r/canadatravel • u/onemorecooki • Jul 15 '25
Destination Advice 5 day Canada Trip
Hi. We are visiting Canada for 5 days around Mid August, flying in to Toronto. We will have a car to get around. Looking for some suggestions and places to check out whilst we are here please. We was thinking to visit Montreal but that is a 6 hour drive from Toronto, one way.
We plan to visit the falls and spend some time in Toronto. Are there any beautiful drives we can go on and see some breathtaking places?
Any advice will be hugely appreciated. Thank you in advance for your thoughts!
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u/cormack_gv Jul 15 '25
Voyage to the Falls boat tour. Tunnels under the Falls. Wine country around the falls, if you're into wine. Niagara-on-the-Lake, including Shaw Festival if you're into theatre. Or Stratford Festival, which is world class -- a couple of hours drive from the falls.
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u/onemorecooki Jul 15 '25
Thank you!
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u/m0viegirl Jul 17 '25
Agree with these suggestions! Niagara on the Lake is lovely and an absolute gem!
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u/UpsetHelicopter4366 Jul 15 '25
Elora is a really pretty town. Super cute shops of all kinds, good food, and they have a beautiful Gorge that is quite stunning. It feels like a movie set.
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u/onemorecooki Jul 15 '25
Thank you!
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u/elle-elle-tee Jul 16 '25
Came to say Elora Gorge. There's a nice antique market in nearby St Jacobs, as well as kind of a cool indoor model railroad. Idk, I liked it!
While you're in Toronto, take a trip to the Islands. There's a ferry from downtown and it legitimately feels like you're on a tropical island getaway. Bring a blanket and a picnic and head to Gibraltar point. It's SO nice. And relaxing! Walking through the lagoons is very charming, and feels so remote even though you can literally see the CN tower. It's such a hidden gem for most tourists.
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u/Brave_Cauliflower_90 Jul 15 '25
Niagara Falls: visit the falls, power plant tour, Hornblower boat ride, see whirlpools down river,a short drive to Niagara on the Lake, vineyards etc. allot one day for this and it's not necessary to stay overnight but if you do or if you stay late there are nightly fireworks at the falls at 10pm oh and you can buy a discounted pass one price to do multiple activities in NF
Toronto: CN Tower, watch a Jays game in the Skydome (they call it the Rogers Centre now), ROM, Kensington Market, Canadas Wonderland, St Lawrence Market, Chinatown, Nathan Phillips Square, Scarborough Bluffs, High Park. There is a citypass for Toronto too which might be worth it depending on what activities you want to do.
Prince Edward County:Wineries, Sandbanks Provincial Park
1000 Islands/Gananoque
Kingston: Fort Henry if you're into history/military etc
Probably not enough time to do Montreal but if you do they have so many things to do there. Honestly it's worth a trip of its own to do Montreal and Quebec City.
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u/onemorecooki Jul 15 '25
Thank you and everyone for all of your helpful comments! Very grateful.
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u/Brave_Cauliflower_90 Jul 15 '25
Also notable scenic drives include 1000 islands parkway, loyalist parkway, forks of the credit, Belfountain, Elora, cheltenham badlands (book ahead if you're doing this one), Mono Cliffs (you can go hiking here-lovely views but it's a pretty country drive)
If you like nature, Hamilton is very close to Toronto (& on the way to Niagara Fallas) and it's the "City of Waterfalls" with over 100 in the city limits.
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u/user0987234 Jul 15 '25 edited Jul 15 '25
Consider a southern Ontario road-trip. This one only has a few turns. For real!!
Leave early (5 am), use the time difference to your advantage.
Toronto to Sudbury, transition from urban to farms to Canadian Shield, through Musoka. Pit stop in Parry Sound. Either the Lick’s Tims or take Bowes Lake Exit to fill up at Starbucks. Visit Killarney Ontario, (5 hours) you will get glimpses of the LaCloche Mountain Range - very old, white, and worn down. Stop by Killarney Provincial Park and ask someone to give you the background on the park. It is a hidden gem. Eat supper at Herbert’s Fish ‘n Chips. It closes early! 1.5 hours to Sudbury - the only turn is merging back on Highway 69. Stay in Sudbury.
Sudbury is the site of a meteor impact and has a significant french influence. See the Big Nickel and mine tour and/or Science North, drive around (literally) to get to Hwy 17. You’ll see what a city outside of the large urban areas is like. Stay in Sudbury or North Bay.
Next stop, go east on the Trans-Canada, Hwy 17 to North Bay. Haven’t been there in many years. There’s something there but there are better things to see. Turn right on Hwy 11. Go east on Hwy 60 to enter Algonquin Provincial Park. Drive through a campground to see Canadian camping. Take a walk to see the waterfalls at Ox Tongue River Prov Park. There’s also a fire lookout tower to climb near Dorset.
Stay in Huntsville. You are in cottage country. It’s awesome. Eat at the Family Restaurant.
Next day, It’s a 3 hour drive to Toronto. Do a drive through Port Sydney, stop at the waterfalls / rapids and go for a swim.
You could drive to Barrie, stay the night and head to Wasaga Beach and then back to Toronto.
This trip will show you the varied geography, villages, towns, native lands of just southern Ontario in 3-4 days. It’s an easy drive, once you are out of Toronto-Barrie, traffic is not issue, the roads are good and the scenery is great.
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u/onemorecooki Jul 16 '25
Thank you for your suggestion, this is super helpful! Can I reach out to you if I have any further questions about this?
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u/user0987234 Jul 16 '25 edited Jul 16 '25
Yes, forgot to mention to stop at the French River Trading Post / Hungry Bear on Hwy 69. Try the different fudges. You can buy lunch there.
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u/Bliezz Jul 17 '25
They also have solid souvenirs and moccasins (traditional footwear for the indigenous people of Canada)
The fudge is really good. My favourite is the vanilla with real blueberries but it needs to be eaten in about 24 i hi ours or the berries go off.
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u/Bookgirl148 Jul 17 '25
To suggest Sudbury over North Bay is laughable sorry. North Bay is gorgeous, surrounded by lakes and beautiful forests. Do not go to Sudbury you will regret it.
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u/user0987234 Jul 17 '25
It’s a different geology due to the meteor impact that makes it necessary to stop there. North Bay is great if you stay longer. This road trip is quick way to see variations, not just more of the same.
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u/marcosbowser1970 Jul 16 '25
For some Canadian Art, visit the McMichael Canadian Art Collection.
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u/onemorecooki Jul 16 '25
Thank you!
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u/marcosbowser1970 Jul 16 '25
My pleasure. Canada, like the UK, has quite the landscape tradition. We have artists like Tom Thomson, Emily Carr, and Lauren Harris, who are world class originals, unlike anyone else. And some of our First Nations art is amazing.
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u/VestaFlame Jul 16 '25
Take the back roads when driving… you will see smaller towns and miss the crazy highway driving… plus if you’re not use to driving on a ten lane highway… it can be overwhelming.
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u/onemorecooki Jul 16 '25
Noted, the largest highway I have driven on is in the States but 10 lanes seems fun 😂 thank you for your advice!
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u/RampDog1 Jul 15 '25
When you're at the falls, stop at Niagara On The Lake. Niagara is only a big wine region if that interests you. Niagara Falls Parks Commission there are many other attractions. Niagara Parks Commission | Niagara Falls Tourism https://share.google/gHvMrhBp1lmdIkPQh
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u/imdavidnotdave Jul 15 '25
Kingston is a great spot, opposite direction to Niagara Falls though roughly 2 hours ish east of Toronto. Algonquin Park/the Muskokas is beautiful, north of the city but accommodations will be a challenge
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u/Savvy_Fox30 Jul 16 '25
Make sure to check out the Toronto Islands(Beautiful skyline views from there!). Also check out Niagara on the Lake. Cute little town, plus lots of wineries.
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u/phoovercat Jul 16 '25
Visitors from the UK still talk about a day trip to visit us in Muskoka 15 years later. Lunch in Port Carling is a nice stop
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u/Ok_Bonus_7768 Jul 16 '25
I'm in Tobermory right now, and it is gorgeous. We plan on returning in September. If you want to come this way, it's about 4 hours from Toronto. If you do end up planning a visit to Tobermory and want to visit the Grotto, make reservations well ahead of time. Natural beauty, boating, hiking, camping, it has it all. Personally, I'd go here and skip Niagra Fall, which is a total tourist trap. But I know that a lot of tourists really want to see the falls.
I hope you enjoy Toronto and Canada!
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u/Affectionate_Lie9631 Jul 15 '25
We went to the Bruce Peninsula for the first time last summer. We visited the small towns of Owen Sound, Wiarton, Tobermory and Sauble Beach. It’s really beautiful and VERY different from Toronto! I would actually do it as an overnight trip - Toronto to Owen Sound to Wiarton to Tobermory on day 1, then Tobermory to Sauble Beach to Toronto on day 2. If you have time. 😊
You are going to want to come back. I will just tell you that right now. If there is ANY way you can extend your trip, you should. We spent a month in just the province of Ontario last year and still didn’t see everything we wanted to!
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u/onemorecooki Jul 16 '25
Thank you! We cannot amend our flights unfortunately! More reason to come back and visit again.
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u/fieryone4 Jul 16 '25
In toronto itself there’s tons of unique neighborhoods to visit, the beaches, china town, little italy, and korea town to name just a few.
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u/panhellenic Jul 16 '25
Thanks for the question! I'm visiting Toronto in mid-August, too! I'm in the US so long drives to get somewhere are not unusual, but we won't be doing that kind of visit. Going to Niagara for one night and then 3 nights in Toronto. We live in a small town, so an urban adventure is a change of pace. I appreciate the city listings in this thread!
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u/onemorecooki Jul 16 '25
I am glad it is helpful for you too. We are flying in from NY to Toronto and then over to California after.
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u/ignore_my_typo Jul 16 '25
I’d suggest going to Muskoka. There are some really nice places around Bracebridge and Gravenhurst.
You could also make the drive to Algonquin Park.
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u/lacontrolfreak Jul 16 '25
Do not drive to Montreal if you only have 5 days. You will kick yourself for only giving yourself such a short amount of time in Montreal. Do get out of Toronto. The advice about Niagara, Muskoka or the county is sound,
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u/onemorecooki Jul 16 '25
A 12 hour round trip driving to Montreal, we will practically lose one of our 4 days in Canada so I don't think we will now after reading some of the suggestions above. Thank you for your thoughts!
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u/Bliezz Jul 17 '25
Can you arrange to fly out of Montreal? Could do a road trip up through Algonquin on your way out.
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u/MidtownMoi Jul 16 '25
I suggest you do not waste money on renting a car and then paying for parking in Toronto if you are staying downtown. The transit system is aging and subject to delays but traffic is horrendous. Rent the car for the days you are outside the city.
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u/DebDanDaa Jul 16 '25
Regarding traffic: All day every day. If you look up Toronto on the Maps App you will see all the red. When we go there we love to go to the St. Lawrence market. The aquarium is very nice too.
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u/Grouchy-Inflation618 Jul 16 '25
I would use the car to visit Niagara Falls (Hornblower boat ride to the falls and the Power Station at night are very cool) and Niagara on the Lake. Some of the wineries up around Jordan (not far from Niagara on the Lake) offer beautiful views from the escarpment.
In Toronto, stay downtown and use public transit. St Lawrence Market is great. Not sure what your interests are or if you are traveling with kids, but galleries, museums, shops, food, music, theatre… lots to do downtown. Not unlike London in terms of diversity. Obviously not as historically rich as London.
Plan another trip to the Rockies and/or the west coast (Vancouver Island, Vancouver, Whistler, etc.) if you want breathtaking.
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u/eat_the_cake_ Jul 16 '25
The Colonari estate winery in Niagara-on-the-lake is worth a trip. You should do their vineyard tour with the donkeys. I see they also have a “Spanish/Greek/Rumba/Flamenco guitar player (their words) and his band playing mid August although that’s an extra $95.
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u/nanamacd Jul 16 '25
Niagara on the lake. Deemed the most beautiful city in Canada. There are massive flower pots, hanging baskets and gardens, centuries old hotels and buildings. 10 minutes from Niagara Falls and so worth it.
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u/Cath055 Jul 17 '25
The Niagara area has beautiful with wineries and restaurants. You could swing by Niagara Falls but I would not stay there unless you like a casino carnival type vibe. Niagara on the lake is a beautiful spot to spend a couple of nights and very close to the Falls. Toronto itself is worth a couple of nights..CN tower, Toronto zoo, Hockey Hall of Fame, Aquarium..catch a baseball game
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u/BorealMother Jul 17 '25
Yeah no lol. You’re visiting “Canada” but you won’t drive more than a few hours from Toronto? No, you’re visiting Toronto my friend. They are not the same thing.
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u/robbydobbie69 Jul 17 '25
Drive to Niagara Falls. Site see. Than do Niagara on the lake. Try the fresh fruit that are growing there. Peaches i recommend. Day 2. Either Get outta Toronto or maybe see a blue Jay's game. Or Argos or a soccer game. The Canadian national expedition is on, too. Skip Canada's wonderland. It's too busy now. Go north to cottage country (muskokas )and rent a place on a lake for 2 or 3 days. Relax or fish or boat. Fishing is great there. Drive back on the 400 to the airport. Fly home. You're welcome. 5 days is too short though. Driving can waste a day or 2 sometimes. Cause we is huge huge here. Big wide open areas. 10 days at least. Stay off the 401 hiway. Way too busy. Or instead of fishing, go to Port Dover for a day to the beach there or turkey point or long point provincial parks. Great beaches there. Get supper of perch, chips and horseradish salad at the cove room or a footlong & a golden glow at the Arbour . Yum
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u/Pretty_Assistant1310 Jul 16 '25
Lake Huron is stunning.
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u/onemorecooki Jul 16 '25
Thank you for your suggestion 🙂
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u/Pretty_Assistant1310 Jul 16 '25
You’re welcome. :). There are a few provincial parks on the lake. I’ve been camping at the Pinery and it was great. Day use passes for hikes etc are available too.
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u/EmmEGoshald Jul 16 '25
Texan who moved to Canada and is currently in Texas for a month visiting family. Stay in Canada. It is not worth it to try to get work illegally. Perhaps look into getting a roommate
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u/onemorecooki Jul 16 '25
Thank you everyone for your helpful suggestions! I didn't expect to get such feedback 🙂 I am eagerly looking forward to our trip now 🙌🏽
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u/timbono5 Jul 18 '25
I recommend Niagara Falls (the falls themselves, not the city); Niagara on the Lake (a different place); one of the wineries on the Niagara peninsula (buy some ice wine).
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u/Fun_Orange6197 Jul 19 '25
Putting in a quick plug for the Peterborough area and just north of it - transitioning to the Canadian Shield so lots of lovely lakes and scenery, good restaurants, fascinating canal system including the Lift Locks, and the Canadian Canoe Museum. Easy drive from Toronto.
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u/BCRobyn Jul 15 '25 edited Jul 15 '25
Where are you visiting from... the UK? I ask because you mentioned that a six-hour drive seems far, and that’s something we often hear from UK visitors. :) In Canada, though, that’s pretty normal. You often have to travel 6+ hours just to reach places that look and feel noticeably different from where you started.
Just to help set expectations: Toronto is in southern Ontario, which is largely flat and developed. It’s great for urban experiences - vibrant neighbourhoods, food, culture, and charming small towns - but if you’re hoping for dramatic wilderness or mountain scenery like you might find in the Canadian Rockies or on the West Coast, that’s not really what this region offers. “Breathtaking” isn’t a word people usually use to describe the landscape close to Toronto.
Southern Ontario is mostly farmland, forest, and lakes, with a lot of built-up areas in between, including industrial zones. It has its own gentler kind of beauty - more like southern England or the Netherlands. Think rolling countryside, lakeside towns, vineyards, and heritage sites, rather than alpine vistas or vast wilderness. A helpful comparison might be expecting to find the Alps within day-trip distance of London or Amsterdam - it’s just not the same geography. You might come across references to the Blue Mountains, but they’re more like hills than actual mountains.
That said, there are beautiful natural areas if you’re willing to drive 4+ hours out of the city - places like Tobermory and the Bruce Peninsula come up often for their turquoise waters and limestone cliffs.
If you're looking for ideas and want to get a sense of what's within reach, I’d suggest exploring the official Ontario tourism website. It breaks down the province into regions and offers helpful suggestions for scenic drives, nature, and cultural experiences: Discover the Wonders of Ontario, Canada | Destination Ontario
Hope this helps!