Best Time to Visit Toronto

Summer and early autumn: the easy months

June, August and September score best, and they feel it. Days are warm without being heavy, and evenings are mild enough for a patio on Ossington or a walk along the waterfront. July is just as warm but a bit stickier, and it has the most rain days of the year. Showers tend to pass quickly, so don't cancel the day.

This is also the busy stretch. The Toronto Islands ferry queues get long on summer weekends, so go on a weekday if you can. If you want beaches, Woodbine and Cherry Beach are at their best from July into early September. Travelling with kids? School holidays run through July and August, and the CNE (the big summer fair at Exhibition Place) fills the last weeks of August.

September is the sweet spot if you like quieter streets. The lake is still warm, the crowds thin out, and the Toronto International Film Festival takes over the downtown core in the first half of the month. Hotels near King West get pricey then.

Spring and October: fresh but unsteady

April is cool and damp, with a high of only 9°C. It's a fine time for museums like the ROM and the Art Gallery of Ontario, but not for long walks. May is where it turns. Trees leaf out, High Park's cherry blossoms usually peak around the start of the month, and you can wander without summer crowds.

October is Fair, mostly because it rains on 17 days. But the fall colours in the Don Valley and at the Evergreen Brick Works are lovely on a dry afternoon. Bring a proper rain jacket and plan indoor stops, like St. Lawrence Market, for the grey days.

Winter: cold, grey and cheaper

From December to February, highs sit around 0°C to 3°C, and the sun barely shows. It's the quietest and cheapest time for flights and hotels. If you hate crowds and don't mind the cold, you'll have the city to yourself.

You can skate at Nathan Phillips Square or the Bentway, and the Distillery District's Christmas market brings a cosy glow in December. Then there's the PATH, the underground walkway network downtown. It lets you cross whole blocks without stepping outside, which helps on the worst days.

March and November are the weakest months. They're gloomy, in between, and short on events, so we'd skip them unless you find a good deal.