This summer my wife and I are taking our 3 kids (ages 9 to 14) to Canada for a week long vacation. We were thinking about staying 3 days and 2 nights at each of Niagra Falls, Toronto and Montreal.
Anyone have good family actives we can do at each of the cities or any good restaurant recommendations? So far, this is what we have planned.
Niagra Falls - Planning to spend an afternoon at Fallsview Indoor Waterpark. Take a trip on Maid of the Mist.
Toronto - Visit CN Tower and Hockey Hall of Fame. Walk around Downtown Toronto.
Montreal - Walk around Downtown Montreal.
Toronto - ideas include Canada's wonderland (north of the city, theme park with a lot of rollercoaster), take a ferry boat to the islands and bike across the islands, you can rent a bike and explore the city's waterfront and certain downtown streets by bike (some parts of the city are better than others), Casa Loma, check out Yorkville for some celebrity spotting and high end stores, royal Ontario museum, art gallery of Ontario, Ontario science centre (a bit of a treck from downtown but an option if you have rainy weather)...for a more "Brooklyn"'/hipster feel, check out Ossington/Queen West or Kensington Market (if you are there on a sunday)...the Beaches/Ashbridge's Bay is a nice area for walking around. it is a very multicultural city with a lot of great restaurants - greektown (Danforth), Chinatown (spadina)...have a Canadian peameal bacon sandwich at St Lawrence Market (a large farmer's market close to the Hall of Fame) from Carousel Bakery
Montreal - I've only ever visited for bachelor parties and other non family friendly guy trips, so my recommendations would not be appropriate, but Mont Royal and Old Montreal are both lovely :)
The old port now has a giant ferris wheel, zip lining etc...
LaRonde is our six flags amusment park
Depending on the week you are here.
- Comedy Fest (JUST FOR LAUGHS/JULY 11-29 • COMEDYPRO/JULY 25-28)
-The internationl fireworks competition ( Saturdays 7, 14, 21 and 28 of July, and Wednesdays July 11, 18 and August 1 and 8)
- There is the lachine rapids which is quite fun.
- Boat tours of Montreal
- Mount Royal
I would have suggested the Biodome but unfortunetly it closed for renovations until summer 2019.
there's a great attraction by the harbor, where kids can climb all over these big pirate ships:
http://www.voilesenvoiles.com/en/
Jean-Talon Market: An old indoor/outdoor food market with various stalls and picnic tables.
Toronto:
Ontario Science center is cool for all ages, but lots of hands on kids stuff as I remember.
Montreal= st Lawrence boulevard and Schwartz for a smoked meat sandwich, the old port and others already mentioned. Great city to walk around and safe anytime of day. Two thumbs up for the Jean Talon market especially on a weekend.
If it's mid-August on, consider the CNE -- like a big State Fair. (see below)
It's a great city to walk around and if they are sports fans the Hockey Hall of Fame and Rogers Centre (the old Skydome) are no-brainers.
It's also a great city pof restaurants (especially ethnic) but I don't know if that would be a draw for the kids.
CNE - ( New Window )