What's the best way to see Lake Ontario?

According to Tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience Lake Ontario: Day-Trip from Toronto to Niagara Falls with Falls Boat Ride (From $108.32) Private, Custom Day Tour/ Niagara Falls, Canada from Toronto, Canada, (Downtown) (From $328.15) Air Taxi & Tour Niagara - Toronto (From $569.05) Air Taxi & Tour Toronto - Niagara (From $566.41) Original Haunted Walk of Toronto Ghost Tour (From $21.94)

What hotels are near Lake Ontario?

Hotels near Lake Ontario: (0.33 mi) Le Germain Hotel Toronto Maple Leaf Square (0.26 mi) The Westin Harbour Castle, Toronto (0.30 mi) Radisson Blu Toronto Downtown (0.40 mi) Delta Hotels by Marriott Toronto (0.64 mi) Making Waves Boatel View all hotels near Lake Ontario on Tripadvisor

What restaurants are near Lake Ontario?

Restaurants near Lake Ontario: (0.11 mi) BeaverTails (0.06 mi) Tim Hortons (0.06 mi) Pearl Harbourfront Chinese Restaurant (0.05 mi) Joe Bird (0.05 mi) The Goodman Pub and Kitchen View all restaurants near Lake Ontario on Tripadvisor

What attractions are near Lake Ontario?

Attractions near Lake Ontario: (0.03 mi) Fleck Dance Theatre (0.09 mi) Toronto Harbour Tours (0.13 mi) City Cruises Toronto (0.18 mi) Buzz Tours (0.07 mi) Queen's Quay Terminal View all attractions near Lake Ontario on Tripadvisor

Lake Ontario - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

#153 of 6,140 things to do in Ontario

Bodies of Water

12:00 AM - 11:59 PM

Monday

12:00 AM - 11:59 PM

Tuesday

12:00 AM - 11:59 PM

Wednesday

12:00 AM - 11:59 PM

Thursday

12:00 AM - 11:59 PM

Friday

12:00 AM - 11:59 PM

Saturday

12:00 AM - 11:59 PM

Sunday

12:00 AM - 11:59 PM

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About

One of the mighty Great Lakes that offers outstanding tourism and recreation opportunities for every season.

Suggested duration

1-2 hours

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Tours & experiences

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Top ways to experience Lake Ontario and nearby attractions

The area

Neighborhood: Downtown

At the heart of Toronto, Downtown is the destination for cheap eats and fast fashion. Cut through by hip and trendy Yonge Street, the vibe here is young, with a strong student influence from the Ryerson University Campus. As a result, the Downtown area is always in flux: undergoing the construction of new facilities, with fresh retail spaces and pop-up cafes. Home to Toronto's largest indoor shopping mall, a number of vintage cinemas, and a healthy nightlife centered on the area's Distillery District bar and clubs near the East End, it's both an easygoing daytime spot and a popular party place after sunset. It also features some of Toronto's best outdoor landmarks, including Yonge-Dundas Square and the Nathan Phillips Square: perfect for a concert, a skate, or a relaxing sit-down.

How to get there

Union • 10 min walk

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Best nearby

Restaurants

3,683 within 3 miles

Miku

466

0.2 mi$$$$ • Japanese • Seafood • Sushi

BeaverTails

177

0.1 mi$ • Dessert • Fast Food • Canadian

Amsterdam BrewHouse - On the Lake

2,816

0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Brew Pub • Bar

Evviva Restaurant

409

0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Healthy • Canadian

Harbour 60 Toronto

663

0.3 mi$$$$ • American • Steakhouse • Canadian

Amsterdam Brewery

258

0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • Brew Pub • Bar • Pub

Tim Hortons

220

334 ft$ • Quick Bites • Cafe • Fast Food

e11even

481

0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Bar • Contemporary

Pearl Harbourfront Chinese Restaurant

370

338 ft$$ - $$$ • Chinese • Asian • Cantonese

RS - Real Sports

1,006

0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Bar • Pub

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Attractions

515 within 6 miles

Fleck Dance Theatre

6

139 ftTheaters

Queen's Quay Terminal

0.2 miPoints of Interest & Landmarks

Ripley's Aquarium of Canada

20,700

0.4 miAquariums

Toronto Islands Ferries

0.5 miPoints of Interest & Landmarks • Architectural Buildings

Steam Whistle Brewery

0.8 miFlea & Street Markets

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.

4.5

792 reviews

Excellent

426

Very good

267

Average

73

Poor

21

Terrible

5

KodoDrummer

Buenos Aires, Argentina64,824 contributions

Great lake for boating, swimming & sunsets

Jul 2018 • Friends

We enjoyed a few activities related to this Great Lake. We went for a boat ride on the lake and around Toronto Island. The water was nice and smooth, and we saw many other boats out. During the day we walked along a boardwalk and in the evening strolled on a path beside the water, from where we watched a beautiful sunset.

Written August 7, 2018

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sydmo8299

Jonesborough, TN245 contributions

Beautiful Lake!

May 2019 • Family

Lake Ontario is a beautiful lake. I would highly recommend a stroll along the shore. Don’t just see it from afar. Experience it up close.

Written May 24, 2019

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

xoxAJTxox

Toronto, Canada48 contributions

Amazing waterfront walk, even in Winter

Jan 2018 • Solo

One of my favourite places in Toronto is the waterfront of Lake Ontario.

Catching the TTC to downtown Toronto, you can get off at Union Station and take a short walk down to the waterfront, to feel like you're in a different world.

In summer, the bustling boardwalk is home to live music, sailing, boat tours, pedal bikes and amazing green spaces to relax and unwind in. It's the gateway to the Toronto Islands, with ferries to take passengers across the bay to explore.

In winter it's an icy wonderland, with hot coffee, ice skating, and lots of warm spots to stop off and eat on the way.

One of my favourite things to do is stop off and grab a coffee before making my way down to Harbour Square Park near the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal. From there, the meandering path takes you lakeside, past the Beaver Tails Dessert Shop (which are a must-eat, they are ridiculous but amazing if you have a sweet tooth!) and onto the Waterfront Trail.

The Harbourfront Centre Natrel Rink is a great place to stop off and skate in the winter. Admission to the rink is free and you can rent skates and helmets for around $15CAD if you don't have your own.

Carrying on, if you need to stop and eat, the Amsterdam Brewhouse is a great spot for food. In the summer you can eat outside on the deck (and it's amazing) but in winter it's a snug spot for some hearty food. During busy times you may want to make a reservation, as it's popular here.

There are also great spots to stop off and people watch in HTO park and HTO Park West, before heading along to Ireland Park. Although there are beautiful photo ops the whole way along the waterfront, with different art and architecture all along the route, this is one of my favourite spots with a great photo looking back toward Toronto and the CN Tower.

If you're done with walking, at Queens Quay and Spadina you should be able to take the trolley back to Union Station to get you back on the TTC.

Written April 15, 2018

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Hayley

Toms River, NJ6 contributions

Lake Ontario

Apr 2021

Lots of area where more preservation could be done. The lake, if not properly taken care of and left to heal itself after selfish human activities to wreck it might never recover. We need to be vigilant and make the lake more pristine than it is now.

Written April 28, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cindy

Sarnia, Canada12 contributions

There still is a chance

Apr 2021

The lake still could be made more pollution free. There still is loads that could be done to preserve this nature's gift to humanity.

Written May 4, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

bartholomew b

Niagara Falls, Canada6 contributions

"Great" Lake? I don't think so.

Nov 2018 • Couples

My wife and I decided to picnic by this "Great" lake. Whoever called it great was lying. A "Just OK" Lake is more like it. When we got there, we were underwhelmed. It was so grey and wet. Too wet. It didn't offer much in the way of waves either. It just kinda sat there, not doing much of anything. I don't know if it was the sky or the lake, but there wasn't much of a reflection going on either. Boring! We ate our soggy egg salad sandwiches and left. Will not be returning.

Written November 8, 2018

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Milton Kanno

Sao Paulo, SP10,063 contributions

Not much

Aug 2018 • Couples

Nothing special. I wish I didnt read about the polution of the lake it doesnt fit the image I have from Toronto. The view is nothing special, during summer it may have some apeal for those who take a ride by ferry, in the winter it is the element the leverages cold Wind.

Written August 23, 2018

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

trainfan2000

Hamilton, Canada2,590 contributions

Lots of Places to See the Lake

Sep 2018 • Couples

There are many places to see this Great Lake. If you are in Toronto the lake is almost hidden from view in the downtown core. If you do go down to Harbourfront area you can get boats tours around the harbour and out into the lake. The east end of city, in Scarborough, offers some nice views of the lake around Rouge Hill and the Scarborough bluffs. In Burlington, out to the west, there are many nice views of the lake and Spencer Smith Park is on the lake itself. Loyalist Parkway, a roadway between Trenton and Kingston offers a hour drive along the lake shore with great views of the lake.

Written October 3, 2018

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

78victoria

Leeds, United Kingdom25 contributions

Toronto trip

Jun 2018 • Couples

Visited Toronto for 4 nights on a 10 night travelling trip of North America. This was our last stop following New York and Niagara Falls. Both my husband and I loved Toronto and the Canadian people we so friendly. We took a boat trip out in Lake Ontario and the views of the lake from land and on the boat were beautiful. You were given a talk on board about the local history. We would go back to Canada again. Highly recommended seeing the Great Lakes.

Written August 29, 2018

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

martytyna

Katowice, Poland115 contributions

I miss the view of it.

Sep 2017 • Friends

It's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I'm always surprised by the beauty of nature and Lake Ontario definitely has something very special. :)

Written August 4, 2018

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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