2 Day Toronto Itinerary: 48 Hours, Built for the Weekend.
Two days in Toronto, planned for a Saturday and a Sunday. Saturday starts at the Farmers' Market and moves west through Old Town to Kensington Market and the gallery; Sunday covers the waterfront and ends a short walk from the train to the airport. Where to eat, what to cut and what to do with your bags are covered along the way.
Forty-eight hours is a real constraint in a city this size, and the plans that work accept that from the start. The question is not how much you can fit in; it is which part of Toronto you leave for next time, and how to arrange the rest so you spend the weekend in the city rather than travelling across it.
This plan assumes a Saturday and Sunday, which turns out to be an advantage. For orientation, neighbourhoods and transit, see our Toronto travel guide.
This 2 day Toronto itinerary spends Saturday in Old Town and the west side, starting at the St. Lawrence Farmers' Market and finishing at the AGO, and Sunday on the waterfront with the CN Tower and, in season, the islands. Sunday ends near Union Station, where the UP Express reaches Pearson in about 28 minutes. Midtown is the part to leave for another trip.
What to cut.
A first visit to Toronto naturally divides into three clusters: the waterfront and core, Old Town and the west side, and Midtown to the north. With two days, one has to wait.
Midtown is the one to drop. The Royal Ontario Museum, Yorkville and Casa Loma are all worthwhile, but they sit further from downtown and further from each other than anything else on a first-time list. The other two clusters are closer together and closer to where most visitors stay.
If Midtown matters more to you than the waterfront, swap them. And if you can stretch to a third day, our three-day Toronto itinerary puts Midtown back in, while a day trip to Niagara Falls is the other common use for the extra day.
At a GlanceThe weekend at a glance.
| When | Where | Main stops | Eat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday evening | Near your hotel | Arrive, settle in | Entertainment District or St. Lawrence |
| Saturday morning | Old Town | St. Lawrence Market and Farmers' Market, Distillery District | Breakfast at the market |
| Saturday afternoon | West side | Kensington Market, Chinatown, AGO | Lunch in Chinatown or Kensington |
| Saturday evening | West side | Queen West | Queen West or Ossington |
| Sunday morning | Core | CN Tower | Brunch in King West |
| Sunday afternoon | Waterfront | Harbourfront, Toronto Islands in season | Something light near the water |
| Sunday departure | Union Station | UP Express or vehicle to Pearson | — |
Why a weekend works in your favour.
A Saturday and Sunday avoid the most common scheduling trap in Toronto. St. Lawrence Market's South Market and the Art Gallery of Ontario are both closed on Mondays, and the ROM usually is too. On a weekend, everything in this plan is open.
Saturday also brings something weekdays do not. St. Lawrence Market runs its Farmers' Market in the North Market on Saturdays from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m., alongside the South Market, which opens at 7 a.m. On Sunday the South Market opens later, at 10 a.m., and antique dealers fill the North Market instead. For a first visit, Saturday is the better market day.
That single fact sets the order of the weekend. Old Town goes on Saturday, and the waterfront, which keeps the same hours all week, goes on Sunday.
ArrivingFriday evening, if you arrive early.
If you land on Friday, keep the evening simple: check in, walk out for dinner nearby, and save the energy for Saturday's early start. The Entertainment District and the St. Lawrence area both have plenty of options within a few minutes of most downtown hotels.
Arriving at Pearson with luggage after a long flight is the one moment in this weekend when the transport decision really matters. Arranging getting to your hotel from Pearson in advance means the evening starts at the hotel rather than on a platform. If your weekend involves two hotels, moving between hotels by car saves carrying bags across the city.
SaturdaySaturday: Old Town and the west side.
East to west, with food at every stage. One transit leg in the middle of the day.
Morning: the market, then the Distillery
Start early at St. Lawrence Market. The Farmers' Market in the North Market has the best selection before the late-morning crowds, and the South Market across the road holds more than a hundred vendors of produce, cheese, meat, fish and baked goods. It is the obvious place for breakfast.
From there, walk east to the Distillery District, a car-free quarter of restored Victorian industrial buildings with galleries, shops and cafés along brick-paved lanes. An hour or so is enough before heading west.
Afternoon: Kensington, Chinatown and the AGO
Take a westbound streetcar, or the subway, across downtown to Chinatown and Kensington Market. This is the natural lunch stop: Chinatown's Spadina Avenue and Kensington's side streets are full of casual places to eat. Kensington itself, with its vintage shops and converted Victorian houses, rewards wandering more than a plan.
On the last Sunday of the month in summer, Kensington has in past years closed its streets to cars for Pedestrian Sundays. The event has been paused in some years, so check the market's own announcements if your weekend falls on one; it would be a reason to swap Kensington onto Sunday.
A short walk east brings you to the Art Gallery of Ontario on Dundas Street West, the nearest subway stop being St. Patrick. On weekends the gallery closes at 5:30 p.m., without the later Wednesday and Friday evenings, so leave it at least a couple of hours before closing.
Evening: Queen West
From the AGO, walk south to Queen Street West, and continue west toward Ossington Avenue for dinner. Both are among the city's liveliest Saturday-night streets for restaurants and bars.
SundaySunday: the waterfront, ending at Union.
The easiest day to navigate, and deliberately the last. Everything is walkable, and it finishes a few minutes from the train to the airport.
Morning: the CN Tower
Go up the CN Tower in the morning. After a day on the ground, the view shows you how the neighbourhoods you walked through on Saturday fit together, and going early avoids the busiest part of the day. Brunch afterwards in King West is a short walk.
Afternoon: Harbourfront and the islands
Walk south to Harbourfront and follow the lakeside paths east. From mid-April to mid-October, City ferries from the terminal at the foot of Bay Street run to Centre Island, Hanlan's Point and Ward's Island, and a Sunday afternoon on the car-free islands, with the skyline view back toward the city, is a fitting end to the weekend.
Two tips from the City's passenger information: tickets bought online stay valid until the end of the calendar year, whereas tickets bought at the terminal must be used that day; and Ward's Island is quieter than the busy Centre Island route. On a summer Sunday, both matter.
Departure: Union Station
The ferry terminal is a short walk from Union Station, which is why the waterfront goes last. The UP Express runs from Union to Pearson Terminal 1 in about 28 minutes, every 15 minutes, from a platform in the SkyWalk. If your flight leaves from Terminal 3, take the free Terminal Link train across from Terminal 1, and allow time for it.
FoodWhere to eat, neighbourhood by neighbourhood.
Toronto's restaurant scene changes quickly, and any list of specific places is out of date within months. What does not change is which neighbourhoods suit which meal, and how they fit into each day. Choose the area first, then check current reviews for somewhere within it.
| Meal | Neighbourhood | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday breakfast | St. Lawrence Market | Market stalls, bakeries and quick counters |
| Saturday lunch | Chinatown and Kensington Market | Casual, varied, inexpensive, lots of choice on foot |
| Saturday dinner | Queen West and Ossington | Busy restaurants and bars; booking ahead is wise |
| Sunday brunch | King West | Brunch-focused restaurants close to the CN Tower |
| Sunday late lunch | Harbourfront and the Entertainment District | Convenient options near the water and Union Station |
| Farther afield | Little Italy, the Danforth, Yorkville | Worth the trip if you have an evening to spare |
Saturday evening is the one meal worth booking in advance, particularly in warmer months, when patios fill early.
Departure DayWhat to do with your bags on Sunday.
The awkward part of any weekend trip: checkout is in the morning, the flight is in the evening, and there is a whole day in between. There are four sensible options.
| Option | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel bag hold | Most hotels will keep luggage after checkout; you return to collect it | Travellers whose hotel is near the waterfront or Union |
| Storage at Union Station | BagsAway operates luggage storage in the SkyWalk, steps from the UP Express platform | Anyone taking the UP Express to Pearson |
| Storage at Pearson | Staffed luggage storage before security in both terminals | Travellers who want to drop bags at the airport first |
| Keep them in a booked vehicle | A chauffeur booked by the hour holds your bags while you sightsee, then drives to the airport | Families, groups, heavy luggage |
For most visitors taking the train, Union Station works best, because the UP Express platform and the storage are in the same part of the station. Leave your bags there on the way to the CN Tower, and collect them on the way back from the ferry.
Swaps for rain and winter.
- Rain on Saturday. Spend longer inside the market and at the AGO, and shorten the Distillery and Kensington walks.
- Rain on Sunday. Keep the CN Tower, drop the islands, and add the aquarium at the tower's base. Downtown's underground PATH network connects much of the core, including Union Station.
- Winter. Outside mid-April to mid-October the ferry runs only to Ward's Island. Use Sunday afternoon for a relaxed long lunch near Union instead, or for Midtown if you would rather see the ROM.
If your weekend includes a Monday.
A Sunday–Monday trip needs one change. St. Lawrence Market and the AGO are closed on Mondays, so run the plan in reverse: Old Town and the west side on Sunday, the waterfront on Monday. You lose the Saturday Farmers' Market, but gain the Sunday antique market in its place.
Our three-day Toronto itinerary sets out the Monday closures in full.
Five weekend mistakes.
- Trying to fit Midtown in as well. Three areas in two days means most of the weekend is spent travelling.
- Visiting the market on Sunday when Saturday was free. You miss the Farmers' Market and start three hours later.
- Leaving the waterfront until after checkout with bags in hand. Store them first.
- Not booking Saturday dinner. The best-known streets fill early on weekend nights.
- Forgetting the Terminal 3 connection. The UP Express serves Terminal 1 only.
Departure day, by the hour.
Most of this weekend is best done on foot and by transit, and it was planned that way. The one point where a chauffeur changes the day meaningfully is Sunday.
Booked by the hour, a vehicle collects you and your luggage at checkout, holds the bags while you visit the CN Tower and the waterfront, and takes you straight to the airport afterwards. No bag storage to find, no return trip to the hotel, no platform with suitcases. That is especially useful for families, groups and anyone flying out of Terminal 3.
Details of booking a chauffeur by the hour are on our hourly service page, and our wider chauffeur and limousine service in Toronto covers airport arrivals and the rest of the weekend. Obsidian Ride operates 24/7 dispatch with real-time flight tracking.
Spend Sunday in the city, not the luggage room.
Book a chauffeur by the hour for departure day, and your bags travel with you from checkout to the airport while you see the waterfront.
2 day Toronto itinerary: frequently asked questions.
Is 2 days enough in Toronto?
Two days is enough for a satisfying first visit if you accept that one part of the city has to wait. A weekend comfortably covers St. Lawrence Market, the Distillery District, Kensington Market, the AGO, the CN Tower and the waterfront. Midtown, including the ROM and Casa Loma, is the area to save for another trip or a third day.
What should I prioritise with only 48 hours in Toronto?
Prioritise the areas that sit close together downtown: Old Town with St. Lawrence Market and the Distillery District, the west side with Kensington Market and the AGO, and the waterfront with the CN Tower and, in season, the islands. Those three clusters give a first-time visitor the clearest picture of the city in the time available.
Is Saturday or Sunday better for St. Lawrence Market?
Saturday, for most first-time visitors. The South Market opens at 7 a.m. and the Farmers' Market runs in the North Market from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m., so both are trading together. On Sunday the South Market opens at 10 a.m. and the North Market hosts antique dealers instead. The market is closed on Mondays.
Where should I eat on a weekend in Toronto?
Choose by neighbourhood to match where you are sightseeing. St. Lawrence Market suits breakfast or lunch, Chinatown and Kensington Market suit a casual lunch on the west side, Queen West and Ossington suit Saturday dinner, and King West and the Entertainment District suit a Sunday meal near the waterfront. Restaurants change often, so check current reviews before booking.
What can I do with my luggage on my last day in Toronto?
Ask your hotel to hold it after checkout, which most will do. Alternatively, BagsAway operates luggage storage in Union Station's SkyWalk, steps from the UP Express platform, and Toronto Pearson has staffed luggage storage before security in both terminals. A chauffeur booked by the hour can also keep your bags in the vehicle while you sightsee.
How do I get to Pearson from downtown on a Sunday?
The UP Express runs from Union Station to Pearson Terminal 1 in about 28 minutes, every 15 minutes, which makes it the natural choice if your Sunday ends on the waterfront. Terminal 3 passengers take the free Terminal Link train from Terminal 1. Taxis, ride-share and pre-arranged transfers take you door to door.
Can I visit the Toronto Islands on a 2-day trip?
Yes, between mid-April and mid-October, when City ferries run to Centre Island, Hanlan's Point and Ward's Island. On a weekend itinerary, the islands fit best on Sunday afternoon, since the ferry terminal is near Union Station. Outside that season service runs only to Ward's Island, and the time is better spent elsewhere.
Is the plan different if my trip includes a Monday?
Yes. St. Lawrence Market's South Market and the AGO are closed on Mondays, and the ROM usually is too. If your two days include a Monday, spend it on the waterfront and CN Tower, and put the market and gallery on the other day. Our three-day itinerary explains how to plan around the Monday closures.
Do I need a car for a weekend in Toronto?
No. Everything in this plan is walkable or reachable by streetcar and subway, and parking downtown is limited and expensive. The one exception is departure day, when luggage makes a vehicle more useful than it is at any other point in the trip.
Is it worth hiring a chauffeur for a weekend in Toronto?
For most of a weekend, walking and transit serve well. A chauffeur is most useful on departure day, when a vehicle booked by the hour can carry your bags between the last sights and the airport, and for families, groups or anyone who prefers not to manage transit connections at all.