Toronto, Canada the city that never fails to impress me. The moment I land, a warm freshness of breeze makes me feel welcomed and refreshed, giving me a hint that this will be my ideal vacation spot. Liveliness, diversity and its sweet citizens are some attributes that the city offers which exceeds my holiday checklist for a perfect city kinda getaway. Surrounded by parks and lake shores, the city never runs out of its peaceful vibe. No wonder CANADA is proven to be one of the happy places in the world!
When to visit?
Perfect time to visit Toronto would be from late April to October due to its pleasant weather.
Now let’s get to the details that you will be needing to book and travel!
Where to book a place?
So the entire Toronto is divide in three lines as seen in the picture below:
Yellow, Green, and Red. While booking you want to stick to yellow and green lines. You have two options to stay either an Airbnb or a hotel.
My Airbnb Planners:
If you are planning to book an Airbnb (which you will find amazing and affordable ones in Toronto) I would suggest you book one anywhere between Dundas West and Sherbourne on the green line. On the yellow line anywhere between Spadina and Bloor-Yonge just so that you’ll are close to the downtown and the activities around. I lived in an Airbnb in Christie and Dufferin area. I really liked the area it was very safe and lively.
My Hotel Planners:
If you are planning to book a hotel then I would suggest living in downtown (yellow line), the city has lots of amazing hotels from Four seasons, Chealsea Hotel to Doubletree by Hilton.
How to travel in Toronto?
Traveling local is super easy peasy in Toronto. There are two options:
- If you want to travel locally you can either choose to buy tokens, (very small coins – the size of a US dime) you can get four for 20 dollars CAD.
- Or you can choose to buy a pesto card which costs about 3 dollars, CAD, and you can keep on recharging the card.
I would highly suggest buying a Pesto card mainly because it is very easy to travel with and there are very fewer chances that you will lose it as oppose to tokens. Also, I would recommend recharging the pesto card up to 20 dollars initially.
Pesto card you can either purchase it at the subway or at any Shoppers Drug mart (Shoppers drug mart is a drugstore you will find it in every street).
Tip – Once you use your pesto card you can travel anywhere up to 2 hours without recharging it.
For example: Once you use your pesto card to a destination and then let’s say you need to use a bus or a streetcar to go somewhere, you don’t need to use your pesto card again. You can do that for up to two hours whether you use the subway, local bus or streetcar.
Subway tip:
If you are traveling through the subway you will have to change trains depending on where you want to go. For example: If you are at Dufferin and want to go to
Cars: If you are planning to rent a car, it is very convenient as the distance to where ever you want to go is shorter via driving. But just something to keep in mind is that if you are planning to rent a car from Toronto, you need to be at least 25 years old (that is the policy of any rental company). Also, parking is very expensive in the city depending on where you want to go.
Tip: You need to have a credit card if you want to rent a car on the same name as your driver’s license. They won’t accept debit cards.
There are options for using Uber and Lyft, in case if you are lost somewhere and want to go to your desired destination.
Alrighty now booking done and you almost have the knowledge you need for traveling. Now wondering which places to visit in Toronto, Canada? Don’t worry I got you covered. Time to get to the fun part :P.
- Dundas Square
Dundas Square reminds me of Times Square very lively being one of the major attractions of Toronto located right in the middle of the famous Eaton center (biggest mall in Toronto). You will often find musicians playing amazing pop songs.
If you are in Toronto, this is the perfect destination to shop, walk around and explore downtown. There are also a lot of amazing places for brunch, lunch, and dinner. Did I mention there are a lot of amazing dessert places in this area! So hog till your stomach drops ;).
2. Nathan Phillips Square
Nathan Phillips Center right next to Eaton Center, about 5 minutes walk. You can’t miss this place. It is where the city name Toronto is written. I would highly recommend visiting this place in the evening time as the entire name Toronto is lighted up in different colors. Perfect place to chill, click lots of selfies and sit by the fountain.
In winter, the entire fountain area becomes a place for Ice skating. This site is super duper
3. Ripleys Aquarium and CN Tower
The MUST visit sites; CN Tower the beauty of Toronto, and Ripleys
Where to buy the tickets?
You can either purchase the tickets online or at the site. I would recommend purchasing the tickets online to avoid waiting in the long line at the site for the tickets. The tickets cost me about 60 dollars for both the tours (30 dollars each). CN Tower and Ripleys Aquarium are located right next to each other, so you can cover both the places on the same day.
Also, these two iconic places are right next to the world’s famous Roger Stadium. Now time to grab some more information on CN Tower and Ripleys Aquarium.
CN Tower is the tallest freestanding structure tower in Toronto, and one of the seven modern wonders of the world. As I call CN Tower
It changes its colors depending on the occasion or festive. Every day the lights are different and spark up the city with its shiny ambiance. Sunset is the perfect time to visit as the view from the top is breathtaking.
Ripleys Aquarium:
The biggest Aquarium in Toronto. It has about 16,000 exotic sea creatures (including sharks) and has about 1.25 million gallons of marine. I really loved this place. For me, it was a phenomenal experience of admiring the underwater world, and learning about different species that live beyond.
What I really liked about this aquarium is that they have amazing different sea creatures and there is descriptive information written with every sea animal you pass.
Towards the end, there are sea creatures toys and souvenirs if you want to buy for yourself, friends or family.
4. Harbourfront
Harbourfront, located right in the middle of downtown near the lakeshore. It is my favorite spot to ‘just be’. You will see exotic buildings from here. My favorite thing is to just go for a walk, sit and admire the lakeshore. I also like to try out different local and draft beers at Amsterdam brewhouse, while enjoying the view.
It’s a lovely place to stroll around. You will be fascinated with many street boats and ships as the ships head to Toronto Islands. Its the perfect spot to chill at anytime of the day.
5. High Park
High park reminds me more of central park in New York. This is my ideal place to spend some time with myself by being in the nature. High Park is very beautiful especially if you go in spring, this place is covered with cherry blossom flowers.
I personally went there in summer so obviously, I couldn’t spot any. Jog, walk, cycle, lay on the grass or read a book the list is never-ending you can do whatever you like. You can also have your own little picnic here. I really like to just lie on the grass, read a book, and meditate near the lakeshore
6. Queen Street West & Spadina avenue
If you are a foodaholic, this street is for you!!! They have everything from restaurants to fast food places like Popeyes, Burger priests, Dominos, roti place, Mc Donalds, and KFC. Also, there is a famous ice cream place known as Ice cream & Dreams it has N2 Nitrogen Ice cream it is a must-try. I really like the presentation of the ice cream its actually infused with nitrogen. My favorite is the chocolate fudge ice cream.
7. Roman Catholic Church
One thing I really love
It is located on King Street West. I just like to sit there in peace and pray. I feel it really rejuvenates my energy. The amazing feeling is whenever I leave this church, I leave with a blissful and a positive feeling.
8. Waffle & More
Last but not least I am going to end this blog with my ultimate waffle place. If you guys are a waffle freak like I am, this place should be first on your list. Waffle & More serve authentic Belgian waffles, you can either choose from the menu depending on what kind you want or customize your own. The waffles are very delicious, you will enjoy every bite of it.
One thing I really find cool about this place is that you can actually see your waffles being made. You will also enjoy the vibe of the street at which it is located. It is very happening, lively, and it is surrounded by amazing bars and cafes.
So this sums up my blog on Toronto. I hope it was helpful and you all enjoyed it. My favorite thing to do in Toronto is to just get lost in the streets of Toronto as you tend to explore more when you’re lost ;).
Comment on the section below which are your favorite spots in Toronto.
Love & Light
Krisha.
Sources:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/TTC_subway_map_2018.png
Very interesting and an extremely detailed write-up!! Really enjoyed reading it.
Thanks a lot Dinal!!! :* :*