Looking for ideas for a day trip to Toronto? We recently returned from a quick visit, that was and short but sweet. In this post I am sharing how to plan your Toronto day trip, what I recommend, and a few extras if you have more time.
This trip to Toronto was in the works for over a year because we were planning our first NBA game to see the Toronto Raptors play the Golden State Warriors.
With so much to see and do in Toronto we had to narrow down our list of priorities to fit it all in one day. We also had to consider the weather in December. A winter visit to Toronto is different than a summer visit in regards to outdoor attractions and getting around.
For this trip we wanted to keep things simple and the big attraction was going to be the NBA game, so we worked our day around that. I was pleasantly surprised with our lunch spot and all of us can’t stop talking about it!
Day Trip to Toronto Itinerary
We planned this day to be a slower pace and didn’t over plan the itinerary.
- Arcadia Earth (Located at The Well Toronto)
- Lunch at The Wellington Market Food Hall
- Afternoon Raptors Game
As I am writing about our trip I need to start by saying we arrived the day before to allow for less driving in one day, as well as avoid potentially bad weather, but that was not our original plan and this can be done in one day.
If you want to stay in Toronto for the night I can recommend 2 hotels we have stayed in and really liked. One is downtown and the other is a bit north of the city in Vaughn.
For a downtown stay I suggest The Westin Harbour Castle. This hotel is located along Lake Erie and is within walking distance to Scotiabank Arena and many other popular downtown destinations like Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada and CN Tower. Due to it’s location it may be pricier than staying outside the city.
Vaughn, Canada is home to Canada’s Wonderland, Legoland Discovery Centre, and the Vaughn Mills Mall. It may be a great choice for an overnight stay and is a 30-40 minute drive into the city.
For this trip we stayed at the Springhill Suites. The room fit up to 6 and offered free breakfast in the morning. We had a view of Canada’s Wonderland and I would stay here again, especially for a summer visit.
Toronto Day Trip Recap
As I mentioned earlier we had planned this as a one day trip to Toronto, but our schedule changed and this allowed us to go up the night before.
With December weather and to spread our driving out we decided to stay in Vaughn the night before. I am really glad we did because the weather was not great, we ended up driving through heavy rain and sleet.
Day 1
Our first stop was Bulk Barn, which is a popular store in Canada with many locations, but none in the states. Everything from candy to coffee is purchased in bulk and we picked up a few snacks for the drive.
We also stopped for lunch at a Wendy’s & Tim Hortons. This is located in the same plaza and was an easy stop. This was about halfway through our 3 hour drive from Rochester to Toronto.
After lunch we finished our drive and checked in to our hotel. We picked the Springhill Suites because of the close proximity to Vaughn Mills Mall and IKEA. Our plan we to do some shopping and order take-out to the hotel for the night.
Day 2
Our plan was to get to the city by 11:00am so we started with breakfast at the hotel. It was typical of a hotel breakfast and worked to save us some money finding breakfast elsewhere. We checked out by 10:00am.
The first stop was at The Well Toronto. This is an outdoor shopping area, dress for the weather. There is an outdoor ice skating rink too. We visited The Well for two things: Arcadia Earth & The Wellington Market.
We planned to visit Arcadia Earth at noon but had an hour to kill so we walked through Indigo, a bookstore similar to Barnes & Noble, and grabbed a snack from Nord Lyon at The Wellington Market.
We ordered a baguette and chocolate almond croissant that was delicious. Definitely worth including in your visit.
Arcadia Earth is an immersive experience that shows guests how humans are impacting the earth, good and bad, and what we can do about it. Guests visit different immersive rooms that have projections, lights, and interactive app elements to experience.
We spent about 45 minutes walking through this on a low crowd day. Each room has a different theme and you can spend as little or as much time as you want. I suggest arriving at opening to be among the first people to walk through.
On a busy day the experience would feel a bit rushed and overwhelming. A few of the rooms are small and there are guides to help with crowd control but you may not feel like you can go at the pace you prefer.
We arrived as soon as it opened and had no issues going through the exhibits. Overall it was a cool experience. I thought the rooms were well done and it was a unique attraction to add to our day.
After Arcadia Earth we were ready for lunch and decided on the Wellington Market. Deciding on the Wellington Market was the easy part, actually picking a place for lunch was difficult because everything looked delicious.
The Wellington Market consists of a Food Hall with over 50 different places to eat. These are casual dining much like a food court but with elevated dishes from all different cultures.
Between the 5 of us we tried two different lunch spots. They were Szechuan Express and Chen Chens Nashville Hot Chicken. The portions for my dish were huge. All of the food was really good and I would plan on eating here on our next visit.
After lunch we walked around a bit more before heading to the Well parking garage to drive over to Scotiabank Arena for the Raptors vs. Warriors game.
I suggest deciding on where you will park before you get to Toronto. We parked at the CIBC Square Garage and reserved it through SpotHero. This can be booked in advance and makes parking so much easier.
You may not be a big basketball fan but the atmosphere is so much fun and if you ever have a chance to experience a game, you should. This was my first NBA game ever and I was so excited for it. There will be more NBA games in my future.
The game was a 3:30pm game and that was the best time for a day trip visit. I would consider driving up and back for a game in the future.
Final Thoughts
Overall a Toronto day trip offers a lot to do. We have visited Toronto many times and have included Casa Loma, Canada’s Wonderland, and the Toronto Zoo in our visits.
If you want a quick escape without too much planning this day trip itinerary for Toronto is a great way to start planning.
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Leah has been traveling with her family of 5 since 2012 and sharing her expertise on planning family vacations and visiting theme parks since 2016. Leah has been featured in Visit Rochester, Undercover Tourist, and Home Publications. She has worked with brands like Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, Hersheypark, Toyota, and various Tourism boards and destinations. Leah creates family travel itineraries based on real trip experiences with her family. Her guides and tips help others plan great family vacations. Learn more about Leah and Five for the Road.