Things to do in Toronto
Local lunches, one fine-dining dinner, and a city that rewards the curious walker.
This is Toronto for someone who wants to eat well without performing wealth: neighbourhood ramen, a great-value dinner, Lebanese in Yorkville, and Vietnamese that the critics bothered to select. The route runs west to east and back again, anchored around the AGO, the ROM, and Trinity-Bellwoods, so each day has a clear centre of gravity. If you like walking between things and spending money on food rather than rooms, this plan is written for you.
Day 1: Kensington, AGO, Grey Gardens
A morning in one of the world's better art galleries, an afternoon in the park behind it, and the trip's headline dinner on the same block you started.
- 10:30 AM
Jimmy's Coffee
Kensington Market café on Baldwin Street, ten minutes' walk from the AGO; take a latte to the bench outside.
Map - 11:15 AM
Art Gallery of Ontario
Major Canadian collection, Group of Seven, Indigenous art, and Frank Gehry architecture; a proper morning in a world-class gallery.
Map - 12:45 PM
Ramen Isshin
Order the red miso ramen with a soft egg; a quick, warming lunch on College Street.
Map - 2:30 PM
Grange Park
Easy afternoon stretch in Grange Park, right behind the AGO, a quiet local green before dinner.
Map - 7:30 PM
Grey Gardens
Seafood-leaning small plates and a deep natural wine list on the edge of Kensington Market.
Map - 9:30 PM
Free Times Cafe
Free Times Cafe is a neighbourhood pub a short walk away, proper wind-down drink without the late-night chaos.
Map
Day 2: ROM, Yorkville, and Lebanese tonight
A walk through Queen's Park, dinosaurs before noon, Israeli street food for lunch, and Lebanese in Yorkville to close the day.
- 9:30 AM
Queen's Park
Start the morning with a stroll through Queen's Park, leafy, unhurried, right next to the ROM.
Map - 11:15 AM
Royal Ontario Museum
Canada's largest museum, dinosaurs, Egyptian art, minerals and First Nations galleries; worth a solid 2-hour wander.
Map - 12:45 PM
Miznon
Casual Israeli street food in Yorkville, quick, cheap and exactly the kind of locals-love-it lunch this trip calls for.
Map - 7:30 PM
- 9:30 PM
Day 3: Trinity-Bellwoods to Bernhardt's
Murals and parks fill the morning, a bowl of acclaimed pho anchors the afternoon, and a French-leaning neighbourhood restaurant sends you home satisfied.
- 9:30 AM
Graffiti Alley West
Walk the Graffiti Alley strip from Ossington toward the neighbourhood, murals, indie shops and live-music venues line the route.
Map - 10:30 AM
Trinity Bellwoods Park
Start the morning with a stroll through Trinity Bellwoods, grab a coffee from a nearby café and watch the locals with their dogs.
Map - 12:30 PM
Pho Tien Thanh
A no-frills Ossington pho shop; the rare beef pho with a lot of herbs, for very little.
Map - 7:30 PM
Bernhardt's
Bernhardt's is the neighbourhood's most-loved dinner, French cooking, casual-elegant room, the kind of meal locals brag about.
Map - 9:30 PM
Where to stay
Le Germain Hotel Toronto Mercer
Solid mid-range Le Germain close to the AGO and Kensington, well-made rooms without the luxury hotel theatre.
Kimpton Saint George
Kimpton Saint George sits right between the ROM and the AGO, which makes Day 1 and Day 2 both walkable from the front door.
Make Toronto your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Toronto Islands: a few days ahead
- Rogers Centre: a few days ahead
- Scotiabank Arena: a few days ahead
- Massey Hall: a few days ahead
- The Second City Toronto: a few days ahead
- Guerlain Spa Toronto: a few days ahead
Skip these
- CN Tower at midday on a Saturday. Go at opening or sunset on a timed ticket instead.
- Clifton Hill at Niagara Falls. See the Falls, boat and gorge, and skip the wax museum strip.
- Ripley's Aquarium as an adult must do, Eaton Centre as Toronto shopping, and King West bottle service clubs as Toronto nightlife.
- Casa Loma on a 2 day trip. It is real and fun, and half a day gone.
The full Toronto travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around