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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Toronto
Toronto is a transit-and-market city: keep one bed downtown, use the subway and streetcars between four clusters, and put the CN Tower on a clear day and the museums on the wet or cold one.
Toronto's sights sit in a strip a few kilometres wide, joined by the subway and streetcars, so the trips that go wrong are about weather and timing: the CN Tower on a cloudy day, the market on a closed day, or a January walk between clusters. Four clusters cover a first visit; Niagara Falls is a full-day trip, not a stop between them.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct
- Time zone
- America/Toronto
- Stay
- 2 days: Waterfront + St. Lawrence in one day, Kensington and Chinatown on the second
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CAD
- Money
- Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including the TTC. Carry a little cash (C$40–60) for small market stalls and tips. US dollars are not accepted by default and the rate is poor.
- Daily spend
- Budget C$80–140 excl. bed · Mid C$140–260 excl. bed · High C$260+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Install an eSIM before you fly, or buy a prepaid SIM at a phone shop or the airport (passport needed); roaming from US carriers is often included (check).
- Emergency
- Police, ambulance, fire 911 · Non-emergency police (Toronto Police Service) +1 416 808 2222
- Plugs
- 120 V, 60 Hz; the same two- and three-pin sockets as the US (types A and B). No adapter needed for US devices; UK and EU visitors need one.
- Tipping
- Expected: 15–20% in restaurants and bars, on the pre-tax amount; C$1–2 per drink at a bar; 10–15% for taxis and ride-hail. Counter service tip prompts are optional.
- Water
- Tap water is safe to drink; ask for tap water at a restaurant.
- Toilets
- Union Station, malls, cafés, museums and larger shops; public toilets are limited, so buy a coffee if you need one.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee (latte in a café) | C$4.50–6.50 |
| Peameal bacon sandwich | C$9–14 |
| Dumplings, a plate | C$9–14 |
| Pint of beer in a pub | C$8–12 |
| TTC single fare | about C$3.35 |
| Airport taxi to downtown | C$60–90 |
| Mid-range hotel, per night | C$220–380 |
| CN Tower ticket | C$45–55 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ)
- YYZ to downtown: one ride-hailing car or taxi to the door in 35–75 minutes, or the UP Express train to Union Station; the risk is rush-hour traffic on the highways, not the ride itself.
By rail and road
| Station | Serves | To the centre |
|---|---|---|
| Union Station | VIA Rail (Montreal, Ottawa, Niagara, Windsor), GO Transit, UP Express, Subway Line 1 | You are in the centre; the CN Tower is 12 minutes on foot via the SkyWalk |
| Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) (Billy Bishop) | Short-haul flights within Canada and to the US | Walk through the pedestrian tunnel, then a short shuttle or walk; taxi 10 min |
| Union Station Bus Terminal (Bus Terminal) | Coaches to Niagara, Montreal, Ottawa and the US | Walk 5 minutes to Union |
Typical fares
- Pearson → downtown, taxi or ride-hail
- C$60–90, 35–75 min; traffic at rush hour
- Pearson → Union, UP Express
- About C$10–13 (check), 25 min
- TTC fare, tap card
- About C$3.35 per ride with a two-hour transfer (check)
Show 8 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Eat, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk inside a cluster, subway or streetcar between clusters, ride-hail late at night. The subway is fast but has few lines; streetcars are slow but go everywhere in the centre.
| How | Fare | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| Walking | Free | The waterfront, the market and the museum clusters |
| Subway | About C$3.35 (check) | Line 1 between Union, the ROM and Yorkville |
| Streetcar | About C$3.35 (check) | 505 Dundas, 504 King and 510 Spadina |
| Ride-hail and taxi | C$10–25 for a downtown ride | Late nights, airport transfers and bad weather |
Fares are estimates; check before you ride.
- Passes
- No pass needed for one to three days: tap a card each ride and check the fare cap on the transit agency's site.
- Late at night
- The subway does not run all night; late buses and ride-hailing cover the gap.
See and do
01CN Tower
The symbol of the city and a view over the lake; go on a clear morning.
Hours: best Clear morning · Price: C$45–55 · Time: 1–2 h · 43.6426, -79.3871
02St. Lawrence Market
A food hall for a peameal sandwich; closed Sunday and Monday.
Hours: best Weekday before noon · Price: C$10–25 · Time: 1–1.5 h · 43.6487, -79.3715
03Royal Ontario MuseumRoyal Ontario Museum
Dinosaurs, the Bat Cave and Chinese galleries in an old and new building.
Hours: best Opening · Price: C$26–32 · Time: 2–3 h · 43.6677, -79.3948
04Kensington Market
Vintage shops and small food counters on a walkable grid.
Hours: best Weekday 11:00–15:00 · Price: Free; food C$10–25 · Time: 1.5 hHours: best Weekday 11:00 AM–3:00 PM · Price: Free; food C$10–25 · Time: 1.5 h · 43.6544, -79.4006
05Toronto Islands
A 15-minute ferry to beaches and the skyline view.
Hours: best Before 11:00 on a dry day · Price: C$9–10 · Time: 3–5 hHours: best Before 11:00 AM on a dry day · Price: C$9–10 · Time: 3–5 h · 43.6408, -79.3763
06Art Gallery of Ontario
Canadian art, Henry Moore and a Gehry staircase.
Hours: best Weekday afternoon · Price: C$30 · Time: 2 h · 43.6536, -79.3925
07Distillery District
Cobbled lanes, galleries and a winter market.
Hours: best Weekday afternoon · Price: Free · Time: 1–2 h · 43.6503, -79.3596
08Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)Royal Ontario Museum
Dinosaurs, the Bat Cave and Chinese galleries.
Hours: Daily, times vary (check) · Price: C$26–32 (check) · 43.6677, -79.3948
09Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO)
Group of Seven, Henry Moore and a Gehry staircase.
Hours: Closed Monday (check) · Price: C$30 (check) · 43.6536, -79.3925
10Toronto Islands (ferry)
Beaches, bikes and the skyline.
Hours: Ferry times vary (check) · Price: C$9–10 return (check) · 43.6408, -79.3763
Hours and prices are desk estimates (checked 2026-09); anything marked (check) is not confirmed. Coordinates open in any map app.
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Niagara Falls | GO Transit train (seasonal, check), coach or car about 1.5–2 h | Full day |
| Niagara-on-the-Lake | Car or tour about 1.5 h | Full day |
| Hamilton and its waterfalls | GO train or bus about 1–1.5 h | Half to full day |
| Stratford (theatre) | Car or coach about 2 h | Full day |
Eat
| Where | What · area | Price | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pancho’s Bakery | Pastry and coffee · Kensington | C$5–12 | Budget |
| Carousel Bakery | Peameal bacon sandwich · St. Lawrence Market | C$9–14 | Budget |
| Mother’s Dumplings | Dumplings · Chinatown | C$12–25 | Mid-range |
| Seven Lives Tacos y Mariscos | Tacos · Kensington | C$15–25 | Mid-range |
| Rol San | Dim sum · Chinatown | C$20–35 | Mid-range |
| Yorkville or Bloor Street lunch (generic) | A seated lunch · Yorkville | C$20–45 | Higher |
Per person, one dish or one meal, 2026 estimate. Addresses change: check the day before.
Sleep
| Band | Price a night | Where | What |
|---|---|---|---|
| budget | C$45–65 dorm bed · C$140–200 double | Downtown, Kensington and Chinatown | Hostels, small hotels |
| mid | C$220–380 | Downtown, Yorkville | 3–4 star hotels |
| high | C$380+ | Yorkville, Financial District | Luxury hotels |
Per room per night in Canadian dollars, 2026 estimate; film festival, Pride and holiday weekends add 30–100%.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Two-dollar coin | ToonieTOO-nee |
| One-dollar coin | LoonieLOO-nee |
| Subway and streetcar transfer | Two-hour transfertwo-hour transfer |
| Peameal bacon | PeamealPEE-meel |
| Hello (also heard in French) | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Thanks (eh?)thanks |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Tipping: 15–20% in restaurants and bars, on the pre-tax bill; C$1–2 per drink at a bar; round up for taxis.
- Queues: Queue at bus stops, tills and the subway; stand on the right of escalators.
- Personal space: People keep their distance; a quiet voice on transit is normal.
- Tax: 13% HST is added at the till in Ontario.
Red lines
- Tipping is expected: 15–20% in restaurants and bars.
- Do not photograph people at close range without asking.
Scams and watch-outs
- Unlicensed drivers at Pearson and Union Station offering a ride: use the taxi rank, the UP Express or a ride-hailing app.
- Fake charity collectors with clipboards on busy streets: donate only through an official page.
- Ticket resellers outside events or the CN Tower: buy from the official operator; a "skip-the-line" ticket is a resold ticket.
- Card-skimmer risk at standalone ATMs: use bank ATMs inside a branch.
One and two days
1 day
A stopover. Skip: The ROM, the islands and Niagara.
- 09:009:00 AMCN Tower
- 12:0012:00 PMLunch at St. Lawrence Market
- 14:302:30 PMKensington Market
2 days
A short break. Skip: The islands and Niagara.
Day 1 — Tower and market
- 09:009:00 AMCN Tower
- 12:0012:00 PMLunch at the market
- 15:003:00 PMDistillery District
Day 2 — Kensington and the AGO
- 10:3010:30 AMKensington Market
- 13:001:00 PMDim sum on Spadina
- 15:003:00 PMArt Gallery of Ontario
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Destination Toronto (official tourism): www.destinationtoronto.com/
- Wikivoyage — Toronto: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Toronto
- Wikitravel — Toronto: wikitravel.org/en/Toronto
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Toronto
English is spoken throughout; show the street name and postal code.
Please take me to this address
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Take me to
- Royal Ontario MuseumRoyal Ontario Museum (ROM)
- Police, ambulance, fire911
- Non-emergency police (Toronto Police Service)+1 416 808 2222
Most embassies and consulates are near University Avenue and Bay Street; check the address before you go.
English is the working language; French appears on signs and some packaging. Show the street name and postal code.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/toronto). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.