Toronto

Toronto 3-day itinerary

3 days in Toronto on foot. The plan moves through City, City, City, starting with Randolph Theatre, Chinese Presbyterian Church, St. Volodymir Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral. No car.
Best for
A long weekend walking Toronto.
Pace
Three full walking days.
Base
City
Estimated budget
$240–$840

Day-by-day plan

Follow the stops in order. Walk times are estimates between nearby places.

  1. Day 1

    City

    Walk City in Toronto. Start at Randolph Theatre, then Chinese Presbyterian Church and St. Volodymir Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral. Stay on foot.

    1. Stop 1

      Randolph Theatre

      The Randolph Theatre is a 518 seat theatre in Toronto, Ontario, that is housed in a former church. The Gothic Revival building is located at 736 Bathurst Street at the intersection with Lennox Street. The theatre is in the former church sanctuary, while the 100-seat Annex Theatre is in an adjoining building at 730 Bathurst Street.

    2. Stop 2 · 21 min walk

      Chinese Presbyterian Church

      Chinese Presbyterian Church on OpenStreetMap within walking or short-transit range.

    3. Stop 3 · 14 min walk

      St. Volodymir Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral

      Ukrainian Orthodox cathedral in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    4. Stop 4 · 34 min walk

      The Stone Church

      The Stone Church on OpenStreetMap within walking or short-transit range.

    5. Stop 5 · 42 min walk

      Living Water Assembly

      Living Water Assembly on OpenStreetMap within walking or short-transit range.

    6. Stop 6 · 11 min walk

      Dovercourt Baptist Church

      Dovercourt Baptist Church on OpenStreetMap within walking or short-transit range.

    Eat · Aroma Espresso Bar: This cafe chain has locations throughout the city. Aroma might be the best of the large coffee chains for espresso coffees and rivals the quality at many independent coffee shops.

    Browse Toronto tours
  2. Day 2

    City

    Walk City in Toronto. Start at Bloor Community Church, then Hungarian Reformed Evangelical Christian Church and St. Alphonsus Catholic Church. Stay on foot.

    1. Stop 1

      Bloor Community Church

      Bloor Community Church on OpenStreetMap within walking or short-transit range.

    2. Stop 2 · 35 min walk

      Hungarian Reformed Evangelical Christian Church

      Hungarian Reformed Evangelical Christian Church on OpenStreetMap within walking or short-transit range.

    3. Stop 3 · 42 min walk

      St. Alphonsus Catholic Church

      St. Alphonsus Catholic Church on OpenStreetMap within walking or short-transit range.

    4. Stop 4 · 35 min walk

      Michael Lee-Chin Crystal

      Tourism: museum.

    5. Stop 5 · 12 min walk

      St. Andrew's United Church

      St. Andrew's United Church is a historic congregation of the United Church of Canada in Toronto, Canada. Located in the city's downtown core near the intersection of Yonge and Bloor streets, it is a combination of five other downtown Toronto congregations.

    6. Stop 6 · 29 min walk

      Don Valley Brick Works

      The Don Valley Brick Works is a former quarry and industrial site located in the Don River Valley in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Don Valley Brick Works operated for nearly 100 years and provided bricks used to construct many well-known Toronto landmarks, such as Casa Loma, Osgoode Hall, Massey Hall, and the Ontario Legislature.

    Eat · Balzac's: Balzac's is a small chain of cafes in interesting neighbourhoods. It serves only organic, Fair Trade coffee, cocoa and sugar, and its milk is locally sourced and organic.

  3. Day 3

    City

    Walk City in Toronto. Start at Masjid Toronto, then Riverdale Farm and Salvation Army. Stay on foot.

    1. Stop 1

      Masjid Toronto

      Masjid Toronto on OpenStreetMap within walking or short-transit range.

    2. Stop 2 · 32 min walk

      Riverdale Farm

      Riverdale Farm is a 3-hectare (7.4-acre) municipally operated farm in the heart of Cabbagetown, an urban neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is maintained by Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division.

    3. Stop 3 · 12 min walk

      Salvation Army

      Salvation Army on OpenStreetMap within walking or short-transit range.

    4. Stop 4 · 26 min walk

      Elgin & Winter Garden Theatres

      pair of stacked theatres in Toronto, Canada

    5. Stop 5 · 51 min walk

      The Governor's Bridge Lookout

      Tourism: viewpoint.

    6. Stop 6 · 72 min walk

      Factory Theatre

      Factory Theatre is a theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded as Factory Theatre Lab in 1970 by Ken Gass and Frank Trotz, and it was run for almost 20 years by Dian English.

    Eat · Second Cup: Cuisine: coffee_shop.

Where to stay

Sleep near the walking base. Pick an area, then search hotels by neighborhood.

  • The centre

    First-time visitors

    Stay inside walking range of the first-day stops in Toronto.

Full where-to-stay guide →

Things to book

Tours and tickets that match this plan. Book anything that needs timed entry.

Budget

Rough mid-range spend for 3 days in Toronto, excluding long-haul flights. Hotel nights drive most of the range.

  • Budget: about $240 (hostel/budget hotel, transit, street food)
  • Mid-range: about $420 (3★ hotel, sit-down meals, a tour or two)
  • Comfort: about $840 (nicer hotel, taxis, paid attractions)

Trip budget calculator →

Transportation

Get in

thumbnail|right|Pearson International sees the most traffic and connections of all airports in Canada | url=https://www.torontopearson.com | email= | address= | lat=43.6777 | long=79.6248 | directions= | phone= | tollfree= | hours= | price= | wikipedia=Toronto Pearson International Airport | wikidata=Q242066 | lastedit=2022-05-26 | content= }}, in Mississauga, is 30-50 minutes by car (depending on traffic) or 25 minutes by train from downtown Toronto and is served by most major international carriers. There are two terminals: Terminal 1 hosts all Air Canada flights and a few other international (mostly Star Alliance) carriers while Terminal 3 hosts all other airlines. When travelling from Toronto International (and other major Canadian airports) to the United States, travellers will go through United States immigration and customs pre-clearance before boarding, and should leave some extra time to account for this. The airport has free WiFi internet access.

Get around

Toronto is huge, and most roads run for very long distances. Streetcar rail, subway rail, and intercity rail services are clean and efficient, and it's entirely possible to get around Toronto without a car, especially downtown. You may find it quicker and easier to drive, but the highways regularly back up during rush hour (7—10AM and 4—7PM). Toronto has plentiful parking garages downtown, but they are very expensive.

Where to eat

Simple meal ideas near the day’s walking route.

  • Aroma Espresso Bar

    This cafe chain has locations throughout the city. Aroma might be the best of the large coffee chains for espresso coffees and rivals the quality at many independent coffee shops. The coffee is served in a cup and saucer with a metal spoon (you might not get the spoon at some other places), and you get a piece of chocolate (a nice touch).

  • Balzac's

    Balzac's is a small chain of cafes in interesting neighbourhoods. It serves only organic, Fair Trade coffee, cocoa and sugar, and its milk is locally sourced and organic.

  • Second Cup

    Cuisine: coffee_shop.

  • Nord Lyon Cafe

    Nord Lyon Cafe listed on OpenStreetMap near the walking centre.

  • Tim Hortons

    Cuisine: coffee_shop.

  • Emily Rose Cafe

    Emily Rose Cafe listed on OpenStreetMap near the walking centre.

  • Pi Co.

    Cuisine: pizza.

  • Prime Doner Shwarma

    Prime Doner Shwarma listed on OpenStreetMap near the walking centre.

Optional alternatives

Add one if a walking day finishes early. Don’t stack them onto the same afternoon.

  • Canadian National Exhibition

    The Ex is an annual fair offering an amusement park (the Midway), a casino, live entertainment, an international market, agricultural exhibits including livestock and a variety of other exhibits. It is Canada's largest fair and the fifth largest in North America, with an average annual attendance of 1.3 million.

  • Doors Open

    This event, held the last weekend of May, offers residents and visitors an opportunity to take a peek behind the doors of more than 100 architecturally, historically, culturally and socially significant buildings across the city. Many of these buildings are normally not open to the public.

  • Fan Expo Canada

    Canada's answer to the San Diego and New York Comic-Cons, Fan Expo Canada draws over 150,000 attendees each year to celebrate superheroes, science fiction, fantasy, and other popular franchises. It's the largest such event in Canada and one of the biggest in the world, now taking up both the north and south buildings of the Convention Centre.

  • Pride Toronto

    Pride Toronto is the annual LGBT festival which includes the very popular Pride Parade which draws crowds of straight people to discover how LGBT people have fun. See also LGBT Toronto.

  • Toronto Black Film Festival

    TBFF showcases the noteworthy black films and provides a forum to debate major cultural, social and socio-economic issues.

  • Toronto International Film Festival

    This publicly attended festival of international film takes place in various theatres and draws many celebrities and celebrity spotters.

Before you go

Questions

Do I need a car in Toronto?
No for this plan. The days stay inside walking range, then local transit to YYZ. Toronto is huge, and most roads run for very long distances. Streetcar rail, subway rail, and intercity rail services are clean and efficient, and it's entirely possible to get around Toronto without a car, especially downtown. You may find it quicker and easier to drive, but the highways regularly back up during rush hour (7—10AM and 4—7PM). Toronto has plentiful parking garages downtown, but they are very expensive.
Is 3 days enough?
Yes for the core around City. Switch to 5 days if you want a trip outside Toronto.
Where should I stay?
Base near City so the first walking day starts at the hotel. Madison Manor is a listed option, not a ranking.
Where do I eat?
Each day names one sit-down stop. Aroma Espresso Bar is on the list. Keep the rest as bakeries and market counters.

Other Toronto trip lengths