- Code:ON
- Type:province
- Population:14.2M (2021)
- Area:1,076,395 km²
- Capital:Toronto
Introduction
Ontario is Canada's most populous province and its centre of gravity — home to Toronto, the national capital of Ottawa, and the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, all within a few hours of one another. Beyond the cities, it spreads across the Great Lakes and an immense northern wilderness of lakes and forest. For travellers it pairs urban and natural Canada: a world-class multicultural city, a walkable capital, the continent's most famous waterfall and its wine country, and the canoe-country lakes of Algonquin and Muskoka that define the Canadian summer.
Overview
Ontario's south is where most visitors spend their time, and it is compact enough to combine in a single trip. Toronto, Canada's largest city, is the anchor — the CN Tower and the harbourfront, the Royal Ontario Museum and the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Distillery District's brick lanes, and a patchwork of neighbourhoods (Kensington Market, Chinatown, Little Italy, Greektown) that make it one of the most multicultural cities on earth, with the food to match. Day trips radiate out: Niagara Falls, ninety minutes south, delivers the thundering Horseshoe Falls from the Canadian side, the Hornblower boat into the mist, and the genteel wine country and theatre town of Niagara-on-the-Lake on the doorstep. The provincial reach extends to Ottawa, the national capital five hours east (or a short flight), where Parliament Hill, a cluster of excellent national museums and the skateable winter Rideau Canal sit on the Ottawa River. North of Toronto begins the Canadian summer of legend: the Muskoka lakes — 'cottage country', a landscape of granite, pine and clear water dotted with lakeside cottages and resorts — and, deeper in, Algonquin Provincial Park, the canoe-tripping, moose-spotting wilderness that shaped the Group of Seven painters. Add the boat-dotted Thousand Islands of the St. Lawrence, the beaches of Prince Edward County and its wineries, the Shakespeare festival at Stratford, and the vast Great Lakes shorelines, and Ontario offers far more than its cities. Distances north and west are large; the south, where the highlights cluster, is the practical focus for most trips.
Discover Ontario
Toronto is the country's biggest, busiest and most diverse city — more than half its residents were born outside Canada, and that shows in its neighbourhoods and food. The waterfront and the CN Tower (with its glass floor and EdgeWalk) give the orientation; nearby, the Ripley's Aquarium and the ferry to the Toronto Islands — a car-free retreat of beaches and skyline views — fill a day. The Royal Ontario Museum and the Frank Gehry-redesigned Art Gallery of Ontario lead the museums; the Distillery District's Victorian industrial lanes, St. Lawrence Market, and the street life of Kensington Market, Chinatown, Little Italy, Greektown and Little India give the city its texture. Toronto is also a major-league sports town and a year-round festival city, anchored by the Toronto International Film Festival each September.
Ways to Experience This Destination
Toronto's CN Tower, museums, islands and one of the world's most multicultural neighbourhood-and-food scenes.
The Horseshoe Falls from the Canadian side, the Hornblower cruise and the Niagara Peninsula's ice-wine country.
Ottawa's Parliament Hill, national museums and the skateable Rideau Canal in winter.
The Muskoka lakes and Algonquin Park's canoe routes, moose and autumn colour.
Georgian Bay and the Bruce Peninsula's turquoise water and cliffs, the Thousand Islands and Prince Edward County beaches.
Frequently asked questions
Cities in Ontario
Visaja keeps this page's contact details and visa guidance under continuous review — still, requirements can change at short notice, so confirm the essentials with the mission or the official government portal before you travel.