TOP 5 THINGS TO DO IN TORONTO

The drive from Toronto to Niagara Falls takes about 1 and a ½ hours around Lake Ontario to the town that sits equidistant between there and Lake Eerie. If you are visiting Toronto you would be insane to miss out on a trip to what is widely regarded as the seventh Wonder of the World. You can hire a car and drive yourself there or pay to be onboard one of the many bus trips that depart from the centre of Toronto most days of the year. Entrance to Niagara Falls State Park is free but for a close up view from the River, you can pay to take a cruise. Unmissable!

The CN (or Canadian National) Tower, completed in 1976, sits in downtown Toronto and was the world’s tallest free-standing building until 2007 when it was surpassed by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Of course, that takes nothing aware from the awe-inspiring views that can be enjoyed from the top. Indeed, more than two million visitors enjoy this iconic building each year. Since 2011 it has been possible to partake of a ‘hands free’ Edge Walk around the circumference of the top of the tower for those who dare. You will of course be tethered to an over rail system. The cost is $195.

All big cities must have at least one landmark museum, and this is Tornoto’s. The Royal Ontario Museum is an incredible mix of art, culture and natural history and the largest in Canada with over 1 million visitors per year. Here you can take in dinosaur fossils, meteorites, and cultural artefacts from across every continent in the world. Highlights of the century-old museum include a virtual Bat Cave, rocks from space-aged over 4.5 billion years, and a touchable shark’s jaw! Tickets can be purchased online at a cost of $14 for children and up to $23 for adults.

Toronto Zoo is another popular attraction for visitors to the city, open every day of the year except for Christmas Day and spread over just under 300 hectares. It is the largest Zoo in Canada and includes highlights like the Great Barrier Reef exhibit including sharks, Stingray Bay where visitors can touch live stingrays, an African Savannah feature with white lions, cheetahs and rhinos, and an Australasia Pavilion with wombats, kangaroos and wallabies.

Entry is $18.30 for children and $27.99 for adults.

As well as its cultural highlights and incredible sights, Toronto is also the capital for nightlife in Canada. It is stacked with bars and clubs that get packed out throughout the year. Clubs like Bambis with electronic music and The Piston with its retro tunes from the 60s through to the 90s are always full. There are also some good 24/7 casino spots for those who like to gamble on table games, slots or multi-player Texas Hold Em tables. Canada’s gambling industry is going through something of a resurgence thanks to moves towards better regulation in 2022 and alongside the many new Canadian casinos online, new high street bookmakers and casinos are likely to open up in the coming months too. Right now, The Casino Woodbine is the best in Toronto, located at the Woodbine Racetrack in the Etobicoke district. The floor with more than 200 video slots is open 24/7 and three luxury VIP private rooms can be booked in advance for table games like Blackjack and Poker.