Things to do in Toronto

Even before you arrive, you’ll probably be familiar with the iconic doughnut-through-a spike structure that dominates the skyline. As the tallest freestanding structure in the Western Hemisphere, zipping to the top of the CN Tower is one of the best things to do in Toronto. Especially in high season, when you can walk along the rim of the restaurant’s roof, 356m above the pavement (tethered to a track above, we hasten to add). With the fierce-sounding name “Edgewalk”, this sky-high activity will give you something to brag about. Sometimes, low-lying wispy clouds make the intrepid walk even more more atmospheric.

When you’re planning things to do in Toronto, don’t discount simply wandering through its distinct ethnic neighbourhoods and seeing what takes your fancy. No ’hood is more exciting than Queen West. It’s recent claim to fame is that it was voted one of the world's coolest neighbourhoods by Vogue magazine. Awash with bohemian-style cafés, restaurants and idiosyncratic shops, we bet you’ll be back here before your holiday’s out.

What to do in Toronto when it’s raining? You can easily spend a day indoors, thanks to this sprawl of brick Victorian distillery buildings – now Canada’s best-loved arts and entertainment complex. Multinational chains are banned, so don’t look for your usual Starbucks coffee. Embrace the diversity of Distillery instead, with all its indy cafés, bars, art galleries, theatres and global cuisine. Put oysters and whisky on the menu by dropping into Pure Spirits, in the venue which was behind tonnes of black-market whiskey exports during America’s prohibition era.

Wear stretchy trousers to Toronto’s daily food mecca, which unfolds in a hige 19th-century hall. There are heaps of places to stop for lunch. One thing you’ve got to try is the "World Famous Peameal Bacon Sandwich" at the Carousel Bakery, whose A-list fans such as Drake are pictured about to devoir their grilled Canadian back bacon sarnies. Space for more? Swing by the Market Street Catch, a Maritime-themed outpost of a hip food truck serving seafood eats like octopus tacos & lobster rolls.

It looks like a medieval fortress. But this enormous ‘castle’ was actually built in 1914 by Canadian billionaire Sir Henry Pellatt. This “House on the Hill”, as it’s known locally, has a mind-blowing eight dozen rooms. By a mile the city’s most bonkers attraction, it can’t fail to light up your Toronto holidaywith its strange mixture of medieval fantasy and early twentieth-century technology: secret passageways, an elevator, and claustrophobic wood-panelled rooms baffled by gargantuan pipes and plumbing.

If you’re here in September, you might spot a few big-screen celebrities about. That’s because, over ten days, the star-studded The Toronto International Film Festival or TIFF takes place. It’s North America’s biggest film festival when you measure by the number of flicks, which is usually tots up to 400. Best of all, the events and screenings aren’t just for industry big-hitters; individual tickets go on sale to the public at the start of the month.

Toronto is a trendy place and all – but sometimes on holiday you just need a day of unadulterated, gleeful fun. For that, there’s Canada’s largest zoo. Set on the hilly edge of the Rouge Valley, Toronto Zoo encompasses a sprawling site of 287 hectares (and six miles of walking trails) that does its best to place animals in their own environments. Hardy species live outside in large paddocks, and an open train, the Zoomobile, zips around between the pavilions. Talks and feedings each day range from polar bears to cheetahs.