The Ultimate 48-Hour Guide to Toronto, Canada
Long overdue for a solo trip I decided to fly from my town of Minneapolis to Toronto for a short 48-hour trip. Here is some information about my flight and stay in Toronto. In this blog post I will highlight several great attractions you should check out and restaurants and coffee shops you stop by during your short trip.
FLIGHT & STAY
The travel time to and from Toronto was 2-hours each way for a total of 4-hours in travel time. The round trip flight was booked through Sun Country Airlines for a total of $267.
For my choice of stay I chose The Planet Traveler Hostel, a cozy hostel located in downtown Toronto with eclectic views of the skyline. Although many travelers choose the bougie route of staying at hotels, I chose to go the hostel route this time around with hopes of meeting other like-minded travelers.
ADDRESS: 357 College St. Toronto, ON M5T 1S5 Canada
COST: for 2-night stay: $126 USD/172 CAD
ATTRACTIONS + THINGS TO DO
Kensington Market
Just minutes from my hostel was Kensington Market, one of Toronto’s widely known attractions. The area is a popular spot to shop, dine, drink and splurge. There is a multitude of stores to choose from and outside vendors selling jewelry and souvenirs as well as a variety of restaurants, bars and coffee shops.
Chinatown
Of course as an avid lover of Asian cuisine I had to add Chinatown to my list of stops. This will be my 3rd China town including Chinatown Chicago and Chinatown Antwerp, not to forget that I’ve also lived and dined in the country of China for three years as well. Established in 1878, Toronto’s Chinatown is own of its oldest neighborhoods featuring a diverse array of both Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine. In Chinatown you will find everything from authentic Chinese cuisine representing cities like Chengdu to the infamous Chinese brunch dim sum. Strolling the streets of Chinatown you will witness beautiful Asian art representation and grafitti on business walls. There are also a variety of shopping stores, spas and massage places.
CN Tower & EdgeWalk
The CN tower stands for “Canada National” which refers to the railway company that built the tower in 1976. Located in downtown Toronto, the building stands 1,815 feet talk with 147 floors. It is currently the world’s 10th tallest free-standing structure. It is also known as Canada’s “Celebration Destination.” The tower currently serves as a popular tourist attraction that offers eclectic views of the city’s skylines. The timed general admission offers guests the opportunity to view the city from the main and lower observation decks.
Currently on the Lower Observation floor is Artmosphere. an immersive, interactive art showcase from Canadian artists and indigenous artists from across the country.
Since I am an avid thrill seeker, I decided to brave Toronto’s EdgeWalk at the CN Tower. This experience takes place on the 116th floor and involves walking along the edge of the building with only a harness strapping you in. The whole experience takes about 90 minutes with 30 minutes spent on the EdgeWalk.
ADDRESS: 290 Bremner Blvd, Toronto, ON M5V 3L9, Canada
COST: The experience costed roughly $188 and can be purchased on the CN Tower’s website. In addition to the Edgewalk, the price includes 2 photos of the experience as well as a video, and a ticket to the upper deck observatory following the experience. A certificate of completion is also given following the Edgewalk.
Art Gallery of Ontario (AG)
There are five floors for the art gallery with each floor having its own unique theme and collections. My recommendation is to start on the 5th floor with the museum’s most comtemporary art pieces and slowly work your way down each floor from there. I recommend taking the spiral staircase down rather than the elevator as it offers beautiful views of Toronto’s skyline through the glass windows. AGO also has several gift shops, a bistro and a coffee shop, which by the way, makes a mean iced vanilla latte.
ADDRESS: 317 Dundas St W, Toronto, Ontario
HOURS: View full hours and prices here
COST: $30 CAD for adult, $15 CAD for youth 10-17 years, Free for children 0-9 years
Nathan Phillips Square
The square is a good representation of Toronto’s overall vibe: chill. It’s a great spot to relax and people watch and even read a book. In the area are little places to grab a bite to eat. During the Spring, Summer and Fall, Nathan Phillips Square features a fountain. In the winter, the water fountain turns into an outdoor artificial ice rink. There are events held at the square throughout the year so make sure to check the website during your visit.
Yonge-Dundas Square
Yonge-Dundas Square reminds me a bit of New York Times Square only on a much smaller scale. This stop is a great one if you enjoy shoppimg. I personally am not a huge fan of shopping but I did want to check out the area at least once. There is a multitude of shopping malls and stores, restaurants, boba tea shops and more. Even if you are not a fan of shopping or are on a tight budget, it is a still a great place to window shop and check out. I recommend going during the night if you want to witness the the full potential of the square’s brightly lit billboards and advertisements.
Wizard Market
The Wizard Market is a uniqe Harry Potter themed gift shopped located in downtown Toronto underground. Harry Potter fans can find everything from mugs to jewelry and clothing to books and even wands!
ADDRESS: Lower, 346B, Dundas St W, Toronto, ON
Visit the Toronto Islands by Boat
My trek to the Toronto Islands was a spur-of-the-moment spontaneous decison that was actually quite simple. Along the shore of Spadina Avenue are several boats that trek back and forth from the island to the city quite frequently. The trip is altogether less than 10 minutes and $13 each way. There is plenty to see and do at the island itself. Stay tuned for a future blog post with more in-depth details of how to circumnavigate the Toronto Islands.
Biking around the city
Unexpectedly, biking around Toronto ended up being one of my favorite parts of this trip. The early morning breeze and semi-business of the city was a relaxing and refreshing way to start the days. It felt as though everyone throughout the city was in their place. There were many others biking and jogging throughout. Unlike faster transportation options and walking, biking gave me the opportunity to view the city in a perfect pace.
COFFEE AND CUISINE
10 DEAN | Waverley
Located in the Lobby of the Waverley Apartment Building, 10 DEAN offers customers a unique experience to lounge, study and work while enjoying delicious coffee and pastries.
ADDRESS: 484 Spadina Ave., Toronto, ON
RECOMMENDATIONS: Ube iced latte, Brown sugar nitro oat latte, and apple pastry.
La Cevichería Bar & Grill
This restaurant is a must if you are a fan of seafood, steak and/or ceviche. I am a huge fan of ceviche and was thrilled to learn it was just minutes from where I was staying. With its diverse use of ingredients, this restaurant really plays with the flavors on your tongue from sweet to spicy to sour.
ADDRESS: 285 Augusta Ave, Toronto, ON
RECOMMENDATIONS:
• Ceviche shots which offers you three different types of ceviches and shrimp cocktail with corn chips.
• Caesar cocktail which is a concoction of vodka, clamato (clam + tomato) mix, hot sauce and worcestershire sauce.
• Cocktails to go - This restaurant offers at least a dozen different margarita options that you can order to go. The drinks are 3 oz and easy to carry on your way out.
Try Poutine
As Canada’s national dish, you should be able to find poutine easily throughout the city of Toronto. Basically its french fries covered in cheesecurds and gravy. For my own experience I tried poutine at the cafe on the lower level of the CN Tower while I waited for my turn for the Edgewalk. I found it to be a satisfying snack however I do not think I’d try it again if I had the choice. I do recommend trying it at least once when visiting Canada.
Pho Ha Noi
Not to be confused with Pho Ha Noi 54, Pho Ha Noi was a place I had to try as a Vietnamese-American and huge fan of Vietnamese cusinese, but also since the restaurant was across the street from where I was staying. The restaurant offered a relaxing atmosphere that allowed me to unwind at the end of the day. The restaurant also featured several of my favorite authentic Vietnamese dishes including Bún riêu, Bún bò Huế and Pho, as well as a variety of bubble teas and fresh squeezed fruit juices. It is a great option if you are having late night cravings since the restaurant is open daily to 4am.
ADDRESS: 374 College St, Toronto, ON M5T 1S6
Vagabondo Restobar
Vagabondo is an authentic Italian restaurant that offers everything from pastas made from scratch to risottos, pizza and desserts such as tiramisu. This stop was another spontaneous stop for me as I tried to kill time but I’m glad that I found it. My food of choice was an Italian spaghetti loaded with different types of seafood. The restaurant is on the pricier side and might not be suitable if on a budget but is definitely worth the splurge if you are looking for authentic Italian comfort food.
ADDRESS: 310 Front St W, Toronto, ON
TRANSPORTATION
As a popular tourist spot and developed city, getting around Toronto was extremely easy. The city has everything from Ubers and Lyfts to taxis to subways and buses and lastly bike shares. My two transportations of choice were the Tangerine e-bike ride share and the subway. The Tangerine app was quick to download and easy to use. The app showed me locations throughout the city in which I could pick up and drop off the e-bike once finished.
SUMMARY
Overall, Toronto was a joy to visit and a recommendation that I would make (hence, the blog post). I do want to add that aside from traveling solo and with friends, it is a great city to travel with family and childern since it offers museums, amusement parks and a variety of child-centered activities. There are also a lot of attractions and activities I did not have the opportunity to do myself including seeing a Toronto Blue Jays game, visit the Royal Ontario Museum and Hockey Hall of Fame, stroll along The Distillery Historic, and visit Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada. I recommend 2 to 5 days for this trip.
