Greater Toronto is Yours To Discover

We landed at Pearson on a soft grey afternoon, bikes still folded in their cases, and by dinner that first night nobody was thinking about the flight anymore. That is usually how it goes. Two days in Toronto to find your legs, three nights in Niagara-on-the-Lake for the wine country and the Falls, two nights under the escarpment in Hamilton, then back to Toronto to close the loop. Nine days, eight nights, and not one of them rushed.

Finding our legs in Toronto

The first proper ride runs flat along the Martin Goodman Trail beside Lake Ontario, out to the ferry, and across to the Toronto Islands, which are car-free and about as gentle as cycling gets. We stopped at the Toronto Music Garden on the way back, and one of our ladies, who had not been on a bike in fifteen years, said it was the first time all trip she had forgotten to worry about falling off. That is the whole point of day one. Nobody remembers a fast start. Everyone remembers a comfortable one.

Under the escarpment

In Hamilton, we cycle the Royal Botanical Gardens, Canada’s largest botanic gardens. It spans both Hamilton and neighbouring Burlington. The Rock Garden and the Lilac Dell, the country's biggest lilac collection, were both worth the ride on their own, and Cootes Paradise gave us herons and swans and a proper marsh hush after all the wine country buzz.

The following day is the one we quietly call the escarpment day. Country roads link three of the prettiest spots in the whole tour, Webster's Falls in its stone-bridged glen, Tews Falls further along, and Dundas Peak, a cliff-top lookout over the entire valley that gives you the closest thing to a mountain view this trip offers. The steepest stretches go by van, so the riding itself stays gentle even though the scenery does not.

Wine, lavender and a lake that meets the sky

Niagara-on-the-Lake was our base for three nights, and it earns every one of them. The countryside loop through the wine estates is properly pretty riding, quiet roads, gentle rolls, vineyards on both sides. We stopped at NEOB Lavender for the scent alone, had lunch on the terrace at Peller Estates, and finished the day at Konzelmann, the only lakefront winery, with a glass of Riesling, watching the late summer sun going down over the water. Later that evening some of us took a stroll to the white gazebo at Queen's Royal Park, right where the river meets the lake. The relaxed, photogenic spot made it easy to linger for a while longer.

The next day is the highlight of the segment. The river trail runs south from town, past the Floral Clock and into the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens, forty hectares of roses that our flower lovers revelled in. We ensured there was time for the Butterfly Conservatory too, two thousand of them flying free in the glasshouse. It was magical! We rode along the gorge rim, past the Whirlpool, and finally to Horseshoe Falls itself. You hear it before you see it. Our support vehicle meets everyone at Table Rock, so nobody has to think about the ride home after a day like that, they can just stand there and take it in.

Back to the water

The last full day brings us back into Toronto along the waterfront to High Park, where the cherry blossoms and the willow-lined Grenadier Pond send everyone off in the right mood, past the wide white arch of the Humber Bay Bridge with the skyline behind it. A last pass through the Music Garden on the way in feels like the trip closing its own loop.

We flew in on Bromptons and we cycled out on friendships. It is not something we plan for, but it happens on almost every tour. Solo travellers arrive not knowing a soul and leave with a group chat full of holiday photos from people they now call friends.

If nine days through Toronto and Niagara sounds like your kind of holiday, WhatsApp us on +65 8925 7912 or have a look at https://www.bromptonexperiences.com/all-tours/canada-toronto

We do the planning. You just pedal and enjoy the view.