3 Days in Toronto Itinerary: Best Things to Do and Eat

Planning a trip to Toronto? I’ve got you covered! 

I just got back from spending three days in Toronto in early July, and it turned out to be a great summer city break.

This three days in Toronto itinerary covers the best things to do in the city from iconic sights and lake views to great food, coffee shops, and fun neighborhoods to explore.

Whether it’s your first time in Toronto or you’re returning for more, I am sharing exactly what we did, where we ate, how much our trip cost, and some tips to help you plan your own trip to Toronto!

3 Days in Toronto Itinerary

I visited Toronto with my parents and my husband, and we road-tripped from Indiana.

There’s something fun about crossing an international border by car!

Everything in this itinerary is based on our actual trip including what we did and our favorite places we ate.

I have made a Google Map (see below) with every place pinned so you can easily see where things are and get directions.

Day 1: Iconic Toronto Highlights

I recommend starting your first day with some of Toronto’s most famous sights!

This day is a mix of city views, good food, and a bit of shopping.

➡️ If you only have a shorter amount of time in the city, I also put together a detailed 2-Day Toronto Itinerary based on my experience exploring Toronto.

See the Views from the CN Tower

If it’s your first visit to Toronto, the CN Tower is a must if it fits into your budget.

The general admission is about $45 CAD, which isn’t cheap, but you get panoramic views of downtown Toronto, Lake Ontario, and on really clear days, you can see all the way to Niagara Falls.

If you want to go to the very top, it is about $57 CAD. You can save $2 by ordering your ticket online and it will make sure you get the date/time you want!

You can order the tickets here on their website.

You can splurge on the EdgeWalk which is a hands-free walk around the outside ledge of the tower, if you’re feeling extra adventurous.

We didn’t do it since (1) not sure if I would be brave enough 😂 and (2) it was expensive at around $225 CAD per person.

But, if you’re an adventure person, it is one of those bucket-list experiences!

If you want a special meal with a view, you can have lunch or dinner at the 360 Restaurant. I recommend making a reservation here.

Your meal includes admission to the observation deck so don’t purchase a ticket if you’re planning on dining here!

Tip: Try to visit early in the morning or close to sunset for the best light and fewer crowds.

If you’re also interested in visiting Ripley’s Aquarium, it is right next to CN Tower making it the perfect next stop. You can book tickets here or below!

Explore St. Lawrence Market

After seeing the city from above, head over to St. Lawrence Market, one of Toronto’s oldest and most popular food markets.

If you’re there on a Saturday, you will catch the farmers market too! It is from 5:00 am to 3:00 pm.

Here are some popular foods to try in St. Lawrence Market:

• St. Urbain Bagels – Try the craigel (a croissant & bagel hybrid)
• Paddington’s Pump – Famous for their peameal bacon sandwich
• Buster’s Sea Cove – lobster rolls

If you’re not super hungry, it is worth just walking around and looking at the stalls. It is a fun place to grab a small snack or coffee!

Walk Through Yonge-Dundas Square

Next, make your way to Yonge-Dundas Square, Toronto’s version of Times Square.

It’s smaller but full of giant screens and worth walking through just to see it!

Shopping at CF Toronto Eaton Centre

Directly across from the square is the CF Toronto Eaton Centre, a huge shopping mall (three floors) that’s great if you want to browse or do some shopping.

One shop I loved was Indigo Books which is a big Canadian bookstore with cute stationery and even Jellycats!

It had several popular stores as well like Lululemon, Abercrombie & Fitch, Uniqlo, and Indigo Books (which was my favorite store!).

We grabbed lunch at Trattoria Mercatto inside the mall and the food was great!

Take a Photo at Nathan Phillips Square with the Toronto Sign

If you’re already in this area, it’s worth walking a few blocks west to Nathan Phillips Square to take a photo with the iconic Toronto sign in front of City Hall. 

End the Day at the Distillery Historic District

I recommend ending your day in the Distillery Historic District.

It is a beautiful pedestrian-only area with cobblestone streets, local shops, cute cafes, and great restaurants.

It is especially lively in the evening!

If you’re visiting in December, this area turns into a Christmas Market.

Things to do in the Distillery District:

• Grab coffee at Balzac’s Coffee Roasters or Arena Coffee Bar
• Enjoy a sweet treat from Brick Street Bakery or ice cream from Scooped by Demetres
• For dinner, try out Mill Street Brewpub for something casual or El Catrin Destileria for delicious Mexican food
• Browse the local shops like Bergo Designs for unique gifts and Blackbird Vintage

Day 2: Explore the Toronto Islands & Harbourfront

Day 2 in Toronto is all about getting outside and enjoying Toronto’s lakeside scenery.

Catch the Ferry to Toronto Islands

You can take the ferry from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal to Centre Island, Ward’s Island, or Hanlan’s Point.

I recommend taking the ferry to Centre Island.

Ferries run about every 30 to 45 minutes and the tickets cost around $9 CAD roundtrip.

The ferry ride only takes about 10-15 minutes. I recommend standing on the second level for the best skyline views.

Read more about the ferry to Toronto Islands here.

If you’d see the Toronto Islands from the water instead of visiting them, I recommend joining this Toronto Harbor and Islands Sightseeing Cruise with Get Your Guide. You can book tickets here or below.

You could also do this cruise first and then take the ferry over to Toronto Islands after!

Rent a Bike to Explore Toronto Islands

The Toronto Islands are car-free and super easy to explore by bike.

You can rent single bikes, tandem, or quadricycles (which is what we did!).

We rented bikes from Toronto Island Bicycle Rental near Centre Island beach.

We rode through Centre Island, Ward’s Island, and Gibraltar Point.

It was fun to walk around Algonquin Island and see all the homes near the water.

Relax on the Beach

If you want to spend time lounging on the beach, I recommend packing some beach towels and snacks so you can sit on the beach. 

Centre Island Beach is family-friendly.

Hanlan’s Point Beach is more secluded but it is clothing optional in parts so heads up on that.

Grab Coffee from Runaway Cafe

If you need a coffee break while you’re out on the islands, I recommend Runaway Cafe. 

It is a cute food truck where you can grab a coffee with outdoor seating. 

Visit Centreville Amusement Park

If you’re traveling with kids, Centreville Amusement Park is old-school but fun.

It has small rides, a classic Ferris wheel, and the Sky Ride, where you can ride in an open-air cable car and take in the views from above. It can be slightly scary if you’re afraid of heights.

Back to the Mainland: Queens Quay & Sugar Beach

Once you’re back on the mainland, take a walk along the waterfront.

Be sure to stop by Sugar Beach, a small urban park with sand, cute pink umbrellas, and spots to sit and relax by the water.

If you’re in the mood for a coffee, I liked Lazy Barista, which is nearby.

I tried the maple latte. It was good, but a bit too milky for my taste. I did order the large though so it might have been better in a smaller size.

If you get the large size, I’d recommend adding an extra shot of espresso if you like your coffee a little stronger.

Dinner by the Waterfront

End your day by grabbing dinner at one of the many restaurants along the waterfront offering amazing views.

Here are a couple of restaurants I recommend near the water:

• Simona – Italian food with an outdoor patio overlooking the water
• The Goodman Pub and Kitchen – great casual food with outdoor seating near the water

➡️Check out my entire blog post dedicated to the Toronto Islands where I cover even more things to do on Toronto Islands!

Day 3: Local Neighborhoods & Parks 

Wrap up your trip to Toronto’s largest park and exploring trendy local neighborhoods.

Morning at High Park

Start your morning in High Park, Toronto’s largest park!

You can walk along the trails, visit the small free zoo, and check out the gardens.

In the free zoo, you can see bison, emus, capybaras, and goats.

I was so excited to see a capybara but none of them were out when we came by. 😢

If you’re visiting Toronto in the spring, the cherry blossoms are really popular here!

Walk Along the Sunnyside Beach Boardwalk

Not far from High Park is Sunnyside Beach, which is a popular spot for locals and has a nice boardwalk where you can walk along the beach and admire the views of the skyline.

Grab Lunch at Lambo’s Deli

On your way back towards downtown, I recommend stopping at Lambo’s Deli for lunch!

Their sandwiches are a decent size so I recommend splitting one if you are not super hungry.

There is no indoor seating besides a small counter you can stand and eat at. There is a park right by the shop so you could always walk over to the park and sit on a bench.

I got the Italian Trio sandwich, and it was great! Just a heads up that the chili sauce they put on some of the sandwiches is a bit spicy.

Kensington Market

I recommend spending your afternoon wandering around Kensington Market which is one of Toronto’s most artsy neighborhoods.

It has vintage shops, murals, cafes, and great food.

Here are a few things to do in the Kensington Market area:

• Good Egg – unique home decor items and small trinkets
• Found Coffee – great specialty lattes
• Super Serve – delicious soft serve ice cream
• Fresca Pizza and Pasta – large pizzas by the slice

Ossington Avenue

From Kensington, head over to Ossington Avenue, which is one of the coolest streets in Toronto!

This street is packed with cool shops, bars, and restaurants.

It is a great place to end your day with dinner or drinks.

Here are some great places to eat on Ossington Avenue:

• Pizzeria Badiali – delicious pizza you can order by the slice
• Bar Poet – a great spot for food & cocktails
• The Burger’s Priest – popular spot for cheeseburgers

Optional Day Trip from Toronto: Niagara Falls

If you have an extra day during your Toronto trip, I highly recommend taking a day trip to Niagara Falls.

It’s only about 1.5 to 2 hours away and easy to reach without a car.

Here are a few ways you can get from Toronto to Niagara Falls, plus some pros and cons to help you pick what’s best for you.

Option 1: Take the GO Train + WEGO Bus Combo

One of the easiest ways to visit Niagara Falls on your own is by taking the GO Train.

On weekends (and seasonally on weekdays), GO Transit offers direct trains from Union Station to Niagara Falls. The ride takes about 2.5 to 3 hours each way.

I recommend booking the GO + WEGO package, which includes your round-trip train ticket and unlimited rides on the WEGO bus system that runs between all the main sights around the falls. It’s super convenient if you want to get around without driving.

💲Cost: Around $32 CAD round-trip for the 1-day WEGO pass.

✅ Pros:

• Easy, direct, and stress-free
• The WEGO bus makes it simple to get around once you arrive
• Scenic train ride along Lake Ontario

❌ Cons:

• Fewer departure times than buses
• Takes a bit longer than driving
• Limited direct trains on weekdays

Option 2: Bus (Megabus or FlixBus)

Taking a bus is often the cheapest way to get to Niagara Falls.

Megabus and FlixBus run direct buses from the Union Station Bus Terminal. The ride usually takes about 2 hours each way.

💲Cost: If you book ahead, tickets can be as low as $25 CAD round trip.

✅ Pros:

• Budget-friendly, especially if you book early
• Many departures each day
• Can be faster than the train depending on traffic

❌ Cons:

• Traffic can slow you down, especially on weekends or holidays
• No extras included so you’ll still need to figure out local transport when you arrive
• Less scenic than the train

Option 3: VIA Rail/Amtrak Maple Leaf

Another good option is to take the VIA Rail/Amtrak Maple Leaf train.

It leaves from Union Station and arrives at Niagara Falls in about 2 hours.

💲Cost: Tickets are usually $25–$35 CAD one-way if you book early.

✅ Pros:

• Comfortable ride with free Wi-Fi and outlets
• Nice scenery along the way
• More relaxing than the bus

❌ Cons:

• Only one train per day, so you’ll have to plan around the schedule
• No local bus pass included so you’ll pay extra for WEGO or local taxis
• Can be pricier if booked last minute

Option 4: Guided Tour with Get Your Guide

If you’d rather visit Niagara Falls on a guided tour, I recommend booking this Get Your Guide tour.

It includes pick-up and drop-off right in downtown Toronto and gives you about four hours to explore the Canadian side of the falls.

You can also choose optional add-ons (for an extra cost) like a boat cruise, the Journey Behind the Falls experience, or both!

You can book the guided tour here or below.

Tips for Your 3 Days in Toronto

• No need to pull out Canadian cash unless you want to. We used our credit cards the entire time while there. Make sure your credit card has no foreign transaction fees! I use the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card and love it.
• Bring good walking shoes as you will do a lot of walking! I wear Hokas, specifically the Clifton 9s and love them.
• Tipping is expected. At restaurants, we tipped 20% like we do in the U.S.
• Make sure to save your credit card in your Apple Wallet and set it as your Express Transit Card (here is how to do so). You’ll only need to tap your card when boarding the train not when you get off (something we learned while we were there!). It might seem like the tap didn’t register because the charge doesn’t show up right away, but don’t worry our card was charged the next day and it worked just fine.

✈️ If you will be flying to Toronto, check out my blog post where I share all my long flight essentials!

Best Places to Eat in Toronto

Here are some of the best places we ate in Toronto, along with a few that were on my list but we didn’t have time to try.

Breakfast Places in Toronto

• Sleepy Pete’s – Biscuit breakfast sandwiches
• Mildred’s Temple – Popular brunch spot. Known for their blueberry pancakes. Reservations recommended!
• Primrose Bagel – Breakfast bagel sandwiches
• The George Street Diner – Irish style breakfast diner
• Fran’s Restaurant and Bar – Classic diner breakfast food
• Eggspectation – We really liked the food here! I recommend the Eggstravaganza. The french toast was delicious!
• Flippers – Japanese style pancakes! I got the Strawberry pancakes, which were great, but my mom got the pancakes with fresh fruit, and I think those were the best! I recommend making reservations, even for a weekday morning.

Coffee Shops in Toronto

• Mos Mos – I loved the tiramisu latte! There are multiple locations throughout Toronto.
• Lazy Barista – Maple latte was good but a little too milky. I would maybe recommend ordering an extra shot if you get the large latte!
• Versus Coffee – Maple latte was great!
• Little Pebbles – Good pastries and tiramisu latte
• Made Rite – Delicious vanilla latte and breakfast sandwiches
• Queen Garden Cafe – Cool atmosphere
• Dineen Coffee – Multiple locations throughout Toronto

Lunch/Dinner Restaurants in Toronto

• Pizzeria Badiali – Delicious pizza by the slice
• Lambos Deli – Italian deli sandwiches (I recommend the Italian Trio!)
• Burger Drops – The smashburgers here were amazing!
• Matty’s Pattys – Another popular spot for smashburgers
• Rosie’s Burgers – Once again, another go-to spot for smashburgers and very popular for their banana pudding!
• Earl’s Kitchen & Bar – Try the Truffle + Steak Tortellini! Multiple locations throughout the city. 
• Sotto Sotto – Upscale Italian dining. Fun fact: it’s also Drake’s favorite restaurant in Toronto!
• Cote de Boeuf – Popular for their steak frites
• Bar Poet – Great spot for cocktails and food
• Public Gardens – Really popular, expect a wait if you go during peak hours. We went Sunday at 5:30 PM and the wait was 2 hours.
• Danny’s Pizza Tavern – Popular spot to grab pizza. Casual and fun atmosphere. Their mozzarella sticks are a must-have!
• Trattoria Nervosa – Great Italian food with a cool atmosphere.

Dessert

• Mizzica Gelateria & Cafe – Delicious gelato
• Super Serve – Great spot for soft-serve ice cream!
• Summer’s Ice Cream – I got the Banana Cream Pie ice cream here, and it was great! They also have soft serve.

Another great way to discover the best places to eat in a city is by joining a food tour!

This 3-Hour Secret Food Tour with Get Your Guide brings you to St. Lawrence Market and Distillery District to try some of the best foods in Toronto.

It’s a fun way to meet new people, try delicious food, and learn more about Toronto’s food scene.

You can book tickets to the food tour here or below!

Where to Stay in Toronto

If you’re visiting Toronto for the first time, I would recommend staying in or near downtown Toronto.

This will allow you to be closer to the most popular sights, restaurants, and public transportation options.

A couple areas to consider staying in are:

• Entertainment District – Walkable to the CN Tower, Rogers Centre, and the waterfront area
  • Hyatt Regency – has a rooftop pool!
  • Sutton Place Hotel – nice boutique hotel
• Yorkville – Great for shopping, upscale hotels, and quieter streets (I loved the vibe here, but it is pricey!)
  • The Hazelton Hotel – luxury boutique hotel
  • Four Seasons Hotel – another great luxury hotel option!

We stayed at the TOOR Hotel by JDV Hyatt, and I highly recommend it!

It’s relatively new (as of 2025) and our room was clean with a super comfortable bed. We loved the floor-to-ceiling windows and the view of downtown was amazing.

There’s also a spacious rooftop patio with lots of tables and couches where you can relax and take in the city skyline and even see the lake in the distance.

We ended most of our nights up there just hanging out and playing cards.

Check out this interactive map below to find more places to stay in Toronto!

How to Get Around in Toronto

Getting around Toronto is pretty easy due to its walkability, public transit options, and you can always use Uber or Lyft!

We walked almost everywhere but used public transit for spots that were farther away and took an Uber a few times when it was late at night.

Here are your main options for getting around in Toronto:

• Walking – The city is walkable!
• Public Transit — Toronto’s buses, streetcars, and subway make it easy to get aroundp. You don’t need to buy a separate transit card, just tap your credit card or your phone if your card is saved in your Apple Wallet (make sure it’s set as your Express Transit Card, which you can read how to do so here). I recommend using Google Maps for public transit directions. It is more accurate and easier to use than Apple Maps.
• Uber or Lyft – Helpful if you’re going longer distances or it is late at night.
• Hop-On Hop-Off Bus — This option is pricier than using regular public transit, but it’s a fun way to see the city. You can buy a 24-hour or 48-hour pass and ride a double-decker bus with unlimited hop-on, hop-off access at 13 stops around Toronto. In the summer, the top deck is open-air which makes it perfect for enjoying the nice weather and getting great views as you ride. You can book your Hop-On Hop-Off Bus tickets here or below!

How Much Our Trip to Toronto Cost

Here’s a breakdown of what we spent in Toronto for two people over four nights (in USD):

• Accommodations (4 nights at TOOR Hotel by JDV Hyatt): $1,138
• Food & Coffee: $468 for 2 people ($234 per person)
• Transportation (public transit, Uber, ferry): $50 for 2 people
• Activities (1 Hour Bike Rental on Toronto Islands & Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Game): $289 for 2 people ($40 for quadricycle one hour rental & $249 for 2 tickets to the Toronto Blue Jays baseball game – we splurged for the 2nd row!)

Total: $1,945 USD for 2 people

When to Visit Toronto

I recommend visiting Toronto between late May and early October.

The weather is much more pleasant during these months, especially if you plan to explore the Toronto Islands or hang out by the beach.

We visited in early July, and it was perfect with sunny skies, warm weather, and long days since the sun didn’t set until after 9:00 PM.

I would avoid visiting Toronto during the winter (December through March) due to the snow, shorter daylight hours, and cold temperatures.

Final Thoughts on Spending 3 Days in Toronto

Toronto has a mix of big-city highlights and local neighborhoods with different personalities.

In just three days in Toronto, you will see the iconic sights, have delicious food, and wander the streets.

I hope this itinerary helps you plan a fun and stress-free trip!

Be sure to check out my other Toronto blog posts!

• 10 Things to Do on Toronto Islands: How I Spent My Day There
• The Perfect 2-Day Toronto Itinerary for Your First Visit