Day 1 Overview

On Day 1, you will see the city’s major landmark, the CN Tower. You won’t find many locals in the CN Tower’s vicinity (unless there is a concert or sports game at the nearby Rogers Centre or Air Canada Centre), but it does offer some decent photo ops. If extremely tall buildings don’t impress you, you could take a tour of the all-Canadian Steam Whistle microbrewery and enjoy a cold one instead.

In the afternoon, a trip to the Toronto Islands is recommended if you are visiting between late May and September. If you are visiting during the winter, you might choose to spend more time at the Harbourfront Centre and go skating in the Natrel Rink.  

Towards the evening, you will visit the historic Distillery District, which consists of a cluster of beautiful Victorian industrial buildings restored and repurposed for art galleries, restaurants, and boutiques. If you still have energy at night, you can wrap up the day wandering the downtown Yonge area and/or Church and Wellesley, known as the city’s primary LGBT-oriented neighborhood.

This is the suggested route for Day 1, starting with the green marker and ending with the red:

For a good events listing, pick up a copy of Now, a free weekly newspaper that can be found in green and red newspaper boxes all over the city. 

St. Lawrence Market

St. Lawrence Market is marker A in Day 1 Overview map.

Note: The main market building pictured below, known as the South Market, is open between Tuesday and Saturday only. If your first day in Toronto falls on Sunday or Monday, consider swapping the days of the itinerary.

Start your day off with this large historic market bustling with food vendors, many of which feature local specialties. This is a good place to have a quick breakfast or brunch (you won’t find specifically breakfast-type establishments but there are adequate options). You can also pick up some picnic food for the afternoon trip to the Toronto Islands. If you are taking public transit, the King subway station is a good reference point. The walk from the station to the Market takes about 10 minutes:

Give yourself a taste of Canadiana at the Carousel Bakery, located on the upper level of the South Market. The Carousel Bakery has been in the Market for over thirty years and is best known for their Peameal Bacon Sandwich (back bacon coated in cornmeal, a Canadian specialty).

If bacon is not your thing, there are plenty of stalls that sell baked goods, dips, and cheeses. Another bit of Canadiana can be found at St. Urbain Bagel, which sells Montreal-style bagels.

Across the street, on the north side of Front Street, is the North Market building, which features a Farmer’s Market on Saturdays and an Antique Market on Sundays.

Walk to the CN Tower

To get to the CN Tower from St. Lawrence Market, I recommend taking a 20-minute walk via Union Station and PATH—a 28-kilometer indoor walkway, mostly underground, that connects many of the downtown core’s transit, shopping, and entertainment spots. For a map of the PATH, see http://www.toronto.ca/path.

From the Market, walk west on Front Street towards Union Station. Upon entering the Station’s doors on Front Street you will find yourself in the main hall lined with ticket booths. Make a right, and follow the signs that say Skywalk and CN Tower. The Skywalk is part of PATH and will lead you directly to the CN Tower. See the map below—marker A indicates the Market and B indicates the CN Tower.

The CN Tower (Marker B)

Website: http://www.cntower.ca

The CN Tower’s main attraction is on its Observation Level where you can look out to the city and stand on top of a glass floor. If you are budget conscious, keep in mind that the ticket for going up the tower is a little steep: it starts at $22.99 for adults (about $26 after taxes). In terms of entertainment value, I would recommend visiting the site of the Tower regardless of whether you plan to go up. As for the experience of going up the tower and the view from the top, I would recommend the investment under two conditions: you enjoy activities involving heights, and it’s not too crowded (hence my choice of having this destination earlier in the day’s schedule).

If you are travelling with children, you might consider getting the Toronto CityPass. The CityPass includes admission to five attractions: the CN Tower, Casa Loma, Ontario Science Centre, Royal Ontario Museum, and the Toronto Zoo. This itinerary only includes two of those among its destinations because it is, admittedly, a little adult-centric. But if you are interested in all of them, it offers good value: it costs around $66 for adults and $40 for children between ages 4 and 12 as of this writing (prices fluctuate slightly based on U.S.-Canadian exchange rates), translating into 45% savings if you visit all five attractions. The CityPass can be purchased at http://www.citypass.com/toronto or at the CN Tower ticket booth.

Steam Whistle Brewing (Marker C)

Website: http://www.steamwhistle.ca

Walk to Harbourfront Centre

The Harbourfront Centre is a 10-minute walk from the CN Tower or the Steam Whistle brewery. Walk south on Rees Street and make a left at Queens Quay West:

Harbourfront Centre (Marker D)

Website: http://www.harbourfrontcentre.com

Site Map: http://www.harbourfrontcentre.com/images/who/2011/sitemap_lg.gif

The Harbourfront Centre refers to a group of buildings on the city’s waterfront, as well as a cultural organization that puts on numerous events throughout the year involving food, film, music, dance, theatre, and more. Many occasions focus on particular countries or cultures, reflecting the city’s diversity. Check out the website to find out what is going on during your visit.

The Harbourfront site includes The Power Plant (http://www.thepowerplant.org), one of Canada’s leading contemporary visual arts galleries. I recommend visiting this gallery if you have any interest in contemporary art. Admission is $6 for adults.

For the kids: Between May and October, the Natrel Pond offers canoe rides. In the winter, the pond turns into a skating rink, but check the Harbourfront Centre website for hours of operation. 

Ferry to Toronto Islands

The “Toronto Islands” refers to a group of islands on Lake Ontario, to which you can arrive via ferry from the south end of the city. It is a fantastic location from which to see the Toronto skyline and a good spot to have a relaxing afternoon. There are three different ferry routes, but the easiest way is to take the Centre Island ferry and walk or cycle around to the other islands.

It takes 10 minutes to walk from the Harbourfront Centre to the ferry docks. In the map below, you can see a path labeled Ferry Ramp, heading south from point B. Head down this path to purchase a ferry ticket to Centre Island ($6.50 return for adults, $3 for children under 14, and free for children under 2). During the day ferries generally leave every 30 minutes. Schedules vary by season; check this website for precise times: http://www.toronto.ca/parks/island/ferry-schedule.htm

Toronto Islands (Marker E)

Website: http://www.toronto.ca/parks/island

Site Map: http://www.toronto.ca/parks/pdf/island/toronto_island_map.pdf

When the ferry arrives, make a left and walk down Avenue of the Island, which will lead you to Centre Island. You will walk past a fountain, then a garden plaza, and then you will arrive at the beach where you can rent a bicycle.

Ride the bike towards Ward’s Island on the east and enjoy the view of quaint homes in this small residential community. Head back to Centre Island and have a picnic or rent a boat. If you’re with kids, you can also take them to Centreville Amusement Park.

You can also head west towards Hanlan’s Point. If a clothing-optional beach is up your alley, you will find the entry point to a secluded clothing-optional beach past the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse. 

Walk to Distillery Historic District

Walking from the ferry docks to the Distillery District will take between 25 and 30 minutes. See the suggested walking route below. Taking Queens Quay East and going north on Parliament Street would be faster, but the suggested route along The Esplanade is more scenic. To take this route, go east on Queens Quay, north on Yonge Street, and then east on The Esplanade. When you come to the end of The Esplanade at Berkeley Street, simply cut across the small park to get to Mill Street. Continue east along Mill Street to get to the Distillery District. 

If you prefer to take transit, take the #72 bus eastbound from the corner of Yonge Street and The Esplanade.

Distillery Historic District (Marker F)

Website: http://www.thedistillerydistrict.com

Site Map: http://www.thedistillerydistrict.com/PDF/distillery_site_plan.pdf

At The Distillery, explore the various galleries, artist studios, shops, cafés and bakeries, or simply admire the architecture—a cluster of restored buildings that once consisted the Gooderham and Worts Distillery in the 19th century. 

For coffee lovers, I recommend a visit to Balzac’s Coffee. With its origins in Stratford, Ontario, Balzac’s is considered by many publications to be one of the best coffeehouses in Toronto. Even if you’re not a coffee person, it has a beautiful interior and is a good place to take a break.

At this point you might start considering what to have for dinner. There are a number of restaurants in the Distillery but there isn’t one that I would particularly recommend. Have food and drinks here only if you want to stay for the atmosphere and don’t mind the high prices. The Boiler House is popular, but entrées start at around $25.

For something more basic, you can wait until you get to the next destination, Yonge-Dundas Square. There is no shortage of food vendors in the area, although I struggle to think of anything remarkable in the Square’s immediate vicinity. See the italics in the following section for my two restaurant recommendations, which are just slightly out of the way of Yonge-Dundas Square.

Head to Yonge-Dundas Square

To get to Dundas Square from the Distillery, you can either take a 30- to 40-minute scenic walk (details below) or take a streetcar followed by the subway. The map below shows the suggested TTC route. From the Distillery, walk north on Trinity Street until you get to King Street East. Take the 503 or 504 streetcar to King subway station (remember to pick up a transfer on the streetcar if you don’t have a day pass). Then take the northbound subway to Dundas station.

If you want some good Thai food for dinner, I recommend Sukho Thai, but you will need to go north on Parliament instead. Take the 65 Parliament bus north to 274 Parliament Street, just before Dundas Street East. If you prefer to walk, it should take around 15 minutes from the Distillery. Entrées are between $8.75 and $11.25. It is a tiny restaurant so there may be a line.

My other recommendation is an Ethiopian restaurant, which is in the Church and Wellesley Neighborhood section. 

By this time of day you might not want a long walk, but if you’re up to the task you can take the following scenic route from the Distillery to Yonge-Dundas Square, which will introduce you to a few little gems:

1. The Joey and Toby Tanenbaum Opera Centre: This is the headquarters of the Canadian Opera Company. This is another beautiful restored 19th century building.
2. The Toronto Sun building: The Toronto Sun is one of Toronto’s daily newspapers. On the Front Street side of the building is a large mural. Completed in 1993, the mural commemorates 200 years of Toronto history.[1]
3. Toronto Sculpture Garden: A small public park that features contemporary sculpture installations.
4. Cathedral Church of St. James, a City of Toronto heritage site.
5. The Gooderham Building (also known as the Flatiron Building): A triangular building at the intersection of Wellington Street East and Front Street East. Walk to the west end of the building to see a trompe-l’oeil (optical illusion) mural by Canadian artist Derek Michael Besant.
6. Cloud Gardens: A very small yet architecturally and artistically elaborate public park hidden from the downtown bustle. A good place to get a rest.
7. Nathan Phillips Square: A public square that is also the site of the architecturally distinct Toronto City Hall.

• From the Distillery, walk west on Mill Street. Make a right (north) at Parliament Street, and make a left (west) on Front Street East.
• After you pass the Opera Centre (1) and the Toronto Sun Building (2), make a right on Princess Street, and then a left on King Street East.
• After passing the Sculpture Garden (3) and St. James (4), make a left on Church Street, and then a right on Wellington Street East to get to the Gooderham Building (5).
• Continue along Wellington Street East and make a right on Yonge Street.
• Make a left on Temperance Street for Cloud Gardens (6).
• Continue down Temperance to Bay Street; make a right on Bay Street to get to Nathan Phillips Square (7).
• Continuing on, make a right at Dundas Street East and walk until Yonge Street to get to Yonge-Dundas Square.

[1] In the middle of writing this itinerary, I learned that the mural was being torn down to make way for new development. But a part of it is still up, so the developer may be planning to keep a piece of it. 

Yonge-Dundas Square (Marker G)

Website: http://www.ydsquare.ca

Yonge-Dundas Square (or Dundas Square) is a hyper-commercialized public space located at one of the busiest intersections in Toronto. At the southwest corner is one of the entrances to the Eaton Centre, the largest shopping mall in Eastern Canada. At this important downtown juncture you will often find concerts, festivals, buskers, loud preaching for various causes, and demonstrations.

Church and Wellesley Neighborhood

Detailed map of businesses in the area: http://www.churchwellesleyvillage.ca/location.php?id=16

If you are up for one more stop after Dundas Square, consider Church and Wellesley (also known as Church Wellesley Village, or “The Village”), which refers to a gay-/LGBT-oriented neighborhood. Toronto is an incredibly gay-friendly city in general, but many gay-oriented businesses are concentrated in this area. If you’d like to keep exploring at night or if you enjoy the bar scene, it is within walking distance of Dundas Square (Wellesley is the closest subway station).

The map below marks the general boundaries of Church Wellesley Village, but reference the map linked above for a comprehensive list of bars, clubs, and restaurants. You will want to focus on Church Street. (The blue marker at the bottom represents Yonge-Dundas Square).

For good Ethiopian food, try Ethiopian House at 4 Irwin Avenue (you can find Irwin towards the top of the map on the following page). Main dishes start at around $10. This restaurant has the added benefit of having many options for vegetarians. After your meal, remember to order coffee, which will be presented to you in the form of a traditional coffee ceremony.