Toronto Harbour Tours

Last summer when a friend and I visited Toronto, Canada, we were so excited to finally be on a plane to anywhere.  The weather was mostly sunny with the exception of heavy rain happening one of our days.  We got to see the CN Tower, a few museums and were ready to get out on a boat during a sunny day.  We decided to go with Toronto Harbour Tours to check out the beautiful harbour of Toronto.

Getting There

We stayed at a really accessible Chelsea Hotel which is perfectly located in the heart of downtown Toronto.  It would only be a quick casual 30 minute walk from our hotel to the Toronto Harbour Tours desk but we took our time sightseeing, taking pics on the boardwalk and just exploring outside on a nice sunny day.

on our way to Toronto Harbour Tours

When we got to the ticket center for Toronto Harbour Tours, we noticed we could either buy tickets from a small booth on the boardwalk or from the actual office store just few steps away from the booth.  The salesperson told us a disabled person would get a discount on a ticket and also a free companion ticket, which was great for us.

pics along the boardwalk

Since we went on a weekday which was a Friday, tours occur every hour and we just missed the one that went by.  That meant, we had time to get a snack nearby while waiting for the next scheduled tour.

getting our discounted tickets

BeaverTails

the menu

Lucky there was a BeaverTails located right on the waterfront next to the waiting area for Toronto Harbour Tours.  BeaverTails was established in 1978 in Canada and sells pastries known as BeaverTails and is a fried dough that is flattened to resemble a beaver’s tail and topped with either sweet or savoury ingredients.

BeaverTails Toronto Waterfront

We shared a Bananarama in which the pastry is topped with hazelnut spread and slices of banana.  It was really good but really sweet so we were glad to share one.  We ate our snack right around the corner while waiting for our harbour boat tour.  There was a ramp to roll down to the dock easily and that is where the boat picks us up.

Bananarama – hazelnut spread with banana slices

The Boat

ramp towards dock

The boat didn’t have a step to get on the boat as it was leveled with the dock.  There wasn’t a portable ramp but the 2 tour employees helped wheel me inside the boat.  Masks must be worn on the boat.  There wasn’t a designated wheelchair seating area but since there were only a few other people on this tour, we could park my wheelchair anywhere.  It was also easy for us to move around the boat when we wanted a particular view.

getting help to get on the boat

The boat was just one level so we chose to park my wheelchair right in the middle of the boat.  We were right next to the edge of the boat which gave me a great view of the harbour.  The boat was open to the air with no windows and had a lower ledge which made it easier for me to look out.  Otherwise, the boat was great and I was glad to be able to get on and enjoy the tour properly.

excited to start the tour

The Route

map of route

We start out on the Western Harbour front and then enter the lagoons of the Toronto Islands and area to see Hanlan’s Point, a Bird and Wildlife Sanctuary and Long Pond.  It was nice to see all the trees and birds of the islands and was great to have one of the boat crew members give a commentary of some of the highlights on the intercom as we float by.

looking at the waterfront

The boat driver even fully stopped the boat at some key points including a spot where we can get a magnificent view of the Toronto downtown skyline with the CN Tower standing tall between some buildings.  We were able to take great pictures from every side of the boat.  The boat then takes us eastward to see the industrial harbour where a sugar refinery still exists.

the Island Yacht Club

Heading back to the ferry docks, we can see all the other docks nearby.  It was also amazing to see all the fancy waterfront condos that Toronto has right by the water.  The whole boat tour from start to finish was about 50 minutes but the time went by really fast for us.

CN Tower

Final Thoughts

My friend and I really enjoyed our 50 minute boat tour around the harbour.  The staff was very knowledgeable and funny and we did learn some interesting facts about Toronto and its harbour.  The accessibility, the views, the ride and the boat itself were all really great and I would highly recommend doing this attraction when visiting Toronto.