About Toronto
Toronto makes a convincing case for being the world's most multicultural city — over half the population was born outside Canada, and the food scene reflects this with extraordinary breadth. Kensington Market is a bohemian food neighbourhood unlike anything in North America. Chinatown, Koreatown, Little Italy, Little Portugal, and the St. Lawrence Market all sit within a reasonable walk of each other. In summer, the waterfront comes alive; in winter, the PATH underground network connects 30km of shops and restaurants below the frozen streets. The CN Tower is worth it once; the city's neighbourhoods are worth it every day.
Highlights
St. Lawrence Market — one of the world's great covered food markets, open since 1803 Kensington Market — vintage shops, global street food, and zero corporate chains Distillery District — Victorian industrial architecture turned arts neighbourhood Toronto Islands — 15 minutes by ferry, car-free, views of the skyline Spadina Avenue dim sum — authentic yum cha in one of North America's best Chinatowns Graffiti Alley (Rush Lane) — 500 metres of continuously repainted street art
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Practical Info
EU, UK, and US citizens can enter Canada visa-free for up to 6 months with a valid passport and may require an eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization) if arriving by air.
The local currency is the Canadian Dollar (CAD), with roughly 1 CAD = 0.70 USD/EUR/GBP. Credit and debit cards are widely accepted, but carrying some cash is useful for small vendors.
Tipping is customary in Toronto, with 15-20% expected in restaurants, bars, and for services like taxis or hairdressers. A dollar or two per bag is standard for hotel porters.
Toronto is generally safe, but petty theft and pickpocketing can occur in crowded areas like public transit or tourist spots—keep valuables secure.
The best way to get data is through a local SIM from providers like Rogers, Bell, or Telus (around 30-50 CAD for 1-5GB) or an eSIM like Airalo (starting at ~10 USD for 1GB).
English is the primary language, and it is widely spoken, though French is also an official language but less commonly used in Toronto.
61 Local Tips
Late-night dim sum in the early hours of the morning in Scarborough or North York is something visitors almost never discover but locals absolutely swear by — it's where you end up after a long night and it completely resets you.
After-hours spots exist here but they operate quietly and you basically need to know someone — if you're out and someone you've been chatting with all night quietly asks if you want to keep the night going, that's your invitation and you say yes.
Little Portugal and Ossington are where I always take visitors who want to feel like locals — the stretch has a natural flow where you can bar-hop just by walking the block without any plan and stumble into something great.
Patio season here is treated like a religion because our winters are brutal — the moment the temperature hits even mildly acceptable, every outdoor space fills up fast, so get there early or you'll be watching everyone else enjoy the fresh air from inside.
Toronto has an incredible underground dance music scene that rarely advertises openly — follow local DJs on social media and look for last-minute event announcements, because the best nights are word-of-mouth warehouse or loft parties.
The Entertainment District on King Street is tourist and bachelorette-party central on weekends — if that's not your vibe, locals generally avoid it Friday and Saturday nights and save it for a random Tuesday when the energy is way more relaxed.
Late-night roti or jerk chicken from the spots along Eglinton or in Scarborough after a night out is basically a Toronto rite of passage — the food actually tastes better at 2am, I swear it's not just the drinks talking.
Dundas West has a totally different energy from King West — it's where locals who are over the bottle-service scene actually go to have a real night out. The crowds are more interesting and nobody's trying to impress anyone.
Torontonians are genuinely friendly but we're not immediately loud about it — don't mistake the reserved first impression for coldness. Give people a few minutes and a shared laugh and you'll have a whole new crew for the night.
If you're taking the TTC home late after a night out, the last subway runs earlier than you'd expect, so always have a backup plan — rideshares surge hard at bar close and the lines get brutal. I always text my friends a 'last call for subway' warning around 1am.
Kensington Market has this beautiful chaos on weekend nights where people just spill out onto the streets with drinks and talk for hours. Nobody's rushing anywhere — just wander in and let yourself get absorbed into whatever conversation finds you.
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