A Weekend in Toronto

A Weekend in Toronto

Claire
Our weekend in Toronto, for first-time visitors to Toronto (and Canada!)
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We stayed at the....

Hyatt Regency Toronto
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Day 1: Harbourfront

Spend the first day (or whichever day has better weather) walking by the Harbourfront. Spots like St. Lawrence Market are great for food, grabbing souvenirs, and sitting down to rest. Hockey fans and train fans will love the Hockey Hall of Fame and Railway Museum respectively. Of course, the CN Tower is a must-visit for spectacular views of Toronto and Lake Ontario. Finish off the day at the Distillery District, where you can grab (more) food and try out local beers.

St. Lawrence Market
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Open early! Not a lot of people before noon.
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Aloette Restaurant
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One of the places to eat if you're in Toronto. Famous for their burger and lemon meringue pie, but their entire menu is incredible. Better to make a reservation a couple weeks in advance for dinner, but we were able to walk in for lunch with about a 30m wait.
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Tim Hortons
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As a first-time Canada tourist, I absolutely had to make my way to Tim Horton's. Recommend the iced capp and Timbits!
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CN Tower
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The tallest freestanding structure in the world until 2009! Try to visit on a clear day for best results.
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BeaverTails Toronto Waterfront
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Famous Canadian chain for pastries (fried dough with sugar and other toppings)
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Hockey Hall of Fame
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Just by Scotiabank Arena, check out the home of the Stanley Cup!
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Toronto Railway Museum
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Totally open train museum, depicting an older Toronto that served as a major railway hub in Canada. They've even kept one of those train turntables outside! Right next to the CN Tower, so good chance you'll end up here.
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Toronto Music Garden
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Walk along the Harbourfront until you reach this garden, which is not-to-miss.
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Distillery District
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Take the bus down to the Distillery District, where you can check out local shops, eats, and brews.
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Day 2: Museums, Downtown

This day's better for rainier, overcast days if you run into poor weather. Museum lovers will love the selection of museums in Downtown Toronto, starting from the incredible architecture of Casa Loma to the T-Rex exhibit in the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). Along the way, check out some incredible food by campus and end the day in Yonge-Dundas Square, the "Times Square" of Toronto.

Casa Loma
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A CASTLE IN THE MIDDLE OF TORONTO!!!
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Royal Ontario Museum
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Make your way south to the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), where you can find a T-rex skeleton!!
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Zaad
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stop by for lunch at this popular shawarma spot, right by the U of T campus
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Queen's Park
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On your way down to Chinatown, walk through or around the U of T campus. This'll take you through Queen's Park.
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Chinatown
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Continue south to Toronto's Chinatown
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Swatow Restaurant
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A local staple in Chinatown (cash only) - it's been around for decades!
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Art Gallery of Ontario
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Right by Chinatown, stop by another renowned museum / gallery in the city. Includes works from historical to contemporary eras.
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Yonge-Dundas Square
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The Times Sq. of Toronto! (neon lights, shopping, people)
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CF Toronto Eaton Centre
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Major shopping center right in the heart of Toronto.
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Toronto Sign
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if you're in the area, you might as well check out the big Toronto sign in Nathan Phillips Square.
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Daldongnae Korean BBQ (Dundas)
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Great KBBQ rec from one of my friends in Yonge Dundas Square! We had enough food for two, all under $30 USD.
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Kim's Convenience
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A little niche, but fans of Kim's Convenience will love visiting the actual shop from the show. Upon entering, the shop owner greeted me with, "Looking for Jung?" An absolute hidden gem if you manage to make your way to this part of town.
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Other Spots to See

As always, there were places a little out of the way that we would've loved to visit. Here's our next-time to-visit list.

High Park
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A bit west of Downtown, so we didn't get a chance to visit. 398 acres of a nature escape - I guess like the Central Park of Toronto?
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Actinolite Restaurant
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highly acclaimed, contemporary canadian fare, recommend a res!
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Centre Island
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Take a ferry to one of the islands in Lake Ontario close to mainland. I imagine you'd get sweeping views of the skyline.
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Scotiabank Arena
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If you're here during hockey or basketball season, catch a Maple Leafs or Raptors game here!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Claire
Slowly exploring the world with every minute of every weekend and my 21 days of annual PTO!
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