtown Toronto's pulsing heart that is jam-packed with restaurants, bars, clubs and a motley social crowd. Get a first taste of Toronto's gastronomic repertoire at Tutti Matti or perhaps Tequila Sunrise before sampling the energetic nightlife at hot spots such as Bar 244 and Crocodile Rock. But don't stay out too late, it's an early start in the morning!

SATURDAY: LOWER DOWNTOWN AREA

Grab a quick breakfast at the hotel or at a street-side cafe before heading down to the harbour front to greet Lake Ontario, one of the five Great Lakes of North America. The waterfront is especially attractive during warmer months. Among the various parks on the water's edge, the Music Garden, at the west end of Queens Quay, plays out Bach's First Suite for Unaccompanied Cello in a symphony of landscaped gardens and swirling pathways.

	Close-up of the Gooderham Flatiron Building in Old Town Toronto3

From there, strolling east along the promenade, visitors will stumble upon a perfect sandy stretch popular for basking on during summer at HTO Park. A little further on is the York Quay Centre—a dynamic visual arts space—and the Queens Quay Terminal, home to excellent shops and eateries. During winter, a public outdoor skating rink lies just south of the York Quay Centre.

If time allows and the season is right, catch the Toronto Islands Ferry to the Toronto Islands, a beautiful and popular recreational destination etched with hiking and biking trails. This little archipelago is just 15 minutes from the mainland and provides an impressive perspective of the city's skyline. Ferries leave from the bottom of Bay Street to Hanlan Point, Ward's Island and Centre Island, the latter of which is home to Centreville Amusement Park.

On the north side of the Gardiner Expressway, the soaring CN Tower stands tall over the harbour front, and the rest of Toronto! A trip up the 553-m (1,815 ft) tower is a great way to get orientated and possibly a little dizzy.

From the tower, stroll east a few blocks to Old Town Toronto, a huddle of historic neighbourhoods where the city of Toronto was born. Established in 1803, the St. Lawrence Market is located on Front and Jarvis Streets among other original 19th-century buildings and is definitely a good spot for lunch. Another few blocks east is the Distillery District where gorgeous Victorian buildings, boutique shops, galleries and restaurants line brick-paved pedestrian streets.

The Beach is worth a quick trip on a streetcar east-bound along Queen Street. This pretty lakeside community features plenty of sidewalk cafes, charming shops, a 3-km (1.9 mi) boardwalk along the lake shore, and is ideal for some time-out from a busy sightseeing schedule.

Once recuperated, grab a streetcar back into town to check out the Hockey Hall of Fame (open until 6pm on Saturday), admire the architecturally innovative City Hall and stroll a bit of Yonge Street—one of the world's longest streets. This main artery through the city abounds with restaurants and offers diverse options for dinner. Try the well-reputed Irish Embassy Pub & Grill or Spring Rolls.

Finish the day with some live theatre at the Elgin and Wintergarden on Yonge, or return to the entertainment district for many more performance venues.

The Striking Royal Ontario Museum4

SUNDAY: UPPER DOWNTOWN AREA

After a good sleep head to the fashionable Bloor-Yorkville neighbourhood, along Bloor Street between Yonge and Avenue Road, for some breakfast and to absorb the elegance of restored historic buildings, glassy shop fronts and the couture crowd strutting the sidewalks. It's hard to resist pulling out the plastic in this district but even for those not here to shop, Bloor-Yorkville is a worthwhile spot that buzzes with excitement and boasts swanky galleries, designer boutiques, trendy restaurants, inviting cafes and stylish historic charm.

The Royal Ontario Museum is situated on the west side of Avenue Road. This bold structure exudes an astonishing contrast of old and new, and is home to various themed exhibitions of natural history and world cultures. Fashion-lovers may prefer to visit the Bata Shoe Museum's curious and captivating collection of shoes from the last 4,500 years. It is located a little further west on Bloor Street, in the Annex neighbourhood—a pleasant historic residential area bordering the university.

Museum visits can make one hungry, so a trip south to Little Italy on College Street, between Bathurst Street and Ossington Avenue, is in order. There is an overwhelming selection of (mainly Italian) restaurants along this unpretentious European-style strip; Cafe Diplomatico and Bar Italia are among the most revered.

After lunch, head on down to Chinatown, centred around Spadina Avenue and Dundas Street West. The vibrant neighbourhood is always a lively experience and is one of the largest Chinatowns in North America. While there, don't miss the Kensington Market just northeast of Chinatown's core. This spirited multicultural and artistic pocket comprises narrow streets crammed with food shops, second-hand clothing and discount stores. Here, one can find anything from fresh fruit to gas masks!

	Little Italy's Famed Cafe Diplomatico5

The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is located just east of Chinatown on Dundas Street West and what better way to continue one's cultural and artistic adventure? The expansive Frank Gehry-designed building is an expression of modern art in itself and contains thousands of masterpieces from global cultures through the centuries to present day.

Admiring art for a couple of hours also inspires hunger. Greektown is only a couple of short subway rides away (north along University Avenue and then east along Bloor Street to Danforth Avenue at Chester Street) and will not disappoint in the culinary realm. Or, if mouth-watering Indian cuisine is what the stomach craves, hail a streetcar and head a little further south of Greektown to the Indian Bazaar on Gerrard Street East and Coxwell Avenue.

A weekend in Toronto can provide a solid bite of what this exciting city has to offer, but of course there is so much more. The city offers a wealth of diverse attractions and a deluge of events. Those with a little extra time can even take a day-trip to Niagara Falls. But in only a couple of days, visitors will discover that Toronto really does offer something for everyone and after just a taste, will be sure to return for more.


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1. Germán Rodríguez Pazo; Yonge Street; Toronto, ON, Canada
2. Dana Kwak; The CN Tower; Toronto, ON, Canada
3. Dana Kwak; Gooderham Flatiron Building Detail; Toronto, ON, Canada
4. Dana Kwak; The Royal Ontario Museum; Toronto, ON, Canada
5. Germán Rodríguez Pazo; Cafe Diplomatico, Little Italy; Toronto, ON, Canada