A Perfect 24 Hours in Toronto, Canada

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Greetings, Internet Stranger, and welcome to a perfect 24 hours in Toronto. When you think of the most exciting cities in the world, Toronto isn’t necessarily the first place to spring to mind. But when you think of places that are livable and friendly, perhaps Toronto should be on your list.

Toronto has some excellent cultural attractions, but that isn’t the only reason to come here. It’s also just a charming city for walking around, visiting some great restaurants, and enjoying the vibes.

On this 24 hours in Toronto, we’re going to visit the CN Tower, which is one of Canada’s icons. Then we’ll head out and explore one of Toronto’s best museums. Along the way, we’ll indulge in Canada’s national cocktail and have lots more fun. Let’s go!

24 Hours in Toronto

Where to Stay?

Toronto is a large city with many different neighborhoods. However, you’ll still want to pick a central location in a safe and convenient neighborhood within walking distance of the main attractions. I personally preferred staying in downtown Toronto because it was near the main attractions like the CN Tower.

That’s why I recommend the Radisson Blu Downtown. It has a perfectly convenient location within walking distance of some of the most popular Toronto attractions. My room was clean, cozy, large, and comfortable. The staff was extremely helpful, and it was close to tons of great places to eat.

If you’re looking for a great deal for this amazing hotel, click here.

And if you’d rather save money on tons of other hotels in Toronto, click here. This search engine will help you find the perfect place to stay during your plans for your 24 hours in Toronto. With plenty of options to choose from, I’m sure you’ll find something for your schedule and budget.

24 Hours in Toronto

Morning: CN Tower

In New York City, it’s the Empire State Building. In Paris, it’s the Eiffel Tower. And in Toronto, the landmark that everyone goes to is known as the CN Tower. The CN is in honor Canadian National, which is a railway company. I guess trains were how people got around before airplanes and going down Niagara Falls in a barrel were invented.

CN Tower is very popular, so I strongly suggest getting tickets in advance. You can do so by going here. Then get ready for me to share with you…

Three Fascinating Facts: CN Tower

1) What is there to do at CN Tower?

Well, what is there to do at any tall tower? The main thing to do is check out the views. I don’t know that people think of Toronto as the City of Lights or anything, so you’re not going to get the kind of spectacular views that you can get in Paris. However. we are here in the daytime, so that doesn’t matter. On a clear day, you can see way out into the distance.

You can also say hello to this adorable red panda! I’m actually not sure it will be there when you spend 24 hours in Toronto because it’s a character from the Disney movie Turning Red, which was set in Toronto. I don’t want to tell you what the panda has to do with the movie because it’s a super cute film and you should see it.

In fact, a major scene in the movie takes place at the Rogers Centre, where the Toronto Blue Jays play. You’ll see it when you walk into the CN Tower. There’s really no way to miss it.

2) Is There Anything Else to Do at CN Tower?

Well, I didn’t do this during my 24 hours in Toronto, but apparently there is something called Edgewalk. If you do Edgewalk, they will take you to the outside of CN Tower, attach a harness to you, and let you walk around with nothing in between you and a devastating fall to your doom.

Now, I’m sure it’s perfectly safe or the Canadians wouldn’t allow it. However, I was happier staying inside and just looking at the drop from CN Tower that’s visible through these glass floors. They’re definitely strong enough to stand on because they can handle the weight of three orcas.

I think most people would agree with me on this one.

CN Tower also has a restaurant called 360, but I’m planning to take you elsewhere today. As you can probably tell from the name, 360 rotates while you eat. I’ve never dined in a rotating restaurant because I am worried it would make me feel queasy. But I suppose I should try it once to make sure. If you dine at 360, you get to see the views of CN Tower for free.

3) Forget restaurants! What’s that sweet CN Tower Trivia?

OK! I’m sure there’s much more trivia than what I could learn at the tower, but I imagine you’re not looking for a dissertation on the liminal nature of the CN Tower, are you?

The tower was built back in 1976, and I feel like that was kind of the era for building iconic structures in North America. It has 1,776 steps, but we’re going to take one of the 11 elevators to get to the top, so don’t worry on that score.

The highest observation deck is actually called the Skypod, but it definitely costs more money to go up there. I was content to just stick with the main observation deck. Here, you’ll be almost 1,400 feet above the ground, which is plenty high enough for most civilized people.

The CN Tower claims that the windows are made from thermochromic technology, which makes it easier to take good photos through them. I have to admit my pictures came out pretty well, considering that I shot everything through glass.

What do you think?

24 Hours in Toronto

Afternoon: Royal Ontario Museum

Have you ever wanted to see Canada’s most comprehensive museum? Well, you’re in luck because we’re going to the Royal Ontario Museum. This museum has everything: skeletons, art, Harry Potter, helmets shaped like fish, you name it.

Even if you don’t consider yourself a museum person, I think you’ll find something to like at the Royal Ontario Museum. That’s why I’m happy to share with you…

Approximately Top 5: Royal Ontario Museum

1) Lunch at Fox on John

Fox on John is a cute gastropub/brunch place in between CN Tower and the Royal Ontario Museum, so it’s the perfect place to stop for our lunch. After all, we don’t want to spend an afternoon strolling around a museum while we’re hangry, do we?

I was tempted to order something like, but then I was even more tempted to order this maple waffle sandwich. After all, I was in Canada, and what is more Canadian than maple, eh? The sandwich was also made with eggs, turkey bacon, and maple sriracha, so it was the perfect Canadian breakfast treat.

And to really do it up Canadian brunch style, I paired the sandwich with a Bloody Caesar, which is Canada’s national cocktail. It’s just like a Bloody Mary, only it’s made with Clamato juice. So if you like shellfish and day drinking, this is the cocktail for you!

2) Special Exhibits

Who can tell what special exhibits will be in town when you enjoy your 24 hours in Toronto? But when I was there, there was a special exhibit on Harry Potter and how JK Rowling got the ideas for all those magical creatures. If you’ve ever wanted to learn where mermaids, unicorns, and dementors come from, this is the exhibit for you.

It was especially exciting getting to see real props from the movies, like wands with unicorn hair and the egg containing the merpeople’s riddle. It almost made me feel like I was a little girl again, waiting for get my letter from Hogwarts. (To be honest, part of me is still waiting for that letter.)

But I think my favorite part of the exhibit was the Jenny Haniver. These were apparently dried bodies of skates or rays that sailors used to bring home and use to convince people that they were mermaids. Are you ready for this vision of hideousness?

There it is! Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

3) Prehistoric Beings

Of course, no natural history museum is complete without a solid dinosaur and other prehistoric creatures collection. Above, you can see a gaggle of trilobites. These “beauties” died out hundreds of millions of years ago, but we still have fossils of their dead bodies to learn from and gawk at.

How would you feel if you knew beings from hundreds of millions of years into the future were looking at your fossilized body in the museum. It’s simply too strange to think about.

I also enjoyed learning that this wee little fellow was one of the first mammals and therefore a distance cousin of ours. Honestly, he’s quite a bit more attractive than some of my cousins, I can promise you.

4) Gems and Minerals

Of course, aside from dinosaurs, every natural history museum needs a collection of gems, minerals, and oddly shaped rocks of all sort. I was especially excited by the gogotte you can see in my photo above because I had never encountered one like it before. Apparently it’s made out of sand and you can find bunches of them in France. The French really are better at everything, including making bizarre sand formations.

You can also this cerussite, which is the largest cut version of this gem in the world. According to the docent notes, this is one of the iconic objects in the Royal Ontario Museum. They even have a video about it. Well, I can’t show you the video, but I can assure you that the rainbow of colors inside the gem is even more remarkable in person. If I were Carmen Sandiego, I wouldn’t have hesitated to steal it.

5) The Ancient World

The final section of the Royal Museum of Ontario that I suggest you check out is the section on the ancient world. I mean, there are plenty more excellent exhibits, but we don’t have a full 24 hours to spend here and we still want to get to our hotel in time to freshen up for dinner.

There are loads of ancient artifacts from Rome, like some fancy mosaics and some busts of Romans who shall remain nameless. But my favorite ancient object was the pieces of the Egyptian tomb of Kitines. This tomb was created during the Roman empire, and Kitines himself had no Egyptian ancestry. However, his tomb was still decorated with traditional Egyptian symbols.

In case you’re wondering if the Canadians stole this tomb, don’t! These walls are actually casts made from the tomb with permission by the Egyptian government. So we can all feel good about hanging out inside.

24 Hours in Toronto

Dinner at Alma

I hope you like carbs because we’re getting ready for a carb oh palooza. Alma is the kind of restaurant I’m always grateful to find as a tourist in an unfamiliar city. It has creative and delicious food, so it’s definitely appropriate enough for a special occasion. However, it also seemed like the kind of popular neighborhood plays that had regulars the staff knew by name.

Many people who come to Alma end up sharing a whole bunch of dishes. However, as a solo diner, I just stuck to one appetizer sized dish and one main. No need to share for me!

My appetizer was a delicate radish cake served with plum and garlic chive. It was sweet and crispy and savory all at once. I personally was very glad that I ordered an appetizer that was a bit on the lighter side because, as you can see, we’ve got a massive main course awaiting us.

And there it is! Have you ever seen so many carbs in one dish in all your born days? This is pork wontons with noodles and soy. Alma is famous for its noodles in general and this dish in particular, so I couldn’t resist trying it. It was so savory and comforting like eating a hug. A hug from a giant pig wearing a fuzzy sweater.

OK, that sounds mildly terrifying. But these wontons weren’t terrifying. They were delicious.

I visited Alma in the summer, which meant that I got to take advantage of cherry season. It’s always cherry season in my heart, but it’s nice when it’s cherry season in real life too. This simple and satisfying dessert was a creamy ricotta ice cream topped with cherries.

The waiter told me that it was a brand new dish and I was the first person to try it. I’ve never, to my knowledge, been the first person to try a restaurant dish before, so it was a particularly exciting experience for me. And it was the perfect end to a perfect day in Toronto.

24 Hours in Toronto

What to Pack?

• A cell charger so you can keep your cell phone charged for the 24 Hours in Toronto
• My favorite guide book to Canada, including Toronto
• The most reliable travel umbrella that is small enough to fit in my purse, but strong enough to stand up to powerful winds during our 24 Hours in Toronto
• These great TSA approved clear toiletries bags, so I can always keep spare toothpaste and travel sized toiletries in any carry-on.
• My book Get Lost, that I wrote myself with all my best travel tips. This book will show you how travel can take you on a journey of self-discovery.

24 Hours in Toronto

How To Get There

Now, I wish I knew where you lived, Internet Stranger, because I could send you some of Toronto’s best blue jays. But sadly, I do not, and so I can’t tell you exactly how to get from your home to your 24 Hours in Toronto

But I can tell you that you can use a lovely airplane to get from many cities to the Toronto airport, and I recommend Expedia for the best way to find the cheapest flight to Toronto at the best time of day.

You can also use Expedia to book a car if you need to drive around. I don’t know how to drive, but if you do, this seems like it would be a convenient option.

Just click here to start looking for the best possible deals on your flight, so you can head out to your 24 Hours in Toronto ASAP

That’s a Perfect 24 Hours in Toronto

What would you do during a 24 Hours in Toronto? Have you ever deceived people by showing them a hideous fake mermaid? Are you ready to start booking your hotel in Toronto? Please email me at stellajane@aroundtheworldin24hours.com and let me know!

Note: If you want to know how I put my travel itineraries together, just click here. Keep in mind that while each article is about how to spend 24 hours in a place, that doesn’t mean you should have 24 hours in Toronto.

Be sure to try another 24 hours in Halifax. Experience a day with the best things to do Halifax Canada. Have fun with a day of the best Toronto attractions for tourists. Don’t miss out on a Niagara Falls from Toronto day trip.