A view of Toronto skyline and harbour from Trillium Park in Canada

Toronto city breaks

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City breaks in Toronto

With cultural attractions galore, fantastic food, interesting neighbourhoods, beaches and a pulsing nightlife, a city break to Toronto reveals why Canada’s largest city is regularly voted one of the best places to live in the world.

Toronto’s CN Tower is a great place to start your holiday. From the building’s LookOut Level, you can enjoy a 360-degree view of the city from 346m (1,136ft). Other must-visit attractions include the Royal Ontario Museum, where you can learn about nature, art and culture around the world, and the Ontario Science Centre, where you’ll find an indoor rainforest and IMAX cinema.

As well as ticking off attractions, allow plenty of time to wander around Toronto’s diverse neighbourhoods. The pedestrianised Distillery District is full of hip boutiques, restaurants and galleries, while for a contrast to the city, you can plan a day trip to the beach on the Toronto Islands, just a short ferry ride away. Old Town, meanwhile, is home to the historic St Lawrence Market, which has been a fantastic place to buy food since it opened in 1803.

Dining options don’t stop there either, and you’ll remember the food scene in Toronto long after a visit. Enjoy the world on a plate, with excellent eating options in areas such as Chinatown, Little Italy, Greektown and Koreatown. There’s a dish for every budget, from food markets and casual bites to blow-out steaks and good wine for special occasions.

The city’s nightlife is equally diverse and whether you’d like to relax in a pub with a board game and a glass of wine, try some of the most exciting cocktails in the city, dance until dawn or listen to live jazz, you’ll find a bar for you.

What to do in Toronto

With iconic attractions, world-class cultural institutions and plenty of space to relax, Toronto city breaks can be as high energy or chilled out as you wish. Be sure to explore a couple of its diverse neighbourhoods, look at the city from above and save some time for the beach.

CN Tower

When you think of Toronto, chances are its CN Tower will spring to mind. At 533m (1,815ft), it was the world’s tallest freestanding structure when its antenna was attached in 1975.

Stare out of the floor-to-ceiling windows, through its glass floor on its LookOut Level or zip to its SkyPod observation platform. If you’re feeling brave, there’s a hands-free outdoor EdgeWalk, too.

The Distillery District

One of Toronto’s coolest neighbourhoods, the historic Distillery District is a cobblestoned, pedestrianised area full of hip boutiques, galleries and restaurants in Victorian industrial warehouses.

Treat yourself to a coffee in an independent café before perusing artwork and sculptures in its galleries, or shopping for jewellery, homewares or an on-trend outfit. If your retail therapy builds up an appetite, you can try everything from tapas and noodles to seafood, or just relax with a pint in a beer hall.

Royal Ontario Museum

Canada’s largest museum is home to more than 13 million objects in 40 galleries and exhibition spaces. All of the family will enjoy looking up at an enormous T-Rex and its prehistoric friends and venturing into the museum’s immersive bat cave.

You can also wander around the world in its galleries, with exhibitions focussing on China, ancient Greece, Canada and more. Look out for special events including after-hours visits and free admission every third Tuesday night of the month.

Toronto Islands

A group of 15 islands connected by walkways and bridges, the Toronto Islands on Lake Ontario are around a 15-minute ferry ride from busy downtown.

Ward’s Island is inhabited and has a beautiful beach and a boardwalk where you can enjoy the view over the lake. Centre Island is family-friendly with tandem bikes and four-seater carts to hire, an amusement park and the lovely viewpoint, Centre Island Pier.

High Park

Spend a pleasant couple of hours in Toronto’s largest public park, perhaps playing tennis or football, or swimming in its outdoor pool (open during the summer until Labour Day). If you’re visiting with kids, there’s also a children’s zoo and a small train to ride on.

Its cherry blossom trees are spectacular in spring, and there’s an outdoor skating rink in winter. If you visit between July and early September, you can also watch live Shakespeare performances in the park.

Where to stay in Toronto

For families

If you’re visiting Toronto with little ones, consider staying in its Harbourfront neighbourhood. You’ll be close to family-friendly attractions such as Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada and the CN Tower as well as lakeside parks to burn off some energy. And if you’d like a day at the beach, you can catch a ferry from here to Toronto Islands.

The city’s West End is another good option as this is where you’ll find the enormous High Park with a children’s zoo and plenty of activities to keep all ages entertained. The Roncesvalles area here is a lovely, quiet place to stay.

For travellers on a budget

If you’re after a cheap Toronto city break, look for places to stay near Yonge Street in Downtown Toronto. There’s plenty of choice in this bustling area and you’ll be surrounded by shops, places to eat and attractions, meaning that you can keep transport costs to a minimum.

There’s a good range of budget options and interesting street art near Kensington Market, also in Downtown. Nearby Chinatown has some great options for inexpensive meals.

For food and drink

The Kensington Market area of Toronto has such an eclectic range of dining options that there are several food tours of the area available. In this hip part of the city, you can choose between tacos, pies, German street food and more. There are also plenty of laid-back venues to sip a perfectly brewed coffee or pint of beer.

Old Town is another fantastic option for foodies, as you’ll find the St Lawrence Market here as well as the trendy restaurants and bars in the Distillery District.

For nightlife

To have hip bars and clubs on your doorstep, consider staying in West Queen West, which Vogue once declared, was one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world. You’ll find live music venues, cutting-edge cocktail joints and rooftop bars here, as well as independent boutique shops to kit you out for your stylish soirées.

If you prefer your nightclubs to be big and booming, the Entertainment District might be the best area for you. Drink in a vertigo-inducing rooftop bar then dance until late or head to a comedy club or show after a drink or two.

For culture

The Bloor Street Culture Corridor in Toronto’s Midtown has around 20 arts and cultural attractions ranging from the Royal Ontario Museum to the Bata Shoe Museum. The Annex, also in Midtown, is home to many of the city’s students so there are plenty of bookshops. You’ll even find a castle, Casa Loma. Once the home of Sir Henry Mill Pellatt, it’s now a museum.

Alternatively, stay in Old Town, known as Toronto’s historic heart, where restored buildings are home to performing arts venues and you can wander through the St Lawrence Market buying tasty treats.

When to visit Toronto

Toronto has four distinct seasons with temperatures in winter averaging -2C and those in summer hovering in the early 20s. Temperatures start to cool down in autumn but remain in double figures until around November; you’re likely to see snow from December until February. In spring, days are warmer (around 7C in April) but expect chilly evenings.

The summer months are a popular time to visit, as highs of 25C are perfect for days on the beach and al fresco dining. Toronto’s summer calendar is also packed with festivals and events such as Pride Toronto in June and the Toronto Caribbean Carnival at the end of July. However, this means that hotel rates are likely to be at their highest.

If you’d like to combine pleasant temperatures in the late teens with cheaper Toronto city break prices, September is a great month to visit.