On the water
The best Toronto harbour tours
Narrated harbour and island cruises, a lunch, brunch or dinner cruise, a city walk with a boat ride, and the public island ferry; here is how they compare, with honest advice on which one is worth the money, what happens if it rains or you need to cancel, and exactly which pier your boat leaves from.
See our 4 picks
The best Toronto harbour tour for most visitors is the 1-hour narrated Harbour and Islands Sightseeing Cruise, from €25 per person. For a meal on the water, the lunch, brunch or dinner cruise starts at €47. On a tight budget, the public island ferry costs CA$9.57 for an adult round trip.
Which Toronto harbour cruise should you book?
Two sightseeing cruises, one dining cruise and one walk with a boat ride. None picks you up at your hotel. Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide.
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from €25 per person Our top pick 1 hour 4.7 (3,207) reviews on GetYourGuide
Harbour and Islands Sightseeing Cruise, 1 hour
One hour on the water with live commentary in English. You hear Toronto history and local stories as you pass the skyline and the islands. You board at 145 Queens Quay West. The cruise depends on weather and water conditions. Groups may not get seats together.
Best for First-timers who want the skyline and stories
Check availability: Harbour and Islands Sightseeing Cruise, 1 hour on GetYourGuide -
from €18 per person 45 minutes 4.6 (491) reviews on GetYourGuide
Guided Harbour and Islands Cruise, 45 minutes
A 45-minute cruise on the Harbour Star with a live guide in English. It runs rain or shine, with an enclosed interior and an open upper deck. Snacks and soft drinks are for sale, cash or card. Heavy wind or fog can cancel a sailing.
Best for A tight budget or a short stop
Check availability: Guided Harbour and Islands Cruise, 45 minutes on GetYourGuide -
from €47 per person 2–2.5 hours 4.5 (1,593) reviews on GetYourGuide
Lunch, brunch or dinner cruise
Two to two and a half hours on the Toronto Odyssey, run by City Cruises Toronto. A plated lunch or dinner, or a weekend brunch buffet, is included. Drinks come from a cash bar. You share tables of 4 to 8. Boarding starts one hour before, and late arrivals cannot board.
Best for Couples, birthdays, a meal on the water
Check availability: Lunch, brunch or dinner cruise on GetYourGuide -
from €82 per person 1 h 30 min 5.0 (2) reviews on GetYourGuide
Small-group harbourfront walk with a boat ride
A 1.5-hour walk with a local guide that starts at St. Lawrence Market. You pass Union Station, the Fairmont Royal York and the Hockey Hall of Fame. A boat ride on Lake Ontario is included. It has only 2 reviews so far.
Best for People who want a guide on land too
Check availability: Small-group harbourfront walk with a boat ride on GetYourGuide
Toronto harbour cruises compared
| Tour | From | Duration | Where you meet | Who it suits | Why we picked it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harbour and Islands Sightseeing Cruise, 1 hour | €25 per person | 1 hour | 145 Queens Quay W | First-timers who want the skyline and stories | The most-reviewed cruise here: 4.7 from 3,207 reviews. |
| Guided Harbour and Islands Cruise, 45 minutes | €18 per person | 45 minutes | 235 Queens Quay W (West Pier) | A tight budget or a short stop | The cheapest and shortest cruise here, with a roof if it rains. |
| Lunch, brunch or dinner cruise | €47 per person | 2–2.5 hours | 207 Queens Quay W | Couples, birthdays, a meal on the water | The only cruise here with a full meal on board. |
| Small-group harbourfront walk with a boat ride | €82 per person | 1 h 30 min | St. Lawrence Market | People who want a guide on land too | A walk and a boat ride in one; rated 5.0, but from only 2 reviews. |
Harbour and Islands Sightseeing Cruise, 1 hour
€25 per person1 hour 4.7 (3,207)
Details
- Where you meet
- 145 Queens Quay W
- Who it suits
- First-timers who want the skyline and stories
- Why we picked it
- The most-reviewed cruise here: 4.7 from 3,207 reviews.
Guided Harbour and Islands Cruise, 45 minutes
€18 per person45 minutes 4.6 (491)
Details
- Where you meet
- 235 Queens Quay W (West Pier)
- Who it suits
- A tight budget or a short stop
- Why we picked it
- The cheapest and shortest cruise here, with a roof if it rains.
Lunch, brunch or dinner cruise
€47 per person2–2.5 hours 4.5 (1,593)
Details
- Where you meet
- 207 Queens Quay W
- Who it suits
- Couples, birthdays, a meal on the water
- Why we picked it
- The only cruise here with a full meal on board.
Small-group harbourfront walk with a boat ride
€82 per person1 h 30 min 5.0 (2)
Details
- Where you meet
- St. Lawrence Market
- Who it suits
- People who want a guide on land too
- Why we picked it
- A walk and a boat ride in one; rated 5.0, but from only 2 reviews.
- None of the 4 includes hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point.
- All 4 offer free cancellation.
- Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide. Prices are "from" prices in euros and can change; the booking page shows the live price.
Toronto boat tours side by side
There are four easy ways onto the water in Toronto. The table compares them by price, length, food and shelter from rain.
The Great Lakes Schooner Company also sails tall ships from downtown. It sells sunset dinner and weekend brunch cruises on its own site. It gives no price or dock there.
| Way onto the water | Price | Length | Food on board | Rain cover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Narrated cruise | From €25 | 1 hour | Not stated | Not stated |
| Short narrated cruise | From €18 | 45 minutes | Snacks for sale | Enclosed interior |
| Dining cruise | From €47 | 2 to 2.5 hours | Meal included | Climate-controlled interior |
| Walk with a boat ride | From €82 | 1.5 hours | Not stated | Not stated |
| Public island ferry | CA$9.57 round trip | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
– = the operator does not say.
The simple rule: in rain or cold, pick the 45-minute cruise or the dining cruise, which both have an indoor space. On a tight budget, take the island ferry. Short on time? Take the 45-minute cruise.
Cruise tours from Toronto: 45 minutes to 2.5 hours
The shortest cruise lasts 45 minutes. The classic narrated cruise takes one hour. The dining cruise runs two to two and a half hours, so plan a whole meal.
City Cruises Toronto tours: the dining cruise and the Oriole
Our dining cruise is run by City Cruises Toronto on its boat, the Toronto Odyssey. City Cruises also sells a 60-minute narrated tour on a boat called the Oriole. CityPASS's page describes it.
That tour is one of the options in the Toronto CityPASS. With CityPASS, you book your sailing in the CityPASS app.
Guides on the Toronto waterfront
More on the islands and the outdoors near the harbour.
The cheap alternative: the public island ferry
Taking the ferry to Toronto Islands is the cheapest way onto the water. An adult round trip costs CA$9.57.
Ferries leave all year from Jack Layton Ferry Terminal, 9 Queens Quay West. From mid-April to mid-October they serve three docks. From October 14 to mid-April, the city lists times only for Ward's Island.
It is a city ferry, not a tour. Take it if you want the skyline view and a walk on the islands. Pay for a cruise if you want the stories, a full hour on the water and a seat under a roof.
- Adult
- CA$9.57
- Older adult or youth
- CA$6.15
- Junior (2 to 14)
- CA$4.51
- Under 2
- Free
What you see on boat tours of Toronto Harbour
You see the skyline, the islands and the waterfront from the lake. The 1-hour cruise has live commentary on history and local stories.
From the deck you see the CN Tower rise above the skyline. The 45-minute cruise has an open upper deck for photos.
Both sightseeing cruises are "Harbour and Islands" cruises. They sail past the islands. The listings do not say that they stop there.
Where Toronto Harbourfront boat tours leave from
Each boat leaves from a different address on Queens Quay West. Check your ticket and go to the right one.
To get there, take subway Line 1 to Union Station. Then take a streetcar south to Queens Quay. The TTC has said the walk south on Bay Street takes about 10 minutes.
Our guide to getting around Toronto has the subway and streetcar fares.
- 1-hour cruise: 145 Queens Quay West.
- 45-minute cruise: the Harbour Star, 235 Queens Quay West, at the West Pier by the Harbourfront Centre.
- Dining cruise: 207 Queens Quay West. Boarding starts one hour before the sailing.
- City Cruises' Oriole: CityPASS's page says to arrive at least 20 minutes before boarding.
- Island ferry: Jack Layton Ferry Terminal, 9 Queens Quay West.
When to go: season, weather and rain
- 22.5 °C
- July daily average
- 11.2 °C
- October daily average
Summer is the warmest time on the water, but rain can come in any month. Toronto has no dry season.
The 45-minute cruise runs rain or shine. It sails hourly from May to October, per its listing. Heavy wind or fog can cancel it, at the captain's call.
The 1-hour cruise depends on weather and water conditions. The dining cruise has a climate-controlled room inside and an open deck outside.
The dining cruise runs at lunch, at dinner and for weekend brunch.
Booking tips: when boats sell out and what to bring
Book ahead for weekends and holidays. All four listings here show free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Toronto cruise tours that sell out: when to book
CityPASS's page for City Cruises says reservations are required. It also says weekends and holidays often sell out.
City Cruises' own site lists both a 2-hour and a 24-hour cancellation rule. It does not say which one applies to which cruise. Read the rule on the page where you book.
City Cruises Toronto prices
The City Cruises dining cruise starts from €47 on GetYourGuide. A meal is included and drinks are extra.
What to bring and tipping
Bring clothes for the weather and a layer for the open deck. Tips are not included on any of the four.
In Toronto, 15 to 20 per cent is the usual tip at restaurants and on tours.
Accessibility, food, drinks and bathrooms on board
You cannot bring your own food or drinks on the 45-minute cruise, the dining cruise or the Oriole. The 45-minute cruise sells snacks and soft drinks. The dining cruise includes a meal, with drinks from a cash bar.
Wheelchair access varies on the dining cruise. Its listing asks you to contact the provider after booking.
CityPASS's page says the Oriole is not fully accessible. It has a ramp at boarding for wheelchairs without a motor. Its bathrooms are on the lower level, and the upper deck is up stairs.
The 1-hour cruise's listing says nothing about access. Ask the operator before you book.
Next steps
A harbour cruise pairs well with a day on the Toronto Islands. Take the ferry over after your cruise and walk to a beach.
After a lunchtime sail, one of the Toronto food tours makes a good afternoon.
Tips for a Toronto harbour cruise
Find your pier first
The four boats leave from different addresses on Queens Quay West.
Arrive early for dinner
Boarding on the dining cruise starts one hour before. Late arrivals cannot board.
Bring a layer
The open deck is cooler than the city, even in summer.
Leave food at home
Outside food and drinks are not allowed on most boats here.
Toronto harbour cruises: questions and answers
Do I need to book a Toronto harbour cruise ahead?
Do harbour cruises sail in the rain?
Can I bring my own food and drinks on board?
Are Toronto harbour cruise boats wheelchair accessible?
Does the cruise go around the Toronto Islands?
More Toronto harbour cruises, live
More options with live prices and availability, straight from GetYourGuide.
See every tour with today's prices and open dates on GetYourGuide.
Browse all on GetYourGuideSources (11)
- City of Toronto: Toronto Island ferry routes and schedules
- City of Toronto: ferry tickets and passenger information
- TTC: Explore Toronto
- TTC: changes to the 509 Harbourfront
- CityPASS: Toronto
- CityPASS: City Cruises Toronto
- City Cruises: Toronto harbour tour
- Great Lakes Schooner Company
- Environment Canada: climate normals 1991–2020, Toronto
- Destination Toronto: facts and info
- City of Toronto: information for visitors