Our 7 Favourite Romantic Getaways in Ontario
My husband and I love to go away for weekends getaways in Ontario. We have two kids who we love exploring the province with, but once in a while its nice to get away somewhere beautiful and tranquil where we can relax but also enjoy some fun things to do nearby. We usually search AirBnb to find the coziest places and book weekends away in the fall, winter or spring.
Its important to let you know that I’m not affiliated with any of these properties. My husband and I researched, found and paid to stay at each of them, and can speak honestly to any pros and cons and what makes them worth it for the cost.
When searching for a special Ontario weekend getaway, are usually looking for places that are somewhat budget friendly (less than $500 per night ideally) but are willing to spend a bit more for an above and beyond experience. There are lots of extremely luxurious cabins and glamping experiences in Ontario, but we’re usually looking for something that fits the small cozy and simple, while still being comfortable. Here are some of the most amazing places we’ve stayed in all over Ontario that offered us an incredible and memorable experience.
1. Romantic Dome in Sprucedale
This dome is located in a forest that’s right on the cusp between Muskoka, and the District of Parry Sound. Part of what we liked about this dome is that it sits on an elevated surface, so it looks like you’re sitting in the trees. It was so cozy inside, with a fireplace, king-size bed, lots of blankets and pillows.
The owners provided lots of firewood so we could make fires outside and inside. Two Muskoka chairs were set up by the fire, and we spent evenings just watching the fire and gazing up at the stars. The bed was comfortable and we slept amazing. The host went above and beyond, providing coffee for us, a bottle of wine, buttertarts, and cupcakes for our anniversary.
It also really feels in the middle of nowhere. We couldn’t hear any cars, or see any other people. It had a lot of nice touches, like twinkly lights strung around tree trunks outside, making it extra romantic. It was a short walk from the owners property and from a quiet residential road along a lake. It’s a 30 minute drive from Parry Sound, Screaming Heads, Huntsville and Arrowhead Provincial Park.
2. Cabin on the 9 near Orangeville
Cabin on the 9 is a rustic experience just minutes from the town of Orangeville. We stayed here in February, and it turned out to be perfect weather for enjoying it as a cozy winter getaway. The cabin is located in a forest opening with a large pond infront of it, and it snowed outside as we had the fire going. You can swim or boat on in the summer, and freezes over in the winter.
It’s a small cabin, with a small eating area inside with a fireplace and a loveseat. There’s a ladder that leads to the loft sleeping area upstairs which is also extra cozy. You can see a short tour of the cabin on my YouTube video here.
There’s electricity in this cabin, but no toilet or running water. Firewood is provided to keep the place warm in the middle. There’s a toilet for women to use for #1 only, and guys can go outside. There’s a house a few minutes’ walk from the cabin where you can use a full washroom.
The owners are lovely and are advocates for the environment. They own a few other properties; one of them is Ketchum House, an off-grid, sustainable in Hockley Valley which they gave us a free tour of during our stay at this cabin. Overall, it was a memorable experience. The property and the views surrounding it are really something, and its probably the closest cabin to Toronto on this list.
3. Librarian’s loft at the School House Bed and Breakfast
The School House Bed and Breakfast is a hidden gem bed and breakfast in Niagara on the Lake, and its just steps from the downtown. The schoolhouse was built in 1859 and has cozy, Harry Potter vibes. The Librarian’s Loft in particular is a cozy room with a couch and gas fireplace. A small staircase leads up to a loft where the queen bed is located.
Unlike some of the other options on our list of favourite AirBnbs, this one doesn’t have a full kitchen, but it does have a coffee maker and a mini fridge to store snacks. In the lobby, they provided fresh water, fruit and cookies that you can take back to your room. The provided breakfast is served downstairs and cater to different dietary restrictions (I’m vegetarian.) We found the breakfast delicious and very filling. In addition, the Schoolhouse is very close to restaurants in the area, and there are a lot of great ones.
4. Cabin in the Kawartha Lakes
This cabin looks so similar to the Cabin on the 9, mentioned above, from the inside but is quite different on the inside. For one, this cabin in the Kawartha Lakes region is much larger. It has a full kitchen with a large round table, living room and loft bedroom on the inside. Its located in the Kawartha Lakes, about a 10 minute drive from a town called Fenelon Falls, which is known as “the jewel of the Kawarthas.”
The owners have a large property that the cabin is located on, with horses, and offer sleigh rides as an add-on service. The cabin is so deep in a 30 acre forest that you don’t notice that you’re on someone’s property. It’s very secluded and quiet, and the stars at night are bright. There are trails from the cabin to walk on through the woods, and the cabin is also a short walk from where you park (they provide a sled or wagon so you can carry all your stuff.)
You can go for walks on the property. It really feels like ‘the middle of nowhere’ and the stars on a clear night are so bright. Everything at this Kawartha Lakes cabin is provided in case you want to cook, but there are also lots of great places to eat in Fenelon Falls. It’s truly a beautiful place that I recommend! There’s no bathroom inside the cabin -instead there’s a man-made wooden outhouse just a stone’s throw from it.
5. Muskoka Allure Tiny Home
Muskoka Allure is a privately owned property of woodland and forests that has a few different cozy places to stay on it. We stayed in their tiny home, which included a cozy living room space, a small (but full) kitchen, a cozy bedroom with window that looked out to beautiful scenery. Outside, there was a hot tub and a fire place. It was truly peaceful and romantic having this all to ourselves!
Muskoka Allure also has a large glass dome which is insanely popular, we have tried to book it a few times but it sells out over a year in advance for popular weekends. I hope that we can get in there soon.
The tiny home that we stayed in doesn’t sell out nearly as fast, and its also quite a bit more affordable than the glass dome. We loved it. The hosts really aim for a 5-star experience, and it shows. Everything we could think of that we needed was there. It’s also just a 10 minute drive to Huntsville so its close to lots of things to do in the area.
6. Tree house in Niagara region
This Treehouse is located on a private property just 10 minutes from Jordan Station, which is arguably one of Ontario’s cutest towns. It’s also only 30 minutes from Niagara Falls and Niagara on the Lake.
It’s not as ‘out in the middle of the forest’ as some of the others, you can see the host’s house from the treehouse. But the balcony feels very private (cannot be seen from any other property) and the inside is very cute with a little kitchen, bedroom, and all wooden finishings.
There were TWO patios in total; the larger one with the hammock, table and chairs is the main one. In addition, there is a small patio outside the bedroom door that has two chairs – perfect for morning coffee in paradise!
Important: I do not recommend staying here during harvest season. The only thing that disappointed us about this property wasn’t anything about the property itself, but because of the ‘bird banging’ that happens from 7am to 7pm on nearby wine farms. Bird banging is used to keep birds off the wine grapes before harvest, and is exempt from noise bylaws. This only happens during the harvest season, which depends on the weather and season each year but is usually in September and October.
7. Tree Haus in Muskoka
We were one of the first guests to stay at a cozy place on this property, which is just 15 minutes from the town of Burk’s Falls. This is their haus in the trees, which is surrounded with beautiful forest views and the sounds of birds chirping.
We stayed here for our annual fall visit in Algonquin, and found it to be close enough to enjoy the Algonquin Highlands and Huntsville to be able to get out for some epic fall hikes. We went on a hike through the property, which also had a stream running through it. We also discovered a waterfall only 10 minutes from Haus in the Trees, called Brook’s Falls.
The deck to sit on and eat breakfast and drink coffee was heavenly, and we saw a lot of wildlife from the deck. The cabin comes with a full kitchen, but with only being 30 minutes to Algonquin, it was close enough to enjoy the Huntsville restaurants too.
8. (Bonus) Westcliff Cabin in Muskoka
This tiny cabin is a tiny, eco-friendly place to stay if you want to get back to everything simpe. It’s a new, minimalist cabin surrounded by trees on a large woodland property.
It’s important to note that this is a no-frills place; no bedding was provided (we brought our own) as well as our own firewood, toilet paper, utensils and plates. Of all the places on our favourites list, this was the one where we had to bring the most of our own stuff, but we found it was worth it. This cabin still sticks out as being very memorable to us.
The cabin was simple, but it had everything we needed. There isn’t a TON of seating inside, but we sat outside for hours, with a fire under the stars. There was a compost toilet and a solar shower outside. Although it has no electricity, there was enough power to charge phones and we heated water in the morning on a hot pot for our coffee.
There is a highway nearby which means its pretty easy to get around to all the things there are to do in the area, but you can slightly hear the cars on the highway when you’re sitting outside. There is another cabin on this property not too far away; you can mildly make it out through the trees, especially at night when the lights are on.
We stayed here to do hiking at Algonquin, but there are several other outdoor attractions much closer to where this cabin is, like waterfalls, beaches, and Arrowhead Provincial Park.
Final Thoughts
I hope that you’ve gotten some inspiration for some great places to stay for an Ontario weekend away from our ideas above. Our romantic getaways are most commonly in spring, fall and winter, and many of these places above are extra special in fall and winter, but you could stay there anytime of year. If you liked these suggestions, be sure to subscribe to my online email community. I share bikweekly emails about our adventures around Ontario, and abroad.