What is the best boat tour in Toronto?

For a first visit, a one-hour sightseeing harbour tour or the Toronto Harbour & Islands cruise gives the classic skyline view with live narration. For a special evening, a brunch, lunch or dinner cruise on the bay is hard to beat. A historic tall ship sailing is the most atmospheric option.

Do Toronto harbour cruises run all year?

Most harbour and island cruises are seasonal, running roughly from spring to autumn when Lake Ontario is calm. Sailings are busiest on warm weekends and around sunset, so book a day or two ahead. City and CN Tower tours run year-round.

Can you combine the CN Tower and a boat cruise?

Yes. Several best-of-Toronto tours bundle CN Tower observation-deck entry with a harbour boat cruise, so you see the skyline from above and from the water on the same outing — an efficient way to cover the two headline experiences in one booking.

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City & harbour · Toronto itinerary

Toronto by City & Water: CN Tower, Harbour & Islands

See Toronto from its two best angles — up at the CN Tower and out on Lake Ontario. This itinerary pairs a best-of-city tour with a harbour and Toronto Islands cruise, a ride around the car-free islands and a sunset sailing, with the top-rated tours and tickets to book for each.

At a glance

1CN Tower & best-of-city tour
2Harbour & Toronto Islands cruise
3Bike the car-free Toronto Islands
4Sunset dinner cruise on the bay

The skyline and the CN Tower

Toronto's skyline is defined by the CN Tower, and the best city tours build their route around it. A half-day sightseeing or small-group driving tour links the tower with the waterfront, Old Town, the Financial District and Nathan Phillips Square, so you get your bearings fast. Many combine CN Tower observation-deck entry with a boat cruise, giving you the skyline from both above and below in a single, well-paced outing.

Out on the harbour and the Toronto Islands

The clearest view of that skyline is from Lake Ontario. Sightseeing harbour cruises and the Toronto Harbour & Islands cruise glide out past the marinas and the Toronto Islands, with live narration pointing out the landmarks. Boats range from a quick one-hour loop to a historic tall ship under sail. Sailings are seasonal, running spring through autumn when the lake is calm and the waterfront patios are busy, so book ahead on warm weekends.

Golden hour on the water

To slow down, take the day at island pace or wait for the light. Guided bike tours cross by ferry to the car-free Toronto Islands, looping past beaches, lagoons and the Gibraltar Point lighthouse with the skyline as a backdrop. As the sun drops, a brunch, lunch or dinner cruise turns the harbour golden and lights the towers one by one — an easy, scenic way to end a day of city sightseeing.