It turns out Toronto ON is only a 5 hour drive from Pittsburgh, so my friend and I decided to take off to Canada for a whirlwind weekend adventure. Toronto is such an amazing, international city with a very European vibe. The people there so friendly and pleasant (and apparently the people of Toronto are the meanest of the Canadians- so go figure). Since I had to make it back in time for work on Sunday night, we only got to spend 36 hours there, but thanks to our jam-packed itinerary we were able to get a great feel for what the city had to offer.
Here is a map and itinerary of all the places you should go if you are spending a short weekend in Toronto. If you click on the map- you can download the google maps version to take with you on your travels.
[social_warfare buttons=”Pinterest”]
FRIDAY- GETTING THERE AND A NIGHT OUT ON THE TOWN
NIAGRA FALLS
We made a super breath-taking pit stop at Niagra Falls, Canada on the way to Toronto. Apparently, the Canadian side is the way to go. I was very happy with this decision- although I have nothing to compare it to. This can also make a great day trip from Toronto since it is only ~1hr drive from the city.
In my opinion, the best way to experience the falls is on the water. We bought tickets in advance for The Hornblower, Voyage to the Falls Boat Tour which cost $25 CAD. The tour was a 20-minute FULL MIST experience which took us right into the heart of the waterfalls while spouting out all sorts of fun factoids.
We were also lucky enough to see a beautiful rainbow encircling the falls, which made for some pretty epic pictures.
There are many other ways to experience the falls: zipline tours, walk behind the falls tours, firework cruises, etc. You probably only need to do one, and I truly feel like we got the full experience with our 20 minute boat tour.
WHERE TO STAY- TWO PEAS PODSHARE
We stayed at the Two Peas Podshare which is essentially like ‘glamping’, but for a hostel. Staying here was one of the best decisions we made- it set such a fun tone for the entire trip.
The location was absolutely perfect- right in the middle of Chinatown, only a few blocks away from Kensington market, and just steps from one of the TTC street car stops.
The beds had privacy curtains which made me feel like I had plenty of my own space. They were also tricked out with flat screen tvs, foam pillows and an entire charging station which provided a luxurious feel. The bathrooms and showers were clean and well stocked with all the essentials.
My favorite part of this hostel was the rooftop lounge area- it’s the perfect place to drink wine and watch the sunset while planning the rest of your night out. We met friends up there immediately and they decided to join us to check out Toronto’s nightlife.
BOVINE SEX CLUB
We started our night at a tiki- themed rooftop bar in the Queen West neighborhood, which was named Toronto’s hippest neighborhood! It was exactly what you would expect from a tiki bar- fruity drinks in coconuts with colorful umbrellas- a great place to begin our night on the town.
From there you can just walk down Queen St and explore its many options of bars and restaurants- some of the most popular ones are Apt 200, Bar Fancy, and Otto’s Bierhalle.
GRAFFITI ALLEY
While in the neighborhood, be sure to check out graffiti alley for some of the most epic street art and wall murals of all times. Graffiti Alley was actually commissioned by the city of Toronto and represents a positive step in the city’s relationship with street art. It is also forever changing- with old works being painted over and new works being created all the time. With such vibrant explosions of color, you are bound to get some super instagram-worthy photos.
SATURDAY- ALL THE SIGHTS
TRANSPORTATION
As much as Uber and Lyft can be convenient at times, I love taking the local public transportation when I am visiting a city. We walked to Queen Parks Station, the closest subway station and bought a TTC day pass which was $12.50 for unlimited use for the two of us and included the subway, streetcars and buses.
The transportation is fairly easy to navigate in Toronto- you can check out the official TTC website for all of the information you need on public transit.
CURRENCY
We exchanged our money at Goldium Fx– which was basically a ticket counter in a hidden corner on the street of our hostel (aka- hard to find if your not looking for it). They did not charge any exchange fee- so I highly recommend going to a place like this! To find a place in the city near you- just walk into the closest bank and ask them. Canadian bankers are just as friendly as the rest of the people and they will point you in the right direction.
KENSINGTON MARKET
We started off our morning with coffee and pastries from Jimmy’s Coffee and then set out to explore Kensington market. This is such an eclectic, bohemian neighborhood with vintage shopping, hole-in-the-wall restaurants, local grocery markets and street performers on every corner.
If you make it there for lunch I would recommend checking out Seven Lives Tacos or grab some empanadas at Latin Taste. You could easily spend hours wandering through the streets if you have the time, but unfortunately we had a schedule to keep.
CN TOWER
The iconic, space-needle esque tower on the Toronto skyline is on pretty much every tourist’s list and for good reason! I am a sucker for a good view- and this 360 panorama of the city and Lake Ontario was totally worth the crowds and price tag.
If you want an extra thrill and are feeling brave, you can sign up for the Edge Walk, Toronto’s “Most Extreme Attraction” where you literally step out onto the ledge of the CN tower- with a harness on of course.
Pro tip- Buy your tickets online in advance and pay the extra $7 extra to skip the lines! Who wants to spend time waiting in line when there is a city to explore?
STEAM WHISTLE BREWERY
Located in The Roundhouse right next to CN tower, this is one of Toronto’s premier microbreweries. They only have one beer on tap- a light and refreshing pilsner that is made with sustainable practices and four all-natural ingredients. It was so funny to me- to order all you had to do was say what size you wanted, since there is literally one beer on the menu.
The tours of the brewery are supposed to be incredible, however they were all booked up for the day when we showed up. I would recommend booking a tour in advance to avoid that from happening to you!
ST LAWRENCE MARKET
We ended up taking the bus to the St. Lawrence market because we were tired- but it is also entirely walkable. It would have been about a 25-30 min walk along a perfectly pedestrian friendly route.
We showed up at this indoor food market equal parts hangry and exhausted and were able to satisfy our basic needs on both accounts. After wandering through rows of fresh seafood and ethnic cuisine I settled for the famous bacon Peameal Sandwich from the Carousel Bakery. Let me just tell you- I completely understand the hype. It was salty and hearty and oh-so-savory and perfectly hit the spot after all the walking around we were doing.
Pro tip- The market was starting to close down shop by the time we got there at 2:30pm so I would recommend going earlier in the day. It is also closed on Sunday and Monday so plan accordingly
THE DISTILLERY DISTRICT
A quirky, industrial and historic neighborhood with lots of exposed brick and metallic, iron art works adorning the streets. There are over 80 boutiques and restaurants to choose from and I could have probably spent the entire weekend hanging out here. We walked through some cute art galleries and stopped by The Abnormal Beauty Company where I found some surprisingly affordable upscale BB cream.
After our shopping and perusing adventures we sat outside at Pure Spirits Oyster House and Grill drinking apertifs and enjoying the afternoon and the people watching. Mill St Brewery is another fantastic spot to kick back and have a drink while you are in the area.
There is also a TON of picture worthy street -art and displays throughout the streets of the Distillery District- making it a perfect stop for your instagram tour of Toronto.
THE TORONTO ISLANDS
Next, we bought a bottle of wine and took a ferry from Queens Quay Terminal out to the Toronto Islands to watch the sunset. We decided to go to Ward’s Island since it was rumored to be where the locals go AND to have the best beach scene- we were not disappointed.
One of the coolest parts about going to the islands is the ferry ride out there. You get spoiled with an incredible view of the Toronto city skyline.
If you have more time and the athletic inclination, you could rent bikes and take a bike tour of the island- or pop on over to the other islands Hanlan’s point and Centreville.
Although we didn’t have nearly enough time, we were very happy with all the adventures we were able to have in Toronto. The one place we did not get to go that was on our itinerary was Casa Loma.
What places did we miss? What are your favorite things to do in Toronto? I am already thinking about going back so I would love to hear your input!
