A day out in Toronto: Kensington Market and Chinatown
This one's for the artists, foodies, and curious explorers alike – with bustling grocers, delicious bakeries, vintage shops, colourful murals, and cultural landmarks around nearly every corner, Chinatown and Kensington Market are great places to spend a day exploring. Best of all, the two neighbourhoods sit side by side, making it easy to experience plenty of food, art, shopping, and local history without venturing too far.
Here are a few stops you can visit in just one trip.
Chinatown
Photo: iStock.com / mikeinlondon
Start your day near Spadina Avenue and Dundas Street West in the heart of downtown Chinatown, an important cultural and commercial hub for generations.
This historic neighbourhood's busiest corners are filled with restaurants, bakeries, produce markets, and stores selling everything from housewares and gifts to snacks and specialty ingredients. Arrive hungry and take your time exploring – stop for dim sum, dumplings, noodles, or a freshly baked treat.
Don't miss the red gateaway structures at Spadina Avenue and Dundas Street West. Designed to form the Mandarin character for "gate," they mark one of Chinatown's busiest intersections and a great spot to snap a pic.
Getting there: From Union or Spadina stations, take the 510 Spadina streetcar to Spadina Avenue at Dundas Street West, or take Line 1 to St Patrick Station and head west on Dundas Street West.
Kensington Market
Photo: iStock.com / Daxus
Next, head west into Kensington Market, a designated National Historic Site of Canada since 2006. Generations of newcomers to Canada have helped shape the neighbourhood, and that history is visible through the food, music, fashion, art, and independent businesses lining its streets.
Wander along Augusta Avenue, Baldwin Street, and Kensington Avenue, where Victorian homes have been transformed into vibrant shops, cafés, restaurants, and markets. Browse the racks at a vintage store, grab lunch, or stop for a coffee.
Keep an eye out for colourful murals on the side streets and laneways, as well as the brightly painted Garden Car near August Avenue and Oxford Street, one of Kensington Market's quirkiest and most recognizable landmarks.
Art Gallery of Ontario
Photo: iStock.com / benedek
After exploring the market, head east along Dundas Street West to the Art Gallery of Ontario, better known as the AGO. One of the largest art museums in North America, the gallery's collection includes more than 120,000 works and is a great place to explore diverse art and architecture from Canadian and international artists.
In addition to their permanent collection, the AGO also hosts temporary exhibitions, including Yayoi Kusama's highly Instagrammable INFINITY MIRRORED ROOM – LET'S SURVIVE FOREVER, on now until October 25. Visit the AGO website for more information on current and upcoming exhibitions.
The building itself is part of the experience, too. Designed by Toronto-born architect Frank Gehry, the glass-and-wood facade along Dundas Street West makes the AGO one of the area's most recognizable landmarks.
If there's time: Koreatown
Want to keep exploring? Hop on the 510 Spadina streetcar and head north to Spadina Station, then transfer to Line 2 and travel west to Bathurst or Christie stations.
Koreatown stretches along Bloor Street West from Bathurst to Christie Street and is a great spot to explore Korean restaurants, grocery stores, boutiques, and karaoke spots, where you can keep your day out going well into the evening – don't worry, we have night buses to get you home safely.
Before you go
Service can change, so check the TTC Trip Planner, route schedules and service alerts before heading out.
For more ideas, visit Explore Toronto to see where the TTC can take you next.