Toronto is an exciting, vibrant, and very diverse city that offers visitors a wide variety of attractions that are easy to get to thanks to their close proximity to one another and their location along the rapid transit lines. All of these are competitively priced and affordable by big city standards, but you will pay more at the concessions stands at the major sporting events which is typical in any city .
Toronto is a big city, and you'll find that out instantly if you happen to drive from any other part of the continent and approach the sprawling metropolis through it's network of connecting highways. With a Greater Toronto Area population of about 5 million people, it is Canada's largest city and the fifth largest in North America. Many people outside the country assume incorrectly that it is Canada's capital, but that title belongs to Ottawa, with Toronto being the provincial capital of Ontario.
One of the first things people notice as they enter the city from any direction is it's most prominent and distinguishing landmark, the CN Tower. This tower stands over 1800 feet tall and held the distinction of being the world's tallest freestanding structure until it was replaced recently by a skyscraper in Dubai. It should definitely be on your itinerary as a "must see" attraction, as it is spellbinding to behold how massive this structure truly is. And if you're really adventurous and not afraid of heights, you can dine at the revolving restaurant in the skypod, or check out the city view from two observations decks that allow you to go outside and feel the breeze as you view the city-scape from up high.
Within walking distance of the tower is the Rogers Centre, formerly known as the Skydome, and home to the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team and the Toronto Argonauts football team. The Jays continue to draw impressive crowds to watch major league baseball games in the unique setting of a domed stadium with a retractable roof, and which sits directly at the foot of the CN Tower.
The Air Canada Centre is home to the Toronto Raptors basketball team and the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey club, and that is also within walking distance of the tower. Leaf games are always sold out years in advance, so if you plan on taking in a professional hockey game during your visit, be prepared to pay dearly for the privilege to do so. Hockey is Canada's national past-time and Toronto is looked at as a hockey Mecca around the world, so you will see a lot of hockey related items throughout your visit, regardless of the time of year.
And along those lines, the Hockey Hall of Fame is also within walking distance of the tower, and is a perennial favourite of visitors to the city as it possesses the largest and most impressive collection of hockey related items anywhere in the world, including a number of signed jerseys and sticks from some of the greatest players in the world including of course, Wayne Gretzky. Mr. Gretzky also has a famous restaurant that bares his name, and is a stone's throw from the Rogers Centre. He has a number of displays of his very impressive personal collection of sports memorabilia that rivals most museums.
As is typical of a major cultural centre, Toronto boasts a number of Canada's finest museums, most notably the Royal Ontario Museum and the Ontario Science Centre. Both of these attractions have world class exhibits and promise a day of fun for the whole family. The Science Centre in particular offers a lot of "hands on" fun that allow the visitor to actively engage in experiencing what the specific exhibit is about. One of the favourites of children is to touch an electro-magnetic ball which is gradually charged and causes their hair to wildly stand straight out, which results in hilarious laughter all around .
For those who prefer the arts, there is the distinguished Art Gallery of Ontario which is known as one of the finest in the country and possesses many notable paintings, including works by Picasso, Van Gogh, Degas, and Warhol, just to name a few.
The Entertainment District includes Roy Thomson Hall, which is home to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and also acts as a popular venue for a number of distinguished acts ranging from Gordon Lightfoot to Bob Dylan, and many other artists as well. The city has a great variety of shows for your entertainment needs, whether they be theatre productions at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, or broadway plays at the Hummingbird Centre or the Toronto Centre For The Arts.
Other notables in the city include it's world famous zoo which houses over 5,000 wild and exotic creatures, the Caribana Festival in July which is a celebration of West Indian and African-Canadian culture, the Toronto International Film Festival which is held in September and is now world renowned, and Pride Week which is one of the largest Gay and Lesbian Festivals in the world and draws on average a million visitors to the city.
As one of the most ethnically diverse cities anywhere in the world, you will find an amazing array of restaurants and attractions that proudly display the various ethnic groups that make up the mosaic of Toronto. Whether it be Chinatown, Little Italy, or Greektown on the Danforth, be prepared to step in the united nations of Canada as you stroll through the various neighbourhoods of this clean and reasonably safe city.