Just back from our long weekend to Toronto but did it work? We’ve had some odd looks and questions about going so far for only a few days so let me briefly break it down and give you my honest answer to the question.
My unfiltered album of the trip is here
Day 1
We had an early flight from Heathrow on Thursday so we stayed at a hotel just outside on Wednesday night which worked well as I needed to go to Brentwood, Essex for work that day and trained it across London in the afternoon. Check in, security etc was pretty slick and fast (Birmingham Airport are you listening? You’re shit!) but we did get held up for quite a while once we’d boarded before getting away nearly an hour late. However we did make up quite a bit of the time back en-route and only arrived 15 mins late.
Toronto airport was pretty quick despite miserable border guards. Seems to be a universal thing now wherever you go. Just rude people with no manners. Getting to downtown from the airport is really easy, there is an express train which is direct and takes about 25 mins. From Union Station we then had a simple 10 min walk to Victoria Hotel. The 5hr time difference gave us back some hours so we had the afternoon free to explore so we took a walk to the Distillery District a few blocks away via Berzcy Park and St Lawrence Market and had a nice lunch and some drinks. Afterwards we went for a walk down to the waterfront before heading back.
The time gain left us feeling pretty bushed around 9pm so we went back to the Hotel bar for a nightcap and early night.
Day 2
Minor jet-lag woke us at 5am so we got up early and we were out before 9am. Not a bad thing given the weather was 25 degs+ all weekend.
We jumped on a hop-on, hop-off bus tour around the city for a couple of hours in the morning. They are a great way to see the sights you might miss if you tried to do it all yourself. We jumped off towards the end of the tour and took a ferry over to Toronto Islands. A small enclave of houses, beaches and parks popular with city residents. Really nice but it was very warm. From here we headed back to shore and decided to head up the CN Tower then a boat trip around the islands to see the ones we missed on foot. We then finished the bus tour and headed to a pub for some food and drink which ended up getting a little messy before bed.
Day 3
Saturday was all about an organised trip to Niagra Falls. It was a very long day but well worth it. Epic is a fair description I think. We were picked up just before 8am (that jet lag helped again!), collected some others and then bussed it 2 hrs to the falls via a pitstop where we could get some breakfast and spend some money in a gift shop selling maple syrup and chocolate. There we were right on the US border with Buffalo sitting the other side of a bridge spanning the Niagra gorge. From here we drove the short distance to the falls and spent 3 hrs there which included the amazing (& wet) boat trip that gets you right to the foot of the falls and in the spray. Amazing to see and hear the raw power of them. We had lunch at the Niagra Brewery on Clifton Hill and was perplexed to see it was like a cross between Las Vegas and Alton Towers with brightly coloured themed bars, restaurants and attractions. Mad place. Mega hot day though, probably 30 degs in the sun.
Geography Lesson: Niagra falls sits in the gorge that links Lake Eerie and Lake Ontario on which Toronto sits. It feels like the sea but it’s just an unfathomongly massive freshwater lake.
After that we were taken to a local vineyard for some wine tasting. The region around Niagra and Lake Ontario is a really big winemaking area. Who knew? And then before home it was a quick drive into Niagra-on-the-Lake village which sits on the mouth of the Niagra gorge at the Lake Ontario end. It’s very quaint, pretty and steeped in history but it just had too many cars, tourists and people there to really enjoy it properly. Worth it though. We got caught in traffic on the way home and rolled in 12hrs later so it was back to the pub for more food and beers then a night walk back to the hotel.
Day 4
Nothing was really planned today as we knew we’d be tired. We checked out and left the bags and went for a wander. Initially we unsucessfully tried to get a Street Car (tram) to Kensington Market and Chinatown before realising there were none because of a running event and closed roads. After redirecting to City Hall to see the Toronto sign, we eventually got there on a different route. After a coffee and walk around those neighbourhoods we got back on the street car and headed back across town to St Lawrence Market to have an epic sandwich for lunch. Then we found a bar to kill some time and people watch before heading back to our hotel and get our bags and head home. The 10 min walk again, the 25 min train and a hectic airport before an overnight flight. We landed at just after 6am and got back home just after 9am.
Conclusion
So was it worth it? Definitely. A 3 or 4 day break is ideal. The city is so well connected with an abundance of transport options. Trains, Trams, Buses, a Subway or you can hire a bike or just walk. Getting around is easy. There are trips and tours if you want to do something organised for you but despite being a little tiring, we crammed so much into our 4 days there, it was an awesome experience.
Our itinerary was based on a prize-winning one Sally put together for the Toronto Tourist Board. That’s why we we went and was worth every penny.
If you fancy doing something similar, speak to Sally, my personal travel consultant 🙂
Stats
Time difference: -5 Hours
Flight Time: Around 7hrs gate to gate
UP Express Train from Airport to Downtown: 25 mins, 3 stops, cost $25 CAD (£13) each return
Money: £300 each was enough (circa $560 CAD), food, drink + tips are expensive, think of London tourist prices + a 15-20% tip on top but tipping is more optional here. They won’t chase you down the street for one like the US
Street Car (Tram): $3.30 CAD (£2) each for 2 hours of travel anywhere. Tap in, tap out
Bus Tour: Around 2 hrs, cost circa £35 each, £100 each including Niagra Falls trip
Toronto Islands Ferry: $9 CAD (£5) each return
Looks and sounds like you had a great time 👌