CN Tower: Toronto Travel Guide (4.6★)

A concrete needle over the lake

From almost any street in downtown Toronto, you can see the tower. It is a single grey concrete shaft, 553.3 metres tall, with a doughnut-shaped pod about two-thirds of the way up and a thin antenna above it. It opened in 1976. For more than three decades it was the tallest free-standing structure in the world, until Dubai’s Burj Khalifa passed it in 2007.

Up close, the base is busier than the skyline view suggests. Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada sits at its foot and Rogers Centre is right next door. Roundhouse Park, with its old railway turntable, is across the plaza. Lake Ontario starts a few blocks south, beyond the Gardiner Expressway.

Getting to Bremner Boulevard

The address is 290 Bremner Blvd, and the easiest approach stays indoors the whole way.

• Subway: Ride Line 1 (Yonge–University) to Union Station.
• On foot from Union: Follow signs for the SkyWalk, an enclosed glass walkway over the rail tracks. It brings you out beside the tower and the aquarium.
• GO Transit and UP Express: Both stop at Union, so you can come straight from Pearson Airport or the suburbs.
• Streetcar: The 509 and 510 run along Queens Quay and Spadina, a short walk south and west.

Driving downtown is slow and parking costs a lot, especially on Blue Jays game days at Rogers Centre.

The levels, from the floor up

The elevators set the tone. They have glass fronts and climb the shaft in under a minute, so your ears pop and the city drops away beneath you. Where you go next depends on your ticket.

• LookOut Level (346 m): This is the main indoor ring with floor-to-ceiling windows. On a clear day you can see the Toronto Islands, the island airport and a long stretch of shoreline.
• Glass Floor (342 m): A panel of reinforced glass you can stand, sit or lie on, with nothing between you and the plaza far below. Most people edge onto it with one foot first.
• Outdoor SkyTerrace: Also on the 342 level, it sits behind a safety mesh, so you feel the wind and hear the traffic from above.
• SkyPod (447 m): A separate elevator takes you up to this smaller, higher deck. It costs extra and is worth it if you want the full height.

EdgeWalk is a harnessed walk around the outside rim of the main pod, open in season only. You have to book it in advance through the official site.

Dinner that turns while you eat

The 360 Restaurant does one full slow rotation in about 72 minutes. That means you see the lake, the islands and the downtown towers during a single meal without leaving your seat. It is on the pricier side. People usually book it for a celebration or a sunset sitting.

Check the restaurant’s own reservation page for what your booking covers and when it serves. Its hours are not the same as the observation levels’ hours.

Beating the crowds at the base

This is one of the most-reviewed attractions in Canada, and the queues reflect that. They form at security, at the elevators and at the glass floor. Timing matters more than anything else you do.

• Go early. On weekdays it’s quietest from 9am to 11am. On weekends the calm window is shorter, 9am to 10am.
• Avoid weekend afternoons. From 12pm to 9pm on Saturdays and Sundays the lines build and stay long. If a weekend is your only option, be at the door for the first slot.
• Buy a timed ticket online. Prices and ticket tiers are on the official CN Tower site. Booking ahead saves you a line at the ticket counter.
• Pack light. Everyone goes through airport-style security. Big bags slow you down and may be refused.
• Check visibility first. Low cloud can hide the view entirely. Look up at the pod before you buy: if the top is in fog, pick another day.

Paying by card or tap is standard everywhere in the building. In Canada, sit-down restaurant staff expect a tip, typically 15 to 20 percent. Counter cafés don’t.

Timing your visit around the light

At the moment, Google shows the tower open from 9am to 9:30pm every day of the week. Observation hours change with the season and for special events, so check this month’s schedule on the official site before you go.

Allow 90 minutes to two hours for the LookOut and glass floor. Add time for the SkyPod or a meal. Many visitors arrive in daylight and stay into the evening to watch the city lights come on.

Back on the ground, the LED lights on the shaft change colour in the evenings, often for holidays or causes. The best place to see them is the waterfront along Queens Quay or a ferry back from the Toronto Islands.