How To Experience Toronto Attractions Affordably

Travel tips on how to experience Toronto attractions cheaply

With these travel tips, we will introduce you to how to experience Toronto attractions cheaply. You don't think so? Oh yes, if you know the tricks that we present to you here. Our Toronto travel tipsHow to experience the city cheap, help you. Search for hotels in the center on your budget.

 

Of course, the hotels that are further out of town are cheaper. However, you should also include the travel costs in your considerations here. Toronto is the biggest City of Canada, Therefore, the traffic density is high. It is better to look for a hotel or a hostel in the city center. From there you can explore the city on foot or by subway, tram or bus. You can also buy a two-day pass for sightseeing buses.

 

 

It does not have to be the Ritz

We usually stay in hotels with at least three stars on our Toronto trips. For the days of our Toronto trip for little money, we rented a vacation apartment. The situation could hardly be better. Toronto sights are practically on our doorstep. Our room is located in one of the high-rise buildings right on Lake Ontario. It is just steps away from the ferry station from which the ships leave for the Toronto Islands. The city center can be reached in a few minutes on foot.

 

 

We have our apartment in the days that we stay here. The best: the Westin Hotel is in the neighboring building. While you pay at least (!) $ 269 for a double room there, the night in Toronto only costs us $ 80 per night. Good - we don't have a breakfast restaurant in the house. Instead, it is only a few steps to the coffee shop, which serves excellent Eggs Benedict. Coffee shops like this one are located on Queens Quay, one of Toronto's main attractions. There are also inexpensive hostels in downtown Toronto.

 

 

Avoid a car - the best way to see Toronto attractions is on foot

Although we always like to have our rental car for a visit to a city, This time we do without a vehicle. We save a lot of money here, because the hotels in the city usually charge considerable prices for parking a car. In addition, this eliminates the cost of renting a car during the first few days, which we instead invest in taxi rides if we are in a hurry or use means of transport such as buses, trams or subways. It takes a little more time, but is cheaper. The best way to see Toronto attractions is on foot.

 

 

We'll also buy one TTC Presto day pass, which currently costs 13,50 per day (as of 10.01.2022) and allows us unlimited travel on public transport. We can also reach more remote Toronto attractions. You only pay for the express lines in the city center. If you are traveling in Toronto with a rental car, parking costs in the hotel are added to the rental costs, which are rarely less than $ 15,00 per day. There are also the prices for petrol and for parking spaces that are used in the city during the day. If you are on the road all day, you can easily save 50%. Remarkable, in my opinion.

Additional costs, for which considerable amounts are often charged in a luxury hotel, such as WiFi access in the room, are free here. Well, we need ours suitcase bring it up yourself, but this is a minor evil if you compare the price difference between a luxury hotel and a vacation rental with a view of the CN Tower.

 

 

Breakfast in coffee shops and dinner in restaurants

If we had time to prepare our breakfast, we could do it in the microwave and with the coffee machine in our room. Overlooking one of Toronto's top attractions - the CN Tower. But since we don't have enough time, we prefer to go to one of the coffee shops in the area for breakfast. There is a large selection.

We eat in three cafes over four days: Eggs Benedict with fruit salad and served by a friendly waiter (two breakfasts, two coffees and one orange juice for 1 dollars), once at Second Cup, where we each have a bagel with an egg and a sausage plus two double Cafe Americanos ($ 17 for two people) and a bagel with egg, a croissant with egg, two cups of coffee, 20 orange juice and a cupcake in a stand-up bar in Queens Quay for $ 17. In a top hotel like the Westin, you can easily pay 1 dollars per person for breakfast. Here, too, we save almost 29% of the price that is charged in a luxury hotel. Two of the cafes we visit are on Queens Quay - itself one of the Toronto attractions that are well worth a visit.

 

 

 

Canada Toronto attractions that can visit for no or little money

Entrance fees and prices for activities can quickly drive up your travel budget. Instead, there are activities that you can include in your Toronto trip for free or for a low price. With these tips you can protect your wallet and still see Toronto attractions from different perspectives.

• Distillery District

In this pedestrian zone in the vicinity of the Gooderham & Worts Distillery just outside the city center, you can stroll through galleries and shops. The whiskey distillery neighborhood has grown into a Toronto attraction in itself. Large chain stores are not permitted here, however. Instead you will find nice boutiques and arts and craft stores.

Address :
55 Mill St.
Toronto, ON M5A 3CE
Website

• St. Lawrence Market

One of my favorite Toronto attractions is the markets. The St. Lawrence Market on the corner of Front Street and Jarvis has all kinds of food. The market is also a place for an inexpensive breakfast or lunch. Or you can buy fresh fruit, pastries or sandwiches for yourself picnic on road. The market is open every day except Sunday and Monday.

Address :
93 Front St. E
Toronto, ON M5E 1C3
Website

• Culture at the Harbourfront Center

Queens Quay is one of the Toronto attractions that draws many culture lovers in the summer. You can experience a variety of free cultural activities against the backdrop of Lake Ontario. A walk along the waterfront or a visit to one of the parks is also worthwhile. There are also readings, art exhibitions and shows in the market building. Shops and restaurants are also available.

Address :
235 Queens Quay W
Toronto, ON M5J 2G8

 

• Experience a show at Yonge-Dundas Square

Yonge-Dundas Square is less well known among the Toronto sights. Yonge-Dundas Square is a little reminiscent of New York City's Times Square. Here you will often find free events, such as films, concerts or promotional events.

Address :
1 Dundas St. E
Toronto, ON M5B 2R8
Website

• Concerts of the Canadian Opera Company

If your travel destinations include cultural Toronto attractions, then we recommend the Canadian Opera Company's free concerts. Bring a picnic and attend one of the lunchtime performances by the Canadian Opera Company. In the amphitheater of the Four Seasons Center for the Performing Arts this offers music concerts.

Address :
145 Queen St. W
Toronto, ON M5H 4G1
Website

• Take a tram to The Beaches

The Beaches is a suburb of Toronto in the east end of the city. There is a beach along Lake Ontario. Here you can spend a day on the beach, strolling the promenade or strolling through the shops and restaurants on Queen Street East.

The best way to get there is by tram 501. This runs along Queen Street. This also gives you a tour of Toronto's most famous street.

• Use the "Free" time in the museums in Canada

Finally, several museums offer free entry at certain times of the week. This is definitely an opportunity to get to know Toronto's cultural offerings.

The permanent exhibition of Art Gallery of Ontario is open every Wednesday from 18.00 to 21.00.

The Bata Shoe Museum offers "Pay as much as you want" access to the museum every Thursday between 17.00pm and 20.00pm. However, it recommends donating $ 5 per person. More information about the museum can be found here.

 

The Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (MOCCA) offers permanent “pay-what-you-can” entry.

The Market Gallery at St. Lawrence Market, which deals with Toronto's history and culture, is also permanently accessible for free.

• Kensington Market

The Kensington Market is one of the Toronto attractions where you can experience the cultural diversity of the city up close. However, it is not a food market in the strict sense of the word. Although you will find fruit and food stalls in abundance. There are also shops selling vintage furniture. Second hand clothing is also on offer as well as dresses from exotic countries around the world. A visit to Kensington Market is easy on the wallet if you are looking for inexpensive food to go. There are numerous Latin American specialties in take-out stores.

Address :
Kensington Ave.
Toronto, ON M5T 2K2
Website

• Chinatown

Another area where you can experience Toronto sights for free is Chinatown. The Chinatown is probably the most exotic district that Toronto offers. Around the intersection of Dundas Spadina you feel like in a Chinese city. Store signs, passers-by and the range of goods in the shops are reminiscent of China. Visit one of the grocery stores and immerse yourself in a world of exotic foods. Try Dim Sum at one of Chinatown's restaurants. Or get inspired by the Chinese art on Spadina Street for taking pictures. A stroll through Chinatown costs nothing and shows you the multicultural side of Toronto.

Address :
Corner Dundas / Spadina St.
Toronto
Website

• College and Bathurst St.

If you want to see and experience more of Toronto's many cultures then why not visit Chinatown and Kensington Market? Walk through the College and Bathurst St. Here you will find shops and restaurants from Portuguese, Italians and Ethiopians. There is an Orthodox Church on Bathurst Street. So you can experience the multi-ethnic city of Toronto on a tour through Spadina, College, Bathurst and Dundas Avenue.

• Ferry to Center Island

On Center Island - one of the islands off Toronto's downtown on Lake Ontario - you'll experience the city from a different side. In ten minutes, the ferry takes you from the hustle and bustle of the city into an oasis of peace. Enjoy great views of Toronto's skyline, the CN Tower, and the Rogers Center on a stroll through the island. The Ferry runs every 15 to 30 minutes and costs between $ 4 and $ 8 (as of 2019) for a round trip. To avoid queues, you can have your ticket printed out at the hotel. A visit to Center Island can be easily combined with a visit to Toronto Waterfront.

 

 

If you want to get to know Toronto sights cheaply on your vacation, these tips can easily save two thirds of the costs of a stay in a four- to five-star hotel and with a rental car. You don't have to do without comfort and a beautiful location. And you can also see numerous Toronto sights.

 

 

Find more Five cities you should see in Canadapresents Kate O'Malley of Vagrants of the World.

 

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Text How to see Toronto sights cheaply: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Photos: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline