30th Birthday Girls Trip: Toronto

Anyone else going through old photos and reminiscing on past travels during quarantine? After coming across photos from my 30th birthday girls trip to Toronto…

I was inspired to write a blog post on this amazing city. I know birthday celebrations are looking a lot differently these days but we WILL be able to celebrate them in person again. When that day comes, hopefully this post can give you some inspo for planning a birthday (or a ‘just because’) girls trip — and I highly recommend Toronto!

Toronto was actually not the original plan. We were initially going to New Orleans but for some reason, the flight options at the time were not ideal. There were hardly any nonstop flights from DC, the times were awful, the layovers were long, and the tickets were expensive. I thought, for all of this hassle we could just go out of the country. My friend Keisha suggested Toronto and I’m so glad she did!

Getting There

Toronto is a quick 1.5 hour flight from DC, which was perfect for a weekend trip. The two major airports are Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ). Billy Bishop is right in the heart of downtown Toronto but it is a smaller airport so it is not serviced by most of the major airlines. I opted to fly American into Toronto Pearson and take the (quick and easy!) 25 minute train ride into the city. However, Keisha flew Porter Airlines into Billy Bishop and had a great experience as well.

I thought she chose the closer airport to avoid taking the train but it was really just so that she could decorate our Airbnb before I got there! Toronto is Drake’s hometown so it only made sense that my friends chose Drake decor for my birthday. (Yes, my friends are the best.) The listing for the Airbnb we stayed at is linked here and we loved it! It was right in the center of the everything and had floor to ceiling windows with the most gorgeous views of the city and Lake Ontario.

Getting around was super easy; we either hailed cabs or called Ubers/Lyfts throughout the weekend. We weren’t able to get to everything on my list; however, we were able to squeeze in a lot in two days! Here is a solid list to get you started when building your Toronto itinerary:

Neighborhoods/Markets

• West Queen West — Named by Vogue as one of the coolest neighborhoods in the world. We were able to check it out on our first day and it definitely lives up to the hype! It is full of art galleries, boutiques and vintage shops, live music venues, restaurants, and bars.

• Graffiti Alley — After eating and shopping in West Queen West, we visited Graffiti Alley and spent WAY too much time here getting ALL the photos. It is full of the most creative and unique street art I’ve ever seen. Definite must see!

• Distillery District — We checked out this area on our second day and had so much fun. I remember feeling guilty that I was there without Joshua because he would’ve loved it! Ha… It is a really cool area full of boutique shops, local restaurants, a microbrewery, sake brewery, and even a chocolate factory.

• Kensington Market — It is a partially outdoor market lined with boutiques, food trucks, gift shops, and cafes/restaurants.

• St. Lawrence Market — Named by National Geographic as the best food market in the world!

Tourist Spots/Photo Ops

• CN Tower — The ninth tallest free-standing structure in the world is Toronto’s most iconic landmark. You can buy tickets to go up, over 1100 ft, for a spectacular view of the city, eat at their 360 Restaurant, or, if you’re a thrill seeker, pay to literally walk on the edge of the tower! Even if you don’t go to the top, you still have to see it for yourself and check out their unique gift shop.

• Toronto Harbour — It’s a natural harbor along Lake Ontario with restaurants, shopping, and nightlife. In the warmer months, you can take a boat tour, or rent your own, for a day on the lake.

• Nathan Phillips Square — Beautiful outdoor promenade to just hangout and get some great photos. This is where you’ll find the “Toronto” sign!

• Casa Loma — A former multimillionaire’s (massive) mansion from the 1900s turned beautiful historic museum and landmark.

• June Callwood Park (also known as the “pink park”)

• Vog Vault — This is the former bank vault turned “upside down” room at one of the John Fluevog shoe shops. (Make sure you go to the 686 Queen W location. We didn’t realize there were multiple shops and we went to the wrong one!)

• Bay Adelaide Centre — Janet, one of my girlfriends that came on the trip, is obsessed with Meghan Markle and the show Suits so if you are, too, this is where they shot the show!

Brunch

Ya’ll know I love my brunch! I compiled a list of brunch spots for us to choose from for Saturday morning. We ended up going to Evviva, as it was walking distance from our Airbnb, and it was as chic as it was delicious! Here are the other restaurants I had on my list:

• School

• Mildred’s Temple Kitchen

• The Good Fork

• Insomnia (also a lounge at night)

• Cafe Cancan

• Ricardas (if you don’t want a full sit-down brunch, this would be a great spot for a quick coffee and pastry or even a lunch option)

Dinner

I already knew where I wanted to go for my birthday dinner and Keisha chose the other dinner spot, so I don’t have a list of restaurant recommendations; however, I can share where we went:

• STK Toronto — This is where we went night one, which was a Friday and my actual birthday. I love the STK restaurant group and usually go anytime there’s an STK in the city I’m visiting. This is probably the nicest one I’ve been to! It’s really chic and upscale and they play a really great mix of music, but not too loudly, so it’s the perfect place to celebrate a special occasion. They even had a free video photo booth! We all loved the food, cocktails, ambiance, and service. Highly recommend!

• Planta — Planta is the chicest vegan restaurant! The ambiance and decor was definitely our vibe and, although I’m not vegan, I was pleasantly surprised by how good the food was. The vegan queso appetizer was my favorite. I actually ordered a second one because it was THAT good. That is saying a lot coming from me because cheese is literally my favorite food!

Rooftop Bars/Restaurants

Joshua and I are suckers for a cute rooftop situation and always like to go to at least one on our travels. My birthday is in October so it was a little chilly for a rooftop but I’d love to go back with Joshua in the summer and check out one of these spots:

• The Broadview Hotel

• Sky Yard at the Drake Hotel

• Lavelle (also known for their epic day pool parties!)

• The Cactus Club Cafe

• Soco Kitchen + Bar

• Kost

Bars/Lounges

We only had two nights in Toronto so I only have few bars on my list (but hope to add to this whenever I’m able to go back!):

• Convenience — After dinner at STK, we went here and had a blast! We planned to hop around but we loved it so much we stayed the whole night. It’s not a huge place but it packs a punch. Funky decor, delicious drinks, and a great DJ made it a fun spot for girls night out.

• Regulars — We tried to go here the second night but it had just opened at the time so the line was down the block! It was too cold (and we are too old!) to stand in line so we went elsewhere but, from what I could tell, it looked like a fun (and very “instagrammable”) spot.

• CC Lounge and Whiskey Bar — We didn’t make it here but I’d love to take Joshua one day. Whiskey is our spirit of choice and CC Lounge is an upscale whiskey lounge in the historic Beardmore building.

I really didn’t know what to expect when we went to Toronto but I truly loved it. It was very clean, there was so much to see and do, and it’s so diverse and full of the nicest people. It was such a fun city to celebrate my 30th birthday in and I’m so thankful that I have this memory with my best friends. Cheers to all of you who have had birthdays in quarantine and I hope you’re able to celebrate BIG soon!

Short Version:

That Place We Went To: Toronto, Ontario; Canada

Best For: Couples, Girls/Guys Trips, Families, Solo Travelers, Foodies, Fashionistas, Art Enthusiasts/Photographers

Must Dos: Shop in West Queen West; Take photos in Graffiti Alley; Explore Distillery District, Nathan Phillips Square, and Toronto Harbour; Eat at the Kensington or St. Lawrence Markets; and Visit the CN Tower

Pro Tip: Although Toronto is a major city, Canadians like to take things slow! If you are from DC, or another metropolitan city in the U.S., you may get frustrated with the slower pace when being driven or served at restaurants. Keep this in mind when building your trip itinerary and add in buffer time between activities. :)