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Are you planning on visiting Toronto in one day? Below is a day plan for your one day in Toronto that includes the BEST things to see!

My husband and I visited Toronto as part of our one-year wedding anniversary trip to Niagara Falls. If you’re travelling to Niagara Falls from any province in Canada you will need to fly into Toronto and from there Niagara Falls is only a 1-hour 15-minute drive away.

Getting around Toronto

Public transportation is the easiest and most accessible way to get around downtown Toronto. Whether it be by train, streetcar, or bus you can get to any place you need to get to. Most of the train, streetcar, and bus stations are within walking distance from any place downtown.

Toronto also has Lyft (a rideshare company) which comes in handy to get to places that are just out of the city.

PRESTO cards work for all methods of public transportation in downtown Toronto. One ride, two rides, or a day pass PRESTO card can be purchased from any subway station.

A day pass costs CAD 13.50 so depending on what you want to see and how much public transport you will need to use, this may work out to be the best for you.

For the day plan I’ve suggested below it’s best if you don’t have a car to hire a car from carrentals.com.

Toronto Accommodation

If you are staying in Toronto for one night there are plenty of accommodation options downtown for all types of budgets.

We stayed at One King West Hotel and Residence and would recommend it because it’s in a convenient location, close to shops, restaurants and subway stations.  The rooms are modern, simple, and clean!

If you are visiting for a special occasion make a note of this on your reservation as they will try to do something special for you. We received an upgrade to a room on the highest floor with an amazing view of the city!

Toronto in One Day Plan

1. Casa Loma

Casa Loma is a majestic 18th-century castle built in 1914 featuring beautiful gardens and historic architecture. The interior was used as Professor Charles Xavier’s school for mutants in X-men.

The ticket price to explore the inside of the castle is CAD 32.49 per adult and you can purchase tickets at the entry of the castle. Even if you don’t want to spend the money or don’t have the time to explore inside it’s still amazing to walk around the gardens and see the castle from the outside.

Directions to Casa Loma

Casa Loma is just a short 10-minute drive from downtown Toronto. It’s located on Austin Terrace at Spadina Road.

Casa Loma is easily accessible by train. From our accommodation, it was a 1-minute walk to King Station. At King Station, you take the 1 Yonge-University to Vaughan Metropolitan Centre Station line to Dupont Station, and then from Dupont Station, it’s about a 10-minute walk. 

Casa Loma Dining

If you would like to dine at the castle there are 2 restaurants: the Liberty Cafe and the Blueblood Steakhouse. If you visit in the summer book a table to dine outside in the gardens of the castle.

2. Scarborough Bluffs

Here you will have an incredible view of beautiful white cliffs along Lake Ontario with sandy beaches and emerald green and ocean blue-coloured water below.

Be cautious walking along the cliffs! There are signs advising people to stay behind the fences as the cliff edges are unstable. This is due to the latest collapse that happened in August 2020 when a section of the cliff crumbled and fell into the lake!

Scarborough Bluffs Location

If you type Scarborough Bluffs Park into Google Maps it will lead you to the foothills of Scarborough Bluffs near the lake and marina.

If you want the best viewpoint up high and a panoramic view of the lake then enter Scarboro Crescent Park into Google Maps. This will take you to the top of the cliffs which is where you want to be. You don’t have to worry about paid parking here as there is plenty of FREE street parking available.

3. Dinner at Don Don Izakaya

Don Don Izakaya on Dundas Street is a hidden gem worth visiting for some Japanese food and culture. 

Izakaya is a type of Japanese bar where they typically serve small, inexpensive dishes and snacks accompanying Japanese alcoholic drinks like sake, beer, or cocktails.

To enter the restaurant look for the wooden arch on the street sidewalk and walk up the stairway and through the hanging curtain. As soon as you step inside the restaurant servers will greet you with a beat of the taiko drum and the words “Irasshaimase!” which means “Welcome!” in Japanese. The inside decor of the restaurant made me feel like I was back in Japan! 

I ordered the Karaage Don Set which consisted of 6 different small dishes. The sets are the best because you get to try many different dishes! Alcohol comes in variety here from cocktails to beer to sake!

4. Night Walk at Terra Lumina

Terra Lumina is a night walk at Toronto Zoo with animated projections, multimedia, and lighting effects. This is a FUN nighttime activity to do!

Terra Lumina is one of the Moment Factory’s Lumina night walk series out of twelve around the world.

Each of the Moment Factory Lumina night walks has a different story to tell. Terra Lumina takes you on a journey to the future.

The story begins at a portal that takes you into the year 2099, the time when nature and humans have learned to live in harmony.

If you don’t have a car, Toronto Zoo is a bit of a drive out of the city so this is where Lyft comes in handy! 

Make sure to book your tickets in advance on the Toronto Zoo Website.

If you’re driving to Niagara Falls from Toronto you should make a road stop and visit the African Lion Safari Park! The African Lion Safari Park is about 1 hour and 15 minutes away from downtown Toronto and in between Toronto and Niagara Falls in a city called Cambridge. For more information and to purchase tickets, you can visit their website.

I hope the above Toronto in one-day plan helps you when it comes to planning what to see and do in Toronto! :)