Toronto – or “T’ronno” as the locals will pronounce it – is Canada’s largest city and a great place to visit thanks to its mix of old and new, a growing foodie scene and a city wide commitment to culture and creativity.

Explore Toronto’s central suburbs and you’ll find yourself wandering from the Yonge and Dundas shopping and business areas through the University campus and Discovery District to the colour and character of Chinatown. Take time to pop into the striking Royal Ontario Museum or the impressive Art Museum of Ontario. Alternatively for something a bit more unusual head to the Bata Shoe Museum or find Spadina House a beautifully preserved early 20th century home that has been described as Toronto’s “Downton Abbey”. BATA Shoe Museum Toronto

If Chinatown doesn’t satisfy your hunger pangs, keep walking west and you’ll find yourself on the cusp of Kensington Market, a quirky collection of independent shops, restaurants and bars that serve up a wide range of different cuisines from across the world, favourites being Dlish cupcakes and Cheesewerks for the city’s best grilled cheese. This is perfect people watching territory, as is Queen Street West, where you’ll find even more foods to tempt you, especially on a Saturday when there are often open-air food trucks and art markets.

Bell Phoneboxes Canada Cheesewerks Toronto Food Trucks West Queen West Kensington Market Toronto Toronto Chinatown West Queen West Toronto

While Montreal is famous for year-round festivals, Toronto is home to TIFF, the Toronto International Film Festival, one of the most important events in world cinema. If you happen to be visiting during September you’ll be sure to see festivities across the city and tickets for screenings are readily available to the public.

To see Toronto from a different angle, you have two main options; go up or go out. Going up refers to climbing to the top of the CN Tower – don’t worry there are escalators – where you can see the city from its highest viewpoint. Going out means heading out onto Lake Ontario, for there is a collection of islands that you can visit on a day trip, just be sure to look back on Toronto’s skyline, as it’s pretty special. Finally, it goes without saying that Toronto is a great base from which to spend a day or more at Niagara Falls, a truly spectacular experience.

CN Tower Toronto Bird posing on CN Tower

* guest post by Frankie Thompson. check out her awesome blog here

Written by Alongholiday