Places to Visit & Things to Do in Toronto
Among Toronto’s tall sea of condominiums are vibrant, hip neighbourhoods with cool eateries, art galleries, theatres, and music venues. Add to the mix a host of farmers’ markets, luxury stores, museums and a picturesque lake-front location, and you have a haven for the curious traveller.
Sights & Attractions in Toronto
Canada’s National Tower (the CN Tower) defines the Toronto skyline at over 550 metres tall. Head up there for staggering views. The bravest should try the extreme EdgeWalk – a full circle hands-free walk on a 1.5-metre-wide ledge around its main pod. Over in the Distillery Historic District is one of the largest and best-preserved collections of Victorian industrial architecture in North America and the backdrop to over 1,700 films. The site consists of dozens of 19th century buildings linked by brick-paved streets home to popular restaurants, a microbrewery, a sake producer, and a swathe of other unique shops and venues. Toronto has its very own castle, Casa Loma, where you can listen to a symphony orchestra at twilight, enjoy a traditional High Tea and dine on scrumptious beef and seafood at the BlueBlood Steakhouse.
Art and Culture in Toronto
Art lovers have a plethora of museums, galleries, and performance spaces to choose from. From the stunning Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts – home to the world-class Canadian Opera Company and the National Ballet of Canada – to the graceful Art Gallery of Ontario. Along the Bloor Street Culture Corridor are the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), the Royal Conservatory of Music, and two of the world’s great speciality museums: The Gardiner Museum of ceramic art and the Bata Shoe Museum.
Known locally as Broadway North, the Toronto Theatre District is the third largest English-speaking theatre centre in the world. And the annual Toronto International Film Festival in September is a huge international draw.
Shopping in Toronto
The Bloor-Yorkville area is the home of high-end retail, with all the big international designer names plus Canadian retail icons Harry Rosen, Holt Renfrew and William Ashley China. Yorkville Village shopping mall on Avenue Road is the destination for chic, exclusive brands.
If modern design is your thing, you might want to walk the first stretch along King Street East from Jarvis to Parliament Street. Here, you’ll find the city’s best modern design showrooms and pass innovative Canadian furniture and design shops such as Klaus (Nienkämper) and EQ3. For the obligatory jar of maple syrup or a box of maple cookies, check out St Lawrence Market which also hosts antique sellers on weekends.
Food and Drink in Toronto
Toronto’s restaurant scene is sizzling as talented celebrity chefs open an ever-expanding repertory of eateries. In and around the lively entertainment district of King Street West, spots such as Rodney’s Oyster House, Jacobs & Co. Steakhouse, Byblos (Middle Eastern), Momofuku, and Nota PLANTA Queen pack people in nightly for good food and fun. Buca Osteria & Enoteca does the same in the fashion district. In Yorkville, Kasa Moto serves contemporary Japanese food in a sophisticated setting. Hazelton Hotel’s One serves up the finest of fine dining; Buca Yorkville has high-end Italian seafood and Café Boulud in the Four Seasons Hotel is a classic French bistro. In the west end, try Union for historical Canadian recipes, Beohmer for Acadian-inspired dishes and Mamakas Taverna for authentic Aegean.
Tourists and locals alike flock to St Lawrence Market to browse the fresh produce from around the world and sample snacks and small plates that reflect city’s multicultural identity. The picnic tables allow you to saviour your food outside while admiring the market’s handsome red-brick home.
Unique to Toronto
Toronto’s walkable ravine network winds its way through the heart of the city and is easily missed if you don’t know it’s there. The pathways meander through woodlands, flanked by flowing streams and wild flora, creating a haven for wildlife and a hiker’s dream. Pick up a brochure on self-guided Discovery Walks and explore the Central Ravines, Belt Line and Gardens. It’s a marvellous 11km hike that starts at the Eglinton West subway station and goes through the Mount Pleasant Cemetery and the Don Valley or Evergreen Brick Works – a former quarry and brick plant converted into a year-round environmental centre for the community.
With a focus on sustainability, recreation, and education, Evergreen Brickworks also includes an organic farmers market, an excellent on-site restaurant and a lovely green space with boardwalks, ponds and wildflower meadows.
Membership Rewards® Programme
Cardmembers enrolled in the American Express Membership Rewards® programme will earn one additional bonus Membership Rewards point in addition to their standard earn rate (for a total of 2 points) for every full £1 spent on flights, prepaid hotels, car hire and experiences booked through the American Express Travel website americanexpress.com/en-gb//travel. Specific Card products or limited time promotions may offer additional Membership Rewards points, please see individual Card or promotion Terms and Conditions for more information. Additional Membership Rewards points cannot be earned on products which are not prepaid but are paid directly to the supplier, including cruise bookings and select hotel bookings. These bookings will not earn two Membership Rewards points for every £1 spent but will be earned at the normal rate of one point for every £1 spent. Full Terms and Conditions apply, please visit americanexpress.co.uk/termsandconditions.
To use Pay with Points, you must book your eligible purchase through American Express Travel and charge to a Membership Rewards programme-enrolled American Express® Card. Eligible purchases through American Express Travel exclude non-prepaid car rentals and non-prepaid hotels. Points will be debited from your Membership Rewards account, and credit for corresponding amount will be issued to the American Express® Card Account used. If points redeemed do not cover entire amount, the balance of purchase price will remain on the American Express Card account. When paying with a combination of your American Express Card and Membership Rewards points, only the value applied to the Card is eligible to earn Membership Rewards points.
Membership Rewards Terms and Conditions apply when booking on americanexpress.com/en-gb/travel/. Please visit visit americanexpress.com/en-gb/rewards/membership-rewards/terms/ for the Membership Rewards programme information and terms and conditions or call +44 0800 917 8053 to request a copy. For more information on Pay With Points visit americanexpress.com/uk/travel/how-to-pay-with-points. To earn or exchange Membership Rewards points, Cards must be registered to the American Express Membership Rewards programme and be active and current in their payments. Please allow up to ten weeks for Membership Rewards points to be credited to your Account. Bookings are subject to the full American Express Travel Terms and Conditions. To view these, please visit americanexpress.co.uk/termsandconditions.
Fine Hotels + Resorts (FHR) program benefits are available for new bookings made through Platinum Travel & Dining Concierge, Business Platinum Travel & Dining Concierge, the Dedicated Centurion® Team or American Express Travel (americanexpress.com/en-gb/travel/) with participating properties and are valid only for eligible Platinum Cardmembers or Centurion® Members and excludes Platinum Credit Companion Cards. Bookings must be made using an eligible Card and must be paid using that Card, or another American Express® Card, in the eligible Card Member's name, and that Card Member must be traveling on the itinerary booked. The average total value of the program benefits is based on prior-year bookings for stays of two nights; the actual value varies. Noon check-in and room upgrade are subject to availability and are provided at check-in; certain room categories are not eligible for upgrade. The type of US$100 Credit and additional amenity (if applicable) varies by property; the credit will be applied to eligible charges up to the amount of the credit. To receive the credit, the eligible spend must be charged to your hotel room. The credit will be applied at check-out. Advance reservations are recommended for certain credits. The type and value of the daily breakfast (for two) varies by property; breakfast will be valued at a minimum of US$60 per room per day. To receive the breakfast credit, the breakfast bill must be charged to your hotel room. The breakfast credit will be applied at check-out. If the cost of Wi-Fi is included in a mandatory property fee, a daily credit of that amont will be applied at check-out.
Benefits are applied per room, per stay (with a three-room limit per stay).Back-to-back stays booked by a single Card Member, Card Members staying in the same room or Card Members traveling in the same party within a 24-hour period at the same property are considered one stay and are ineligible for additional FHR benefits (“Prohibited Action”). American Express and the property reserve the right to modify or revoke FHR benefits at any time without notice if we or they determine, in our or their sole discretion, that you may have engaged in a Prohibited Action, or have engaged in abuse, misuse, or gaming in connection with your FHR benefits. Benefit restrictions vary by property. Benefits cannot be redeemed for cash and are not combinable with other offers unless indicated. Benefits must be used during the stay booked. Any credits applicable are applied at check-out in USD or the local currency equivalent. Benefits, participating properties, and availability and
amenities at those properties are subject to change. To be eligible for FHR program benefits, your eligible Card Account must not be cancelled. For additional information, call the number on the back of your Card.
The Hotel Collection (THC) benefits are available for new bookings of two consecutive nights or more made through American Express Travel (americanexpress.com/en-gb/travel/), Platinum Travel & Dining Concierge, Business Platinum Travel & Dining Concierge or the Dedicated Centurion® Team, with participating properties and are valid only for eligible Preferred Rewards Gold Cardmembers, Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Cardmembers, Platinum Cardmembers or Centurion® Members and excludes Platinum Credit Companion Cardmembers. Bookings must be made using an eligible Card and must be paid using that Card, or another American Express Card, in the eligible Card Member's name, and that Card Member must be traveling on the itinerary booked. Noon check-in, late check-out and the room upgrade are subject to availability; certain room categories are not eligible for upgrade. The type of US$100 credit and additional amenity (if applicable) varies by property; the US$100 credit will be applied to eligible charges up to US$100. To receive the US$100 credit, the eligible spend must be charged to your hotel room. The US$100 credit will be applied at check-out. Advance reservations are recommended for certain credits. Benefit restrictions vary by property. Benefits are applied per room, per stay (with a three-room limit per stay). Back-to-back stays booked by a single Card Member, Card Members staying in the same room or Card Members traveling in the same party within a 24-hour period at the same property are considered one stay and are ineligible for additional THC benefits (“Prohibited Action”). American Express and the Property reserve the right to modify or revoke the THC benefits at any time without notice if we or they determine, in our or their sole discretion, that you have engaged in a Prohibited Action, or have engaged in abuse, misuse, or gaming in connection with your THC benefits. Benefits cannot be redeemed for cash and are not combinable with other offers unless indicated. Benefits must be used during the stay booked. Any credits applicable are applied at check-out in US Dollars or the local currency equivalent. Benefits, participating properties, and availability and amenities at those properties are subject to change. To be eligible for THC program benefits, your eligible Card Account must not be cancelled. For additional information, call the number on the back of your Card.
International Airline Program (IAP)
1. Current International Airline Program Partners: Air Europa, American Airlines, British Airways, Delta, Etihad Airways, Emirates Airlines, Iberia, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Atlantic.
2. American Express reserves the rights to change these conditions from time to time with 21 days prior notice and/or to discontinue the whole program.
3. Airlines reserve the right to change, cancel or restrict flight operations without notice. IAP upgrades or specially negotiated fares may be limited by airlines to certain flights and/or dates (“blackouts”). IAP is subject to the terms and conditions of each participating carrier. American Express does not guarantee that seats or tickets will be available. Cabins of service and discounts vary by airline and route. Discounts are applicable to adult fares however some airlines extend savings to child fares.
4. To qualify for the IAP upgrades or specially negotiated fares:
a) Your journey must start and end at the same port as designated by the participating airline and be completed within the period during which your selected carrier participates in the program. You will be advised of any applicable dates at the time of booking;
b) IAP tickets must be purchased through the Platinum Travel Service and must be charged to a valid American Express Platinum Card which is in good standing;
c) The Platinum Cardmember who purchases the ticket(s) must be one of the travellers;
d) IAP tickets are non-transferable and non endorsable.
5. Any travel on non-participating airlines must be ticketed and paid for separately and is not part of the IAP. Certain code share or flights on the worldwide partners of the participating airlines may not apply.
6. Certain IAP airlines or non-participating airlines impose restrictions such as ticketing time limit on advance booking to indicate a timeline for ticketing upon making your reservations. For each individual airline Terms & Conditions, please check with the Platinum Travel Service for details.
7. IAP upgrade offers or specially negotiated fares may not be combined with any other promotion, discount, negotiated or corporate rate.
8. American Express acts only as an agent for travel service providers and does not own or operate any airline or means of transportation. American Express is not liable for service deficiencies on the part of airlines or other service providers, including but not limited to: accidents and injuries; delays; changes in routes or itineraries; loss, theft or damages to possessions. American Express strongly advises travellers to insure themselves against travel risks. Travellers are responsible for ensuring that they have valid documentation and for complying with the health, customs, currency and other laws of any country they enter or attempt to enter.
9. IAP is available to Platinum Cardmembers from a variety of participating airlines each with specifically designated ports of departure and arrival. Please refer to the Platinum Travel Service for details of participating airlines, applicable routing and timetables and fares in force at any particular time.
10. Other International Airline Program Terms & Conditions may apply.
For full Terms and Conditions for Global Lounge Collection®, please visit our Global Lounge page.
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