If your family is looking for a short (or long) getaway, Toronto is a great city to explore with kids! As the capital of Ontario, Toronto overlooks the opposite side of Lake Ontario. A three-hour drive from Rochester, there are so many exciting attractions that make for an easy-to-plan trip.
Crossing the Border
Crossing the border into Canada was much less intimidating than I anticipated. Just be sure to have the correct form of identification for each person in your family (plus a letter from your child’s other parent, if you’re taking them solo). Review guidelines ahead of time for restricted items across the border and tax requirements.
Keep in mind: in Canada, the gas is measured in liters — don’t be fooled by seemingly cheap gas! It’s better to fill the car up on US soil ahead of time.
Hotel Accommodations for a Toronto Trip
Before we dig into attractions, the first point to consider is the hotel accommodations. With our elementary-aged kids, a non-negotiable is a swimming pool to burn some energy in the evenings! We also prioritize a place that includes breakfast and parking to make our stay a little easier. (For ease, input your preferences into Google Maps as a filter when searching for a hotel!)
Hotels within Toronto are more pricey, with fewer amenities. We found what we were looking for in Toronto’s neighboring city of Mississauga. For us, it was worth the 40-minute drive back and forth each day from our hotel and activities in Toronto. Note: Expect the traffic to be worse than Rochester rush hour!
Grocery Store & Canadian Eats
After hotel breakfasts, we planned for a combination of picnic and purchased lunch at the sites we visited each day. Then for dinners, we chose to eat out so we could quench the kids’ curiosity of Canadian cuisine.
A stop at the local grocery store is a must — at very least to see the differing options in Canada. Besides easy lunchable types of food, we mostly targeted fun, new-to-us snacks and treats. Our most memorable finds were butter tarts and ketchup chips. We also snagged some “Kraft Dinner” mac-and-cheese boxes to bring home for a blind taste test. Later that week, I cooked them up next to the American version to see if the family could guess which was which!
What’s a trip to Canada without poutine?! Although this is a common side/meal option in many restaurants in Canada (and in New York!), one really fun place that caught my eye was Smoke’s Poutinerie for a huge variety of poutine options.
Admittedly, our most delightful stop was for dessert at the Poop Café. Its atmosphere and menu items are very on-theme, which made for a giggle-inducing experience for our two boys.
Toronto Sight-Seeing Adventures
Depending on what your family wants to see, an easy, cost-effective way to check out multiple attractions in Toronto is through the Toronto CityPass. This covers some of the most popular sites at great savings, providing flexibility for your scheduling needs. We’ll overview the attractions we visited, what to expect, plus additional popular sites to consider for your family trip!
Note: we highly enjoyed a visit to the Ontario Science Centre, but it sadly closed down in June 2024. Keep a lookout for news on interim locations, pop-up programs in the area, and virtual options if you have a strong interest in it!
CN Tower
The CN Tower is a great site to visit on your starting or ending travel day as it can be done in an hour or two. Choose the clearest day weather-wise to do this one so fog doesn’t block your view! There is a parking garage across the street.
Entry is staggered throughout the day to minimize crowding. So you’ll buy tickets for a specific time slot, but you can stay as long as you like. Enjoy the amazing views of the city and the small café/bar at the top. Leaving the tower will take you through a gift shop and a play area for kids!
Royal Ontario Museum
With older kids who appreciate art museums and history, this could take up a full day. For us, this was about a half-day outing. Check their website for nearby parking options.
The most exciting parts for us were the tons of HUGE dinosaur bones, weapons from around the world through history, and the play area for kids. We were initially drawn to this museum because of the advertised bat cave, however, it was only a small walkthrough with no real bats to view. There are also special rotating exhibits to explore at extra cost.
For lunch time, you can picnic in the cafeteria, or purchase a variety of meals from the cafeteria (plus a café by the museum entrance).
Casa Loma
This is a real castle built in the early 1900s, and another good option for a travel day, as you can experience it in just a few hours. There is a parking lot onsite.
Grab a map when you enter and explore all the rooms spanning multiple floors. The design in its architecture is breathtaking; every inch incorporates ornate woodwork. Throughout the castle are suits of armor for photo ops. There are even spiral staircases leading to two separate towers overlooking the surrounding city.
Follow the tunnels to a small automobile museum in the garage. Beyond that is a walkthrough wax museum of celebrities who starred in movies filmed in the castle!
Additional Stops to Consider for Your Family
The sites above may not be in your family’s wheelhouse of excitement. Here are some other popular places to visit! Double-check each website for hours, as some attractions are closed on certain days.
- City Cruises Toronto
- Toronto Zoo
- Toronto Railway Museum
- Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada
- Toronto Blue Jays baseball game
- LEGOLAND Discovery Centre
- Canada’s Wonderland (May through December)
- Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament
- IKEA Toronto Downtown
- Along the way: African Lion Safari (May through September)
It is easy to find great memory-making things to do with kids in Toronto. Enjoy your family time exploring this incredible city in our neighboring country!
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