Toronto 2020 | 2 days | Summer Guide
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Overview 7 4
6
Front St Gard iner E 1 x pw y
Don Valley P kwy
Yonge St
Bathurst St
3
College St
5 2
9
Pearson Airport
Billy Bishop Airport
1-9
Lake Ontario
Billy Bishop Airport
15 min walk (1 km / 0.62 mi)
Day 2
Toronto Downtown
8
Day 1
Dundas St
Lake Ontario
Subway Station
1
CN Tower
2
St. Lawrence Market
3
Kensington Market
4
Chinatown
5
Nathan Phillips Square
6
AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario)
7
Baldwin Village
8
Toronto Islands
9
Distillery District
N
Overview This guide was designed for adult (18+) solo travelers or groups of two to four. With only two days to spend, the events are concentrated in the downtown core. The best time to enjoy the events in this guide is in the summer, which is from June to September. Weekend is th best time to visit. The itinerary does not include recommendations for breakfast. If your accommodation does not come with breakfast, you can get something at a local Tim Hortons. The itinerary in this guide has recommended times for each activity. Feel free to remove or add items and make it your own. Ontario applies a Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) of 13% for services and products sold. This applies to dining in restaurants, buying prepared foods, and retail purchases. There are exceptions such as basic groceries and municipal public transit. Services in Ontario has an optional gratituity fee of 15%-20%. In the case of traveling, restaurants and taxi-drivers usually expect a tip on top of fees with tax. Most coffee shops and restaurants have free wi-fi and don’t require a password. Examples of coffee franchises you will see include Tim Hortons, Starbucks, Second Cup Coffee. Try to avoid visiting Toronto during Statutory Holidays as it can get busy: New Year’s Day: January 1 Family Day: third monday in February Good Friday: friday before Easter Sunday Victoria Day: monday before May 25 Canada Day: July 1 Civic Holiday: first monday in August Labour Day: first monday in September Thanksgiving: second monday in October Christmas Day: December 25 Boxing Day: December 26
Overview Budget The costs outlined here are estimates and may change. The costs includes tax and gratituities. Costs are in Canadian Dollars. $340 per adult for 2 days Day 1
Day 2
$35
$50
Basic Meals
Accommodation $55
$55
Tickets/Admission
Transportation Miscellaneous
Meal Breakfast: $6-9 Lunch: $13-20 Dinner: $16-23
Accommodation AirBnB: $55-80 per night
Tickets CN Tower: $42.94 General admission for ages 13-64 AGO: $28.25 admission for age 26+. Free for 25 and
$43
$36
$13
$13
$20
$20
$166
$174
under. AGO is free for all ages on Wednesdays between 6PM - 9PM Ferry ticket: $8.19 for age 20+
Transportation Get around with public transit TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) via streetcar or subway. The group day pass is only available on the weekend and statutory holidays. It is $13 per day up to two adults.
Weather - Monthly Average Temperatures 27° C / 81° F 0° C / 32° F -7° C / 19° F
High 18° C / 64° F Summer season
Low
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Rainfall
48 mm 1.9 in
79 mm 3.1 in
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Snowfall 339.1 mm 13.4 in 0 mm/in Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Daylight Sunset
8:58 PM 15.5 hrs
4:41 PM 9 hrs
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Itinerary - Day 1 Sherbourne St
Queen St
Jarvis St
Yonge St
4
University Ave
3
Spadina Ave
Bathurst St
Dundas St
5
King St 2
Front St 1
Union Station
Lake Ontario 15 min walk (1 km / 0.62 mi)
Subway Station
1
10 AM - CN Tower
2
12 PM - St. Lawrence Market
3
2 PM - Kensington Market
4
4 PM - Chinatown
5
6 PM - Nathan Phillips Square
See the city at 447m above ground.
See the historical market and get some lunch. Recommended: Buster’s Sea Cove.
Check out vintage clothes, street art, and treats.
Slurp noodles or pho for dinner. Recommended: Homemade Ramen.
See City Hall and the iconic Toronto sign.
N
Itinerary - Day 2 6
Parliament St
7
Yonge St
King St
University Ave
Queen St
Spadina Ave
Dundas St
Front St
9
Union Station Queens Quay
Lake Ontario
8 Toronto Islands
15 min walk (1 km / 0.62 mi)
Subway Station
6
10:30 AM - AGO
7
12:30 PM - Baldwin Village
8
2:30 PM - Toronto Islands
9
5 PM - The Distillery District
N
See close to 95,000 pieces of work.
Get lunch in one of the many restaurants or cafes. Recommended: Kinton Ramen.
Enjoy some sun on the beach or bike around the island.
Get dinner and enjoy beer that was brewed onsite. Recommended: Mill St. Brew Pub & The Beer Hall.
Specific Diets
2
King St
b
George St
Lower Jarvis St
Church St
Yonge St a
Wellington St
2 c
e
The
nad a l p s E
3 min walk ( 200 m / 219 yd)
Diet options near
a
2
N
St . Lawrence Market.
Sukhothai 52 Wellington St E Authentic Thai food that is family-run.
b
Bindia Indian Bistro
c
Farm’r Eatery & Catering
16 Market St Contemporary Indian restaurant.
140A The Esplanade Casual farm-to-table restaurant.
Gluten-free
Halal
Vegetarian
Vegan
Specific Diets
3
4
College St Spadina Ave
Augusta Ave
Bellevue Ave
Bathurst St
Oxford St
a c b
Nassau St
3
Baldwin St
4 d
Dundas St 3 min walk ( 200 m / 219 yd)
Diet options in
3
N
Kensington Market and near
a
Bunner’s Bakeshop
b
Hibiscus Cafe
c
Ozzy’s Burgers
d
Veggie D’Light
4
Chinatown.
244 Augusta Ave Indulge in baked goods and treats.
238 Augusta Ave Soups, salad, drinks, and desserts.
66 Nassau St Unit 1/2 Over a dozen burgers to choose from.
160 Baldwin St #1 Caribbean inspired flavours and spices. Gluten-free
Halal
Vegetarian
Vegan
Specific Diets
University Av
7
7 McCaul St
Beverley St
Spadina Ave
Baldwin St
6
Dundas St b
6
St Patrick Station
a
Queen St
3 min walk ( 200 m / 219 yd)
Diet options near
a
b
6
AGO and
7
Subway Station
N
Baldwin Village.
Karine’s 109 McCaul St Vegan and gluten-free all-day breakfast.
Magical Taste of China 405 Dundas St W Chinese-halal cuisine from Xin Jiang.
Gluten-free
Halal
Vegetarian
Vegan
Specific Diets
The Esplanade
Parliament St
Sherbourne St
Jarvis St Front St
9
a
Mill St b
c
9
Gardiner Expwy Lake Shore Blvd
Queens
Quay
7 min walk ( 500 m / 546 yd)
Diet options near and in
a
9
N
Distillery District.
Cluck Clucks Chicken & Waffles 222 The Esplanade Vegan and gluten-free all-day breakfast.
b
El Catrin Destileria
c
Mill St. Brew Pub & The Beer Hall
18 Tank House Lane Authentic and modern Mexican cuisine.
21 A Tank House Lane Pub with organic beer brewed on-site.
Gluten-free
Halal
Vegetarian
Vegan
Be Informed CN Tower 1 301 Front Street West Website Buy tickets online Holding the record as the tallest free-standing structure for 32 years, the CN Tower stands at 553.3 m (1,815.3 ft) high and broadcasts over 30 TV and radio stations. The Tower is illuminated by 1,330 LED at night, lighting up the city’s skyline. The Tower’s latest addition, EdgeWalk, lets thrill-seekers walk along the edge at 356 m (1,168 ft) above ground.
2
St. Lawrence Market
93 Front Street East Website This public market has been around since 1803 and was named the best food market by National Geographic in 2012. The South Market is home to 120 merchants selling fresh produce, meat, baked goods, dairy, prepared foods, and artisan crafts. The North Market has a Farmers’ Market on Saturdays and an antique market on Sundays.
Kensington Market 3 Website Northwest of Spadina Ave and Dundas St W Developed in 1815, this area is one of the most diverse areas in the city. It is filled with restaurants, vintage shops, artisan cheese, crafts, dessert shops, baked goods, coffee shops, and bars. The streets are decorated with art and colour. Summer comes to life on Pedestrian Sundays when the streets are filled with performances and music.
Be Informed Chinatown 4 Spadina Ave & Dundas St W Website Steps away from Kensington Market, you will find roast pigs and ducks lining the windows of restaurants and shops selling medicinal herbs. There are a range of Asian food which includes Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Thai, and Japanese.
5
Nathan Philips Square
100 Queen St W Website Nathan Philips Square is the largest Canadian city square. Located outside of Toronto City Hall, this square hosts various events throughout the year such as farmer’s market, art events, and festivals. The square is home to the iconic Toronto sign that also lights up at night. During the winter, the reflective pool becomes a popular spot for skaters as it converts to a skating rink.
6
AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario)
317 Dundas St W Website Buy tickets online The Art Gallery of Ontario is one of the largest art museums in North America. It is home to over 90,000 works. Renown architect Frank Gehry designed the expansion of the AGO in 2008. The museum’s unique form makes it an iconic landmark in the city.
Be Informed Baldwin Village 7 Baldwin St & Henry St Situated one block north of Dundas Street, it is enclosed by residential buildings. This neighbourhood was initially a Jewish ghetto which moved westward toward Kensington Market. Due to its proximity to Chinatown, the neighbourhood was eventually populated by Chinese-Canadians. Draft dodgers of the Vietnam War started to convert the homes into shops in the late 70’s. Today, Baldwin Village offers a range of restaurants, cafes, and treats.
Toronto Islands 8 Depart from Jack Layton Ferry Terminal Website Buy ferry tickets The Toronto Islands are a group of 15 small islands in Lake Ontario. The main island, Centre Island, has Centreville Amusement Park that is open in the summer. Bikes and quadracycles can be rented at Centre Island. There are three main beaches: Centre Island, Ward Island, and Hanlan’s Point. Note that Hanlan’s Point Beach is clothing optional.
9
The Distillery District
Mill St & Trinity St Website Established in 1832, the Distillery District has the largest preserved Victorian-era industrial architecture. This distillery once boasted the largest distillery in the world. After the economic recession in the 90’s, the District was sold and revitalized into a hub for art, food, and fashion. A popular tradition that runs annually is the Christmas Market which transforms the space into an outdoor art exhibition.
Cover photo by Francesca Saraco on Unsplash. Data on Toronto weather summarized by Google’s weather averages. Guide created by Jane Zhang. Instagram: janezhgw Twitter: janezhgw Website: www.janezhang.ca