Toronto is a great place to visit for a family trip. Not only is it a beautiful city but it has plenty of attractions to offer that everyone in your family can enjoy. We had the chance to visit Toronto a few times in the last couple of years and in that time we were lucky enough to experience several of these great attractions. Here are my top 5 recommendations when visiting Toronto:
This aquarium was a big hit with my family. It has Beautiful exhibits such as the Rainbow Reef which is home to over 100 species of colorful tropical fish. You'll also get an up close look at some of their most fearsome looking animals from an underwater tunnel in their largest exhibit, The Dangerous Lagoon. They have several interactive stations, touch pools, tunnels, and playgrounds. In the Discovery Center your children will be able to get a close look at the clown fish as they pop-up into the underwater viewing cylinder. They'll also be able to touch the horseshoe crabs in this section. This aquarium was very educational and is a must for families!
The Toronto Zoo is home to over 5000 animals, and is one of the largest zoo's in the world. This zoo can easily take up a whole day, so its best to pace yourself and enjoy everything it has to offer. Such as the Kids Zoo, an interactive children's wildlife experience and Splash Island. You can also have the chance to meet Canada's only giant panda cubs. With over 450 different species of animals to visit, daily animal shows and several rides, your family is sure to have a fun filled day.
Canada's Wonderland has some of the most exhilarating rides, roller coasters and water park fun in Canada. If you have thrill seekers in your family they'll be happy to know that this amusement park is home to Canada’s tallest and fastest coaster, the Leviathan. For the younger children in the family there are a wide range of mild rides. Canada's wonderland also has Planet Snoopy! Children can enjoy daily character meet-and-greets, and live entertainment. If your visiting during the summer months your family will love cooling down in their 20 acre water park. Which includes a Lazy River, and one of Canada's largest outdoor wave pools. For a small fee you can also visit the Dinosaurs Alive section. We were happy they had this extra feature because my oldest son, Joshua loves dinosaurs! They have a wide range of hand-crafted animatronics and educational content along with a Dinosaur Dig for children to play in. Canada's Wonderland is an attraction that can easily take up a whole day and will leave you totally exhausted by the end of it, it's best to get there early to get the most out of your day since there is so much to see and do. It's also important to know that food is not allowed to be brought into the park. Since we had two small kids with us and it was a very hot day we decided to leave around lunch time. We grabbed some food on our way back to the hotel and let the boys sleep and enjoy the air conditioning for a couple of hours before visiting the next attraction.
The Iconic CN tower was the first building in the world to have a glass floor feature, and at 342m high it creates a thrilling experience that can't be missed. Your family will be able to take a high speed glass-fronted elevator to get to the LookOut Level located at 1,136 feet with amazing views of the city. You can also take another elevator ride on the LookOut Level to go up 33 storeys higher to SkyPod which is one of the highest observation platforms in the world with a one of a kind view.
Last but not least, i highly suggest taking the extra hour and a half drive to visit all that Niagara Falls has to offer. I promise it will be worth the effort. While there you will be able to view the Falls, one of Canada's biggest attractions. You can view them year round, but if you visit Niagara Falls on a summer night you will have to opportunity to enjoy a beautiful display of lights and fireworks. If you want an even closer look you can take it one step further and go on a cruise such as Hornblower Cruises which brings you right up to the falls for a breathtaking experience. Just one block away is Clifton Hill, Niagara Falls top destination for attractions, restaurants, and entertainment. Clifton Hill's attractions include the Niagara Skywheel, a giant wheel 175 feet high. A few feet away from the Skywheel is one of the nation’s largest miniature golf courses, Dinosaur Adventure Golf which features a 50 foot high volcano that "erupts" fire and 50 life-sized dinosaurs. If you're a fan of all things strange check out the Ripleys Museum which has over 500 displays. If you love Hollywood entertainment stop by the Movieland Wax Meuseum of the stars where you can get a picture with all of your favorite wax celebrities. For those who like a scare, be sure to visit the “House of Horrors” at the end of your Museum tour. Other attractions include Arcades, Bowling, Rides, Live Entertainment and Casinos.
