Tips for things to do in Ontario, Canada please! :)

[PurpleStarrySocks]

Hello, we're going to Canada in October and I'd love your tips on the best things to do while we're there! 😃

We're planning to visit Toronto, Niagara, somewhere in between Toronto & Ottawa (maybe Kingston?), Ottawa and Montreal. We're a family of four, with two DSs, aged 12 & 14. We'll have ten days in Canada.

So that’s a lot of travelling. Bear in mind the distance between Niagara and Montreal is probably about 8 hours. Traffic in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) is the worse in North America (fact not assumption).

I would see Niagara Falls and maybe have a meal in Niagara on the Lake which is sweet.

Toronto - if you are going to the CN Tower book a meal and have dinner at the rotating restaurant. Your entry to the tower is free and then no line. The aquarium is cool. Toronto Osland is fun but think your kids are a bit old for the fair there. Why not try a baseball game? There is almost no chance you will get hockey or basketball tickets so if you do want to do this book before and cross your fingers for availability.

Ottawa is cool as the capital and worth taking a look. Kingston in my opinion isn’t that interesting. 1,000 island boat ride is cool.

What do you like to do? Where will you be staying - that would help. For reference Toronto to Niagara is about two hours. Toronto to Ottawa is about 4. Ottawa to Montreal is about 2. Dont speed - cops everywhere and you will get pulled over!

Have Timbits from Tim Hortons. Preactically an institution. And Poutine which is a favourite.

Following as we're doing a very similar trip to this.

Are you going to be there over Halloween? If you are, I'd highly recommend seeking out a neighborhood and going trick or treating. It's like nothing you'd ever experience in the UK. Toronto has loads of nice residential neighbourhoods - greektown which runs along the Danforth from Broadview to Pape subways has lots of residential streets off the Danforth north and south.

Who are you flying with? I have just flown back from Toronto.

I highly recommend watching Ice Hockey in Toronto. Not sure if Blue Jays will be playing much at the mo? But if you can see them, do try as the kids will love it! You can also download the MBL app on a smart TV and watch Blue Jays next season from the UK 😄

Obvs the CN Tower. Do the City bus tour on your first day in Toronto - as it’ll give you more inspiration! (Did you know you can book a City Pass that’ll get you in to some of the attractions?) you can book this in the Uk before you go!

An island boat trip would be great too. But there isn’t much to do once you’re out there! So take food from Farmer Boy before queuing.

Drink lots of root beer, explain to the kids that weed is legal as the smell will be a shock to begin with.

Try to avoid city centre parks because of the opioid crisis is quite bad and there’s a lot of homelessness.

https://www.citypass.com/toronto

Hopefully this link will work

Ah yes I remember coming home with a pillow case full of crisps and chocolate each year which would last for months. Love Halloween in Canada.

For Toronto, highly recommend visiting Craig's Cookies.

For Ottawa, I'd recommend booking a tour of Parliament (free but you must pre-book). You can rent bikes and bike along the canal, where you'll see the leaves changing colour. I used RentABike and biked from the shop along the canal to Hog's Back Park and back - fun way to spend the afternoon! The Canadian Museum of History and Canadian Museum of Nature are the most kid-friendly museums in the city. You must try the infamous Beaver Tail (it's a fried dough dessert) - lots of shops in the Byward Market sell them. If you'd like something solo away from the family (maybe DH can take the children to a museum), I cannot recommend Uppliva Nordic Spa enough - it is silent and you rotate between a cedar sauna, steam room and cold plunge. I often fall asleep in the lounge chairs after a few rounds!

Montreal is lovely, although be prepared for the snooty French Canadian attitude. It's real! I found France itself friendlier!! I haven't been in years but there's tons to do. Definitely leave many hours between leaving your accommodation and getting to the airport or train station - the traffic in that city is truly horrendous and I remember being stuck in a taxi for over an hour inching along from our downtown hotel.

I'm here to check out the reviews and opinions

Niagra Falls is the number one must.

Take in a sporting event in Toronto.

Boat trip on a lake.

Montreal is one of my favourite cities- so so much easier to get around than expected!

Walk around Vieux-Montreal, pop into the cathedral which was way way more impressive than I expected. Hike up Mount Royal and enjoy the views.

There is a cafe called Olive et Gourmando which is an institution. Get there early and expect to queue but it's the best breakfast I'd ever had in my life. The food everywhere in Quebec was an insanely high standard though.

Chinatown in Toronto is fun to wander around - it's genuinely very Chinese IYSWIM. Around the Dundas West & Spadina area.

And just west of there is Kensington market, which my DCs of the same age liked. Nice indie lunch places such as the Film Cafe on Augusta. Also every ethnicity of food you can think of. There are some treasure trove vintage shops on Kensington ave, eg Courage My Love.

Amazing pizza at Danny's on College West - a nice neighbourhood.

In October, the trees will be lovely. There are some nice ravine walks in Toronto - not touristy exactly but they're a break from the city. All marked on Google maps and it's very hard to get lost.

Bagels at Fairmount Bagel or St. Viateur in Montreal. New York and Montreal battle it out over whose are best. (Personally I like both. But they are different!)

be aware it might be quite chilly especially in Montreal.

Not Canada but we did trick or treating in the US last year and it was an amazing experience. So different to the UK.

I love the Rosedale neighbourhood to walk around - beautiful houses and I imagine will be decorated for Halloween.
Also if you can’t see an NHL game, see if you can get Raptors basketball tickets.

I second CN Tower, ferry to Toronto Islands. We stayed in an airbnb in Minden Hills to fet out of city for weekend. Probably be a bit chilly to swim in lakes there. Passed thro a place called Little Britain. Natives weren't that friendly but the buttertarts shop sells yummy cakes and coffee. NIagra was lovely went on boat and got wet. Niagra by the lake is nice too my son said but we ran out of time. Enjoy

We saw baseball game in Toronto might be finished now but will be something else I'm sure. Lovely stadium next to CN tower. Wear good trainers, tons of walking

Miss a good smoked meat sandwich. Yum.

I’d recommend the wine region around Niagara on the Lake. Went there about 10 years ago and spent a lovely evening at a great restaurant in the quaint town trying some of the local wine.