Like most big cities when one arrives, the question will come up, “What are the things to do in Toronto, Ontario as a visitor?” Fortunately for this Canadian town, we found out there is plenty.

Toronto generally makes up the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. So if you’ve never seen 750,000 gallons of water dropping per second, it’s worth a sight and it’s only a 90-minute drive from town.

On the other hand, if leaving town is out of the question, then a walk to the CN Tower is in order. This Toronto-central feature is 533 meters high, and visitors can go inside to look out on the city at different levels. Altitude choices include terraces at the 350 meter and 450 meter levels above ground. It’s definitely breathtaking.

Hockey

Of course, one can’t go to Toronto and Canada without experiencing the national sport pasttime – hockey. The Toronto Maple Leafs are a hockey team with a tremendous amount of history, so catching a home game is well worth the trouble when in town. And if you then think ice-skating is easy, take a spin during the winter months at one of the 50 city ice rinks around town. The ice rink at Nathan Philips Square is a popular choice.

The above said, some folks would rather see history, and the Royal Ontario Museum is a great choice. The facility is home to thousands of artifacts and pieces of history as well as one of the largest shoe collections in one location, 13,000 different shoes. Imelda Marcos would have been jealous.

On a side note: Not many people probably know that I used to play a bit of hockey myself all the way through college before a lower back injury put a halt to that. I still struggle with sciatica pain while driving and comfortable sleeping positions for sciatica pain are few and far between. After a long day, I make it a habit of using my TENs unit for a few minutes or even put on my Quell if we plan on doing a lot of walking that day.

Food, Shopping, and Entertainment

All of the above locations and running around is going to make someone hungry, however, so grabbing a bite should be on the agenda. Toronto has its own Little India, Chinatown, Little Italy, and more, so there’s something for everyone. Yet whatever you eat, you need to make sure that you have room to eat some Poutine, Canada’s own version of french fries and sauce.

In the evening, Toronto has its own version of Broadway, being home to dozens of stage plays and touring shows every year. The two big facilities to take a look at as well as their billing include the Young Centre for the Performing Arts and the Elgin & Winter Garden Theatre.

And for the real tourists who don’t believe a trip is actual made without shopping, there is the Toronto Eaton Centre which is has enough stores in it to keep someone busy for a week. This covers everything from simple street stores to high-end design as well as everything in between. On the other hand, if antiques are more of the focus, then shopping at St. Lawrence Market will provide plenty of choices and inventory to look at.

Alternatively, the city has plenty of stand up comic humor, and comedians can be found at the Bad Dog Theatre Company as well as at Second City. Finally, the late evening can be spent in the Entertainment District going from night club to night club. 30,000 dancing people can’t be wrong, and most clubs are running DJ music until the wee hours of the morning.

Those visiting with children can sometimes find seeing a town challenging as there isn’t always a whole lot for kids. Toronto is an exception to the rule. The Toronto Zoo is an easy place to spend a day with children, providing access to Canada’s biggest zoo, and 5,000 different animals. And that includes a Panda family.

For more excitement, there is Canada’s Wonderland. The location serve’s as Toronto’s main amusement park with roller coasters, contests, skill games, rides, and a gigantic IMAX movie theatre on the water. Toronto is definitely a place we’d love to visit again in the future.