The best things to do near Union Station Toronto are within a 5 to 15 minute walk: the CN Tower and Ripley's Aquarium to the west, the Hockey Hall of Fame and Berczy Park to the east, St. Lawrence Market a little further east, and the waterfront to the south. With under two hours, pick one. There are no public lockers at Union, so plan for your bags first.
Union Station sits in the middle of Toronto's densest few blocks of sights, which makes a long connection a gift rather than a chore. This post sorts them by the time you have. If you would rather have a car meet your train, keep the bags locked in the trunk and drive you between sights, that is our Union Station chauffeur service; a few hours works well with our hourly chauffeur service.
What can you do near Union Station Toronto? Start with the bags
The first question is not where to go, it is what to do with your luggage. The station's website is plain: there are no public lockers or baggage storage at Union. VIA Rail handles bags for its own ticketed passengers under its own rules. Everyone else has three choices: a private luggage storage shop nearby, booked online; carrying the bags, which rules out anything with security screening or crowds; or a car with a locked trunk that stays with you. For a layover of an hour or less, carrying a small roller is fine. For two hours or more with suitcases, solve this first.
If you have 30 minutes
Stay close and keep it simple:
- The Great Hall itself. The vaulted hall with its columns and stone is one of the finest rooms in Canada. Sit, look up, and have a coffee.
- Front Street looking west. Walk out the front doors and you have a clean view of the CN Tower above the rail lands.
- The Fairmont Royal York. Directly across Front Street, the historic railway hotel has a lobby worth five minutes of your time. Official information is on the Fairmont Royal York site.
Be back inside 10 minutes before your train is called; Union's concourses are larger than they look.
If you have one hour
Pick one of these, not two:
- Berczy Park and the Flatiron Building. About 10 minutes' walk east along Front Street; the dog fountain and the view of the Gooderham Building are a favourite photo stop.
- Roundhouse Park. About 10 minutes west via the SkyWalk and Bremner Boulevard, the old railway roundhouse has locomotives on display outdoors and the Toronto Railway Museum; check its hours before going in.
- The CN Tower from the base. The walk via the SkyWalk is about 10 minutes. Going up takes longer than an hour once you add tickets and security, so admire it from below.
If you have two hours
Now one proper attraction fits, if you book a timed ticket in advance:
- The CN Tower. About 10 minutes' walk. Buy timed tickets on the CN Tower site and allow 75-90 minutes inside at a quiet time. Our CN Tower visitor page covers the approach by car.
- Ripley's Aquarium of Canada. Next to the tower. The tunnel and jellyfish rooms are a hit with children. Tickets on the Ripley's site; see also our aquarium page.
- The Hockey Hall of Fame. In Brookfield Place at Front and Yonge, about 5-7 minutes east. Check hours on the Hall's site and our Hockey Hall of Fame page.
Security screening at the tower means large bags are a problem. Sort the luggage first.
If you have three to four hours
Now you can combine two sights or add lunch:
- St. Lawrence Market. About 15 minutes east on foot. Peameal bacon on a bun is the classic order. Opening days vary by building, so check the market's site before you walk; our St. Lawrence Market page has more.
- Harbourfront and Queens Quay. About 10-15 minutes south. The Harbourfront Centre runs free programming in summer.
- The Toronto Island ferry. The ferry terminal is at the foot of Bay Street, about 10-15 minutes away. A quick return crossing is possible in three hours, but queues in summer can be long; the City posts ferry information on its Toronto Island ferries page.
If you have half a day
With five or more hours, the choices widen to the Distillery District, Kensington Market, the Royal Ontario Museum or the Art Gallery of Ontario. These are 15-30 minutes away by streetcar, subway or car. A half-day is also where a private car makes most sense: the bags stay in the locked trunk, the chauffeur waits at each stop, and you are dropped back at the right door for your train. Planning figures for a sedan are $130-150 per hour with a 3-hour minimum, all-in with HST separate; see Toronto city tours for suggested loops.
Walking times from Union at a glance
| Place | Direction | Walk from Union (approx.) | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairmont Royal York lobby | Across Front St | 2 min | 30 min |
| Hockey Hall of Fame | East, Front & Yonge | 5-7 min | 1.5-2 h |
| Berczy Park | East on Front St | 10 min | 45 min |
| CN Tower | West via SkyWalk | 10 min | 2 h with ticket |
| Ripley's Aquarium | West, next to the tower | 10-12 min | 2 h |
| Roundhouse Park | West via SkyWalk | 10 min | 45 min |
| Ferry terminal (Bay & Queens Quay) | South | 10-15 min | 3 h+ |
| St. Lawrence Market | East | 15 min | 1-1.5 h |
Times are for an adult walking without heavy luggage. Add half again with a roller bag or children.
Eating near Union
The lower level of Union has a food hall with quick options that suit a short connection. For a sit-down meal, the streets around Front, Wellington and King have plenty of restaurants within five minutes, and the PATH underground network north of the station has food courts that are warm in winter. For something local, the market to the east is the best single stop. Allow at least 45 minutes for a sit-down lunch in the Financial District at noon on a weekday.
With children
Families with a two-hour gap have one clear winner: Ripley's Aquarium, which is indoors, near the station and built for children. The Roundhouse Park locomotives are a free alternative that train-loving children adore, and the SkyWalk route is covered. Avoid anything that needs a ferry or a queue if your train time is fixed. If you are staying overnight, our family visits and reunions page has ideas for a longer stay.
In winter or bad weather
Toronto has a very useful trick for cold days: the PATH, a network of underground walkways and shopping concourses that starts at Union and runs north through the Financial District. You can walk to the Hockey Hall of Fame and to a string of food courts without going outside. The SkyWalk to the CN Tower is covered too. Check Environment Canada before planning a waterfront walk in January; the wind off the lake is the reason Torontonians go underground.
On game or concert days
Scotiabank Arena and Rogers Centre are both within a few minutes of Union. On an event day, the SkyWalk and Bremner Boulevard fill with fans, the attractions around the tower get busier, and restaurants near the station fill up before the start. If your layover lands on a Blue Jays afternoon, eat early and head east toward the market instead. Our sports and games page covers event traffic.
Three sample layovers
A retired couple between VIA trains, 2.5 hours. They leave their cases with VIA as ticketed passengers, have tea at the Royal York, walk to Berczy Park and back, and are in the VIA lounge 30 minutes early.
A student with a backpack, 4 hours. Hockey Hall of Fame, peameal bacon at the market, a walk back along the Esplanade. Total cost: admission and lunch.
A business traveller with a suitcase, 5 hours before a Pearson flight. A sedan meets her on Front Street, the case stays in the trunk, she visits the Art Gallery of Ontario, has lunch in Yorkville, and is dropped at Pearson Terminal 1 with time to spare. The hours plus the airport leg are quoted as one booking.
Photo spots within ten minutes
If you only want a few good pictures, the classics are close. The CN Tower is best photographed from Roundhouse Park, where the old turntable and locomotives give a foreground. The Flatiron Building is framed from the west side of Berczy Park, looking east along Front Street. The Great Hall is at its best in the late-afternoon light through the high windows. From the foot of Bay Street near the ferry terminal you get the skyline over the water, and on a clear day the island across the harbour. None of these needs a ticket, and all of them work with a small bag over your shoulder.
Accessibility and slower walkers
The SkyWalk to the CN Tower and Rogers Centre is covered and step-free, which makes the west side the easiest direction for anyone using a wheelchair or walking slowly. Front Street to the east has kerb cuts and wide sidewalks, but distances add up; Berczy Park is about the limit for a relaxed half-hour stroll. For older travellers with a longer wait, a car that carries them door to door between two or three chosen stops is usually kinder than an ambitious walking plan. Our wheelchair-accessible transfers page lists the vehicle options.
Getting back in time
Union is large, and trains close their doors on time. Aim to be back inside the station 20-30 minutes before a VIA departure and 10-15 minutes before a GO or UP departure, more with bags. If you are not sure which concourse you need, our guide on how to navigate Union Station has the routes.
Book a car for your layover
Tell us the arrival train, the sights you want and the train or flight you need to make. The fare is fixed before you confirm, gratuity included.
