Things to do in Toronto & Niagara Falls

Toronto's CN Tower has observation levels open until late, The Top 33 storeys higher and the seasonal EdgeWalk around the outside of the main pod, and Ripley's Aquarium of Canada next door shows sharks and a huge variety of marine species indoors. See dinosaur fossils, gems and mummies at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), graze from counter to counter at St. Lawrence Market, explore the lavish rooms, Peacock Alley and tunnels of the castle-style Casa Loma, and take the ferry from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal to the beaches and skyline views of Toronto Island Park. At Niagara Falls, Journey Behind the Falls leads through bedrock tunnels behind the Horseshoe Falls, the Niagara Parks Power Station pairs Tesla coil demonstrations with a tunnel to the river's edge and the Currents show after dark, and more than 3,000 butterflies fly free in the Butterfly Conservatory. In the holiday season the Distillery Winter Village and the Niagara Falls Winter Festival of Lights glow, and in Ottawa the Rideau Canal Skateway turns 7.8 km of the UNESCO-listed canal into a free rink when the ice allows, while Winterlude brings the Snowflake Kingdom to Canada's Capital Region.

Good to knowSt. Lawrence Market's South Market is closed on Mondays, while the North Market hosts a Saturday Farmers' Market from 5 am; Casa Loma sells date-specific tickets online, and buying Toronto Island ferry tickets online lets you use the express line, with Ward's Island a calmer option than busy Centre Island. Expect to get a little wet at Journey Behind the Falls, where strollers are not allowed. The Distillery Winter Village is free before 4 pm, with online-only timed tickets on busy evenings, and the Rideau Canal Skateway usually runs from January to early March depending on the ice, with skate and sleigh rentals.