One Week in Toronto Itinerary (See ALL It Has to Offer!)

Each day in this itinerary will bring you to a different part of Toronto. Toronto is a collection of very unique and diverse neighbourhoods, all with their own character. As someone who loves Toronto, I often think that most visitors don’t have enough time in this incredibly diverse city. People often see the main highlights but miss quite a few of the things that make it so special. I hope to change that in this longer Toronto itinerary which covers a different part of the city each day, and all the gems you can find in each place.

Since crafting my 3-day Toronto itinerary for people who are short on time, I keep thinking of all the amazing places that people are missing out on when they visit Canada’s largest city. So, I’ve made a 1-week Toronto itinerary that includes (almost) everything. And to be honest, even with 7 days, I found it to be a bit of a stretch in terms of fitting everything in that is worth seeing.

I’ve had decades to explore Toronto; first living there, and then living just outside of it my whole life. I’ve gathered up a list of the highlights, but also those hidden gems that most tourists miss! By the way, this 7-day Toronto itinerary is all in Toronto. Yes, that’s how much there is to see here. There are many day trips from Toronto, and a few attractions right outside the city (such as the Toronto Zoo and Canada’s Wonderland) but this itinerary is meant to show you all that the city of Toronto offers.

Toronto is a unique city full of character and unlike any other city that I’ve found through all my travels to 40+ countries and I’m so excited to show you what’s so great about it. Here’s how I would spend a full week in Toronto.

Day 1: Harbourfront area and Centre Island

The waterfront is a great place to spend your first full day in the city. With views of Lake Ontario, the CN Tower, a walk along Queen’s Quay (pronounced “key”) is really nice at any time of year (yes, even in winter, as there are a few places in this area to do ice skating.) This is where Union Station is located, which is Toronto’s main station.

Things to do in the Toronto Harbourfront area:

• Take the ferry or water taxi over to the Toronto Islands. You could easily spend a whole day on the islands, but I usually head to Centre Island for some great views of the skyline.
• Take a Toronto harbour cruise to see more of the islands and get amazing views of one of the best skylines in the world
• Visit the CN Tower and/or Ripley’s Aquarium. Both are a couple of blocks from the waterfront, but within walking distance. The area around the CN Tower, aquarium and the Rogers Centre (where baseball games are held) is a lively area. Y
• Toronto Roundhouse is right in the area in front of the CN Tower and Rogers Centre. You’ll also see the Toronto Roundhouse there, which has old locomotives.

Why I Recommend Staying in this Area

From Union station, you can get anywhere around the city, as well as take Go-buses and trains to other parts of Ontario, such as Niagara Falls. It’s also very accessible from the airport, just a 25 minute train ride. At the same time, the CN Tower is walking distance, as is the waterfront. It’s one reason that I usually recommend staying in here. See my list of best hotels near Union Station.

I love the financial district, but it has more chain restaurants as opposed to independently owned. See my list of restaurants in the area (most are just as adult-friendly if you’re without kids:) )

Day 2: Old Toronto

Old Toronto is just a few blocks north of the waterfront/financial district area. To get here, take the metro to either Union or Sankofa, and from there everything is very walkable. I did this walk with young kids, including toddlers. It’s very easy and can be done by anyone.

Things to do in the Old Toronto area:

• Go see the famous TORONTO sign, which is in front of the Old City Fall. It’s one of the iconic spots in Toronto. In the winter, the area infront of the Toronto sign is an ice rink. In the summer, there may be a festival going on. It’s worth seeing any time of year
• The St. Lawrence Market is an old food market in a 2-story Victorian building. Right near the market is the Berczy Dog Park (which, contrary to the name, is not a park for dogs, its a park of dogs.) It has a fountain with a bunch of dog statues. One of the many unique works of art that you can find in Toronto!
• Pop into the Hockey Hall of Fame, especially if you’re a hockey fan. It holds the Stanley cup, and is also world’s largest collection of hockey artifacts!
• Check out Sankofa Square (formerly Dundas Square.) I wouldn’t spend the majority of your time here, but its an exciting place to see at least once. It’s the Toronto version of New York City’s Time Square. There is sometimes entertainment or festivals here. Right on the square is the Eaton Centre, which is the largest mall in Canada. South on Yonge is a beautiful theatre, if you’re interested in seeing a Broadway-style play.
• Head to the Distillery District. The Distillery District is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Toronto, and its a bit out of the way of everything. So you could add it to any day, as you’ll need to head to Union Station to make your way over there via street car. The Distillery District is worth seeing, with its cobbled streets, brick-and-stone buildings. It’s a must if you’re in Toronto at Christmas, but its a nice place all year round. See my directions to Toronto’s Distillery District here.

Day 3: Yorkville

There’s so much to do in this area, including some very worthwhile museums and neighbourhoods. Here’s what I recommend seeing in the Yorkville neighbourhood. To get here, take the metro to either Museum or Spadina.

• Visit the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), which can easily fill 3-4 hours. Of course, you could make a visit here quickly, but there’s so much to see – including dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. If you’re in Toronto with kids, I especially recommend the ROM. They have an amazing family-friendly section on the 2nd floor that can keep kids curious and busy for hours
• Walk through the U of T St. George campus. There are beautiful gardens, old buildings with ivy going up the bricks – it’s like a Toronto version of Hogwarts. If you keep walking, there’s a very unique Donkey statue called the Primrose Donkey. I ventured out specifically to see it. The whole area is very lush and green, and so many parks.
• Check out the Bata Shoe Museum, which is one of my favourites. It’s so unique to see footwear from so many civilizations in time.
• Grab a hot dog from a hot dog stand, its a Toronto tradition! There are hot dog stands in other neighbourhoods of course, but there is one that is reliably near the ROM called Sharif Hotdog Stand. They usually have vegetarian and meat hot dogs.
• Pop into the Toronto Reference Library, if you love books. This is part of the Toronto Public Library and you’d need a card in order to sign anything out

Day 4: Cabbagetown

Cabbagetown is another one of Toronto’s vibrant areas full of personality. It’s recognized as having the largest area of preserved Victorian houses in all of North America, and it hosts the Cabbagetown Festival every September. Cabbagetown also runs adjesent to a lot of green space, so there are lots of spaces here to enjoy nature, lush plants and get some great views of the city skyline in the distance. To get here, take the Carleton street streetcare (506) east from the Queens Park metro station.

• Admire the Victorian homes. Just east of Parliament Street and heading south from there. There’s also a small lane with really cool old cottages – these are worker’s cottages that date back to the 1800s. It’s a really unique preserved piece from Toronto’s working-class history
• Riverdale Park West offers some pretty cool views of the Toronto skyline in the distance. Just north of it is Wellesley Park, which has a nice wooden boardwalk walk through the forest and a kid’s playground
• Allan Gardens and the 1910s greenhouse. Walk through Allan Gardens and go inside the greenhouse. One thing to keep in mind is that there is a lot of homelessness in this park
• Visit Riverdale Farm, a small little working farm right in the city. They’re open every day of the year and admission is free!
• Indulge in some great food. There are tons of great restaurants in the area, especially along Parliament Street. We’ve been to Maya Bay Thai which is excellent, especially in summer as it’s semi-open. House on Parliament is another popular one for something a bit more ‘date night’ vibes. There are some great Japanese places, like the Kingyo Fisherman’s Market
• In case you happen to be a Kenny vs Spenny fan, the house that Kenny and Spenny lived in during filming of their show is in Cabbagetown, at 288 Sherbourne Street

Day 5: Chinatown, Kensington and West Queen West

Of all the days on this itinerary, this is my favourite. These are some of the funkiest, most bohemian neighbourhoods in Toronto, and are so different from other neighbourhoods in the city, and in the world. Take the metro to Spadina, and take the 510 streetcar south. Get off at either College or Nassau.

• Walk through Chinatown, which runs along Spadina Avenue. It’s a bustling spot. Around the area of Spadina and College, you can get some pretty good views of the street and of the CN Tower in the distance
• Walk through the Kensington Market (which is a neighbourhood, not a market like the name sounds like.) It’s just a block or two from Spadina where Chinatown is and is a little neighbourhood in itself. The Kensington Market is my favourite places in Toronto, its so colourful and foodie-oriented, with markets, independently owned shops, unique flavours and creative dishes. You have to go there, I see many tourists not include it on their itinerary, which I think is a mistake. If you want to sample lots of foods and don’t know where to start, Kensington is the prime place in Toronto for food tours. I recommend timing your visit here during a meal so that you can at least try one of the many great food options in the area (Kensington or Chinatown.)
• Walk south down to West Queen West. Vogue named the area (specifically West Queen West) one of the “coolest neighbourhoods in the world.” Here, you can explore Graffiti Alley. There’s already so much graffiti and street art in Kensington Market, but there’s more to see here. You’re spoiled with so many vibrant street arts
• Visit the Art Gallery of Ontario. There are some well-known pieces here, and it’s perfect if you love art. The gift shop as some unique items, would make great gifts of souvenirs from Canada

Day 6: The Annex and Casa Loma

The Annex is another really nice neighbourhood in downtown Toronto. It’s right beside the Yorkville neighbourhood, and the two could be combined as 1 day if you were to leave out the musuems and castle. To get here, take the metro to either Dupont, Spadina or St. George.

Here are things to do in Toronto’s beautiful Annex!:

• Visit Casa Loma! Get off the metro at Dupont and walk 10 mins up Spadina avenue, you will then reach Toronto’s only castle. The views from the top show a great view of Toronto. The castle itself is elegant and is a glimpse in Toronto’s early 1900s past. Casa Loma, while worth seeing, has also gotten outrageously expensive in recent years. A cheaper option would be to check out Spadina House which is just across the street from it. It’s free and has beautiful gardens
• Walk along Bloor street west. After Casa Loma and/or Spadina House, hop back on the metro and take it to Spadina station. Any of the Spadina exits are pretty much within the bounds of the Annex. You’ll want to walk along Bloor street West; anything between Spadina and Christie, which is getting into Koreatown. You’ll see LOTS of Korean and Asian restaurants, great place to stop for lunch. As you’re walking along Bloor st. West, don’t neglect the little side streets too, like Madison Avenue and Lowther Avenue. Check out the iconic Lee’s Palace, check out the upcoming shows here if you’re interested in an evening show.

Day 7: The Junction and High Park

The last day in Toronto is spent moving further west, into what we call the Junction and High Park areas. This area used to be its own city, called West Toronto. Alcohol was banned in this part of Toronto until the year 2000, so its known as the “dry district.” After the new millenium though,breweries have started popping up. To visit High Park and other areas of the Junction, the main attraction, take the metro to Keele station.

• Visit High Park. High Park, just south of the Junction is a beautiful park, and just massive, and it has a lot of attractions within it. There are woodland trails, playgrounds, a petting zoo, ponds with ducks, lots of gardens. It’s an older park, so the trees are very mature, providing lots of shade along the paths. In a lot of ways, you forget that you’re even in a city. In the spring, High Park is particularly popular for people coming to see the cherry blossoms.
• Walk along Dundas Street West, an artsy area of the Junction. It has an artsy scene, lots of independent shops, and restaurants. So much good food. There are LOTS of murals and street here, here’s a map where you can find them
• Visit the High Park Brewery, in the Junction. I haven’t been but its very popular, having opened in 2015 they make their own craft beers

Other Toronto Neighbourhoods Worth Seeing

Even with 7 full days in Toronto, depending on how deeply you want to explore each place, it may be hard to fit all the neighbourhoods worth seeing. The TTC is easy enough to use, that you can fit two of these neighbourhoods into one day. (I’ve personally done the waterfront, plus Yorkville and Chinatown/Kensington all in one day) but its a very busy day.

Here are other worthwhile neighbourhoods worth exploring in Toronto too. They could be added on to one of your days, or substituted for something above that didn’t really grab you.

• Toronto Beaches is incredible in the summer, for obvious reasons, but it’s a laid back, artsy neighbourhood in itself. The beaches here are wide and sandy and you have a view of Toronto from many of them. Kew-Balmy Beach, Woodbine Beach
• The Danforth is Toronto’s Greek neighbourhood and hosts the famous Taste of the Danforth every year. The area has lots of good food besides Greek – one restaurant I’ve been dying to try is Maha’s Egyptian Bruch, one of the best breakfasts in the city – its located in between the Danforth and the Beaches area. Visit the Todmorden Mills Heritage Site, and East Riverdale Park for epic city views.
• Liberty Village – there are a lot of good restaurants here, and the MZTV Museum Of Television, and the Budweiser Stage within walking distance. If you’re seeing a concert at the Budweiser stage or a soccer game, then there’s no shortage of great places to grab dinner beforehand. Liberty Village is very walkable, and accessible via the GO Train from downtown. Just south of Liberty Village is where the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) is held every year, for 2 weeks at the end of August

I hope that you fall in love with Toronto as I have. I found for the longest time, I kept returning to the same places over again – the CN Tower, Ripley’s, the big museums and the Kensington Market. While I still love these spots, there’s so much to see and soak up in Toronto. In a way, Toronto is a collection of neighbourhoods rather than just a big city.