Toronto skyline with CN Tower and Rogers Centre from Lake Ontario, Canada

🇨🇦Ontario, Toronto & Niagara

Explore Toronto and Niagara Falls with your family. From Ripley's Aquarium to the thundering Horseshoe Falls, Ontario packs incredible variety into one memorable trip.

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Your family guide

Toronto & Niagara with kids: city thrills & waterfalls

“Thundering water, CN Tower views and peameal bacon sandwiches. Ontario packs serious variety into one trip.”

— San & Jo

Ontario packs an almost unfair amount of variety into one family trip. In a single journey, your family can stand at the edge of the thundering Horseshoe Falls, ride a ferry to a car-free island with beaches and bike paths, wander through a market bursting with food from every corner of the world, and come face to face with sharks at one of Canada's best aquariums. That range is what makes this region so satisfying for families with kids of all ages.

Toronto is your base camp and it earns that role easily. The city sits right on the edge of Lake Ontario, with a skyline that genuinely impresses, a food scene that reflects its remarkable multicultural character, and neighbourhoods like Kensington Market and the Distillery District that make wandering feel like an adventure. From here, Niagara Falls is close enough for a day trip, though it deserves more time than that.

Niagara itself is two things at once: raw, humbling natural power and a lively, carnival-style atmosphere on Clifton Hill. Queen Victoria Park softens the edges with manicured gardens, and a night visit transforms the falls into something genuinely spectacular under the illuminations. Whether your family leans toward culture, nature, or pure spectacle, Ontario delivers all three.

Ontario, CanadaEastern Canada

Best: May to OctoberWarm summers, colourful autumn

Canadian Dollar (CAD)Mid-range to premium

Cities and places in Ontario, Toronto & Niagara

4 places

CN Tower

Plan your family visit to the CN Tower in Toronto. Glass floors, sky-high views, kid-friendly dining, and a free nightly light show await your crew.

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Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls delivers world-class natural wonder alongside ziplines, boat tours, underground tunnels, and Clifton Hill fun. A destination that genuinely thrills every member of t…

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Niagara-on-the-Lake

Niagara-on-the-Lake is a beautifully preserved Victorian town with living history sites, scenic cycling trails, farm-fresh food, and a walkable heritage district perfect for famil…

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Toronto

Toronto is a world-class family destination with iconic attractions, diverse food, and neighbourhoods that make every day feel like a new adventure.

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What makes it special

Why families love Ontario: Toronto and Niagara

Niagara Falls in all its glory

The 50-metre Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side is the most dramatic of the three waterfalls, and the mist, the roar, and the turquoise water make it genuinely awe-inspiring. Go in the evening to catch the illuminations, which turn the whole scene into something children remember.

Toronto's world-class family attractions

Ripley's Aquarium of Canada sits right beside the CN Tower and is one of the best aquariums in the country. Add the Royal Ontario Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the iconic Toronto Sign at Nathan Phillips Square, and your city days fill up fast.

Islands, bluffs, and lakeside adventures

The Toronto Islands are a short ferry ride from the city and offer beaches, cycling paths, and sweeping views of the skyline across Lake Ontario. For something more dramatic, the Scarborough Bluffs deliver striking cliffs and gardens along the lakeshore.

A food scene unlike anywhere else

Toronto's multicultural neighbourhoods, including Little Italy, Koreatown, Chinatown, and Kensington Market, mean your family eats differently every single day. From peameal bacon sandwiches at St. Lawrence Market to butter tarts and poutine, the flavours here are genuinely distinctive.

History, charm, and wine country nearby

Niagara-on-the-Lake is one of the most beautifully preserved historic towns in Canada, with boutique shops and fine restaurants tucked into heritage streetscapes. The surrounding Niagara wine region is famous worldwide for its icewine, made from grapes left to freeze on the vine.

Your kind of holiday

Culture and city explorers

Toronto is built for families who love museums, markets, and neighbourhoods with real character. The Royal Ontario Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the Distillery District give you days of discovery, while the CN Tower observation deck delivers a perspective on the city that genuinely impresses kids.

Nature and spectacle seekers

Niagara Falls is one of those rare natural wonders that lives up to the hype, especially when you experience it up close via the Journey Behind the Falls or from the Skylon Tower. The Niagara Escarpment adds rugged hiking terrain, and Ontario's 250,000 lakes open up endless outdoor possibilities beyond the falls.

Easy-going island and lakeside days

The Toronto Islands offer a genuinely relaxed pace: rent bikes, find a beach, and let the kids run free on car-free paths with the city skyline shimmering across the water. The Humber Bay Arch Bridge and the lakeshore parks add scenic walking routes that are easy for all ages.

Fun facts

Things to know about Ontario, Toronto & Niagara

Ontario has 250,000 lakes

That is more lakes than almost anywhere else on Earth. Ontario alone holds a huge portion of the world's fresh water, which explains why the region's rivers, gorges, and lakeshores feel so dramatically alive.

The CN Tower was the world's tallest structure

When it was completed in 1976, Toronto's CN Tower stood 553 metres tall and held the title of the world's tallest free-standing structure for over 30 years. Your kids can still ride to the observation deck and look straight down through the glass floor.

Niagara Falls glows at night

Every evening, powerful lights illuminate the falls in rotating colours, turning the cascading water into a living light show. It looks completely different from the daytime experience, and staying to watch the illuminations is absolutely worth it.

Taste Ontario: Toronto and Niagara

What to eat with kids in Ontario: Toronto and Niagara

Peameal bacon sandwich

Toronto's signature dish is a lean pork loin rolled in cornmeal and served on a soft bun. The best version comes from Carousel Bakery inside St. Lawrence Market, and it is the kind of simple, satisfying bite that kids and adults both love immediately.

Local favourite

Butter tarts

These small, gooey pastries filled with butter, sugar, and raisins or nuts are an Ontario baking tradition. You will find them in bakeries across the region, and they make an excellent snack between sights. Expect sticky fingers and requests for seconds.

Kids love it

Poutine

Crispy fries topped with cheese curds and rich gravy are available all across Ontario, including at countless spots in Toronto. It originates from Quebec but has become a beloved comfort food throughout the province and is almost impossible to resist on a cool day.

Daily treat

Fresh Great Lakes fish

Perch and pickerel (walleye) are regional specialties in the Niagara area, typically served fried or grilled. They are mild, approachable, and a great way to eat something genuinely local while you are exploring the falls and surrounding parks.

Must try

Niagara icewine

Made from grapes left to freeze naturally on the vine in Niagara's vineyards, icewine is a world-famous Ontario dessert wine with an intensely sweet, concentrated flavour. Adults visiting the Niagara wine region should not miss tasting it at source in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Local favourite