Classic Canadian Experiences | Destination Toronto

Add a new level of cultural immersion to your Toronto getaway. Here are 12 quintessentially Canuck experiences to try while you’re here.

Canada’s a big country. And our reputation? Huge. You could travel the nation in search of authentic Canadian experiences to sample, savour and shop… or you could find them in the Greater Toronto Area. Because—surprise!—we’ve got it all, from eh to zed. Here are 12 experiences to boost your Canadian cred.

People looking at Indigenous collection at Art Gallery of Ontario

Explore Indigenous art

1. Learn about Indigenous art and culture

Discover the First Nations, Inuit and Métis artists and artisans at the Daphne Cockwell Gallery Dedicated to First People’s Art & Culture at the Royal Ontario Museum. If you’re a collector, visit the Craft Ontario Shop for work by Indigenous artists and artisans, including prints, sculpture, textile art and jewellery.

2. Take a selfie with your fave star

Rub shoulders with Brendan Fraser, Ryan Reynolds and Shania Twain. OK, maybe not shoulders. But you can touch their stars on Canada’s Walk of Fame.

3. Score the ultimate hockey fan experience

Kiss the Stanley Cup, score a goal during a sim game or find your own way to celebrate Canada’s unofficial national sport at the Hockey Hall of Fame.

4. Visit a Polar Bear

Canada is home to 60 percent of the world’s population of more than 20,000 polar bears. But you needn’t travel to the Far North to spot one: just head to the Toronto Zoo.

5. Taste Liquid Gold

Canada produces 80 percent of the world’s maple syrup. Our tastiest global commodity can be purchased at any local supermarket and at souvenir shops around the city.

6. Discover iconic Canadian art

Behold the landscapes that made Canada’s Group of Seven famous as they shook up the early 1900s art world at the Art Gallery of Ontario and McMichael Canadian Art Collection.

7. Dig into Canada’s #1 comfort food

Dig into the gooey, cheesy, gravyliciousness of poutine, our national junk food. Thanks to its millennial resurgence, poutineries can be found all over town.

8. Go for a Paddle

Explore the waterfront like a true voyageur with Harbourfront Canoe & Kayak Centre. Rent a canoe or kayak, or sign on for a guided paddling tour.

9. Shop Canada’s original department store

The Hudson’s Bay department store chain predates Canadian Confederation and is woven into the country’s national fabric. It is the place for Canadian Olympic gear (such as the famous Team Canada red mittens) and the company’s legendary multi-stripe point blanket.

10. Explore Toronto’s military heritage

Tour the birthplace of modern Toronto at Fort York National Historic Site, a key outpost during the War of 1812. A new visitor’s centre was unveiled in 2014, providing context to the military significance of the garrison, an 1813 battleground.

11. Take in the fall leaves

Feast your eyes on our postcard-perfect fall foliage. Stroll, run or rent a bike to take in the explosive yellow, orange and red tree canopy along the Moore Park Ravine and the Don Valley ravine system, or in Cabbagetown’s quiet and pensive Toronto Necropolis cemetery.