When we lived in Venezuela, we thought that visiting Toronto would be an experience as wonderful as it was unattainable.
Over time, that dream has come true and living in Canada, we have been able to visit not only Toronto but many wonderful places in this great country.
In this article we will be talking about Toronto and its attractions.
The Weather
When preparing to visit Toronto, you should familiarize yourself with the weather: this city has very marked four seasons with large variations in temperature and humidity.
In winter there are many days below zero. It is excellent for winter sports. Life doesn’t stand still, but sometimes snow storms hit that can paralyze transportation and flights.
In the spring, which begins in April, the snow and ice begin to melt and the city fills with flowers everywhere. In some places they form true multi-colored rugs.
Summer is the season Canadians look forward to. They even seem to change their personality. They become more friendly, cheerful, and open. Toronto’s summer is quite warm and temperatures often exceed 30 degrees. They often reach and exceed 35 degrees with high humidity.
In the fall the temperatures begin to drop and the trees change their hues. It is a spectacle to see its foliage in the forests, parks and avenues with an incredible mixture of yellows, oranges, reds and ocher.
To visit Toronto, we recommend doing it in early summer (May-June) or in the fall (September-October), when temperatures are not freezing.
Transportation and currency
Getting around Toronto is very easy. Its efficient subway system takes you all over the city, with tickets costing $ 3.25.
The bus system is very efficient too. You don’t really need to use taxis or Uber.
Although it seems difficult to believe, many people think that the currency of Canada is the same as that of the United States, since both are the dollar (as it is in Australia). Actually, they are different currencies and Canadians may not be very comfortable with having their currency confused, as they have historically wanted to differentiate themselves from their southern neighbors.
The Canadian dollar is approximately 80% of the value of the US dollar.
Prices according to season
It is important to know that the cheapest months, when the prices of everything are significantly lower, are from January to March, the coldest months.
As for the months when you will see the highest prices, obviously those that coincide with the high season of summer (July and August) and the month of December, for the holidays.
Lodging
We recommend that you stay in the city center. There will be the epicenter of the activities and everything is close by.
Yes, you will find cheaper accommodations in the downtown area or in the suburbs, but what you save on lodging you will spend money, even more, with what you spend on transport and time to get to places that are worth visiting.
On average, a hotel room in Toronto can cost you 65 $ CAD per night per person. With AirBnB you get cozy stays starting at 40 $ CAD a room per night: two or more can share the expenses. In addition, you can cook, since the accommodations with AirBnB usually come with a kitchen where you can prepare your dishes. You will save a lot in restaurants. That is why we always prefer AirBnB.
Tourist Landmarks
An icon of the city is the CN Tower. At 553 meters high, it was the tallest building in the world until 2007.
Accessing its viewpoint at the top costs 40 $CAD, but it is worth it to see Toronto in all its glory.
Two-thirds of its full height is a revolving restaurant. It really turns slowly as you sit down to eat and you can see the 360 ° panorama of the entire city of Toronto.
At the foot of the CN Tower is Ripley’s Aquarium. The entry costs 43 $CAD and you can enjoy 20,000 specimens of more than 450 species while you walk through trails inside the aquarium and see how sharks, rays and other species swim on you and around you.
For Canadian 94 $CAD you buy the CityPass and you can visit the CN Tower, the Aquarium, Casa Loma (impressive Edwardian castle), Royal Ontario Museum (a museum of culture and natural history) and the Ontario Science Center, which is a science Museum.
Toronto island
Near Toronto there are attractions that you should schedule in your visits.
The first is Toronto Island, which is a 13-minute ferry ride from downtown Toronto. The ticket to the ferry is 8.50 $ CAD.
On the island there are picnic spots, restaurants, gardens and a beautiful view of Toronto. Furthermore, the island itself is a photographer’s paradise.
It is a real pleasure to explore the island on foot or by bicycle.
We recommend doing it by bicycle.
There is a bicycle rental center on the island, but it is a bit of a walk from the landing pier. So we recommend that you rent it in Toronto before boarding and take it with you on the ferry.
Niagara Falls
The other must see is Niagara Falls. This American honeymoon mecca is a two-hour bus ride from Toronto. You can also take an Uber.
We do not recommend renting a car to go there. You will need a quite good time looking for where to park once you arrive and you will have to pay for that.
Once there, you have two options to admire the falls.
You can take a boat on the Hornblower line, which takes you to the very base of the falls where you literally bathe. The ride in these boats costs 35 $CAD
The other option is to see the falls from above, from the Skylon for 15 $ CAD. The Skylon is a tower with a restaurant. Food is not included in the 15 $ CAD, but it is worth eating there and enjoying the monumental view of the iconic falls.
Conclusions
One week in Toronto will be enough to leave you with the delicious taste of visiting this city, which despite being one of the largest in North America, is extremely “fit to live in” and with a high quality of life.
It is one of those cities that wonderfully combine the conveniences of a large metropolis with the benefits of being in contact with nature.
Although this is restricted in the winter time, during which it is better to take advantage of the cultural diversity that this beautiful city has to offer.
