Want to know some of the best spots in Toronto for Instagram and Photography? In this guide, I will tell you the spots I discovered whilst living in the city. I lived in the city for 15 months, and as a photographer, I spent much of my spare time exploring and searching for the best photo spots. All these spots are publicly and legally accessible, many are free but some such as the CN Tower you’d have to pay for.
Here is a guide to the best and must-visit Instagram and photography spots in Toronto.
This article has been written by Mike Clegg who has visited Toronto many times and also lived there in the past. During this time Mike spent much time exploring and photographing the city. You can read more about him below and on his bio.
1. Nathan Phillips Square, City Hall and Old City Hall
Nathan Phillips Square is at the centre of the city and is awesome to photograph pretty much all throughout the year. In the winter they have ski skating on the water feature in front and in recent years they have introduced a bright Toronto light sign. For a good perspective of the Old City Hall, it’s good to go up the steps to the upper platform which is directly opposite the Old City Hall across from the pond. Use the pic below as a guide.
Best time for pics: Anytime
Cost: Free
Location: 100 Queen St W, ON M5H 2N2 (Google Maps link)
2. Royal Ontario Museum (Royal Ontario Museum)
The front facade of the Royal Ontario Museum is called the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal. It is a very aesthetic Instagram spot and also creative architecture at its best. I personally recommend taking pictures of the Rom at night with light trails from traffic going past. It also looks good during the day.
Best time for pics: Night
Cost: Free (outside)
Location: 100 Queens Park, ON M5S 2C6 (Google Maps link)
3. Museum subway stop
Close to the Rom is the Museum Subway Stop. The platforms have been designed with this in mind with fantastic pillars and designs. For a nice perspective get low to the ground.
Best time for pics: Anytime
Cost: Subway ticket
Location: Museum, Line 1 (Google Maps link)
4. Toronto Islands
Most of the classic Toronto skyline shots are from the Toronto Islands, and a visit to the city wouldn’t be complete without you heading there. I recommend heading here before sunset and staying until after the blue hour. When you see the skyline from this perspective for the first time you’ll feel in awe.
The ferry goes to three points and the best photo positions are from Ward’s Island and Centre Island. The ferry leaves from Jack Layton Ferry Terminal which you’ll find at the bottom of Bay Street. The closest Station is Union.
Best time for pics: Sunset-night
Cost: Ferry ticket
Ferry Address: Jack Layton Ferry Terminal, 9 Queens Quay W, ON M5J 2H3 (Google Maps link)
5. Casa Loma
I wouldn’t say Casa Loma is the easiest building to photograph. Few things that may help is to use a wide-angle lens, or visit in the spring/summer and then try and compose your shot with flowers in the foreground such as below.
Best time for pics: Anytime
Cost: Free (outside)
Location: 1 Austin Terrace, ON M5R 1X8 (Google Maps link)
Website: casaloma.ca
6. View from the CN Tower
A visit to Toronto should definitely include a trip up the CN Tower. This was once the tallest tower in the world from 1976-2010! The Tower has various floors that are accessible providing great views of the Toronto skyline, including the main lookout levels at 342m and 346m, a restaurant at 351m and a Skypod at 447m. For those wanting a thrill, you could also do the EdgeWalk.
Best time for pics: Anytime
Cost: Ticketed
Location: 301 Front St W, ON M5V 2T6 (Google Maps link)
Website: cntower.ca
7. University of Toronto
The University of Toronto, or UOT, is a great place to visit and walk around. Some of the colleges and buildings including Robarts Library, Knox College and many more have stunning architecture, and the university is often used a location for weddings and movies.
Best time for pics: Day
Cost: Free
Location: King’s College Cir, ON (Google Maps link)
8. Humber Bay Bridge and viewpoint
Around Humber Bay Bridge you get great views towards the city and you also have Humber Bridge which is great to photograph. This is a top sunrise spot and during certain times of the year, you’ll be able to get the sun rising up behind the downtown skyline.
Best time for pics: Sunrise/Night
Cost: Free
Location: Humber Bridge (Google Maps link)
9. Rush Lane/Graffiti Alley
Graffiti Alley off Spadina Avenue is pretty cool to wander along for a different kind of photograph. Sometimes you may capture artists at work too. If it fits your feed then this location is great for lifestyle and photoshoots.
Best time for pics: Day
Cost: Free
Location: Rush Lane, ON M5V 2W1e (Google Maps link)
10. Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO)
The AGO is awesome and great to photograph both from the outside and inside. Few of the best spots in the museum is the main spiral staircase in one of the main halls and the cafe seen below. You can even visit for free on Wednesdays after 6pm (subject to change). Head to www.ago.net/how-to-visit-for-free for more info.
Best time for pics: Anytime
Cost: Ticketed/Free sometimes
Location: 317 Dundas St W, ON M5T 1G4 (Google Maps link)
Website: ago.net
11. Polson Pier
Polson Pier is one of the classic Toronto spots. It’s somewhat secret as most tourists probably aren’t aware of this location. To get here you take bus #72A from Wellington Street West near King Station and then get off at Cherry Street. You then have a five-minute walk past the Asian supermarket and it’ll be on your right. Check the location (Polson Street) in Google before you go too. Or you could also just jump in an Uber. This is a great spot for taking pictures during the golden hour and then the blue hour.
Best time for pics: Sunset/Night
Cost: Free
Location: 2 Polson Street, ON M5A 1A4 (Google Maps link)
Note that this location may no longer be available due to construction.
12. From a helicopter
Although a helicopter ride goes extremely quick, they are a great way to get some aerial views of the city. Unfortunately, you are probably going to be shooting through glass so you may have problems with reflections. When taking pictures from a helicopter ensure you have a fast shutter speed such as around 1/250 and if necessary increase your ISO. This will be particularly challenging at night.
13. Skywalk at Union station
The Skywalk is pretty cool but not the easiest to photograph. Something you could try is taking pictures on a 0.3-1 second exposure so the people become slightly blurred, giving a sense of motion. I always intended to do this but never got round to it. The architecture is quite aesthetic though so definitely nice to see even if you don’t take a photograph.
Best time for pics: Day
Cost: Free
Location: Skywalk, ON M5J 1C3 (Google Maps link)
14. Brookfield Place
The ceiling at Brookfield Place is a classic Instagrammable spot in Toronto. If you follow any hubs you’ll often see this interior come up. It’s located a short walk up from Bay Street from Union Station.
Best time for pics: Anytime
Cost: Free
Location: 181 Bay St, ON M5J 2T3 (Google Maps link)
15. Sugar Beach
Not just a great place to relax, Sugar Beach is also a great place to go and take photographs due to the bright pink Parasols. You can even take photographs in the winter such as seen below.
Best time for pics: Anytime
Cost: Free
Location: 115 Queens Quay E, ON M5A 1B6 (Google Maps link)
16. Scarborough Bluffs Park
A little bit East of the City is Scarborough Bluffs Park which is a series of nice beaches, parks, boathouses. The view below is from Scarborough Bluffs Park towards Bluffers Park. To get here and to the park below is not that easy and I recommend an Uber, Taxi, drive or to cycle. The road leading down to the lower park and beaches is Brimley Road South. You can also use public transport (bus 12 or 302) and walk down but it’s not the nicest walk to be honest.
Best time for pics: Day/sunset/sunrise
Cost: Free
Location: 61 Under Cliff Dr, ON M1N 3Z5 (upper park)
OR: 52 Bluffers Park, ON M1M 3W3 (lower park) (Google Maps link)
17. Upwards perspectives in downtown
All along downtown and in particular this spot near King Street West and Bay street are huge skyscrapers. To get the best shots then use a very wide-angle lens or a GoPro
(what I used) to get shots like the below.
Best time for pics: Anytime
Cost: Free
Location: 244-254 Bay St (Google Maps link)
18. Cool camera wall along Scollard Street
A little bit north of downtown is this very peculiar building which has hundreds of cameras on the facade of the wall. The closest subway station is Bay Street and it’s cool to check out if you are in the area.
Best time for pics: Day
Cost: Free
Location: 125 Scollard St (Google Maps link)
19. Bathurst Street Bridge towards the CN Tower
From the bottom of Bathurst Street is a bridge going over the railway tracks. It’s quite a cool spot to get shots and if you take a long exposure at night you may get trails from the trains.
Best time for pics: Sunset/blue hour
Cost: Free
Location: Bathurst Street, close to where it intersects with Front Street W (Google Maps link)
20. Atrium Mall
The Atrium Mall is located near Yonge-Dundas Square. If you look up you see this futuristic type of architecture which looks like something from a sci-fi movie.
Best time for pics: Anytime
Cost: Free
Location: 595 Bay St, Toronto, ON M5G 2C2 (Google Maps link)
21. High Park
High Park is a wonderful place to go all year round and a nice escape from the city. During spring you’ll find Cherry Blossoms in some parts which are fun to photograph. And during the autumn the trees will change into stunning colours!
Best time for pics: Day
Cost: Free
Location: High Park (Google Maps link)
22. Trinity Bellwoods
Another good spot during the Cherry Blossom season is Trinity Bellwoods. Here you’ll find some of the flowers and lots of people taking photographs. It’s also another nice place to go and relax.
Best time for pics: Day
Cost: Free
Location: Trinity Bellwoods Park (Google Maps link)
23. Waterfront
If you start at Jack Layton Ferry Terminal and then walk along the waterfront it’s quite nice. Along the way you’ll find plenty of good photo opportunities. I recommend walking as far as Marina Quay West and Ireland Park.
24. Marina Quay West
To get a great harbour perspective this is the ideal spot. I recommend using a wide-angle lens as you’ll struggle to get the CN Tower, and the water otherwise. The shot below was taken in the winter so there’s ice, but you can often get perfect reflections when it’s not frozen.
Best time for pics: Sunrise/sunset/blue hour
Cost: Free
Location: Marina Quay West (Google Maps link)
25. Ireland Park
One of my favourite viewpoints is Ireland Park. It’s also pretty cool in the winter when you may get cracked ice. At certain times the water here can sometimes be quite still giving you great reflections of the city.
Best time for pics: Anytime
Cost: Free
Location: Ireland Park (Google Maps link)
26. Canoe Landing
Slightly West of Downtown and just down from Spadina Avenue is Canoe Landing and also this interesting skittle artwork seen below! This is quite an Instagram worthy spot in Toronto and worth checking out if you want something a bit different.
Best time for pics: Anytime
Cost: Free
Location: Canoe Landing (Google Maps link)
27. Gooderham Building
One of the coolest buildings in the city and a very Instagram worthy spot is the Gooderham Building, also known as the Flatiron. From some angles, you can get the CN Tower in the shot too. Consider coming here at night to take photographs like below. When it rains is also good as you can often find places to capture reflections of the buildings.
Best time for pics: Anytime
Cost: Free
Location: 49 Wellington St E, ON M5E 1C9 (Google Maps link)
28. The Distillery Historic District
The Distillery has beautiful old architecture and is also the location of the main Christmas Market. Around this area are also some bars and galleries worth checking out too. For tips on taking pictures of Christmas markets head to Photography Tips: Christmas Markets and Lights.
Best time for pics: Anytime
Cost: Free
Location: 55 Mill St, Toronto, ON M5A 3C4 (Google Maps link)
29. Charles Street East and Rogers Way
Some more popular artwork to take pictures of is outside a building at the corner of Charles Street East and Rogers Way. The closest subway here Bloor-Yonge.
Best time for pics: Day
Cost: Free
Location: 596 Ted Rogers Way Toronto, ON M4Y (Google Maps link)
30. HTO Park
HTO Park is another one of Toronto’s city parks/beaches and this one is located a short walk from the CN Tower. The park is always open so you can get some snowy shots in the winter, or get some warmer shots during the other times. Lifestyle Instagrammers might find this location good for a photoshoot.
Best time for pics: Day
Cost: Free
Location: 339 Queens Quay W, Toronto, ON M5V 1A2 (Google Maps link)
31. Riverdale Park East
Riverdale Park East is just down from Broadview subway station and is a great spot for sunrise, sunset and evening shots with the cities skyline. I’ve seen some of the most amazing sunsets of my life from this perspective. This spot is also great in the winter with snow on the trees and the field. It can get extremely windy and cold, so if visiting this point in the winter then wrap up VERY warm. You can get here by walking down from Broadview Station, or you can also get the trams 304, 504 or 505 down from the station.
Best time for pics: Sunrise/sunset/night
Cost: Free
Location: 550 Broadview Ave (Google Maps link)
32. Massey Hall
Massey Hall is a famous venue holding concerts and other events. The architecture is pretty cool as you can see below.
Best time for pics: Day
Cost: Free (exterior)
Location: 178 Victoria St, ON M5B 1T7 (Google Maps link)
33. Fairmont Royal York
As well as being a nice place to stay the Fairmont Royal York has a stunning lobby with the beautiful clock and staircase you can see below. One of the prettiest viewpoints is from the upper level of the lobby which you can access using the stairs.
Best time for pics: Anytime
Cost: Free
Location: 100 Front St W, ON M5J 1E3 (Google Maps link)
34. Kensington Market
Kensington Market is an odd, colourful and very photogenic area which I highly recommend checking out! You’ll find lots of street photography opportunities here.
Best time for pics: Day
Cost: Free (exterior)
Ferry Address: 282 Augusta Ave, ON M5T 2L9 (Google Maps link)
35. Nice Torontonian streets
Around the outskirts of downtown are lots of beautiful Torontonian streets which are nice to explore. Many of the houses have patios and beautiful styles and almost all the houses having a slightly different design. Here are some streets which are pretty nice to not just photograph but also walk around.
Lake Shore Boulevard East
Just above Woodbine beach and along Lake Shore Boulevard East is a nice row of houses that are very pretty to see and photograph.
Spadina Avenue
Spadina Avenue is pretty much the China/Asia part of the city and is pretty cool to take photographs from. You can also try and get photographs of downtown with some trams going past here.
King Street and Queen Street
These two streets are particularly nice from the West and you’ll find awesome shops and restaurants along the way.
Roncesvalles Avenue
Roncesvalles Avenue is quite a cute street and from the bottom, you’ll reach Lake Ontario where you can walk along the waterfront which is quite nice towards Humber Bay Bridge (mentioned above).
Others Instagrammable spots in Toronto
Ravines
Head down to Toronto’s arteries of Ravines. Nice locations include the David Balfour Park Trail, which you’ll find close to St Clair Station, as well as Nordheimer Ravine close to St Clair West Station.
Roy Thomson Hall
The Roy Thomson Hall is another downtown spot and you’ll be able to get the Hall and also the CN Tower peaking between some skyscrapers from this angle.
Tommy Thompson Park
The Tommy Thompson Park is behind the Toronto Islands but connects to the mainland. It’s a bit fiddly to get to and the nicest way is to hire a bike, but not a city bike as they are expensive if used for long periods in one go. You should then cycle along Cherry Street towards Cherry Beach and then follow the paths all the way around. Once you get into Tommy Thompson Park you’ll also find lots of birds too and it’s best to have a zoom lens for shots of wildlife and the city from this perspective.
Open Doors
During the annual DoorsOpen event you get free and special access to buildings all around the city. This includes the City Hall Roof, Commerce Court North, City of Toronto Archives, Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre and many more. I think there are around 150 buildings that take part in this.
Niagara Falls
When visiting Toronto we recommend visiting Niagara Falls. This incredible wonder of the world is a short distance from the city, easily accessible and also great for pictures. Read more about how to visit Niagara Falls from Toronto.
Find more photography spots in Toronto
Another way to find the best photo spots in Toronto would be to use an app such as NoFilter. The app includes lots of the top photography locations around the city which you can find using a map. And… whilst exploring Toronto should you find another great place that has not yet been listed then why not sign up (for free) and contribute. This would be a great way to help other travellers and photographers in the community.
Note: This is a sponsored suggestion, but one that we have tried and would recommend.
Tours and activities
Here are some tours that you may like for Toronto. Click the see more button for even more options through our partner GetYourGuide.
Photography tips for Toronto
- Take photographs of the Toronto skyline at sunset for potentially beautiful skies and light.
- Use a decent travel tripod when taking photographs at night, so you can use a low ISO and long exposure.
- Use a wide-angle lens if you’re taking low angle pictures of downtown.
- Use an ND filter if taking pictures during the day to smooth water and create wispy clouds.
- Keep an eye out for reflections to enhance your composition.
- Try creating or using photography presets to add cool effects and speed up your editing process.
When is the best time to take photographs in Toronto?
When taking photographs of the Toronto skyline then sunrise, sunset and at night (the blue hour) are the best times. Also nighttime can be a good time to take pictures of many of the city’s landmarks as they will be lit up too (such as the CN Tower).
The daytime can still be good though for more general city photographs, such as of the parks, beaches and streets.
If you manage to visit in the Autumn then this is another great time to take pictures in Toronto, as you should find many of the parks have wonderful colours and offer the most spectacular scenery. See our friend Argenel on Instagram to see what we mean.
Can you use tripods in Toronto?
You should be fine using a tripod in Toronto when taking photographs outside. Tripods are especially important when taking night or long exposure photographs. If you’re wanting to take photographs inside or through windows then this can vary depending on the venue and sometimes the rules also change so we’d recommend checking the official websites in advance.
Summary
These are some of the best Instagrammable spots around Toronto for taking pictures. Including locations for capturing cityscapes, interiors and cute streets. Be sure to visit some of these spots during your visit to the city so as to take great shots to show your friends, family and followers.
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