Take these Toronto walking tours to discover the city on foot!

Cities are built for people, so instead of looking at sights from the road as they zip past your window, walking tours truly allow you to form a human-scale connection to the place you’re in. Whether you’re a long-time resident or wide-eyed visitor there’s always more to discover, especially in a city as dynamic and diverse as this one. To start exploring, check out all of these top Toronto walking tours… and more!

For a more DIY guide to the city, check out these 40+ Best Things To Do In Toronto This Summer and these 25+ Amazing Toronto Tourist Attractions that Aren’t Just for Tourists! Plus, for those travelling with kids, these 18+ Incredibly Fun Things to Do With Kids in Toronto will ensure an action-packed vacation.

1. Local Toronto Food Tours

Taking a food tour just might be the ideal Toronto experience. By using all of your senses, you’ll get an up-close look at the city’s most vibrant, exciting, and multicultural neighbourhoods. The Beyond Kensington Market Toronto Food Tour takes you to 7 tasting locations in 2 unique districts to sample food from a variety of culinary traditions. This off-the-beaten-path experience explores hidden alleyways and unexpected tasting locations, making the tour even more affordable than similar options. Along the way, your charming and experienced local guide infuses stories from the area’s past with personal anecdotes and experiences while also highlighting the exciting art and architecture the area is known for today.

Learn more about the Beyond Kensington Market Toronto Food Tour here!

2. Tour Guys

For a free Toronto walking tour option, check out Tour Guys, they run walking tours in several downtown Toronto neighbourhoods on a “pay what you feel” basis. This way, anyone can have an exceptional tour experience! Their informative and engaging tours cover fascinating subjects such as Power, Politics, & The PATH in the underground city of Toronto’s Financial District and Death, Disease, & Destruction in Old Toronto, unearthing the city’s darker past. Meanwhile, the Fact or Fiction Ghost Tour lets you decide if you want to believe. website

3. Chopsticks+Forks

Another food tour company, Chopsticks+Forks runs two walking tours through iconic Kensington Market. The first is their Kensington Market Signature International Food Tour which showcases Toronto’s diversity with food tastings from around the world. Meanwhile, their new Great Canadian Food Tour shows another side of Canada, looking at classic and traditional foods that have been invented right here and enjoyed by generations of Canadians. website

4. Beer Lovers’ Tour Company

Operated by the Beer Lovers’ Tour Company, the Old Toronto Beer Tour takes you to several historic Toronto locations. It’s even the only Toronto walking tour to visit Fort York, where soldiers’ compensation included ‘six pints a day.’ With a bus ride in between, you’ll have a chance to see several breweries in the historic Distillery District while learning about beer tasting and the brewing process along the way. For the truest beer fanatics, there’s also an optional 4 course dinner at a brewery to close off the very merry tour. website

5. TalkWalk

Unique in its focus on art, TalkWalk offers three distinct daily tours around Toronto’s downtown core. Not only looking at what’s Front and Centre, they’ll also take you to the Wrong Side of the Tracks, highlighting the role of public art in all different spheres of life. Led by knowledgeable and passionate tour guide, Hamish, TalkWalk tours are discussion driven, informative and, above all, engaging. They offer anyone who wants to dig a little beyond the surface the chance to look at the city in a new light and discover what public art, public space and architecture mean for the city, and for you. Through its art, you’ll have the chance to feel the heartbeat of Toronto, and maybe laugh about it, too. website

6. Toronto Free Walking Tours

That’s right! This is yet another free tour of Old Toronto that’ll take you to all of the area’s most notable sights. With just a simple reservation, not only will you see the city, its architecture, and its people, you’ll similarly hear the stories behind them, too. In this historic district where old meets new, you’ll get a rich sense of the city’s history and the place of the modern metropolis within it. Moreover, along the way you’ll learn about all the area’s go-to spots that are enjoyed by Old Toronto residents and visitors alike.  website

7. The Haunted Walk Toronto

Offering 4 distinct tours around Toronto, The Haunted Walk offers walking tours with a slightly more… sinister twist. Reaching peak spookiness with the The Haunted Walk Experience at Black Creek Pioneer Village, each of their tours dive into the scary stories and frightening secrets of Toronto’s history. From The Original Haunted Walk of Toronto to Campus Secrets and Spectres, who knew there were so many dark, ominous and even supernatural tales embedded in Toronto’s past… and present? website

8. City Running Tours

If you’ve got some fitness aspirations on your mind, don’t just take a walking tour, run! City Running Tours offers their Toronto History & Highlights Tour daily at 9:00 a.m. with other similarly invigorating options available by group request. Taking you all the way through downtown Toronto, you’ll traverse up to 10 km on city sidewalks and grassy terrain. As you run, you’ll pass by and learn about a multitude of the city’s iconic and historic landmarks such as the St. Lawrence Market, for example. This summer, they’re also introducing Hidden Toronto, a tour of Toronto’s more strange and colourful character. Whichever you choose, working out has never been so rewarding! website

9. Culinary Adventure Co.

Culinary Adventure Co. runs tours all around Canada, including a variety of tours within Toronto itself. Each tour shows you the ins and outs of an iconic Toronto neighbourhood such as Riverside + Leslieville, and King + Queen West while simultaneously curating a VIP experience. If you’re looking to push your experience even further, join them to paddle a canoe across the harbour before embarking on a multi-course meal with their Escape the City Canoe Paddle + Dining Adventure. website

10. The Local Vibe Tours

The Local Vibe Tours are dedicated to providing guests the most authentic and local experience possible. By taking visitors to the parts of Toronto that have their own distinct but globally inspired spirit, they are not bound by catering to popular tastes. Whether you choose to walk around The East Danforth or take a van through the unexpected cultural hotbed of Scarborough, you’ll come to see the best parts of Toronto aren’t always the flashiest. The real lives and stories that unfold around food are what make these communities so special and authentically ‘Toronto.’ website

11. Drink Toronto

For lovers of a refreshing beverage or two, Drink Toronto offers boozy tours and experiences that’ll certainly liven your spirits. Curated by industry professionals, you’ll have the chance to savour expertly paired dishes at the city’s top bars and restaurants. Plus, as you walk from one stop to another, your guide will point out all of the hottest attractions, cultural hubs and hangouts along the way, making this the perfect way for connoisseurs to get to know the city. website

12. Toronto Island SUP

On the other hand, here’s a chance to discover a part of Toronto that’s more in communion with nature. Explore Toronto Islands’ waterways on a Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) for an unbeatable connection with the unique geographic feature. In fact, Toronto Island SUP’s whole business practice is aligned with values of preservation and conservation, ensuring their environmental impact is minimal at every step of their practice. The result is an exciting and unforgettable tour that pushes you to explore and try something new. Get to know the surrounding environment like never before! website