Toronto City Guide
I am finally getting around to writing a much requested Toronto City Guide and I’m so excited to share this! My husband and I went to Toronto this summer for a 4-day/3-night getaway and had the best time. It was my first time in the city and it did not disappoint!
As with most big cities, 4 days is not enough time to see “it all”, but we covered a lot of ground and ate a ton of delicious food. I’m sharing the highlights from our trip, some tips, and what not to miss in Toronto from my experience.
Is Toronto worth visiting?
100% yes, Toronto is definitely worth a visit! My husband and I absolutely love exploring new cities, just the two of us. I think my time in New York made me really fall in love with the idea of walking around a city until you find something interesting — it’s always how I discover hidden gems.
Toronto is a vibrant multicultural city that feels both very familiar, and very Canadian at the same time. Everyone we met was so nice and we had endless conversations with bartenders, servers, and Uber drivers who all made us feel so welcome.
There are tons of neighborhoods to explore and a seems to be a little bit of something for everyone. Definitely add Toronto to your bucket list if you haven’t been!
Badiali Pizzeria, Ossington
How many days should I spend in Toronto?
Our trip to Toronto was 4 days, 3 nights and that felt like plenty of time to enjoy the city. I definitely could’ve stayed longer, but I don’t think I would want to do a trip much shorter. I think you could probably fit some fun things in with a 2-night vacation, but it might feel a bit rushed. There is just so much to do!
Queen Garden Centre, Leslieville
What is the best time of year to visit Toronto?
Late spring through early fall are definitely the best months to visit Toronto. We visited Toronto in early August and thought It was great. There were a few hot afternoons, but the weather was mostly nice for August!
I would love to go back in the fall for their peak fall foliage season, I hear the city is absolutely stunning when all the trees change color. Much like Chicago, Toronto has pretty rough winters, so I’m not sure January-March would be super enjoyable, but I have seen photos of their holiday decorations and I have to say I wouldn’t mind taking a trip in early December to take part in the festivities and holiday magic.
What is the best area to stay in Toronto?
For our trip to Toronto, we stayed in the downtown core (or south core) neighborhood at The Fairmont Royal York. I can’t with full confidence say it’s the “best” area since it’s the only area I’ve ever stayed, but we very much enjoyed it!
Library Bar, Fairmont Royal York
It was a 5 minute free shuttle ride from the airport we flew into, Billy Bishop International, and ended up being very convenient to mostly everything we did while we were there. It is a very walkable location, and if you don’t feel like walking, it’s less than 10 minutes in an Uber to so many great neighborhoods.
Clockwork Bar, Fairmont Royal York
Do you need a car in Toronto? Is Toronto walkable?
Toronto is a huge and spread out city. There are definitely parts of it that are walkable and neighborhoods that flow into each other, but there are also neighborhoods worth exploring that you might not be able to walk to depending on where you’re staying. That being said, Toronto has fantastic, inexpensive, and clean public transportation that is easily accessible.
La Cubana, Ossington
We rode the subway back to our hotel after a long walk one day and it was pretty seamless and fast. We also rented a car one day using zip car (it was my first time using it and I signed up in 10 minutes!) to travel to a neighborhood a little further north of downtown. Driving in the city was easy (though I rarely mind driving in cities) and it was interesting to see how big the city really was outside of downtown.
What are the best neighborhoods in Toronto to visit?
I am sure everyone has a personal opinion on what they consider the “best” neighborhoods in Toronto, but there were a handful that really stood out to me.
Ossington Strip
The first was The Ossington Strip (Ossington Avenue, between Dundas Street West and Queen Street West). To be honest I’m not exactly sure which neighborhood this is.
People refer to it as “Ossington” but I’m not sure if it’s part of a bigger neighborhood or its just a micro neighborhood itself. Either way, Ossington street is one of the coolest streets I have walked down maybe ever? On the August afternoon we were there, it was just bustling with people of all ages really enjoying themselves. There were no less than 30 restaurants where I wanted to eat, and there were bands playing on the corners.
Distillery District
Cluny Bistro, Distillery District
The second was the Distillery District. “The pedestrian-only Distillery District, set in quaint 19th century buildings that once housed a large whiskey distillery, draws crowds to its cobblestone streets lined with hip indie restaurants, bars and boutiques.” (Google)
This small neighborhood is so unique and full of enough restaurants and shops to keep you entertained for a full afternoon. It’s also right downtown so it’s super convenient.
Leslieville
Butchers of Distinction, Leslieville
The third is Leslieville. We started at the far end of the neighborhood and walked the main street (Queen Street East) all the way back into downtown. It feels a little bit more local on this side of town and I loved stopping in all of the shops, grabbing coffee at local coffee shops, and grabbing a more casual brunch.
My Top Things to do Toronto
Since we were only there for a handful of days, we didn’t get to go to that many restaurants. Here is a list of the ones that I would go back to!
Where we ate & drank:
La Cubana (multiple locations)
Notable Places:
Ontario Museum of Art (Free on Wednesday Nights!)
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