Let’s do the CN Tower

G’s normal pose!

So we travelled to Toronto in August, traveling from London Heathrow into Toronto’s Pearson Airport in around 8 hours. Be prepared for long queues at the airport as their security system is a crazy mess! It took us almost 2 hours to get through as all tourists and Canadian citizens are in the same queue!

Once we were through we caught an Uber into town as the UP Express was not running on that day (typical). It did only cost about $25 so I can’t complain and as we have found all across the US and Canada, the drivers are really friendly (although the Toronto traffic in rush hour was quite something).

Our hotel (The Westin Harbour Castle) was on the harbourfront and from outside the skyline was dominated by the mighty CN Tower.

We booked tickets via the CN Tower website, paying for general admission with an extra charge for the ‘Sky Pod’. This is literally just a higher level than the main observation deck and is not a ‘pod’ as you would imagine. You are given a timed entry for both but I would recommend arriving at least 15-20 minutes prior to your entry time to allow for any queuing. We were lucky when we visited as there were no lines and we went straight through with minimal waiting but I can imagine that in peak season / school trip season the lines are long! It is well organized and there are stands outside offering cold drinks and snacks but I can also imagine that it can get really hot in peak season.

So price wise, it was fairly pricey - we paid $56 each for our timed general admission plus access to ‘the Top’. The views from up there are pretty spectacular as it is the highest viewing platform in the Western Hemisphere! General admission on its own will cost between $45-$47 with concessions for seniors and children.

For the brave amongst you, you can do the Edgewalk for a snip at $199 each! For anyone that has ever walked the O2 in London or abseiled (ME!!) it looks to be a similar experience - you wear the normal mountaineering gear with harnesses and a helmet and walk on a 1.5m ledge which is located at 116 stores above ground level. Not for the faint hearted I think you’ll agree but what a thrill. Hindsight being a beautiful thing, once we’d left Toronto on our trip and moved on to our second stop in Washington, I was regretting my decision not to do this!

Make sure to check out the glass floor on the main observation level too - made my head a little swimmy looking all the way down to the ground!

If you wish to visit the 360 restaurant, this will need to be booked in advance. Included in the price is entry to the main and lower observation levels. There is a minimum spend in the restaurant of $75 each ($40 for children) so it is definitely not for everyone, but to be fair, this is a revolving restaurant with each revolution taking around 72 minutes - and the views will be magnificent. I cannot find on the website any mention of how long your sitting will be, but I would guess that each sitting is around 90 minutes.

There is a cafe on the ground level where you can purchase refreshments together with a KidZone which is free to access.

There is of course a well stocked gift shop at ground level and we did, of course, purchase the obligatory magnet for the fridge!

It’s worth noting that if you are interested, you can purchase a ticket called ‘Sea the Sky’ which combines the CN Tower and Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada - this combined ticket will cost $77 for adults, again with concessions for children and seniors.

The CN Tower is also included in the Toronto City Pass - if you are in town for a few days and want to see a few attractions, the City. Pass is the ticket for you - costing around $120 this will allow you access to the CN Tower, Ripley’s plus 3 more attractions of your choice - choose from Royal Ontario Museum, Casa Loma. City Cruises Toronto or Toronto Zoo. A great value ticket which is valid for 9 days.

Lastly, the Roger’s Centre is located right beside the CN Tower; why not catch a game if you are in Town. There is also a pro shop where you can purchase your Toronto Blue Jays collectibles - we (of course) popped in for a magnet for the fridge and got a squeaky Blue Jays bottle for our dog!

So whatever you decide to do in Toronto, enjoy !

See You Soon

Tracey and Georgia xx

** To watch our travel adventures visit georgialouisetravels on You Tube