Remarkably I have not yet visited one of the largest cities in North America, Toronto and the largest city in Canada. One of our earliest contributors to this site Habeeb Salloum lives in Toronto and has invited me in the past to visit this diverse city.
In looking at airfare for great deals on flights to Toronto I began researching the prices from Los Angeles (LAX) to to Toronto (YTO). Remarkably flights are priced under $300. And round trip flights from select cities in the UK are priced under £400 right now.
In a large city I always take public transportation; Toronto’s public transportation system looks to be fairly well developed. From the airport one can take the Union Pearson Express (trains that leave the airport fairly often and only take about 25 minutes to reach downtown). An extensive subway system seems to be the best way to get around the core of the city as well as out to some of the outlying regions.
Why Visit Toronto in the Fall?
This shoulder season in the city is a good time to visit because airfare tends to be cheaper this time of year – the summer crowds of tourists have left the city and there is generally less demand to visit in late September and October. As a result often one can find deals on hotels and restaurants. In addition, the weather is still decent – generally there is no snow yet – while the temperatures are not as warm as they were in the summer, often days can be pleasant and sunny (although bring a jacket, gloves and a scarf – just in case the temperature does drop). And for those seeking the bright colors that fall foliage brings this time of year – one doesn’t have to look far. In fact Toronto has a number of parks scattered throughout the city where one can see the changing colors including High Park and the Toronto Islands.
Other Attractions
With such a diverse city culturally – one has plenty of choose from based on a variety of interests. With many museums located throughout the city – some of the more unique ones are the Bata Shoe Museum, the National Hockey Museum, the Royal Ontario Museum (largest in Canada with over 6 million items in their collection) and the Aga Khan Museum (Islamic art museum).
Museums aside, I’ve always wanted to visit the iconic CN Tower Observator and revolving restaurant. The views from the top on a clear day are supposed to be spectacular – overlooking the city and the shores of Lake Ontario. At 351 meters, one really does get above it all.
And I would like to explore the city on foot – I love the cultural diversity Toronto has – I would explore the culinary scene in neighborhoods such as Chinatown, Little India, Koreatown and Little Italy.
Have you been to Toronto before? Do you live in the city? What are some of your favorite experiences here?
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