Weekend in Toronto Itinerary

After moving to Northeast Ohio and realizing my new home was only a four drive from Toronto, Canada, can you guess what I did? Planned a weekend in Toronto, grabbed my passport and jumped in the car. Obviously.

As one of the biggest cities in Canada, Toronto is a great location for a short getaway. The metro area is very walkable, and most major sites are only a short cab ride from downtown. The art and food scenes are vibrant and eclectic, driven by the growing population of college students and young professionals who call Toronto home.

Even with all the great things to do, there are a few special ones you just can’t miss. My weekend in Toronto itinerary highlights the best!

Weekend in Toronto Itinerary- Day 1

CN Tower

First things first, the CN Tower. I’m sure you saw it the minute you got into the city, the CN tower is THE iconic Toronto landmark. It’s actually a communication tower with a 360-degree observation deck overlooking the city and Lake Ontario. A bird’s eye view of the skyline is a perfect way to start a Toronto weekend. Before heading to the top, there are a few things you need to know.

There are 2 types of adult tickets: General Admission ($38) and General Admission + Skypod. ($53). General Admission gets you into the basic lookout area and access to the glass floor. The Skypod is an additional 33 stories higher and gives you an even better view…up to 100 miles away on a clear day.  If you choose just the General Admission, I highly recommend paying extra for timed entry. When I was there the line was 2 hrs long. We paid less than $10.00 more for a timed admission and only had to wait about 15 minutes.

Want to really get crazy? Go for the Edge Walk. Groups of 6 six are taken 116 stories up to a ledge outside the towers main pod, harnessed to a safety rail, and then allowed to walk handsfree around the tower. You can even lean over the side suspended above the city. The walk lasts 30 minutes, but with safety training, the whole process takes about 1.5 hrs. If you want to do something really unique and extreme this is the thing. I didn’t try it, but never say never!

Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada

Ripley’s  Aquarium is right next to the CN Tower so it’s a great next stop! There are over 13,000 species of marine and freshwater animals to view including a crowd favorite, the Giant Pacific Octopus. Other highlights include a moving sidewalk through an underwater tunnel, jellyfish exhibit, and rainbow reef. Plan to spend 1-2 hours checking everything out, especially on the weekends when it can get crowded.

Tickets are a little pricey, $35.00 for adults, but it is possible to get a discount! If you opted for the general admission tickets at the CN Tower, you can purchase your aquarium ticket at the same time and save some money!

Lunch at St. Lawrence Market

Count this as both lunch AND a tourist attraction. I fell in love with St. Lawrence market the second I stepped inside. This huge market has around 120 vendors selling everything you can imagine. Do a slow lap of both floors before deciding what to eat because each booth will look better than the last. My friend didn’t make it past the crepe station, and I couldn’t resist trying a famous peameal bacon sandwich from Carousel Bakery. If you have never heard of peameal bacon before, it’s actually cured pork loin with a cornmeal crust. It’s chewier rather than crispy and perfect on a bun. No condiments needed. As soon as I finished it I wanted another one. Impress the Canadians with your knowledge of peameal, and read this article before you go.

After lunch, walk around the market a little more. Have dessert. Buy intriguing specialty foods. I left with a bag of macaroons from Eva’s Temptations, truffles from Caviar Direct and some locally grown sour cherries. I could have stayed all day!

Museum Time

Toronto is a city full of museums. Unfortunately, there won’t be enough time to visit them all. Instead, pick one that interests you the most, and spend a few hours soaking it all in. Save your second favorite for tomorrow. Here are a few of the most popular:

• Art Gallery of Ontario: One of the largest art museums in North America.
• Bata Shoe Museum: Shoes and artifacts spanning centuries.
• Aga Kahn Museum: The first museum in North America dedicated to Islamic art and culture.
• Royal Ontario Museum: Cultural and historical artifacts. The fossil and dinosaur exhibits are the must see.
• Hockey Hall of Fame: Hockey memorabilia and the permanent home of the Stanley Cup.
• Textile Museum of Canada: 13,000 textile artifacts.
• Gardiner Museum: Canadian national ceramics museum.
• Ontario Science Center: Over 500 interactive stations and a living rainforest.
• Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto Canada: Works from both Canadian and international artists.

Click on the map for detailed location info.

Queen St. West

Time to get outside and explore Queen St West, voted one of the coolest neighborhoods by Vogue magazine. This is where you will find the trendiest shops and cafes. Chain stores are mixed in with vintage and local specialty boutiques, coffee shops, and art galleries. Spend the rest of the afternoon strolling up and down the street, popping into anything that catches your eye.

Dinner

You have been in Toronto a full day and I haven’t told you to eat poutine yet! What was I thinking?? For those of us not from Canada, poutine is a dish made up of french fries topped with gravy, cheese curds and a variety of other toppings. Sound weird? Maybe, but it’s delicious. After eating it, I have no idea why this isn’t served everywhere. There are tons of places to get it in Toronto, but one of the most popular is Poutini’s House of Poutine.

At Poutini’s you can have a traditional order with just gravy and cheese, or spice things up with pulled pork, roasted mushrooms and onions, and more specialty toppings. They even serve a vegan gravy. Don’t try to tell me that you can’t have french fries for dinner. Trust me, these are full meals.

* There are two locations, but if you visit the one on Queen St, it’s cash only.

Ice Cream

Yep, ice cream is getting its own category. Toronto has so many awesome spots for ice cream, it’s not even fair. Our first stop was at the Instagram famous iHalo Krunch for their Charcoal and Ube (purple yam) ice cream in a black charcoal cone.

Honestly, I’m usually hesitant about trying places like this. Maybe it looks good in a pic, but does it TASTE good? Because that’s what matters. I’m happy to report that we loved iHalo Krunch! The swirl had a light, fruity coconut taste. It was sweet without being overwhelming with the consistency of a soft serve. They also have matcha and vanilla bean flavors.

*If the line is super long, there is a mini location inside the Lululemon store down the street. They only have the charcoal and ube at this location though!

Not Ready to call it a night?

If you still have energy after a full day of sight-seeing, first, please tell me your secret. Secondly, you’re in luck because Toronto has just as many cool bars as it has craveable ice cream. Check out this list before heading out. 

Weekend in Toronto Itinerary- Day 2

Breakfast in the Distillery District

The Distillery District is my favorite neighborhood in Toronto. This 19th-century whiskey distillery turned urban area is filled with unique shops, bars, and restaurants. First stop is Brick Street Bakery for two Toronto specialties, Nanaimo Bars (three layer chocolate coconut treats) and butter tarts. Many locals will tell you that what comes out of the ovens at Brick Street is the best of the best, and I can see why. Although both were a little sweet for my taste buds, the flavors were well balanced and they were baked perfectly. I recommend trying these little Toronto gems, but if sweet is not your thing at all there are plenty of tasty sounding breakfast items on the menu. Grab a seat outside and relax until the shops and galleries open.

When they do,  grab a coffee at Balzac’s and spend the morning leisurely checking out the eclectic scene. Don’t miss stopping in SOMA Chocolatemaker, Blackbird Vintage Finds, or Queen’s Trunk. Next stop, the castle.

Casa Loma

Did you know Toronto has a castle? Not just any castle either, the only full-size castle in North America. Casa Loma is a 98 room, Edwardian style masterpiece built by Sir Henry Mill Pellatt in 1911.

There is so much to see here, don’t plan on a quick look around. Besides the main building, visitors can take an underground tunnel to the horse stables and a classic car garage. There is a total of 3 floors and a lower level, plus lots of little nooks and crannies to peek into as well. Look out for a bowling alley, an 1800 bottle wine cellar, and indoor swimming pool turned graveyard.  My favorite part was the 10,000 book library. Very Beauty and the Beast.

Adult tickets are $30 and parking in the lot is $10.00. It’s pricey, but I recommend it! There is tons of information posted throughout the grounds full of interesting facts about the home itself and different eras of Canadian history.

Museum Time Again

Time to hit that second museum on your list! We did the Bata Shoe Museum and it was really interesting! The entire museum is from the collection of Sonja Bata, a philanthropist who collected over 13,000 shoes and artifacts on her world travels. Everything from ancient Roman sandals to modern sneakers is represented. The best part for us had to be the Manolo Blahnik exhibition on the 4th floor.

Lunch

Head over to lunch at Kensington Market, an outdoor neighborhood full of quaint restaurants and food stands. We were starving and ran into Bacon Nation for poutine and peameal bacon sandwiches. I thought the peameal was much better at Carousel Bakery, but the poutine was great and we both enjoyed fresh mimosas. Take your time to walk around and look at all the different restaurants before making a choice! I’ve heard great things about Rasta Pasta (Jamaican-Italian Hybrid), Golden Patty, and The Dirty Bird.

Visit The Toronto Islands

Toronto Island Park is just a 13-minute ferry ride across Lake Ontario.  A series of small islands are connected by paths and bridges that are all walkable. The entire island is about 3 miles long and full of plenty to do. There are beaches, watersports, restaurants.. the list goes on! Since you only have the afternoon, take a walk to Gibraltar Point Lighthouse, the cutest lighthouse on the southern tip of the island.

For ferry info, click here.

Dinner

We wanted a view of the harbor with dinner and settled on Against the Grain. Honestly, it wasn’t the greatest. The food and service were both mediocre. I wouldn’t recommend it.  Instead, try one of these 5 classic Toronto restaurants.

1. The Senator- The oldest restaurant in Toronto serving up classics like burgers, fish and chips and meatloaf.
2. Terroni- More than one Canadian has told me this is THE place for the best Pizza in Toronto.
3. Barberian’s Steak House- A classic, elegant steakhouse with an extensive wine list.
4. Buca- Rustic Italian food famous for its house-made pastas.
5. Rodney’s Oyster House- Seafood centric menu that specializes in freshly shucked oysters.

Ice Cream

I’m going to give you two options for Ice Cream, and I won’t judge if you try them both in one night! First up, Milk Bar. Milk Bar, the bakery for Momofuku restaurant in NYC has a small location inside Toronto’s Momofuku Noodle Bar…and it serves ice cream! You don’t have to eat dinner there to get it, simply stop in and ask to be pointed in the direction of the ice cream line! The most popular flavor is cereal milk, a milk and cereal flavored soft serve with crispy cereal pieces on top.  There is even a mini Milk Bar retail store upstairs, with Christina Tosi’s famous cookies, cakes, and even single slices of her signature Crack Pie.

Secondly, head over to Bang Bang Ice Cream for a gourmet ice cream sandwich. They scoop around 25 flavors of homemade ice cream to eat plain or stuffed into fresh baked cookies for the ultimate ice cream sandwich.  They also serve waffle cones, waffles and profiteroles ready to be filled with ice cream. Some customer favorites are the London Fog, Orange Cardamom, and Cinnamon Toast flavors.

Still awake?

Head back over to the distillery district to experience it in a different light. The shops and galleries are closed, but the bars are opening up for the night!

After seeing everything Toronto has to offer I know I will be back soon! My first stop will be St. Lawrence Market.. or ice cream.