Downtown Toronto Walking Tour
The original Tour Guys walking tour of Toronto, and our most popular walk, this stroll takes you from Union Station to City Hall, while passing under, around, and through some of the most spectacular buildings in the city. Majestic bank lobbies, wide concrete plazas, and looming glass and steel office towers make up much of what people think of when Toronto comes to mind.
The last stops will compare Toronto's current City Hall with the previous Old City Hall next door. This tour will leave you with a greater appreciation for "Canada's downtown".
Be sure to tip your guide at the end of the tour. By charging only a booking fee, we leave it up to our guests to pay the guide what they feel the tour is worth. The average tip is $10 per person, some pay much more.
Options
Downtown Toronto Walking Tour
What's included in Downtown Toronto Walking Tour
(Subject to Option Inclusions)Itinerary
Toronto Union
Our meeting point is inside. Not outside. Inside the Great Hall which is a big room accessible off of Front Street. It's above ground. It's got a high ceiling with huge windows on either side. There are flags on the wall on one side and an info booth under a clock in the centre of the room. The names of cities the trains stopped at when the station was built encircle the interior of the Great Hall. The reason for the detailed description is because there's a large tourist info centre in another part of the station that's not the Great Hall, there's a big food court that people might think is the Great Hall, and there's a big clock outside the station on the sidewalk. None of those places combine the magic trio of clock + info booth + big room with a high ceiling. Look for your guide near that booth!
CN TowerPass-by Only
Look over there! It's the tall tower everyone has heard of! When it comes to impressing people, there isn't a much better way than making something ridiculously tall. The CN Tower was the tallest free-standing structure in the world until the Burj Khalifa was constructed in Dubai, but Torontonians are still proud of it (don't worry, CN Tower, we still think you're awesome). Thanks to its generous height we were able to improve TV and radio reception in the area back in the 1970s and have a skyline that is one of the most recognizable on the planet!
Building the railroad across Canada was expensive and took a long time. In order to make money off this project the railroad companies built luxury hotels near their train stations in every major city and town the tracks ran past and convinced rich people to take the long journey across Canada by rail. The grand railway hotel in Toronto was The Royal York Hotel, opened in 1929, just in time to see the global economy collapse. Despite the Great Depression and the construction of competing hotels, the (Fairmont) Royal York Hotel continues to be a beloved landmark and symbol of Toronto's prosperity. Tour groups are no longer welcome in the lobby of the hotel, but there's plenty to marvel at from the outside!
Inclusions
- English-speaking Tour guide
- Gratuities
- Wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- This tour leaves on time. If you are late, the guide cannot wait. If you are on time, you are on tour!
Meet
Pickup and Dropoff
You will make your own way to the meeting points
Meeting Points
- Meet inside the Great Hall at street level off of Front Street, next to the Travellers Aid Booth in the middle of the room.
End Points
- The tour will conclude at Nathan Phillips Square, in front of Toronto's City Hall, near the famous 'TORONTO' sign.
