12 Best Toronto Virtual Tours: How to Travel to Toronto from Home
Are you looking for a little escape to the city from the comfort of your own home? Consider experiencing one of the many Toronto virtual tours that will transport you through the streets of Toronto and into some of the city’s most iconic buildings.
During a time of uncertainty and travel restrictions, we should still allow ourselves the freedom to dream. And while we can’t physically travel right now, it doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a little mental escape. So, I’ve compiled a list of top Toronto virtual tours and online experiences that will inspire you to escape during times when you can’t physically travel, whether it’s during a worldwide pandemic (like now), in between trips while working full-time, or when you’re saving up for the next big vacation.
6 Toronto Virtual Tours
Royal Ontario Museum
The ROM as it is affectionately called is one of Toronto’s top museums to visit. But did you know that they have over 45,000 pieces of their collection online? You can easily browse the Royal Ontario Museum’s collection online, from ancient Egyptian artifacts to beautiful minerals, gems, and meteorites.
But there are more online experiences at the Royal Ontario Museum! These change regularly, so check back for my virtual experiences at the ROM.
And if you want that perfect virtual tour of the Royal Ontario Museum check out the Google Art & Culture street view here.
Ontario Legislative Assembly
Another top virtual tour of Toronto takes you into one of the most beautiful yet not widely visited buildings, the Ontario Legislative Assembly. Located in Toronto’s Queen’s Park, the Ontario Legislative Assembly is where members of the provincial parliament meet to pass bills and discuss important provincial matters. Built between 1886 and 1892 and in the Georgian architecture style, the Ontario Legislative Assembly is a stunning building both inside and out.
They run amazing free guided tours where you can learn about the building, its people, and discover interesting features. It’s also a great spot to see cherry blossoms in Toronto. But when you can’t travel you can take a virtual tour of the building. A couple of my favourite places in the building include the grand staircase and the incredible stain glass on the third floor.
Want other ideas on how you can travel from home? Check out these Inspiring Travel Books to help feed your wanderlust!
University of Toronto
Another of my favourite places in Toronto to explore is the University of Toronto’s downtown St. George campus. Wandering its historic buildings, many dating back to the early 1800s, winding pathways, and beautifully manicured green spaces make you feel like you’re stepping back in time.
And if you want to explore Toronto online, a great place to start is the University of Toronto’s virtual tour, which you can find here. The 360˚ online tour will take you by many of the enchanted buildings on-site like Hart House and the Soldiers’ Tower.
Related Post: 8 Things to do When You’re Not Travelling + Cures for Post Trip Blues
Rouge National Urban Park
How about enjoying a virtual hike? You can enjoy ten different virtual hikes in Canada’s first urban national park, Rouge National Urban Park. Download the Rouge App today and you can try out one of their many hikes before you head out. So, whether it’s a rainy day and you still want a dry dose of nature or you’re planning your next hike, try one or all of Rouge National Park’s virtual hikes.
The Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre
There are endless places in Toronto to explore that you may not have considered. Think the only way you can visit the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre is by attending a performance? Wrong! This National Historic Site runs year-round guided tours that will take you the behind the scenes, regale you in stories from its over 100 years existence, show you the world’s largest vaudeville scenery collection, and so much more.
Can’t go see that theatre performance you were looking forward to or take an in-person guided tour? Try taking a virtual tour of the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre. Explore the only Edwardian stacked theatre still in existence from home. Enter the grand hall and explore past its plush red seats and discover this Toronto gem.
Hop on Hop off City Bus Tour
One of my favourite ways to see a city when I first visit is through either a walking tour or a hop-on-hop-off bus tour. They both help you orient to where things are in the city and teach you about its top sights. Then you can go from there to visit the places that stood out during your tour. Toronto’s Hop on Hop off City Bus Tour will take you across the city and give you interesting tidbits of information that you may not have read in the guide books.
And while you may not be able to take one of these Toronto tours now, you can enjoy one online with this fun video of one during a beautiful summer day. Watch as you board at Yonge and Dundas Square and sit atop the red double-decker bus as it takes you on a virtual tour of Toronto.
6 Online Experiences of Toronto
Casa Loma
When we can’t travel we always seem to crave to visit places that are whimsical or enchanting like castles. Well, right in the heart of downtown Toronto is one that fits that bill, Casa Loma.
Turns out you don’t need to fly halfway across the world to experience a magical castle. While there’s a hefty price tag on admission into Casa Loma (cough, $30) it is worth it if you take the time to explore each and every room, corner, and passageway.
If you’re looking for a free tour or to enjoy this grand building sitting behind your computer at home then you can do that too! While it’s not like the Toronto virtual tours I’ve mentioned above, it is an awesome online experience.
Many of the rooms can be explored, like the Conservatory, the library, and more. Check out Casa Loma’s online experience here.
Gardiner Museum
One of my favourite museums in Toronto that I feel doesn’t get the attention it deserves is the Gardiner Museum. Perhaps it’s because it sits in the shadows of the Royal Ontario Museum that’s located right across the street.
The Gardiner showcases all things ceramics with a collection of 4,000 pieces that span from ancient Americas right up to today. They also run art classes and free guided tours.
But if you’re looking to visit from home you can check out their vast exhibits online through their website under Collections & Research. You can choose which collection you’d like to search, everything from Ancient Americas to 19th & Early 20th Century Ceramics, and even click on each object to learn more.
Art Gallery of Ontario
Another amazing museum to visit in Toronto is the Art Gallery of Ontario or the AGO. With over 90,000 pieces of art in its collection, the Art Gallery of Ontario has something to pique everyone’s interest. They also offer free tours with admission and even have pop up talks that discuss particular pieces.
Whether your art aficionado or just looking to dig deeper into some of your favourite art in between trips or when you’re stuck at home, you can always access the AGO’s collection. Of course, my favourite pieces to check out are by the Group of Seven.
Toronto Public Library
To me, the Toronto Public Library is one of Toronto’s hidden gems. Beyond all the books and stunning interior architecture is a range of interesting exhibits, like the Arthur Conan Doyle Room that’s dedicated to his wealth of literary works, including all things Sherlock Holmes.
But you can also enjoy a long list of virtual exhibits from the Toronto Public Library. Some tour Toronto like The Changing Face of Toronto and Garden City: Public and Private Gardens in Early Toronto. And others transport to another place like Frozen Ocean – Search for the North-West Passage. You can find all of their virtual exhibits here.
Related Post: +25 Amazing Toronto Gardens and Parks
The Toronto Zoo
For all those who love animals and know they’ll probably never get to see them in the wild, zoos have a remarkable ability to bring people and wildlife together. And the Toronto Zoo is just such a place.
With a heavy focus and conservation and education, the Toronto Zoo is a wonderful place to visit. Stepping into their pavilions dedicated to everywhere from the Americas to Australasia you’ll immediately be swept away to another place.
With the pungent smells of lowland gorillas and the quirky sounds of white-cheeked turacos, you’ll forget you’re in Toronto and think how did I get to Africa?
Even when you can’t visit the Toronto Zoo you can always get your daily dose of cute animals by checking out their Instagram stories as keeper continue to care for zoo animals and plants.
Or you can visit the Toronto Zoo’s Facebook page. During the recent closure, they are doing Facebook lives every day at 1pm where you can meet a different keeper and learn about some of the amazing animals that call the zoo home.
Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada
Who else is fascinated by sharks? I find them one of the most intriguing and sadly misunderstood creatures on Earth. And if you’re fascinated by the underwater world, as I am, you can take a peek below the surface with the Ripley Aquarium’s shark cam!
BONUS Ontario Virtual Tours & Online Experiences
Are you looking for more ways to experience Ontario places online? I couldn’t resist sharing a few of my favourite Ontario virtual tours and online experiences. Like Algonquin Park’s webcam that will show you what’s going on in the park right now, and boy what a beautiful view!
Another incredible online experience comes from the Stratford Festival. They’ve listed a bunch of awesome performances that you can now watch online, like the classic Romeo and Juliet.
If you’re looking for more outdoor virtual tours check out Bruce Peninsula National Park here.
If all of these aren’t enough, you can find an epic list of virtual tours of Ontario here. And you can also explore Canada virtually too!
And if you’re want to go beyond Canada:
8 Virtual Tours of Paris: Explore Iconic Places in Paris Online
While we navigate through these tough times don’t stop dreaming! And when you want something a little more real try one or more of these Toronto virtual tours and beyond.
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