12 hours in Toronto
If you’re planning a business trip to North America, whether that’s New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington or Detroit, have you considered a short flight, or drive in some cases, across the border to the cosmopolitan city of Toronto?
Nestled on the shores of Lake Ontario, with its beach Harbourfront, Toronto incorporates the benefits of big city culture with a distinctly relaxed Canadian feel. Due to the varied mix of nationalities, the city boasts excellent world cuisine with contemporary, luxury and boutique-style hotels and restaurants across the city centre, many with rooftop bars looking out over the impressive skyline, such as Kost at Bisha Hotel or Harriet’s Rooftop at 1 Hotel.
To get a feel for the city when you’re on a whistlestop tour, there’s no better way than taking a 90 minute Toronto Tall Ship Cruise sailing on the magnificent Schooner Kajama, or if you’d rather have a more personalised experience, then it’s worth embarking on a TikiTaki tour around the Harbourfront and Toronto islands where no two tours are ever the same. If you then want to go off and explore, it’s really easy to find your way round by the city’s comprehensive public transport system, whether by subway, streetcar, train or bus.
Amidst the growing skyline, the city’s rich heritage is still visible with many historic buildings being converted into new creative hubs, such as the Distillery District with its bustling mix of art, shopping, entertainment and dining including the authentic Mexican restaurant El Catrin with lush outdoor patio dining, and stunning glow-in-the-dark, 2-story high murals adorning the vast dining hall walls.
But if you want to grab something unique before you leave, a visit to Queen Street West is a must. Known as the hippest shopping district in North America, with the longest streetcar route in the world, Queen Street West combines design and fashion boutiques, vintage shops, art galleries, quirky bars and stylish restaurants with plenty of patio dining.
And if you like what you see and fancy a trip back with your family, Toronto has plenty to offer from museums such as the Royal Ontario Museum, galleries including Art Gallery Ontario, zoo and aquarium, amusement parks like Canada’s Wonderland, and Centre Island to name but a few family friendly attractions.
Finally, it would be remiss to visit Toronto and not make the journey to Niagara Falls, as everyone knows the best view is from the Canadian side. And on your way back to the city, don’t miss Niagara on the Lake, a charming town steeped in 19th Century Victorian heritage, and also within easy reach of Niagara’s Twenty Valley wine country.