Things to Do in Elora, Ontario (2-Day Itinerary)

Elora, Ontario has become one of the most adored small towns in Ontario and there are quite a few things that make it so popular. First, it has the natural beauty of the limestone rock, the rapids running through it, the small town charm and the beautiful historic buildings. It’s not an accident that Elora become such a tourist magnet – it was intentionally turned into an inviting, picturesque, beautiful village that make it a place that people want to visit. Much of what contributes to this are the locals, their thriving small businesses and hospitality.

Elora can get pretty busy, especially on summer weekends and at Christmas, but a visit here is definitely worth it. We’ve done day trips to Elora which works absolutely fine. Being only an hour away, its a great day trip from Toronto. But, if you can, I recommend staying overnight. Being overnight in Elora allows you more time to experience the nature, try some of the amazing food, and go home feeling relaxed.

Here is how we structured our 2 days in Elora (1 overnight) visit.

Day 1: Things to Do in Elora, Ontario

1. Visit Elora Gorge OR Swim at the Elora Quarry (summer only)

Between June and September, the Elora Quarry is open for day swimming. It’s organized through the Grand River Conservation Authority, and is just a 3 minute drive from the town of Elora. Depending on which direction you’re coming from, you would pass the Elora Quarry on your way into Elora. It’s just a little beach in what looks like a round lagoon surrounded by tall limestone rock walls. Due to popularity, swimming at the quarry needs to be booked in advance online. The capacity is 350 people at a time (which is definitely a lot for this small area, but at least they cap it somewhere!)

If you’re visiting outside of the summer months, then there are many other options besides swimming in the quarry. We often drive through Fergus before arriving in Elora. Fergus is a really cute limestone town, known for its Scottish heritage and the river views are more accessible than Elora’s.

Another option is a visit to the Elora Gorge Conservation area for hiking, and views of the gorge. We usually do this on our way out of Elora, but it can be done before too (see my tips below on visiting the Elora Gorge Conservation Area, things to see and do in the park.) Visiting the Elora Gorge Conservation Area is $9.50 per adult, which you can pay at the gate. You can find real-time status updates on the park capacity on their website. Recently though, we visited on a Sunday afternoon and it was busy – but not overcrowded.

2. Explore the downtown of Elora

The biggest draw to Elora is how cute the town is. There are so many cute pictures to be taken. It’s a very gorgeous place to walk around admiring, in any season. Be sure to walk up Mill street to check out the boutique stores (even if only from the outside) and walk onto the bridge to get photos of the limestone Elora Mill (historic building turned upscale hotel).

Don’t miss the Mermaid gift shop on the corner of Church street, and walk up Church street see the cute painted seven doors and the old clock. Up at the top of the hill where Metcalf becomes Wellington, you’ll see the triangle building in my photo (bottom left), there’s a great bakery there that makes fancy, gourmet cookies. You’ll also see a few pubs.

There are some fantastic stores in Elora, and it can almost be overwhelming to shop around. The stores that I would 100% recommend going into are the lavender stores (Terre Bleu and Neob), and the Mermaid Gift Shop – its so unique, with stuff you don’t normally see in gift shops. It has a shipwreck, old-world theme, with clocks, paper weights, cool pins, and brass door handles, antique-looking jewelry. There’s also a Fromagerie, which sells cheeses, as well as spreads and dips for a charcuterie board.

3. Choose from many great eateries to have lunch

Elora, with its growing popularity as a tourist hotspot, has lots of cafes and small boutique eateries to have lunch at.

• Wild and Free Café. This one usually gets overlooked as its more hidden, and its also quite small. The food was so fresh, and nourishing. We ordered their guacamole, chickpea lettuce wraps, and a BLT. We ordered their iced tea and coffee drinks which were really good and refreshing
• Lost and Found Café – this was my second choice for lunch, they serve an all-day breakfast and have some creative lunch dishes. It’s in a very busy, high traffic area so it might be a bit of a wait
• Tony’s Sourdough Pizzeria – pizzas made with a sourdough starter passed down generations!
• Handsome Devil’s Bistro – I was eyeing this place when trying to find a good place to have lunch in Elora; it would be great for lunch or dinner – lots of handhelds, salads, pub-style food

4. Get views of the Elora Gorge from Victoria Park

From downtown Elora, you can walk to Victoria Park in just a few minutes to get some views of the Gorge. This is separate from the quarry (it’s on the other side of town from the quarry!) On Google Maps, it’ll say “Elora Gorge Lookout” and its located right inside Victoria Park. Many people try to find parking close to it, but we walked here in just 5-10 mintues. The popular thing to do at this Elora Gorge Lookout is get photos at Lover’s Leap. We also saw a little zip-line course in the forest, its called Elora SkyRider Zipline. It doesn’t take long to visit this little spot.

To be honest, the views of the Gorge aren’t THAT great from here, but its one of the view spots in town where you can get views of it at all. I think its worth checking out.

5. Get some ice cream

There are a few great places to get ice cream in Elora. Two of them are in the main heart of town, but one is on the other side of the river. I recommend making your way over to Highland Coo which is on the other side of the river. The two in the heart of the village had long lineups, and we didn’t wait at all at Highland Coo. Plus, it has such a cute interior, a cute swing outside and a little shaded garden with seating

6. Check into your accommodation

Elora has lots of accommodation options, mostly boutique stays. The most luxurious is the Elora Mill Hotel & Spa, which you can read our review of here. Otherwise here are some other really cool places to stay in Elora:

• Etherington Suites – you have a view of the river without paying huge prices!
• Kat Florence Hotel – a boutique hotel just down the street from the Elora Mill, founded by an Elora resident
• Many, many Airbnbs – plenty of houses, some with multiple bedrooms which could be good for families and large groups

7. Have dinner at one of the amazing restaurants Elora

• Elora Mill Restaurant – I can attest to that their food is excellent. If you’re celebrating something or just want to splurge, then I highly recommend having dinner here. I personally don’t love the idea of dining in the sun in the full window room, but they have other seating options too, such as their lounge and bar, and their patio in summer. We opted for their patio as I didn’t want to sit in the sun.
• The Evelyn – French-inspired cuisine, but with a more casual menu – the food looks amazing; it is next on my list
• Shepherd’s Pub – cozy interior, serves great pub good
• Taj Mahal Indian Cuisine – more cost-effective option, its not a ‘fancy’ interior but more of a casual one. I haven’t tried it but the food is supposed to be fantastic

8. See Elora by night

As Elora is a small town, quite a few things close in the evening. Still, the lights are often left on and its a pretty place to walk around at night. By then, most of the daytrippers have gone home and its such a peaceful and romantic stroll. We enjoyed sitting . There were people having a late night drinks and desserts, beside the lit-up waterfall.

Day 2: Things to Do in Elora

1. Have an amazing breakfast (ideally with a view)

Head to Lost and Found Café, or to the Elora Mill Restaurant for breakfast. We were staying at the Elora Mill and breakfast was included in our package, so we ate there. It was a delicious breakfast, and they accommodated my plant-based preferences. The view was amazing, and I wouldn’t have wanted to eat anywhere else. If you want to eat here, I suggest checking out the menus and making a reservation here.

2. Head to the Elora Gorge Conservation Area (seasonal)

If you didn’t visit the Elora Gorge Conservation Area yesterday, then its definitely worth visiting on the day you leave Elora. This part of the conservation area is in a different spot from the quarry, and from Victoria Park. You’ll need to drive here from town, but it only takes a few minutes from downtown Elora to get here.

• Go hiking. The trail is so scenic and I’m surprised, with the popularity of Elora that the trails aren’t more crowded (sshhh, don’t tell too many people about them!)
• Simply have a picnic, and chill out. There’s a large splash pad on site, with a covered picnic area, lots of green space. Most visitors that we saw visiting the park were simply enjoying their time in the wide open green space area
• Go tubing down the rapids of the Elora Gorge, this is an extra charge on top of the park entrance and you can book it online, or when you show up, spaces permitting, and seasonal only

The Elora Gorge Conservation Area, as well as the Quarry, are closed in the winter. But Elora is still a really special Ontario winter destination, because of the cute downtown. There’s an ice climbing wall where you can try your hand at real ice climbing (weather permitting)

3. Bring home a box of fancy cookies

We picked up a box of Serendipity Handmade Cookies before heading over to the Elora Gorge Conservation Area. Serendibity Cookies is open from 10am to 6pm on most days, but often sell out of their popular cookies, so it might be best to keep them in a cooler, or head back into town to get them.

I hope that you enjoy your time in Elora as much as we did! It’s by far, one of the cutest small towns in Ontario and worth spending a little bit more time.