3 days in Toronto: itinerary

Toronto rewards a plan that keeps each day in one part of the city. Transit is good but slow across the middle, so grouping stops saves an hour a day.

Day 1 — downtown core. Start at Nathan Phillips Square and the Eaton Centre area, walk to the CN Tower and Ripley's Aquarium, then the harbourfront. The Royal Ontario Museum and Casa Loma fit the afternoon if you prefer museums to towers.

Day 2 — neighbourhoods and the islands. Kensington Market and Chinatown in the morning, the Distillery District for lunch, then the ferry to the Toronto Islands for skyline views and a walk. St Lawrence Market works as a rainy-day swap.

Day 3 — pick one day trip. Niagara Falls is the classic: falls, boat or tunnel, and Niagara-on-the-Lake if you drive. Closer options are the Royal Botanical Gardens and Hamilton's waterfalls, or a half-day in the Toronto Zoo if you are travelling with children.

Attraction prices in Toronto are quoted in Canadian dollars and rise most years; treat the figures below as 2026 estimates and confirm on the operator's site before you go. Many museums close one weekday, often Monday, and last entry is usually 60–90 minutes before closing.

The CN Tower and Ripley's Aquarium are the two places where booking a timed slot genuinely matters. On summer weekends and holiday Mondays, walk-up tickets can mean a long wait or no slot at all. The Royal Ontario Museum and Art Gallery of Ontario are quieter before 11am on weekdays.

For transit, the TTC runs a flat fare with free transfers inside a two-hour window; a day pass pays off after about three rides. The UP Express from Pearson to Union Station is the fastest airport link and is cheaper than a taxi outside peak hours.

Most overseas visitors land at Toronto Pearson (YYZ), about 25–30 km northwest of downtown. The UP Express train runs to Union Station in about 25 minutes and is the simplest option; taxis and rideshares take 30–60 minutes depending on traffic. Billy Bishop (YTZ) is on the harbour and is a short ferry or tunnel walk from downtown, but it handles fewer routes.

Within the city, the TTC covers the downtown core well. The subway is fastest for long hops; streetcars are better for short neighbourhood moves. Driving downtown is slow and parking is expensive, so leave the car at the hotel if you have one.

From the US and Europe, direct flights to Pearson are frequent; from within Canada, Toronto is the main rail hub, with trains from Montréal and Ottawa arriving at Union Station. If you are continuing to Montréal or Québec City, book the train rather than flying.