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.
Book the experiences in this itinerary
Top-rated tours for exactly what this plan recommends in Toronto — prices per person.
