Traveling around the world is a truly memorable and rewarding experience, but the nagging feeling that you are no more than just a tourist in these foreign areas can prevent you from enjoying all that a given country has to offer. In order to overcome this sense of doubt, learn to travel like a local. Research areas that tourists would otherwise fail to find, and appreciate the culture of the country you are visiting. In this case, that country is Canada.
Toronto is one of the most popular Canadian cities in the country, which can be both good and bad. You may be inclined to visit all of the hottest tourist attractions throughout the city, but know that most will come with large crowds. Should a more personalized trip sound more appealing to you, consider any of the following unique things to do throughout the capital of Ontario.
Tour the Music Scene
Toronto has birthed a number of notable musicians, some of the most popular being Drake, The Weeknd, Broken Social Scene, Neil Young, and Jeff Healey. Because of this, the city has become a hotspot for touring musicians throughout the past few decades. There are dozens of great music venues that can be found around Toronto, including larger spots like Air Canada Centre, to smaller bars like The Dakota Tavern and The Cameron House.
Take a Ghost Tour
What better way to get into the Halloween spirit than touring the city’s most haunted and peculiar spots? Toronto offers a variety of ghost tours throughout October.
- The Haunted Walk of Toronto teaches guests the history of the Distillery District, the University of Toronto, and Black Creek Pioneer Village, all of which harboring haunted pasts.
- City of the Dead: The Necropolis Cemetery Tour takes its visitors through Toronto’s oldest cemetery, detailing stories of murder and heartbreak, and wrapping up with a tour of the Mackenzie house along with refreshments.
- Fort York After Dark: Lantern Tours allows guests to tour this old military fort guided by nothing other than lanterns. The tour route goes through two cemeteries, the fort lighthouse, and the battlegrounds of the Battle of York.
Venture Outside the City
This may be counterintuitive for a blog detailing the best things to do in Toronto, but The Toronto Islands, which are just a short boat ride from downtown, have some great attractions that appeal to people of all ages. While a number of electric music festivals are hosted here (hence the name Electric Island), you can also explore Lake Ontario surrounding the island in a canoe, take a bike tour, visit an amusement park, and much more.