Toronto

[Huddo]

Hi

We’re going to Toronto for 11 days over the Easter break - me, DH, DS (12) and DS (8) 🇨🇦 and we’re very excited as have never been to Canada before.

I’ve read every thread on this forum that even vaguely mentions Toronto or Canada and would really welcome any recommendations any of you may have.

Suggestions of reasonably priced places to eat (my boys eat like horses and seem constantly hungry!) would really help but actually I know very little so I’d really appreciate any hints and tips you have.

Thanks in advance

[FloridaNuts93]

Hi - we love Toronto, and have been several times since our youngest was 8. Niagara Falls is worth visiting, and also Niagara on the Lake. In Toronto itself there is Casa Loma, CN Tower, Toronto Zoo, Toronto islands, Sky Dome (they do tours), Bata Shoe Museum, Art Gallery of Ontario, the ROM, Hockey Hall of Fame. Eating wise we love the Keg. There is also Milestones, Jack Asters, Shopsy’s ,Cora’s,Pickle Barrel,as well as Greek town and China town which are worth a look. Also PizzaPizza.

[Melbatb]

Toronto is such a great city!

Niagara Falls is a must! We hired a car for a day and self drove. It was a fabulous day and we also managed dinner in Niagara on the Lake.

My kids were similar ages when we went. They loved the CN Tower, Casa Loma (they don't mind a bit of culture) and the Royal Ontario Museum - especially the Egyptian section.

A big hit was using the underground pathway - saved also crossing the road all the time.

We went to a hockey match - not NHL but the league below which was the Marlies. We got very cheap tickets on Travelzoo but also look at Stubhub. We also went to a Blue Jay baseball match - a lot of fun!

Toronto Islands are a great place for a visit - take a picnic if the weather allows.

A surprise hit was the Redpath Sugar museum. The curator was from Newcastle originally and he was brilliant!

We also got tickets for the Wizard and Oz musical - were very reasonable!

Food! Two words - Tim Hortons! Great for coffee, breakfast and doughnuts! And very cheap!

Eggspectations is good also for a more substantial breakfast or lunch - though they did seem to close early!

The food court in the Eaton Centre is good for filling up hungry children

There is also another restaurant near the Eaton centre that we ate at twice but at the moment I can't remember the name

Hope that helps a little!

[Melbatb]

I forgot about Cora - not eaten there in Toronto but have elsewhere in Canada. Great for breakfast

[snowbelle]

Check out Mandarin Chinese buffets , they have them all over Ontario .
We have been to the one on the Eglington stop on the metro , you will not see a buffet like it.
They have a website to look at before you go.

[tonymc]

As others have mentioned, Niagara Falls are a must. We picked up a car in the morning to drive there (took under 2 hours). We booked the Hornblower cruise which took us right up to the falls themselves. The landscaping alongside the falls and river were fantastic, but as with quite a few people, we found the downtown area very tacky and "over-touristy".

If you have a car, you will be better going to Niagara on the Lake, a fantastic small town, with quite a few eating places and some fantastic views of the lake.

In Toronto, we rented a condo through Airbnb that was fantastic - in the Theatre District, a short stroll from the CN Tower and Blue Jays stadium. It had a main bedroom and a den with a double sofa bed, plus kitchen/lounge and a huge balcony. Much cheaper than a hotel, and plenty of room for the three of us. PM me if you want details of where we stayed and the host's name.

We had 5 days in Toronto, which TBH was plenty for us. Have you considered another city at all? We also visited Ottawa which was much more compact than Toronto but equally as interesting, and stopped off in Picton, about half way, for a couple of nights. They have a state park on the lake here, and we spent a full day on the beach. There are photos in our trip report (shameless plug! )

[Huddo]

Fantastic, thank you all so much for taking the time to post.

If you think of anything else, no matter how small, I’d really appreciate your input.

We aren’t staying in Toronto for the whole 11days as we have a trip to Cleveland planned but we will be spending the majority of time there. It looks like an amazing place with so much to do and see.

Thanks Tony for the shameless plug 😁 I’m happy to read as many trip reports as possible so I’ll immerse myself in those shortly.

[chippyminton]

We went last summer, combined with Ottawa, Niagara and a week’s stay in a lakeside cottage.

In Toronto we did:
Toronto F.C. soccer match - they are in the USA MLS league - get tickets from the Rogers Centre box office.

Bluejays game - tickets from team shop in the Eaton Centre

Dinner in the CN Tower revolving restaurant - this was one of the trip highlights. The set menu includes your tower admission, so it’s actually pretty good value. Also there is a children’s menu which is not widely advertised and is a lot cheaper. I booked for an hour before sunset and we had a revolution in daylight and a second after dark.

The islands - amazing views of the skyline. You can go out on one ferry, walk along and take a different route back. Take a picnic as eating options are limited, and there are some lovely picnic spots.

Eaton Centre - for shopping and the food court. We gave everyone $10 and it was fun to see what food they came back with - poutine, Korean BBQ, Chinese, noodles, specialty burgers etc.

Hockey Hall of Fame

The underground walkways ‘PATH’

Tim Hortons for coffee and coolers, and sandwiches - we could barely walk past one without popping in!

Public transport is easy, but read up on it to understand how to transfer between bus, tram, tube on a single token.

[neilhd]

Food-wise The Keg mentioned above was great - delicious steak and not crazy expensive.

Eggspectations as Mel said I've not done in Toronto but have done in Montreal and it's great. Also Sunset Grille is a good diner-type choice for a big, cheap breakfast. Eaton Centre food court (in the basement) has loads of affordable options.

My last 2 trippies (Amazing Race ones) see us go to Toronto/Niagara. The first one is possibly more relevant for you than the second one.