Looking for the best things to do on the Toronto Islands this summer?
I always forget how fun it is to spend a day at the Toronto Islands.
It’s one of those spots you overlook as a local, and it’s kind of like a mini getaway from the city when you do visit.
It’s also one of the cutest neighbourhoods in Toronto, and people actually live here!
Fun fact: the Toronto Islands is the largest car-free neighbourhood in all of North America, so you can feel safe wandering around whether you’re exploring with friends or kiddos!
You can totally make a day trip out of your visit, but I usually just visit the Toronto Islands for a half day.
There are plenty of activities and things to do on the Toronto Islands during the summer months, and I’ll be sharing some of my favourites.
Here are the best and most fun activities and things to do on the Toronto Islands!
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Hotels in Toronto
If you’re looking for somewhere to stay while you’re in Toronto, these are some great options:
- Annex Hotel: a contemporary 3-star hotel in the Annex with bright and airy rooms.
- Yorkville Royal Sonesta: this chic 4-star hotel in the Yorkville neighbourhood offers up stunning views of the skyline.
- Bisha Hotel: a cool 4-star hotel in the Entertainment District with a swanky rooftop restaurant and pool offering up CN Tower views.
- Radisson Blu: a modern 4-star hotel along the Harbourfront with a rooftop pool and a close-up view of the CN Tower.
- Broadview Hotel: a historical 4-star hotel in Toronto’s east end, housed in a Victorian-era building with elegantly modern rooms.
- Fairmont Royal York: a luxurious 5-star hotel right by Union Station, newly renovated but still retaining most of its original features. The Queen is known to stay here!
You can also check out my post on the best boutique hotels in Toronto if you’re looking for a more unique stay!
More things to do in Toronto
If you’re looking for even more fun things to do in Toronto, you might enjoy these posts:
- Bored and looking for a general list of things to do? Peep out these fun things to do in Toronto or these free things to do in Toronto.
- Into more active activities? Try out one of these awesome water activities in Toronto!
- Searching for cute date ideas in Toronto? Check out my date ideas during winter, summer, or fall, or my Valentine’s Day date ideas.
- Looking for more seasonal activities? Check out my posts on things to do in Toronto during the winter, spring, or summer.
- Visiting during the holidays? Here are festive things to do in Toronto!
Local tours
Or, check out some local tours if you’re looking to do even more fun and unique activities, like these ones:
- Downtown Toronto bike tour: explore the best of downtown Toronto via bike on a guided 3.5 hour tour, which takes you through Chinatown, City Hall, and the Entertainment District.
- Distillery District segway tour: zip through the Distillery District on a guided 1-hour segway tour and learn about the history behind this super cute historical neighbourhood.
- Kensington Market food tour: taste your way through one of Toronto’s most diverse neighbourhoods on this 2.5 hour tour.
How to get to the Toronto Islands
So, how do you get to the Toronto Islands?
You can either take a water taxi or ferry to get to the Toronto Islands.
Most people take the ferry to the Toronto Islands as it’s significantly cheaper, but it’s up to you however you want to get to or leave the island!
Water taxis
If you’d prefer to travel to the Toronto Islands without the crowds, water taxis might be a better option for you.
All of the water taxis leave from the Harbourfront area, and they’re $12 per person one-way.
So if you’re doing a roundtrip, it costs $24 each for both adults and children.
Here are a few different water taxi services you can take to the Toronto Islands:
Toronto Islands ferry
The Jack Layton Ferry Terminal is located right by the water, just south of the Bay St. and Queens Quay intersection.
There’s a Bike Share rack right in front, so you can rent a bike and take the Waterfront bike trail to get here if you want!
If you have your own bike, you can bring it onto the Islands as well – it’s pretty safe as it’s completely car-free (minus service vehicles).
The ferries leave to 3 different destinations: Hanlan’s Point, Centre Island, and Ward’s Island.
Ferry tickets must be booked online, and it includes a return trip back to the city.
Below are the roundtrip ferry prices, and you can take the ferry to and from any of the 3 destinations with your tickets.
Toronto Islands ferry prices (roundtrip)
- $8.70 for adults
- $5.60 for youth (under 19) and seniors
- $4.10 for kids under 14
- Free for kids under 2
I’ve listed the hours of operation for the schedules below, which change depending on the seasons.
You can see actual departure times on the official website.
Hanlan’s Point
Departures to Hanlan’s Point:
- Weekday & weekend departures: 8 AM-4 PM
Departures from Hanlan’s Point to the city:
- Weekday & weekend departures: 8:15 AM-4:15 PM
Centre Island
Departures to Centre Island:
- Weekday departures: 11 AM-6:30 PM
- Weekend departures: 9:30 AM-6:30 PM
Departures from Centre Island to the city:
- Weekday departures: 11:20 AM-6:50 PM
- Weekend departures: 9:45 AM-6:50 PM
Ward’s Island
Departures to Ward’s Island:
- Weekday & weekend departures: 6:30 AM-11:30 PM
Departures from Ward’s Island to the city:
- Weekday & weekend departures: 6:45 AM-11:45 PM
Best things to do on the Toronto Islands
Rent a bike
Rent some wheels and ride around the Toronto Islands in a bike, tandem bike, or even a quadricycle.
The only bike rental spot is on Centre Island, and fees range from $9.50 to $36 per hour, depending on which bikes you rent.
Of course, you can bring your own bike, skateboard, or longboard onto the ferry if you’d prefer!
If you’d rather do a guided tour, you can also do a fun 3.5 hour bike tour of the Toronto Islands, where you get to ride all around the islands and learn about the island’s 200 year history.
The tour actually includes your roundtrip ferry ticket, a bicycle and helmet, as well as snacks and water, which makes life a little easier!
And if you’re looking for even more places to ride a bike in Toronto, I’ve got a post all about the best bike trails in Toronto.
Walk from Hanlan’s Point to Ward’s Island
Get yo’ walking shoes on and walk from one end of the Toronto Islands to the other.
Take a ferry to Hanlan’s Point, take the leisurely hour stroll to Ward’s Island, then take the ferry back to the city from Ward’s.
With stops along the way, it’ll likely be more like a two hour walk from one end to the other.
The Islands are actually made up of 15 small islands, so there’s a lot to see along the way!
You can also get all kinds of pretty views of the Toronto skyline from various points on the island (especially if you’re looking for Instagram-worthy spots in Toronto).
It’s a lot of walking, so be prepared with a good pair of sneakers that you can walk all day in.
My all-time favourite sneakers for walking in are the Adidas Ultraboost 1.0 sneakers – they truly feel like walking on a cloud!
Relax on the beaches
Pack your cutest swimsuit and get to sunbathin’.
You can find plenty of sandy beach spots to relax at on the Toronto Islands, whether you’re looking for something more secluded or somewhere with lots of families.
There are three main beaches on the Toronto Islands: Hanlan’s Point Beach, Centre Island Beach, and Ward’s Island Beach.
Hanlan’s Point is clothing-optional, so don’t freak out if you see unclothed people chillin’ in the sand.
Have a picnic on the Toronto Islands
Pack a picnic blanket, some sandwiches and drinks, and have a nice lil’ picnic on the Toronto Islands.
Egg salad sandwiches or grilled cheese sandwiches are both great and easy picnic lunch ideas you can pack!
If you’re not keen on packing something from home, you can stop by Farm Boy, Loblaws, or Longo’s by the waterfront for packaged meals before heading to the ferry or water taxi.
There are plenty of picnic benches and barbecue stations as well – all ya gotta do is bring your own charcoal.
Check out the Centreville Amusement Park
The Centreville Amusement Park is a great family-friendly spot for the kiddos, with plenty of rides and even a small farm.
My parents took me here as a kid, but tbh I don’t remember any of it.
It’s closed at the moment due to restrictions, but definitely pay a visit when things open up again!
You can say hi to the chickens.
Stop by Gibraltar Point Lighthouse
The Gibraltar Point Lighthouse is the oldest lighthouse on the Great Lakes, as well as one of Toronto’s oldest buildings.
It was built in 1808, and it’s definitely a cool spot to stop by during your visit to the Toronto Islands!
It’s not in use anymore, but there’s still a keeper that looks after the lighthouse.
Rumour has it that it’s *gasp* haunted by a ghost who was murdered in the 19th century, so maybe don’t visit after dark.
Unless you want to film your own Paranormal Activity movie or something.
Visit St. Andrew’s by the Lake Church
Another cool historical spot on the Toronto Islands is the St. Andrew’s by the Lake Church, which was built back in 1884.
It’s a beautiful church that also makes for great photos!
The church is still in operation, though right now they’re closed due to restrictions.
Hike at Snake Island
While it’s more of a forested walk, hiking through Snake Island truly feels like a little escape from the city.
You’re unlikely to encounter any snakes while on the island, but there are definitely a lot of bugs.
As we’re not fans of snakes or bugs, we opted to take a quick peek before running off into the safety of paved roads.
Snake Island is the only place that allows camping on the Toronto Islands, but it’s only for Girl and Boy Scout groups.
Try some water activities
If you’re looking to do some fun water activities in Toronto, the Toronto Islands is the perfect spot to do them.
You can do stand up paddle boarding (also known as SUP), kayaking, and canoeing on the Toronto Islands!
I’d recommend doing SUP for at least 2 hours on the water – time goes by really quickly!
You can rent kayaks or canoes on the Toronto Islands or rent them at the Harbourfront and kayak or canoe your way to the Toronto Islands.
It’s honestly so much fun, and you get some of the best views of the Toronto skyline!
Grab patio drinks at one of the Toronto Island cafés
There aren’t too many options for cafés or restaurants on the Toronto Islands, but it’s still fun to chill at a patio with a beer or an iced coffee.
Here’s a list of some great cafés and restaurants you can check out when things open up again:
- The Upper Deck (Centre Island)
- The Riviera (Ward’s Island)
- Island Café (Ward’s Island)
Best things to do on the Toronto Islands:
- Rent a bike
- Walk from Hanlan’s Point to Ward’s Island
- Relax on the beaches
- Have a picnic
- Check out the Centreville Amusement Park
- Stop by Gibraltar Point Lighthouse
- Visit St. Andrew’s by the Lake Church
- Hike at Snake Island
- Try some water activities
- Grab patio drinks at one of the cafés
There are plenty of fun things to do on the Toronto Islands, whether you’re interested in adventurous water activities or just chillin’ on a clothing optional beach.
You can totally check all these activities off your list in just a day, or just pick and choose things you’d like to do.
We personally love heading out in the early morning and coming back in the afternoon, but watching the sunset from the Toronto Islands is certainly worth staying late!
What are your favourite activities and things to do while visiting the Toronto Islands? Let me know on Twitter or Instagram!
More things to do in Toronto
If you’re looking for even more fun things to do in Toronto, you might enjoy these posts:
- Bored and looking for a general list of things to do? Peep out these fun things to do in Toronto or these free things to do in Toronto.
- Into more active activities? Try out one of these awesome water activities in Toronto!
- Searching for cute date ideas in Toronto? Check out my date ideas during winter, summer, or fall, or my Valentine’s Day date ideas.
- Looking for more seasonal activities? Check out my posts on things to do in Toronto during the winter, spring, or summer.
- Visiting during the holidays? Here are festive things to do in Toronto!
More Toronto neighbourhoods
If you’re looking for more Toronto neighbourhoods to explore, check out some of my other posts on the best things to do in various neighbourhoods:
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