Why You Should Visit Toronto Over Vancouver

There’s a bit of a rivalry between the major Canadian cities of Toronto and Vancouver. In fact, Toronto often falls to second or third place behind the natural beauty of Vancouver in the far west, and behind the cultural joie de vivre of Montreal to the east. However, these cities are distinct, and both are great travel destinations, for different reasons. Toronto and Vancouver also happen to be the priciest cities in the country. In case you’re wondering about which city you should visit first, here is why Toronto should be at the top of your list.

Starting with the blooming of the Sakura cherry blossoms in High Park in late April and early May, Toronto begins to reawaken after a long winter season. Spring and summer are the best times of year to visit the city; from around May to late August, even the most business-like Torontonians relax a little, and the city itself seems to lighten up.

The city has a well-connected series of parks and conservation areas that offer wide green spaces to enjoy. From High Park, you can wander down to the Lakeshore, which stretches from the far east of the city to the shores of Lake Ontario in the far west. With parks, boardwalks, marinas, and beaches, heading down to the lake is always a good idea to get in some good people-watching, sunbathe, enjoy the shade while eating ice cream or to encounter a cultural festival at the Harbourfront.

If you’re interested in the city’s unique urban geography, you might also want to explore some of Toronto’s 29 different ravines. The ravines are considered to be a defining feature of the city’s landscape; in fact, Toronto encompasses the largest network of ravines of any city in the world, creating around 10,500 hectares of wild, natural spaces through various neighborhoods. You may even catch a glimpse of a deer or a coyote while you’re exploring.

Of course, the coastal seascape of Vancouver is breathtaking, and the fact that the city has milder weather year-round is a distinct advantage of Toronto’s West Coast cousin. But the opportunities to explore Toronto’s understated, beautiful nature spots shouldn’t be overlooked.

After enjoying the quieter side of life in Toronto, there are also more thrilling ways to experience the city. For example, the city is home to the third tallest tower in the world, and the tallest free-standing structure in the Western Hemisphere: the CN Tower is the signature of the city’s skyline and attracts over two million international visitors annually.

The CN Tower shot from Ashbridge’s Bay, Toronto

Standing at 553.2 meters (1,815 feet) tall, you can enjoy views of the city and beyond from various levels within the tower: the LookOut Level at 346 meters (1,136 feet), the Glass Floor and outdoor SkyTerrace at 342 meters (1,122 feet), and the SkyPod at 447 meters (1,465 feet). You can also eat at the 360 Restaurant, with its revolving views of Toronto. Add in the dizzying EdgeWalk experience, which involves a hands-free “walk” around the tower’s outer circumference—the world’s highest full circle hands-free walk—and that alone is reason enough to visit Toronto over Vancouver.

If you’re interested in other record-breaking sites, you can also take a walk along Yonge Street, one of the city’s major arteries and the longest street in the world—though that remains a controversial, but deeply ingrained, claim to fame.

For a solid dose of history and artistic culture, Toronto is home to countless independent art galleries as well as the bigger-name Art Gallery of Ontario, the Royal Ontario Museum, Aga Khan Museum, and the Gardiner Museum.

For a different kind of indoor experience, there’s also the Ontario Science Centre, the Toronto International Aerospace Museum (set to re-open in April 2017). Or, at the base of the CN Tower, you can visit Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada. With over 12,500 square meters (135,000 square feet) of interactive underwater exhibits, Ripley’s features North America’s longest underwater viewing tunnel—with more than 5.7 million liters of water and 16,000 rare and exotic species.

And finally, food. Toronto is renowned for its multicultural dining experiences, and wherever you go in the city, you’ll find a variety of delicious restaurants from which to choose. Around the downtown area, the restaurants are often clustered in convenient neighborhoods like Little Italy, Chinatown, Koreatown, and Little India. You’ll never be disappointed by a meal out in the city, and it’s a great way to explore Toronto’s evolving diversity.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.