Tourist highlights

The tourist guides will point you to these. They're not all bad, but you could skip them all and not miss out.

The CN Tower

The CN Tower is the tallest element of the Toronto skyline, and probably Toronto's most recognisable building. It's got a good view, but I don't think it's worth the $50 price of admission. You also have to pay extra to go to the very top.

The edgewalk is a really good view, especially at sunset, but it's eye-wateringly expensive ($200+). Your ticket will get you access to the rest of the tower, though.

The Aquarium

As a vegan I have mixed feelings about aquariums, but Toronto's aquarium is pretty good. I've not heard any egregious animal welfare stories about it. The star attraction is a long underwater tunnel.

The aquarium opens late, and has a regular jazz night that costs the same as a regular visit.

St Lawrence Market

It's a nice enough food market in the east of the city, and it has a large farmer's market at weekends. But the prices aren't great, there's not many vegan options, and it largely focuses on ingredients rather than takeaway food a la Borough Market.

Art Gallery of Ontario

It's a good art gallery with a varied collection, but pales in comparison to any London gallery. If you like art and don't mind paying $20 for entry, it's worth a visit. They do free entry some evenings.

There's a nice park round the back, if you'd like a sunny sit down or a place to eat your lunch.

Royal Ontario Museum

Again: it's a good museum, but it's not a patch on the Natural History Museum. The after dark events are fun. $26, or free on the 3rd Tuesday night of each month.

The Eaton Centre

It's a mall. Good if you want to do some shopping, and it does have some brands you won't find in the UK, but it's not a must-see.

If you are nearby, the south end has a flock of geese sculpture that's worth seeing.

Yonge-Dundas Square

This square is on the north east corner of the Eaton Centre. It's garish, busy, scuzzy, and small. Fine if you need to pass through it, or if there's an event happening, but I wouldn't take a guest here even if we were already in the Eaton Centre.

Nathan Phillips Square

Nathan Phillips Square, on the other hand, is worth a peek. It has city hall (as seen in Resident Evil: Apocalypse), a giant Toronto sign, and also often hosts events. Old city hall is next door.

The Distillery District

The Distillery District is what you get when a group of property developers transform some disused Victorian factories into shops and events venues, rather than it happening organically over time. It's a nice enough area, but there's a whiff of the inauthentic about it. If there's an event there you'd like to see it's well worth a visit, and nosing around some of the galleries and shops is very pleasant. But I wouldn't recommend it as a destination in itself.

In December it hosts a Christmas market (extremely busy; be prepared to queue outside in the cold for over an hour); the new year also often sees a light festival (outdoors, but not nearly as busy). The galleries often host exhibitions for the Contact Photography Festival and Nuit Blanche.

Casa Loma

110 years ago some rich guy decided to build a mansion and called it a castle. North America doesn't have castles, so everyone presumed he knew what he was talking about it and went along with it. I've actually never visited, so maybe it's lovely and my scepticism is unwarranted. But I don't think it's old enough or prestigious enough to be interesting.

I have done an escape room at Casa Loma, which was pricey but worth it. The puzzles were fun; it had multiple locations; there were in-character performers. If you like escape rooms and don't mind working with strangers it's worth considering, though your escape room ticket won't give you access to the castle.

Fort York

Fort York was built in 1793 just outside a fledgling Toronto. Today it's a national historic site: you can wander the buildings and grounds, and see some exhibits about the history of the city and military life. Admission is free. It's worth stopping by if you're in the area and are interested in history. The Bentway, just to the south, often has free outdoor art exhibitions.