[ by Martin St-Amant / CC BY-SA 3.0

Where Cultures Collide and Creativity Thrives

A. About Toronto

Nickname: Hogtown

With more than 2.6 million people, cosmopolitan Toronto is the largest metropolis in Canada.

Toronto’s unmatched diversity is incomparable, with Greektown, Little Italy, Koreatown, and Chinatown all within city limits.

Journey through Toronto's iconic skyline, adorned with architectural wonders like the Royal Ontario Museum and the sleek lines of the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Best Things to do in Toronto

The Good:

Toronto enjoys a scenic lakeside location by Lake Ontario, is exceptionally clean and safe, and people are welcoming and friendly.

Furthermore, Toronto proves to be a well-balanced city, scoring high in most of our categories.

The Not-So-Good:

We can identify only two weak points for Toronto: The city is expensive, and there are regrettably only a few pedestrian zones


B. Best Things to Do in Toronto in 2024 (Detailed List with Photos and Information)

In total, we count more than thirty-five sights in Toronto. The following sights contribute to a score of 6.80/10 in this most important category:

# CN Tower 7 3.6 out of 5 stars

Towering above the downtown, the iconic 553-meter (1,815.4 ft) CN Tower was built from 1973 to 1976.

The tower offers panoramic views of Toronto’s cityscape from two observation platforms (interior and outside).

Tower Height: 553 m / 1,815.4 ft | Observation Desk: 446.5 m / 1,464.9 ft | Built: from 1973 to 1976

1) CN Tower 7

by Wladyslaw / CC BY-SA 3.0

# Royal Ontario Museum 6 3.1 out of 5 stars

Commonly referred to as the ROM, this museum houses in a spectacular building an outstanding collection of natural history, art, and culture from an immense variety of periods from all over the world.

Museum  

by Aviad2001 / CC BY-SA 3.0

# Toronto Zoo 6 3.1 out of 5 stars

This world-class zoological park is home to over 5,000 animals representing more than 460 species.

Zoo Opened: 1974 | Land area: 287 hectares / 710 acres | Species: 460 | Animals: 5,000 | Annual Visitors (2013): 1,462,910 million

by Mehran Karimzadeh / CC BY-SA 4.0

# Ontario Science Centre 6 3.1 out of 5 stars

The family-oriented Ontario Science Centre features over five hundred exhibits, live demonstrations, Toronto’s only public planetarium, and IMAX® films in the dome theater.

Museum

by James Koole / CC BY-SA 2.0

# Casa Loma 5.5 2.7 out of 5 stars

Constructed in 1914, this extravagant 98-room castle was the former home of Canadian financier Sir Henry Pellatt.

Residence Completed: 1914

by Torben T. Koch / CC BY-SA 2.0

# Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) 5.5 2.7 out of 5 stars

Known as the AGO, this spectacular museum is best known for its enormous collection of Henry Moore sculptures and for its Canadian holdings.

Art Gallery

by John / CC BY-SA 2.0

# Toronto Islands 5.5 2.7 out of 5 stars

Hop on a ferry to visit the three scenic car-free islands (Centre, Ward's, and Algonquin) to relax and enjoy the weather.

Islands About one kilometer offshore

by Yinan Chen / Public domain

# Distillery Historic District 5.5 2.7 out of 5 stars

Experience the charm of Victorian Toronto in this historic pedestrian-only waterfront neighborhood.

City District

Best Things to do in Toronto

by S. Rae / CC BY-SA 2.0

# Harbourfront Centre 5.5 2.7 out of 5 stars

Located on Toronto's waterfront, this lively 4-hectare art and entertainment complex hosts some 4,000 events a year in and around multipurpose venues. The center is home to festivals, stages, theaters, parks, and galleries.

Islands

by Mark Bradshaw / CC BY-SA 3.0

# Ripley's Aquarium of Canada 5.5 2.7 out of 5 stars

This aquarium features a 96 m-long underwater tunnel with a moving sidewalk and more than 450 distinct species.

While the Ripley's Aquarium of Canada just made it into our list of the thirty best aquariums in the world, it is still a great aquarium, and well worth a visit.

Aquarium Biggest Tank: 2.8 million liters | Tunnel: 96 m | Species: 450 | Established: 2013 | Rank in Our List of the Best Aquariums in the World: #30

by EuroCarGT / CC BY-SA 4.0

Scoring and Icons Legend (Click here for detailed information)

10 = top-10 sight in the world

9 = world-class  

8 = outstanding

7 = excellent 

6 = impressive

5 = interesting

4 = decent

3 = mediocre

2 = bad

1 = abysmal

= World Heritage Site

= Excursion

C. Other notable sights and attractions in Toronto

    • Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art 5
    • Bata Shoe Museum 5
    • Hockey Hall of Fame 5
    • St. Lawrence Market 5
    • St. James' Cathedral 5
    • Rogers Centre 5
    • Ontario Place (huge family leisure park) 5
    • City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square 5

D. Best Day Trips and Excursions from Toronto

Niagara Falls 8

Waterfalls Distance from Toronto: 128 km

by Thomaswm / CC BY-SA 4.0

E. Top 10 List of the Best Things to Do in Toronto (including close-by excursions)

To sum things up, these are the ten best sights we recommend to you when visiting Toronto for at least three entire days:

Niagara Falls (128 km away) 8 

 CN Tower 7

 Royal Ontario Museum 6

 Toronto Zoo 6

 Ontario Science Centre 6

 Casa Loma 5.5

 Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) 5.5

 Toronto Islands 5.5

 Distillery Historic District 5.5

 Harbourfront Centre 5.5