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Things to  Do in Toronto in the Winter

Winter in Toronto is frosty, but that doesn’t mean it’s not fun. Stay warm by visiting some of the city’s top attractions and hottest (or iciest) events for the 2026 winter season.

 

To help you plan your urban explorations, here are the best things to do in Toronto in winter from a warm-blooded local’s point of view.

Toronto Winter Temperature

While the temperature in Toronto in winter can dive down to a piercing -20C (-4F) or lower, don’t worry. The average winter temp is more like -4C (25F).

Whether you’re in Toronto for one day or you live here year round, these top winter festivals and activities will help you discover the best of it.

Go Skating and Make It a Party

Due to my husband’s obsession with hockey and all things ice, we’ve visited a lot of skating rinks. A lot.

I’m always the worst skater on the ice, but on the plus side, I get to spend time outdoors and explore different areas of Toronto as we check out different rinks.

Skating at Nathan Phillips Square – Toronto’s Answer to the Rockefeller Center

The most popular rink with leisure skaters is the rink at Nathan Phillips Square, a bustling skating venue with music and a carnival atmosphere.

It’s great for visitors to Toronto as skate rentals are available, and it has a central location right at City Hall at 100 Queen St. West.

The Bentway Trail – The Coolest Place to Skate

The more recently built Bentway Trail, a 1.75 km figure eight skating path under the Gardiner Expressway, is the place getting all the buzz these days, and we hesitated before checking it out.

“Who wants to skate under an expressway?” asked my husband when I badgered him about it, but this urban chic hotspot (or should I say cold spot?) is actually fun.

Located right by the Fort York National Historic Site, the Bentway runs east of the Fort York Visitor Centre at 250 Fort York Blvd.

Check the website for times.

Harbourfront Rink

Harbourfront, an iconic Toronto winter attraction, is good to go. It was closed a couple of years ago but has roared back bigger and better.

This popular Toronto rink overlooking Lake Ontario should run until mid-March.

So get down to the waterfront and put your dancing skates on! Yes, there is music to skate by on Saturday DJ Skate Nights.

Admission is free.

Accessibility: Wheelchair users can try the Lugicap Ice Perf, which is a specially-designed sled. A companion is required.

Check the website for details.

Location: 235 Queens Quay West.

Head to the Distillery

The Distillery District is a cobblestoned collection of Victorian industrial buildings, including a historic distillery and plenty of brick facades.

These days, it’s a pedestrian leisure destination filled with galleries, artsy boutiques and restaurants.

It really ramps up during the winter with the Christmas Market, but even if you miss the holiday festivities or New Year’s Eve, it’s still a fun place to go on a chilly day. 

Try Sunday Morning Yoga at the Illuminarium

For some unique activities there, you can try immersive yoga at the Illuminarium, a sensory dive into wellness that combines traditional yoga practices with high-tech surroundings. Get tickets at the Illuminarium website here.

Do a Sake Tasting

Personally, I’m crazy about warm sake. The Ontario Spring Water Sake Company combines the best of Canada and Japan with sake made with Muskoka spring water. 

You can do tours and tastings in the Distillery at 51 Gristmill Lane. Book at OntarioSake.

Getting to the Distillery District

While the Distillery District is not right downtown, it’s not hard to get to by public transportation.

I usually take the King Street streetcar east from downtown to Parliament, then walk south to Mill Street. Or it’s a twenty minute walk east along the Esplanade from Union Station.

 

Visit a Chocolate Factory for a Spicy Hot Chocolate

Not all of the top things to do in Toronto in winter take place outside. In a sub zero city like ours, hot chocolate has been elevated to an art, and there are some great places to try it.

Soma Chocolate

Local favourite Soma has three locations: Cacao Bean Lab at 77 Brock Ave, 443 King Street West, and the Distillery District.

Time for a Mayan hot chocolate with cayenne, ginger and orange peel anyone?

 

Check Out the York Ice Trail in Feb 2026

When: Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 February 2026, from 10:30 a.m.

Step into the heart of York, where the city’s historic streets transform into a glittering wonderland during the York Ice Trail 2026.

This free event features the theme of An Enchanted City, where magic and spells weave a trail that needs to be followed. 

See breathtaking ice sculptures, visit the Ice Village Market, watch live carving demonstrations, and take part in interactive experiences perfect for all ages.

And by the way, I had to learn how to ice carve for a TV show once, and it truly is an impossible art form – at least for me.

Stop by the Visit York Information Centre on Parliament Street for information.

Stroll Through Yorkville

Year-round, the swanky area of Yorkville is a hot destination for visitors to Toronto.

It’s my ‘hood so I’m biased, but it really is a great place to hang out and people watch. In my humble opinion, it’s the prettiest neighbourhood in town.

You’ll find lots of la-de-dah art galleries, the high-end Hazelton Village Mall and the most urban of urban parks.

As well, restaurants like Alo Bar and Sofia sizzles with energy and a see-and-be-seen social scene. (I just had the Wagyu & Petrossian Caviar latke with crème fraîche and wasabi … and wow! Delish.)

(Though my husband preferred the Seared Sea Scallop with chanterelle, amontillado and chive.)

And, for some visual spice, head to Bloor Street West between Church Street and Avenue Road where you’ll find urban benches that light up like campfires. Too bad they won’t warm you up.

See Classic Winter Landscapes at the Art Gallery of Ontario

Get a different perspective on winter in Toronto, and see how Canada’s snowy scenes have inspired artists over the years at the Art Gallery of Ontario on Dundas Street. 

The AGO is one of the top Toronto tourist attractions and their Thomson Collection is a fab collection of Canadian landscapes.

Seeing some of the AGO’s winter-themed artwork will help you (at least it helps me) see winter in a more positive light.

And I need as much positive light on winter in TO as I can get, otherwise I wouldn’t leave my apartment until spring.

Check out classics such as Paul Kane’s Scene in the Northwest – A Portrait from 1845, or one of the glacial mountainous scenes by superstar Lawren Harris.

Celebrity Alert: Lawren Harris is part of the Group of Seven, Canada’s most famous group of landscape painters. His work is a big favourite with actor Steve Martin, which puts Harris firmly on the celeb artist hot list.

 

Check Out the Dinosaurs at the Royal Ontario Museum

Ah, back before the glaciers covered the earth, tropical forests covered much of the land we now call Canada and dinosaurs roamed. 

Harken back to those warmer eons with a trip to the Royal Ontario Museum, one of the most popular Toronto points of interest.

The ROM has one of the most comprehensive collections of dinosaur skulls in the world, including a triceratops and a helmet-crested Corythosaurus.

And who doesn’t want to see a helmet-crested Corythosaurus?

If you’re looking for things to do in winter in Toronto with kids, this is your place.

The big draw (I mean, really big) is Gordo, a massive Barosaurus skeleton, one of only three complete Barosaurus skeletons on display in the world.

Other dino highlights to give you the Jurassic shivers are duck-billed dinosaurs, a flying Quetzalcoatlus and the museum’s most famous fossil skeleton, the tube-crested Parasaurolophus walkeri.

Bonus points if you can spell any one of those.

 

Tramp Out To Some Top Toronto Nature Spots

Getting out in nature is when the beauty of a Toronto winter really shines. Here are a couple of top destinations to wander through.

Toronto Islands

While the Toronto Islands are a much-loved destination in summer, they’re great for winter excursions, too. Frozen lagoons, waterfront walks and skyline views – what more do you need? The ferries go year round.

High Park

High Park is one of my main go-to nature destinations when the temperature drops.

Take a walk along Grenadier Pond. If the ice is frozen you can watch the skaters, or stroll the trails along the pond to marvel at the plucky duck families somehow staying warm.

Steam Up At a Spa

When the bitter winds get too much, sometimes you need to soak out the shivers. A good place for this is at one of Toronto’s top spas that has amenities such as a steam room, hot tub or pool.

If you’re going with your significant other, the co-ed lounge at the oddly-named Spa My Blend by Clarins spa at the Ritz-Carlton Toronto is a tranquil way to cozy up.

It’s as ritzy as the Ritz can get, with (segregated) amenities such as an aroma-infused hot tub, sauna and eucalyptus steam room.

There are plenty of other options for Toronto spas with jacuzzis and saunas, including the more affordable Elmwood Spa, a long running spa that’s been a fixture on Elm Street just off Yonge Street forever.

Winterlicious – Eat Well For Less

When: January 30 to February 12, 2026

One of the most satisfying things to do in Toronto in winter? Eat!

After all, without fat stores in our body how would we stay warm?

The solution? Winterlicious.

What is it? Winterlicious is a long-running food fest that gives hungry patrons a chance to fuel up at some of the city’s best restaurants at a reasonable price.

Meals are prix fixe, meaning you pay a set price for a set menu, and many restaurants offer both lunch and dinner.

The top restaurants fill up fast, so book as early as you can. But with some 200 restaurants participating, you’re sure to find something.

The listing isn’t out yet, but some sure to be popular are Lapinou for French fare, Pai for Thai, and Don Alphonso 1890 for Italian.

Once booking opens you’ll be able to reserve your Winterlicious table here.

 

Cheer On the Maple Leafs At a Hockey Game

My husband says I have to include this, so I am.

For a truly iconic winter in Toronto experience you can check out a Maple Leafs game at the Scotiabank Arena at 40 Bay Street.

If you can’t get tickets you can stand around and freeze amidst the lively communal sports spirit at Maple Leaf Square, the outdoor public square where games are broadcast live on the 80-by-50-foot screen.

My husband says I have to include this, too: For a less-crowded more affordable experience you can check out an AHL game with the Toronto Marlies.

He started telling me about other leagues as well, but I got tired of writing about hockey.

See the Stanley Cup at the Hockey Hall of Fame

Okay, since we’re on a roll, here’s one more hockey-themed thing to do in Toronto.

Head down to the Hockey Hall of Fame on Front Street, where you can learn everything you ever wanted to know about Canada’s most beloved sport, and see where the Stanley Cup lives when it’s not on tour.

 

See the Winter Views From the Top of the CN Tower

Sometimes I think winter is best viewed from a distance.

(My preference would be from a Bahamas-style distance but hey, this is an article about great Toronto winter activities, so let’s ignore the visions of palm trees in my head.) After all, a Toronto-sized distance can be fun, too.

Soaring up the 1,815-foot (553-metre) CN Tower, the ninth tallest building in the world, will give you a new perspective on all this cold weather.

You can ride up a glass-fronted elevator, stand on a glass floor, look out panoramic glass windows and go glassy eyed looking out over our icy Ontario landscape.

CN Tower’s 360 Restaurant

You can also dine in style. Canadian cuisine is on the menu at the revolving 360 Restaurant. The winter menu includes many of Canadian’s finest products and dishes such as Braised Ontario Lamb Shank or Nova Scotia Lobster.

Get Your Chills and Thrills With the Edge Walk

If a Toronto outdoor adventure is more your style, you can boost the chill factor by tackling the CN Tower’s Edge Walk, a hands-free walk on the ledge that encircles the tower at a mere 116 stories up.

The Edge Walk is one of the most adrenaline-inducing things to do in Toronto during winter I can think of. But I still really want to do it. The fear alone is guaranteed to heat up your blood.

Toronto Indoor Activities – Get Lost In the Path

I know I should be all stalwart and proud to embrace winter but I really hate being cold.

It may be one of the most unsung places to visit in Toronto in winter, but when I need exercise and can’t face wind, snow or sleet, I head to the Path.

What is the Path?

The Path is a pedestrian walkway that snakes underneath downtown and the Financial District.

Covering some 30 km of underground passageways, it’s a labyrinth of shops, restaurants and connects to office buildings, hotels (the Sheraton, for one), subway stations and Maple Leaf Square.

With 125 access and exit points, you can always pop up an escalator to see where you are, which is probably nowhere near where you think.

Best Route for the Path

I usually start at Union Station subway station and amuse myself by trying to find my way to the Eaton’s Centre through the extensive underground paths that burrow under the financial district.

It took me a year to figure out how to make it successfully from Union Station to the Eaton’s Centre, a toasty warm downtown mall, but now I’ve forgotten, so I have that exciting challenge facing me again this year.

Do I know how to have fun during winter or what?

Winter in Toronto Wrap Up

This is only the tip of the city-berg. There are new restaurants, intriguing museums, and world-class events to explore.

Hopefully the popular winter activities in Toronto listed here will kickstart your enjoyment of the season and help your celebrate, rather than slog through, the snowy season.