Toronto
A lakeshore skyline under the CN Tower, Libeskind's crystal on Bloor Street, a dozen and more starred kitchens, and a train from the runway to Union Station in under half an hour.
- Arrival
- Toronto Pearson International · YYZ
- To the city
- About 28 minutes to Union Station by UP Express
- Private jets
- Four FBOs at Pearson; no jets downtown
- Best time
- May to September
The city
Towers on the lake.
Toronto rises from the north shore of Lake Ontario, a city of neighbourhoods strung along long, straight streets. The Royal Ontario Museum has stood on Bloor since 1914 and now holds some eighteen million objects; Yorkville, around the corner, is where most of the grand hotels and several starred dining rooms are found. Thirteen restaurants in the city hold a MICHELIN star, from kaiseki and Edomae sushi to Mexican and Ligurian cooking.
Summer is the season. From May to September the days run from 18 to 27 °C, with up to nine hours of sun in June and July. Winter is long and cold, with highs around freezing from December to February.
Arriving
Pearson for everything.
Pearson, west of the city, takes nearly every arrival. The island airport downtown takes turboprops only, and the jet ban there stands after Ottawa turned down a plan to lift it in July 2026.
- Montreal 1 h 00
- New York 1 h 05
- Mexico City 4 h 35
- Los Angeles 4 h 50
- Zurich 8 h 40 long-range jet
When to go
May to September.
Warm summers and hard winters. From May to September the days run from 18 to 27 °C and the rain is spread lightly through the month. December to February stay around freezing, with as little as two hours of sun a day.
- -2° J 54
- -2° F 45
- 4° M 60
- 11° A 67
- 18° M 69
- 24° J 69
- 27° J 70
- 25° A 83
- 21° S 75
- 14° O 63
- 7° N 72
- 0° D 72
What to see and do
Days in and around Toronto.
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Landmark
CN Tower
At 553 metres it tops the skyline, and the EdgeWalk takes harnessed visitors right round the outside.
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Landmark
Royal Ontario Museum
Five interlocking prisms of glass and aluminium by Daniel Libeskind, opened in 2007 on the old museum of 1914.
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Landmark
Distillery District
Victorian industrial buildings and cobbled lanes, closed to cars and filled with galleries and bars.
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Culture
Art Gallery of Ontario
Frank Gehry's 2008 rebuilding houses more than 120,000 works, including the Thomson Collection and the largest public collection of Henry Moore.
Official site -
Culture
Aga Khan Museum
Designed by Fumihiko Maki and opened in 2014, it shows over 1,200 works from Muslim civilisations, set in formal gardens by Vladimir Djurovic.
Official site -
Opera & music
Canadian Opera Company at the Four Seasons Centre
Since 2006 the company has staged its seasons in this house of more than 2,000 seats by Diamond Schmitt Architects.
Official site -
Opera & music
Toronto Symphony Orchestra at Roy Thomson Hall
Under music director Gustavo Gimeno, the orchestra plays its main subscription series in this downtown hall.
Official site -
On the water
Toronto Island Park
City ferries cross from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal to a car free chain of 15 islands with beaches, lagoons and the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse of 1809.
Official site -
Racing & sport
Woodbine Racetrack
Thoroughbreds race here on 128 days a year, and the King's Plate, first run in 1860, is held each August.
Official site -
Food & wine
St. Lawrence Market
Trading since 1803, the market on Front Street gathers over 120 merchants, with farmers selling in the North Market on Saturdays.
Official site
Where to stay
Yorkville and the downtown core.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- Four Seasons Hotel Toronto at Yorkville A glass tower that the brand treats as its flagship, with a spa and wellness centre among the shops of Yorkville.
- The Hazelton Hotel Toronto Interiors by Yabu Pushelberg, suites of around 600 square feet, an indoor pool and a private screening room much in demand at festival time.
- Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto Two hundred and two rooms on University Avenue, windows that open, and a fifth-floor spa with a pool and a hammam.
- The Ritz-Carlton Toronto A Ritz-Carlton with a more modern look than most of the brand, close to the offices and the theatres.
- The St. Regis Toronto Louix Louis, a bar and restaurant, and the hotel spa are both 31 floors up at 325 Bay Street, above 258 rooms and suites.
- Fairmont Royal York Open since 1929 directly across from Union Station, with hives for more than 300,000 honeybees on the roof.
- Park Hyatt Toronto At 4 Avenue Road, with the Stillwater spa, and a rooftop bar with a fire on the terrace.
- 1 Hotel Toronto Sunny rooms full of living plants, farm-to-table cooking at 1 Kitchen and Harriet's bar on the roof.
- Ace Hotel Toronto Curved brick and concrete arches by Shim-Sutcliffe Architects, and a Mediterranean menu at Alder off the lobby.
- BISHA, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Toronto Ninety-six rooms designed by Studio Munge or by Lenny Kravitz's studio, and KŌST on the 44th floor.
Where to dine
Kaiseki to Ligurian seafood.
From the MICHELIN Guide 2026, shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these restaurants.
- Alo One Michelin star Contemporary $$$$ 163 Spadina Ave.
- Sushi Masaki Saito One Michelin star Japanese $$$$ 88 Avenue Rd.
- Kaiseki Yu-zen Hashimoto One Michelin star Japanese $$$$ 6 Sakura Way
- Osteria Giulia One Michelin star Italian $$$$ 134 Avenue Rd.
- Don Alfonso 1890 One Michelin star Italian $$$$ The Westin Harbour Castle
- Edulis One Michelin star Mediterranean $$$$ 169 Niagara St.
- Quetzal One Michelin star Mexican $$$$ 419 College St.
- aKin One Michelin star Asian $$$$ 51 Colborne St.
- Restaurant 20 Victoria One Michelin star Contemporary $$$$ 20 Victoria St.
Elsewhere in Canada
More reasons to come.
- Vancouver Stanley Park, the harbour, and floatplanes to the islands.
- Whistler Whistler and Blackcomb, joined by the Peak 2 Peak gondola.
- Montreal French in spirit, with an old port and a summer of festivals.
- Quebec City The only fortified city north of Mexico, and the lanes of its Lower Town.
- Banff A mountain town inside the national park, among the Rockies.
Flying to Toronto?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.