Toronto Layover Lowdown: What to See & Do in Toronto on a Layover
Stuck in Toronto’s Pearson International Airport on a long layover? Fear not, I’m coming to your rescue for awesome things to do in Toronto on a layover! I recently had an 8 hour layover and came up with the perfect way to spend 1 day in Toronto.
CN Tower
The iconic CN Tower is the needle-shaped building found in almost every photo of the city. If you have the time, head up for awesome views of downtown Toronto. It’s especially beautiful in the evening!
St. Lawrence Market
St. Lawrence Market is Toronto’s oldest market, in operation since 1803. Personally, I navigated straight to the maple syrup stand because I figured that’s what a first-time American visitor to Canada should do? If you’re interested in food other than maple syrup, don’t you worry. There’s over 100 vendors, from bakers to butchers to produce stands. For those that are extra hungry, make sure to check out the St. Lawrence Market Food Tour.
Graffiti Alley
If you know me, you know I love all things colorful. And believe me when I say that Toronto’s Graffiti Alley did not disappoint. The area is filled with colorful art, and I even got to see a couple artists in action. Plus, it naturally makes for an epic photo shoot spot!
Distillery District
The Distillery District’s cobblestone streets and quaint brick shops make for an excellent stop. You’ll find breweries (I tried a couple!), restaurants, and plenty of art galleries. Make sure to show up thirsty, and you’ll leave happy!
Chinatown
Another fun area to check out is Toronto’s Chinatown. You’ll find a mix of Chinese businesses, tea shops, and restaurants. If you’re in the area during lunch, try a Chinatown lunchtime food tour. I have trouble saying no to Chinese food…
If You Have More Time…
There are a ton of other activities you can do with 1 day in Toronto if you have a longer layover (or a longer trip to Toronto). A few things for you to consider adding to your Toronto bucket list:
- Visit the beautiful Falls on a Niagara Falls day trip
- Make friends with the fish at Toronto Ripley’s Aquarium
- Take a sightseeing hop-on, hop-off bus tour and see Toronto’s highlights
- Get your exercise and see Toronto on a downtown bike tour
How to Get to Downtown Toronto
Take the Union Pearson Express! For only $12 CAD, I got a round-trip “layover ticket” to Union Station in the heart of Toronto. I purchased the ticket in-person from a UP agent at Toronto airport. The UP Express is only about 25 minutes and incredibly easy to navigate.
I hope this guide to what to do in Toronto on a layover was helpful! What other recommendations do you have for 1 day in Toronto? I’d love to hear your suggestions in the comments!
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#eat #drink #explore #shop – you covered all my bases! I haven’t been to Toronto yet so will pin for later.
Lol me too! Glad we have our priorities straight 🙂
Wow, graffiti alley is amazing! Thanks for the ideas. Thinking about doing a Canada trip this Fall.
I’d definitely recommend it, and glad you found the ideas useful! I still have so much more of Canada I’d love to explore too.
That wall art looks so beautiful.
Thanks! I loved how colorful it was there
I was just here and Grafitti Alley was my favorite park! I was impressed by how much there is to do in the city 🙂
Agreed! I easily could have spent some more time there…guess I’ll have to go back and check it out.
Absolutely love Toronto – one of my favourite cities – and you have got some great ideas for things you can do on a layover! Heading over to Center Island would also be an awesome way to spend a day if you have enough time!
Such a good idea, I’ll add Center Island to my list for the next time I actually visit the city without the constraints of a layover!
Haven’t had chance to visit Toronto yet. There’s plenty to keep you busy for a day or so on the list – I wouldn’t mind checking out St. Lawrence Market.
Definitely a good spot to have a layover! And it sounds like there’s a lot more to see if you have extra time.
Wow! So much to do to fill in that wasted time. And so cheap to get there! Pinning this with the hope I can use the information one day on a trip to that side of the world.
Air Canada has a lot of layovers in Toronto, so if you ever happen to fly them, look for one of the long layovers that will give you a chance to explore the city!
Thank you for the advice!
Hey! Awesome post! I have a 5 over layover next week and I’m wondering if that’s enough time. Where did you leave your luggage?
I just had a small backpack so brought it with me!
Estarei em Toronto, numa escala, onde ficarei 17h (das 6h as 23h) pretendo conhecer algo em Toronto. Adorei suas dicas e ideias, vou montar um roteiro aqui. Sou brasileira, meu ingles é basico, voce acha q consigo passear por lá? qual lugar devo evitar? Gratidão e parabens pelas dicas.
I walked around all of the areas that I mentioned above, and they all seemed quite safe. Hope you enjoy your layover in Toronto!