Canada: activity guide for a Toronto getaway

The famous Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) is a huge urban funfair, renowned for its rides, wacky food, various shows, dog show and games.

Their food offering has always been crazy. There has been rainbow grilled cheese, pickle lemonade, cotton candy fried Oreos and the famous fried Mars bar in recent years. This funfair is open from August to early September.

In Vaughan, north of Toronto, Canada’s Wonderland offers 70 rides from early May. If the weather is warm, you can enjoy their water park.

In Nathan Phillips Square, the Toronto Dragon Festival, held in early September, offers free dragon dance performances, street food and Chinese arts demonstrations.

The CN Tower always attracts many visitors. The view of the city and Lake Ontario is impressive. Try walking fearlessly on the glass floor and looking down at the ground, 114 floors below!

After your visit to the CN Tower, take a trip to Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, right next door.

With or without children, the experience is spectacular. One of the highlights is the passage through the Dangerous Lagoon underwater tunnel, when sharks and sawfish swim overhead.

On the Toronto Islands, just minutes south of downtown, you can get away from the pace of the city. A ferry takes us there in 15 minutes, from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal.

Toronto Island Park is famous for its view of downtown. Then check out the rides at the Centreville Amusement Park, which opens in early May.

In the southern part of the islands, near Centre Island Beach, don’t hesitate to rent a bike to explore the islands. To the east, take the opportunity to visit the 262 charming homes hidden in Algonquin and Ward’s Islands.

A visit to the Hockey Hall of Fame is a must for field hockey fans! The Stanley Cup is waiting for you to take a picture with it.

Northeast of the city, the Ontario Science Centre is an interactive museum of science, society and technology. Special activities are regularly scheduled.

A little further east is the Toronto Zoo. An opportunity to admire over 5,000 animals. The site is divided into seven geographical regions: Indo-Malaya, Africa, Americas, Canada, Australia, Eurasia and Tundra.

Tip: AIR MILES Dream Miles can be used for free admission.

The Casa Loma castle was built in the middle of the city and is fascinating for architecture lovers. You can visit the main building, as well as the stables and gardens.

The Canadian International Air Show will blow your mind! This event, open from late August to early September, features aerial shows and aerial acrobatics by parachutists.

Other things to do in and around Toronto:

• Discover Niagara Falls on a guided minibus tour, private or overnight;
• Visit Toronto for free on a three-hour stroll through the city;
• Discover Toronto’s distillery district on a gyro-pod;
• Book a personalized guided tour of Toronto’s most iconic landmarks.

Located on the shores of Lake Ontario, Toronto is about a 6-hour drive from Montreal.

By plane, flight time is around 1h20 non-stop. Billy Bishop Airport (YTZ) is closest to downtown Toronto.

If you’d like to use your Aeroplan points, direct flights on Air Canada in economy class start at 6,000 points one way, according to the points predictor.

Frequent, non-stop flights of 1.5 hours avoid the 8-hour drive from Quebec City.

Direct flights on Air Canada in economy class also start at 6,000 Aeroplan points one way.

For a tour that includes activities mainly located downtown, such as the CNE, the CN Tower and the Toronto Islands, we suggest a few interesting hotels(Marriott and others):

If you prefer the north or east of Toronto, with visits to Canada’s Wonderland or the Toronto Zoo, you’ll find affordable hotels in Vaughan and Markham:

• SpringHill Suites Toronto Vaughan
• The Residence Inn Toronto Vaughan
• TownePlace Suites Toronto Northeast/Markham

You could even use your free night certificate.

Ulysse has two guidebooks covering Toronto and its region:

• Stopover in Toronto
• Toronto and Niagara Falls

As you can see, there are several ways to lighten your bill on this getaway. Feel free to use :

• Aeroplan points;
• Marriott Bonvoy points;
• AIR MILES miles;
• Travel points.