Toronto in 3 Days: From Urban Vibes to Island Sunsets and Historic Castles
📅 Itinerary
Day 1 – Explore Downtown & The Weeknd’s Roots
Start your adventure by exploring Downtown Toronto, a vibrant area full of energy, shops, and beautiful architecture. Stroll through Queen Street West and Kensington Market, where you’ll find trendy boutiques, street art, and the creative soul of the city.
Take a walk through residential neighborhoods like Trinity Bellwoods to admire charming Canadian-style houses.
If you're a music fan, make a stop near The Weeknd’s early neighborhood and the House of Balloons, the place that inspired his first mixtape. While it's not an official landmark, fans often enjoy seeing the area where his career began.
Where to stay: The best area to stay is Entertainment District or Downtown Core – close to events, nightlife, and main attractions.
Food Recommendation: Start your day with a unique drink or dessert at Matcha Matcha, a must for green tea lovers.
Day 2 – Ferry Ride & Sunset from Toronto Islands
Catch a ferry to Toronto Islands—a peaceful escape just across the water. You can walk or bike around the islands, relax at the beach, and enjoy a different perspective of the city skyline.
In the evening, find a good spot on the islands to watch the sunset with the Toronto skyline glowing behind it—a magical and unforgettable view.
Food Tip: After your ferry return, explore ethnic restaurants near the Harbourfront or Queen West. Try some Ethiopian cuisine (like at Rendez-Vous), Mexican tacos (like Seven Lives), or a cozy Japanese spot (Kinka Izakaya is a favorite).
Day 3 – Castles & Culture
Start the day with a visit to the majestic Casa Loma, Toronto’s famous castle filled with history, secret tunnels, and amazing city views. After that, explore other iconic spots like:
Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)
Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO)
CN Tower if you didn’t squeeze it in earlier
Wrap up the day with a final stroll along Yorkville or Distillery District for shopping, culture, and a bit of Toronto charm.
🏨 Accommodation
🍴 Food Recommendations
📌 Travel Tips for Visiting Toronto
1. Use the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission)
Get a Presto Card or day pass to easily use buses, subways, and streetcars around the city.
2. Be Ready for All Weather
Toronto weather can change quickly. Bring layers and maybe a light rain jacket—especially in spring or fall.
3. Ferry Tickets
Buy ferry tickets online in advance if possible, especially in summer.
4. Tipping
In restaurants, tipping 15–20% is standard in Canada.
5. Explore Different Neighborhoods
Toronto is all about its neighborhoods—each has a unique feel. Try to explore areas like Little Italy, Chinatown, The Annex, or Greektown.
6. Be Camera-Ready
Between the skyline, historic buildings, and street art, Toronto is full of photo ops!
The Art Gallery of Ontario is a very attractive museum designed by the architect Frank Gehry. Its appearance is like a crystal ship, with a strong sense of modern art. The glass wall and glass wings on the north side of the main entrance glow under the lights at night, creating a beautiful scenery. The spiral staircase in the museum fully demonstrates Gehry's design talent.
The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is one of the largest art museums in North America, located in Toronto, Canada. It houses a diverse collection of over 95,000 works, including European, Canadian, and contemporary art.
With impressive collections and innovative exhibitions, AGO is a cultural center that attracts both art lovers and casual visitors.
The Ontario Gallery is one of Toronto's iconic exhibition halls, and the entire exhibition hall is very unique in its architectural shape, like a crystal boat, at the entrance of the exhibition hall, a sculpture by the famous sculptor Henry Moore. The museum has a large collection of artworks from Europe, the United States and Canada, some paintings are very precious and come from the hands of the masters. It is very close to Toronto Chinatown, so you may wish to visit it.
Every Wednesday night 6:00—9:00, the Ontario Art Museum is free. Less than 6:00, there are hundreds of meters of long dragons outside the art museum. Georgia O''Keeffe works are hot, so go straight to the second floor. I didn't expect that there will be a charge of 12.5 Canadian dollars. The treasures in the museum also include sculptures by Henry Moore, two paintings by Emily Carr, and many works by Group of Seven.
Very good の Museum, has a reputation in North America. Grandpa, that time just caught up with the domestic "Ai Weiwei" exhibition! Ai Weiwei has a very loud reputation in the West の Artist! I have seen him online の Behavioral Art. Very sharp and thoughtful の a fat man! This AGO exhibition の a snake hovering in ceiling! It is interesting that the snake is a backpack package patched up の! In addition, the art museum itself is cleverly conceived. One of my favorite museums! It is worth a visit to Toronto!
Toronto must punch in|One time not enough to see the Ontario Art Museum ❤️ Chinese name: Ontario Art Museum English name: Art Gallery Of Ontario AGO recommendation index: The Art Museum is located in the center of Toronto, is the 8th largest art museum in North America, with more than 40,000 pieces in the collection. Among the exhibits are a series of works by the British sculptor Henry Moore (which occupies a large exhibition hall on the second floor), and there are often temporary special exhibitions by famous painters. I saw Rubens's exhibition last year, and this time I went to see the poster for the Picasso exhibition in June 2020. There is also the most attractive (especially the sister) Libo Point Queen Caojian Yasheng Mirror House infinity mirrors‼️ and it is a fixed exhibition in the art museum. It is not a temporary exhibition with a time limit like New York. There is an orange spiral staircase in the middle hall of the art museum. It is a net red. The photo is very ins wind. You can rotate the stairs to the fifth floor, you can see the cn tower part of the Sunday time period, and there are free naked models in the lobby on the first floor for the public to sketch in Linyi (of course, it is forbidden to take pictures) Detailed address: 317 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON M5T 1G4 Traffic Raiders: Get off at St. Patrick Station and exit ⏰ Business hours: 10:00-17:30 (Monday closed, Wednesday and Friday extended to 20:30) Tickets: Free tours under 25 years old (age is very loose but18-25 friends must show ID, after all, some people especially the old foreign minister are too mature), 25 Canadian dollars for adults over 25 years old, free for local residents. Free visit from 18:00 to 21:00 every Wednesday night. Expected play time: 2-3 hour practical tips1⃣️ as long as 35 Canadian dollars, you can upgrade to the Annual Pass (annual card). For non-local residents, over 25 years old, and more than one visit to Toronto in a year, a visit costs $25, and the price of the annual ticket is worth twice, but a special exhibition may only be for museum members (only if you have a member card) 2⃣️ Photographs are allowed in the art museum (flash tripods and the like are not allowed). The words "No photo is allowed" are marked next to individual exhibits, and tourists still need to abide by the regulations. 3⃣️ Kuojian Yasun's mirror house is next to the cafe on the second floor. You need to make an appointment on the tablet computer at the entrance in advance. The English interface chooses a good time period (40 people per time period), leaving a mobile phone number (Chinese number is also available) and email address. Then calculate the time to queue up at the door of the mirror house in advance. It is recommended to avoid the peak and go early. I opened the door on Friday morning, so I don't need to queue at all ✌