30 Secrets & Best Places in Toronto, Canada
These are my carefully selected 30 hidden secrets & best places in Toronto where I have been living for the past decade and includes gems like the Badlands, Little Tokyo, Crazy Dollhouse, Rec Room, Kukum Kitchen and Toronto Nightlife tips.
- Why: Biggest & most vibrant city in Canada
- YouTube channel: Reformatt Show
- Accommodation: Stay in the CityPlace, King West or Queen West districts.
- Weather: It barely rains in Toronto which makes for incredible summers.
- Notes: Get inspired by watching all my episodes from Canada.
- Tip: Save time & money, book an ALL-IN-ONE Toronto Ultimate Tour experience!
- Nightlife: Do you need tips for the Toronto Nightlife?
Sadly, there are too many boring travel guides for Toronto, that's why I dug deep into this city to find the best hidden spots in the largest city of Canada.
Places
1. UP Express
Take the UP Express from Pearson Airport to downtown Toronto for only $12 CAD instead of the $60 taxi ride. (map)
2. Sunnyside Pavilion
Stop by for brunch and a typical Canadian Caesar while enjoying the beach. (map)
3. Hunters Landing
Serves the most insane Canadian Caeser named the Absolut Cure. (map)
4. Distillery District
Visit Balzacs Coffee, the most gorgeous coffee shop in Toronto. (map)
5. Crazy Dollhouse
Bizarre house of dolls garden which took 20 years to collect and is located at 37 Bertmount Ave. (map)
6. Little Tokyo
New district in Toronto, try Gyugyuya for epic Japanese curry and Uncle Tetsu for the best cheese cakes. (map)
7. Toronto Heli Tours
Marvel at the city from above in this helicopter and costs $100 per person. (map)
8. Foot Long Hot Dog
The longest hot dog in Canada during a Blue Jays game at the Rogers Centre. (map)
9. Edge Walk
Face your fears at the insane Edge Walk, 356 meters without a fence and costs $225. (map)
10. The Rec Room
The coolest attractions in Toronto, lots of arcades, VR room, bar, nightclub, food court, basically the best place to spend the evening. (map)
11. Kensington Market
Hippy district of Toronto with lots of unique shops, people and incredible vegan dishes. (map)
12. Blue Banana
Absolutely the coolest gift shop in Toronto with the wackiest souvenirs and products. (map)
13. Moonbean Cafe
My favorite coffee shop in Toronto with a super friendly staff. (map)
14. Graffiti Alley
Get inspired at this 500 meters long alley way and great for selfies. (map)
15. Scarborough Bluffs
Magnificent waterfront and cliff side on the east end of Toronto. (map)
16. Bluffers Beach
Not known by many locals, the most gorgeous beach in the Toronto region, a hidden secret. (map)
17. Badlands
Unique natural formation located near Caledon, 1 hour drive west of Toronto. (map)
18. Half House
Bizarre looking house literally sliced in half on St. Patrick street. (map)
19. Casa Loma Tunnel
Creepy long tunnel which connects the castle to the stables for the horses. (map)
20. Rage Room
Loose yourself and destroy any item you may desire with any weapon. (map)
21. BATL Axe
Throw axes with your friends at giant dart boards, you are allowed to drink! (map)
22. Fort York
Attend the Indigenous Art Festival in June to watch Canadian heritage performances. (map)
23. Kukum Kitchen
Most unique restaurant in Toronto, try their raw seal and braised elk. (map)
24. The Burger Priest
Most epic burgers in Toronto, try the California classic; a patty between 2 buttered buns. (map)
25. Figures
Unique comic book themed restaurant, watch out for Darth Vader invading your dinner party. (map)
26. The Dime
All dishes are $5 dollars at this restaurant/bar and has a great young atmosphere, good on a budget. (map)
27. Cabana Pool Bar
Outdoor summer pool bar with stunning city views but make sure you come with a good group of friends. (map)
28. Lavelle
Upscale rooftop lounge with a bar, restaurant and stunning city views. (map)
29. Thompson Rooftop
The super upscale Thompson Hotel has a large rooftop pool and is a great hangout spot at night. (map)
30. Toronto Nightlife
Watch my next episode which covers the best bars & nightclubs in Toronto like Rebel, Coda, Tilt, RecRoom, Uniun, Drake Hotel and the Ossington district.
31. Medieval Times
BONUS: unique medieval dinner themed venue with sword fights and horses. (map)
32. Steam Whistle Brewery
BONUS: stop by for FREE beer at their brewery across the CN tower. (map)
33. Target Sports
BONUS: ever wanted to unload some real weapons? Try the shotgun, handgun and assault rifle. (map)
The places featured in the detailed video above are primarily located within the downtown core, making sure you do not waste too much time navigating your way around.
My favorite districts are easily located in close proximity; Chinatown, Kensington Market, the Waterfront and the new Little Tokyo district for its delicious Japanese dishes, treats and first Uniqlo store.
Toronto can be expensive if you don't know what you are doing but luckily there are some FREE things to do as well, like hanging out at the RecRoom, Graffiti alley, Sunnyside Pavilion and FREE beer from the Steam Whistle Brewery or drive out of town for the FREE sites at Cheltenham Badlands and Scarborough Bluffs.
I personally recommend going all out because there are so many awesome things to do, do not cheap out, saving up a few extra months will be worth every penny in the end. A rough budget for 5 awesome days in Toronto for 1-person would be around $400 airbnb/hotel and $600 for transit, shopping, food, events, museums & parties = around $1000.
The first thing you have to remember about Toronto is that distances are a lot further than what you may be used to in Europe or Asia, streets and blocks are very large. Everything is very spread out in this massive metropolitan city so try to at least visit a few new districts every day.
My recommendations for a daily itinerary include Annex, Koreatown, Queen Street, Chinatown, Kensington Market and Entertainment district on day 1. Waterfront, Toronto Islands, Yonge Street & Leslieville on day 2 and the outskirts Caledon (Badlands) & Scarborough (Beach) on day 3.
My favorite way to explore Toronto is by jogging, you'll be surprised as to what you may find. Many of these photos were taken at places I randomly ran into, places you will never see on a guided tour.
After dinner at The Dime (where dishes are $5 each) you'll be energized to explore the massive Toronto nightlife. I recommend nightclubs Rebel, Coda or Uniun for some fist pumping and RecRoom, Belfast Love and Tilt for a few drinks but remember the nightlife in Toronto ends very early, the bar closes at 2:00am thus making the nightlife often feel very rushed since most people party extremely hard between 12am and 2am, definitely a down side of the city. If you are tight on time, consider booking the 5-hour Toronto Ultimate Tour!
I would love to know if my article was helpful and if so, please leave a comment below and let me know which place seems most interesting to you? Or let me know if you want more information about a specific place I mentioned.
Do you want more travel tips for Toronto?
- Visit Tobermory, the most gorgeous place in Ontario but a 4 hour drive north of Toronto.
- Anime North, the largest Anime festival in Canada for the true nerds among us and takes place end of May.
- Discover hidden gems like the Webster Falls and Tew's Falls in Hamilton, 1 hour drive west of Toronto.
- Attend a giant outdoor Pillow Fight at Toronto's city hall.
- In September people flock to the streets in the middle of the night for the famous Nuit Blanche street art festival.
- Cheer on Toronto FC at the newly renovated soccer stadium downtown Toronto.
- Go salmon fishing on Lake Ontario during the Canadian summer months.
- During the Toronto winter head out to Blue Mountain in Collingwood for epic snowboarding and skiing activities.
- Visit the peaceful Toronto Islands in Lake Ontario for a relaxing day.
- On a rainy day go visit the massive ROM (Royal Ontario Museum).
- Enjoy life among the fish at Ripley's Aquarium of Canada. World's most beautiful aquarium!
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