Travel Guide: A Winter Weekend in Toronto

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To celebrate my birthday and our five-year (dating) anniversary, my boyfriend, Justin, (you first met him here) and I took a weekend trip to Toronto. Neither of us had ever visited Toronto or even Canada so we couldn’t pass up an unbelievable deal. (You KNOW I can’t pass up a bargain!) Even though we took our trip in the middle of winter, we had a great time exploring the city and can’t wait to go back when the weather warms up! If you’re looking for  winter weekend getaway or planning a trip to Toronto, here are a few of my recommendations!

HOW TO GET THERE & WHERE TO STAY

WestJet – WestJet is basically the Canadian Southwest. We got an AMAZING deal on a direct flight from Nashville to Toronto for $190 (round trip)! No frequent flyer points needed. If you haven’t heard of Scott’s Cheap Flights, you must subscribe immediately! “Scott” is the authority on all things cheap international flights and sends a couple of emails per week notifying of mistake fares and can’t miss deals! That’s how we scored this unbelievable deal!

AirBNB – There’s a large selection of hotels available in the city, but we decided on a cozy condo off of King St W. We researched different neighborhoods around the city, and this area between King and Queen West was a central location to a number of restaurants and bars.

WHERE TO EAT

Buca – With multiple locations consistently voted in the Top 10 of Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants, the rustic Italian cuisine is perfect for an intimate and romantic dinner. The show stealer was the special, a delicious octopus pasta dish and the nodini (garlic knots)!

Momofuko Noodle Bar and Milk Bar – Justin is a HUGE David Chang fan so we had to check out the Noodle Bar. Was it good? Yes, but honestly a bowl of noodles at one of the many little restaurants in Chinatown.

Rol San – Dim sum? Yes, PLEASE! Dim sum is a style of Chinese cuisine served in small portions in steamer baskets or on small plate (similar to tapas). Open until 2 am, Rol San is a popular late night Chinatown spot.

Sugar Marmalade – Serving Hong Kong style drinks and desserts, Sugar Marmalade is the perfect afternoon or post dinner desert spot. There are several locations throughout Toronto. We loved the egg waffle!

Ding Dong Pasteries and Cafe – Maybe the Chinatown sign caught our eyes because we have the humor of a 12-year-old boy, but the cafeteria style bakery satisfied Justin’s insatiable sweet tooth.

Poutine – The signature dish of Canada, poutine, can be found on every corner in Toronto. Poutine is a dish consisting of fries with cheese curds and brown gravy. There are numerous variations, but I really like the classic version!

WHAT TO DO

CN Tower CN tower, a communications and observation tower was the tallest free-standing structure until 2007 and is now the third tallest in the world. For $36 CAD, you can go up to the SkyPod observation deck. If you’re a real thrill seeker, EdgeWalk offers the opportunity to walk around the edge of the main pod, tethered overhead. If you’re traveling in the winter, check the weather beforehand to see which day will give you the clearest view of Toronto. You also may have recognize this famous Toronto landmark from Drake’s album, Views From the 6.

Graffiti Alley One of my favorite attractions in the city, Graffiti Alley, is a 1 km long stretch of alley where street art is celebrated! Toronto has embraced graffiti as ever-evolving art. I could have spent hours exploring Graffiti Alley and all the side streets shooting off of Rush Lane!

Kensington Market One of the most famous neighborhoods in Toronto, Kensington Market is an eclectic mix of cafes, shops, restaurants and bars, and street vendors. The Market also has a great selection of thrift and vintage stores.

Chinatown Hands down, Chinatown was Justin’s favorite part of our Toronto trip. He could spend hours exploring the bakeries and markets and eating at every noodle shop in sight. He even proposed we do a progressive dinner through Chinatown which I quickly shot down due to the sub freezing temperatures. (This is on the agenda for our next Toronto trip!)

Steam Whistle Brewery Located directly across from the CN Tower, Steam Whistle is one of the most unusual breweries I’ve ever been to because they only make one beer, a pilsner. For $8 CAD, you can get a tour of the brewery or just hang out in the dining hall and play board games.

Bata Shoe Museum If Carrie Bradshaw had a shoe museum, it would look a lot like Bata Shoe Museum. Shoes of all shapes, sizes, origins, and age! A new temporary exhibit showcasing the history and art of Manolo Blahnik is set to open in May 2018 and run through January 2019.

SPORTS Whether it’s the Raptors, Jays, and Leafs, Torontians are very proud of their professional sports teams. Even on at a Sunday afternoon Raptors’ game, the arena was packed with rowdy fans!

TIPS

• Check your cell phone plan. I have Verizon, and my plan includes service in Canada. Justin has AT&T and could only get service for $60/day. Check with your cell phone carrier before traveling.
• Everything is ON SALE! Just kidding, but the current value of USD is 20% more than CAD. Be familiar with the conversion rate and the locations near your hotel/Airbnb for exchanging currency. Currency conversion is available at the airport but  is usually more expensive than currency exchanges in the city.
• blogTO is a great resource for current events and Toronto hot spots.

Have you visited Toronto? What are your must-sees, must-dos, and must-eats? Leave me a comment below!