4 words to describe my experience: out of this world. Tall buildings. Busy streets. Beautiful attractions. Multicultural environment. Delicious food. Snow. Lots of snow. Did I mention that Toronto is out of this world?!
Here’s how I spent my week in Toronto, as well as some suggestions on what you should visit and where you could eat.
Ripley’s Aquarium
Whether you are an expert on marine species or you’re like me and you call those blue fishes Dory because that’s as close as you’re going to get to actually naming them, Ripley’s Aquarium in Toronto is a fantastic attraction and definitely worth seeing. Apart from being family-friendly, it’s a good escape from a cold December day and exhibits thousands of exotic sea and freshwater specimens.
The price of the entry ticket for this attraction is between 33-39 CA$ for adults but I would highly recommend purchasing a Toronto CityPASS (valid for 9 consecutive days) which includes the CN Tower, Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, Casa Loma, Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) and Toronto Zoo or Ontario Science Centre.
14 minutes away from the Aquarium there is a place with delicious Japanese food and a lovely atmosphere. The restaurant is called Sansotei Ramen and its address is 115 Fort York Blvd, Toronto, ON M5V 0K2, Canada.
It was my first and certainly not my last time trying ramen. I absolutely loved it!
CN Tower
Standing at 553.33m high, the CN Tower offers a breathtaking view of the city. The standard ticket (which is also featured in the CityPASS) includes the LookOut Level and the world-famous Glass Floor. For an additional $15, you can go all the way up to the SkyPod, which is the third observation level.
If you are into photography or want to take some pictures for the gram, my advice is to visit the attraction during the day since the projectors from the tower and the lights inside the building allow light to pass through the glass and make the process of taking pictures a lot more difficult. You could also go into the building before sunset, that way you can catch a glimpse of what Toronto looks like both during the day and at night.
Nathan Philips Square
I can’t think of anything more Canadian than ice skating in front of a huge 3D Toronto sign. The square is really beautiful and looks even more magical at night when the letters of the sign are lit up. There are food trucks everywhere with sweet, salty and savory foods from all around the world – you name it, they have it.
Near the square, there is a shopping center on James St where you can get fast food, as well as stores with all sorts of souvenirs from Canada.
If you find yourself in that area between morning and noon and you fancy having brunch, you should definitely go to Eggspectation on Albert St. The exact address is 483 Bay St, Toronto, ON M5G 2C9, Canada. They offer American style lunch and dinner, and their breakfast is mainly egg-focused as you can tell by the name of the chain restaurant.
It was definitely the most delicious breakfast I’ve had in a minute. They have vegetarian options too!
Chinatown
The whole area consists of small independent shops and lots of food places. It is interesting to walk around that part of the city as it almost feels like you’re somewhere in East Asia. You can purchase souvenirs from there too and they are less expensive than the ones in Downtown Toronto.
If you love bubble tea like me, then Answer Tea (439 Spadina Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2G6, Canada) is the place for you.
What is special about it is that the Chinese chain is known for its bubble tea with printable cheese mousse. All you need to do is scan a barcode, upload a picture of your choice and there you have it – bubble tea with delicious mousse on top in the form of you and a loved one. I was amazed and pleasantly surprised by how good it tasted.
Hockey Hall of Fame
Now if I have to be completely honest, I did not know anything about hockey. But how can I go to Canada and not immerse myself fully in Canadian culture? After all, hockey is a huge part of it.
In the hockey museum, you can find exhibitions of jerseys, professional equipment, masks, and trophies. They even had a section with jerseys of international sports stars. To my surprise, Bulgaria was included too. More specifically, I saw the jersey of Zlatko Zinoviev who won a gold medal at the 1998 World Championship in South Africa. I felt so proud of his achievement and did not miss out on the opportunity to take a picture of his belonging and brag about it online.
Near the museum, as well as everywhere around the city, there are Tim Hortons fast-food restaurants. If you get the chance, you should try their donuts.
I recommend getting the Maple dip donut, the Boston cream one and the Hockey Hall of Fame special donut. Don’t make me choose a favorite! I can’t!
Gooderham Building
With its unusual and unique architecture, the Gooderham Building, also called the Flatiron Building, is certainly a sight to see. It reminded me of the Flatiron Building in New York City that I’ve seen on travel blogs and on Instagram posts.
Close to the Gooderham Building you can find Berczy park with its art installations and the famous Dog Fountain. Unfortunately, the fountain does not function during winter time but it is still worth seeing.
St. Lawrence Market
St. Lawrence Market is the perfect place for lunch after a long walk around that area. There are food stands offering burgers, pastries, seafood, sausages, pizza, etc. I recommend trying the sandwiches at the Carousel Bakery, which has options for meat lovers as well as for vegetarians.
There are also souvenir shops where you can buy baseball caps and knitted winter hats with the Canadian maple leaf on them. I bought two!
Distillery District
Although I had read about the Distillery District area, I was pleasantly surprised by the presence of a Christmas Market on its territory. If you know me, you probably know that Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year and I am crazy about anything related to it.
Food, food, more food and Christmassy drinks with alcohol. At the Toronto Christmas Market, there were Christmas decorations for sale, stores where you could purchase gifts, food and drink stands, and a small Ferris wheel. If you haven’t tried the famous Canadian poutine, there are several stands in the Distillery District that offer it and it tastes amazing.
Royal Ontario Museum
The Royal Ontario Museum, located near Queen’s Park, is one of the biggest museums in North America and the largest in Canada. It features exhibits dedicated to art, world culture and civilizations, and natural history.
Due to the size of the museum, my advice would be to make notes of the places you plan on visiting in Toronto and to allocate a good amount of time to this attraction and its many exhibitions.
P.S. Don’t forget that it is featured in the Toronto CityPass and always check the opening times!
Niagara Falls
Don’t miss out on spending a day at Niagara Falls and seeing the world wonder with your own eyes. The best way to get to the attraction is to purchase tickets online from MegaBus. You can get from point A to point B for around $20, which makes it approximately $40 both ways.
The coach leaves from Toronto Bus Terminal on Bay St and takes you to Niagara Falls Bus Terminal on Erie Ave. You then have the option to walk to the attraction for around 40-50 minutes or take an Uber/Taxi, which is much quicker and not that expensive.
The waterfall itself is massive and I must admit that the Canadian side of it looks much more fascinating than the American one, partly because of its greater size. A couple of minutes away from the waterfall, there is a big amusement park with lots to do. If you want to see the Niagara Falls from above, I recommend getting on the Sky Wheel, which is a tall Ferris wheel that gives you a view of the city as well as the Canadian and American side of the waterfall.
Although I have visited countries in Western Europe many times before, North America is nothing like that. As soon as I stepped on Canadian ground I could tell that I was in a different continent – amazing new architecture, excellent customer service, diversity and food from all around the world.
It’s true! Canadians are the nicest people you’re going to meet.
IVCEPTION 
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