The Best Way to Spend a Weekend in Toronto

Canada's biggest city is bursting with things to do. Here's how we recommend you spend three days there.

Day 1: Revel in art and culture

Set up base at the glam Bisha Hotel, in the heart of the Entertainment District and a skip away from the CN Tower. Cab north and west to breakfast on sunny-side-up eggs over butter-sautéed dates and walnuts with warm Persian barbary flatbread at Takht-e Tavoos before trekking to the Museum of Contemporary Art, housed in the 100-year-old Tower Automotive building, once Toronto’s tallest. Make tracks back downtown via antiquarian bookshop Monkey’s Paw, and don’t forget to treat yourself to a random read from the store’s Biblio-Mat book vending machine. If you’re lucky, the cherry blossoms in Trinity Bellwoods Park will be in full bloom. End the day with a tasting menu crafted from locally sourced ingredients at Canis, one of the country’s top tables.

Day 2: Chow down on exotic fare

Grab cream-filled apollini pastries from Forno Cultura and head to the north side of the city and the Aga Khan Museum, where the stunning architecture alone is reason enough to visit. Explore their Mirror of Time – The Moon in Islamic Art and Culture exhibit, then have lunch at the on-site restaurant, Diwan. Let your sweet tooth lead the way south to Wong’s Ice Cream, which offers an Asian twist in flavours like black sesame salted duck egg. Soak in the cool vibe of Leslieville with a stop at Arts Market for terrariums, nail polish and more made by local artisans. Sip one of the 18 cheekily named brews (Truth Serum, anyone?) at Rorschach Brewing Co., then swing west to Pai for a comforting bowl of khao soi before a show at the Princess of Wales Theatre.

Day 3: Grab a drink in a chic bar

Caffeinate at StrangeLove and pose with the café’s highly Instagrammable Toronto mural. Follow up with a history lesson on an Urban Adventures walking tour around bustling Chinatown and multicultural Kensington Market. For lunch, hop over to PowWow Café, where Ojibway chef Shawn Adler dishes up Indian tacos: frybread topped with chili, pulled pork or jerk chicken. Still peckish? Order a wedge of Basque cheesecake at Bar Raval. Get lost in the downtown labyrinth that is the PATH, certified by Guinness as the world’s largest underground shopping complex, then tuck into a wood-fired steak and other Latin American–influenced dishes at Momofuku Kojin. Slide into a sleek banquette at the “speakeasy-esque” Cloak Bar for a nightcap and bid The Six adieu.

Save big with CAA

CAA Members can save at the Aga Khan Museum, Ontario Science Centre, Ripley’s Aquarium, Mirvish theatres and other great Toronto attractions. Visit CAA Rewards to learn more.

Image credits: Courtesy of Urban Adventures, MOCA, PAI, Alexa Fernando Ajfernando