When to Visit Toronto
One of the biggest questions that people tend to ask me is when to visit the city. From a personal point of view, I think that the Winter is the best time to visit the city from a purely aesthetic point of view, but I also acknowledge that summer is the best time in terms of the attractions that are available. It is ultimately a personal decision that needs to be made, but here are some things to mull about when you consider which season would be the best to visit Toronto.
Spring
Spring is a rather weird season in Toronto. Weather wise, the snow is starting to melt and while floods can get into the city from time to time, the receding layers of white can be beautiful for photography. The warming weather combined with the regular breezes from Lake Ontario can create heavenly weather for those that enjoy weather ranges between 5 and 15 Celsius and breezy conditions.
In terms of the attractions, all of the major city attractions are available around the calendar, so you’d be able to see them regardless of when you choose to travel. However, special events at places like The Canadian National Exhibition usually don’t start until the summer, so if you’re visiting the city in the hopes of going to a lot of events, this is not the best season to do that.
Summer
In my rather humble opinion, Summer has the worst weather of all four seasons in Toronto. Of course, I’m partial to cold weather and vacationing in a tropical paradise isn’t exactly my idea of a good time. If you’re partial to warm weather, then Summer is a great time to visit Toronto because the moderating influence of the nearby lake creates temperature ranges that frequently break 25 Degrees Celsius.
Summer is also the high period of tourism in the city, which means that all of the major and minor attractions will be in full swing. The baseball season is well underway by the time summer comes and the football season is not too far off. There’s usually extra public transit service in anticipation of higher traveller numbers, but by the same token finding transportation to and accommodation in the city can be harder and end up costing a lot more money.
Fall
Fall is a lot like Spring, except without the great view of melting snow. Towards the end of Fall however, snow will start to fall on the ground and provide a wholly different set of photographic opportunities. The weather ranges are about the same as they are for spring, although you can expect more wind in the Fall months.
Fall is a great time to visit Toronto if you’re looking for deals, because it is right after all of the Summer tourism peaks have passed. Attractions are looking for people to sustain themselves and many airline and hotel companies are doing the same thing. Rates in a lot of the city’s hotels tend to fall during this period and many of the attractions are silent enough that you can enjoy them alone. For the various parks, water bodies and beautiful religious structures in the city, this can really make all the difference in your overall experience.
Winter
As a Canadian for the last two decades, I’ve really developed an affinity for cold weather that makes me prefer winter over all of the other seasons. In terms of weather, you can often expect conditions that are below freezing, with a wind chill factor that can often make temperatures seem like they’re 20 to 25 below zero on the Celsius scale.
The major attractions are all still open, although the number of events that tend to be hosted during this time dips slightly. However, if you’re a big fan of photography, then getting the chance to take pictures of all of Toronto’s most beautiful buildings when they’re covered by snow might definitely be worth the colder weather.
As I said in the introduction, visiting Toronto is ultimately a personal choice. There are good points and bad points in visiting the city at different points during the year, but aside from personal opinion there is really no season that is better than the others.
Comments Off