CN Tower, Toronto

Taller than Kuala Lumpur's Petronas Towers and Chicago's Sears Tower (but not taller than Dubai's newest superskyscraper), Toronto's CN Tower is certainly a sight to behold! While not technically considered a building, the CN Tower functions as a broadcast tower while also offering observation decks and a restaurant waaaaaaay above the skyscrapers of the Financial District. If you're not afraid of heights then this is certainly a must see destination!

Until 2007, the CN Tower was the tallest free-standing structure in the world. Located right next to the Rogers Centre, this downtown landmark is one of Toronto's premiere tourist attractions. Take an elevator trip all the way up to the sky pod (in the - the 2nd highest observation deck in the world! On a clear day, you can see the mist across Lake Ontario from the famed Niagara Falls. Watching others navigate their way across the glass floor in this observation space is as much fun as standing on it yourself, and on nice days, when the roof is open on the Rogers Centre - you can catch a glimpse of a teeny, tiny Major League ball game happening hundreds of meters below.

All of that observing may leave you with a hunger gap. If you want to go all out, a dinner at the award-winning 360 restaurant is a must for the full CN Tower experience, paired with a bottle of wine from the world's highest wine cellar. But if you are in the area around brunch time, you can't beat the amazing crepes from Cora's. For a fun, delicious lunch or dinner, head to Planet Hollywood where you can dine and check out film and TV celeb memorabilia at the same time.

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With my plans to visit Canada, came a list of ‘To Do Things’. On my long “Bucket List” has always been the CN Tower and Banff in Canada. So once I was done with my older sister, Niagara falls and Kitchener, I went off to Etobicoke to see my baby brother (who by the way looks older only because he is 6’4 in height). His wife and I had booked a tour of Toronto on the open top buses. I figured travelling with children this was the best way to go. My brother also has a 3 year old which meant we would have 3 children tagging along. So our first stop was of course going to be the highly recommended CN Towers. One cannot miss it, it towers the Toronto Skyline. I had tried to book a dinner at the restaurant above it before leaving the United States, but they were booked for months I was told.

As you may have read from the many reviews on Virtual Tourist and elsewhere, it comes highly recommend. But I tell you what? I thought it was highly overrated and was frankly disappointed after trying two days in vain to get up to the top of the tower. It did however remind me of the Space Needle in Seattle and the inkling to go up was stronger. One the first day, we arrived at a little after 1:00 pm, the hassle of going down to the ticket counter using the escalator was frustrating. The establishment is not handicap friendly so we had to carry the baby’s stroller down the escalator and up a flight of stairs on the return. Once we got to the ticket counter, we waited in line for almost 25 minutes, only to be told there was a 2 hour wait to get to the top. The children were hungry and hot. Josephine and I decided we would try again the next morning between 9:00 – 11:00 am when we were told were the best times.
A few people still think it is the tallest building on earth, but that is because they have not been to the Emirates lately (smile!). It is now among the top five tallest free standing structures and a wonder of the world. As such it is a huge attraction to millions who come to visit it each year. It features a rotating restaurant at the top, a high-speed elevator, #D Movie Theater, a wine cellar and three sightseeing stops along the way.

The next day we left home early and headed downtown to get on our tour bus. Unfortunately due to delays by the tour bus, we got to the CN Tower at 12:00 noon, this time I had my daughter go find out how long the wait is, seeing as we had missed the times advised the day before. The wait was an hour and 30 minutes. Well we decided it was not worth the wait, we wanted to go to the Harbour Front and take a boat to the island, and that is what we did. I figured, I will leave it on my ‘to do list’ for next summer when we plan to go to Banff. From the outside, the tower is impressive, makes one feel really small; I figured the view from above would be of the entire Toronto area, next time.

Prices to go up vary based on the package one chooses. We just wanted to go up to the viewing deck to see Toronto’s Skyline.
Observation Plus - $28.99 per adult, $21.99 for children (4-12), $24.99 seniors 65 and older
Observation Only - $22.99 per adult, $14.99 children (4-12 yrs), $20.99 seniors 65 and older

Individual tours or a la Carte tours include;
Sky pod - $10.00 per person
Motion Theater ride only - $10.00 per person
Maple Leaf Theater - $10.00 per person

I believe the Citypass gives you a better package because it includes the top 5 must see attractions of Toronto for $58.99
However if you find yourself wanting to tour it, my brother recommends doing it at night. Apparently the night views are breath-taking.

As you will have already discovered if you've found this tip, there are loads of tips on the CN Tower on VT, and everyone else seemed to absolutely love it, so, for what it's worth, here's a dissenting point of view.

I didn't actively dislike the CN Tower, but I was distinctly underwhelmed by it. So, it was once both the world's highest tower and the world's highest free standing structure - now in the Top 5, depending on the criteria you apply - well, maybe I'm missing the point, but so what?

For me, ascending a high structure is only really of interest if it can be used as a vantage point to give you an unusual perspective on the surroundings. So the Arc de Triomphe, for example, although not extraordinarily high, is worth going to the top of because from there, you see Baron Hausmann's Grand Vision for Paris made real and stretching out at your feet. And therein lies the problem with the CN Tower - in my very personal opinion, there simply isn't very much worth seeing from the top. The landscape is pancake flat and not particularly attractive, the ribbon of development along the shores of Lake Ontario is unremarkable, and precisely because the CN Tower is so high, the high rise developments of the CBD (which are actually quite interesting from another perspective, such as the Toronto Islands), lose their definition and individuality because they're so far below you.

To my mind, the most interesting aspect of the view from the CN Tower is the bird's eye perspective on the neighbouring Rogers Centre - formerly the SkyDome and home to the Toronto Blue Jays. This was the first sports stadium to have a fully retractable motorised roof and is a nifty bit of engineering (I personally thought that it was more interesting than the CN Tower).

Others have waxed lyrical about the many thing that you can do in the CN Tower, including dining at the revolving restaurant, ascending up to the Sky Pod, doing the EdgeWalk and standing on the glass floor. I only did the latter, and can't say that it made a major impression on me, other than making me feel midly queasy as I registered that it was an awfully long way down.

However, most people consider that the CN Tower is worth doing, so if so, I suspect that the view is probably at is best at night when the view of the twinkling CBD lights would probably lend an added cachet. It's also possible that during Fall (a north Americanism of which I heartily approve), the palette of autumnal colours would lend another dimension to the landscape, although I stand to be corrected on this point.

And, for fear of stating the obvious, it's not even worth considering this if the cloud is low, because you won't see a thing. As Toronto weather can be quite changeable, I would suggest that if the CN Tower is on your 'must do' itinerary and the weather is fine, then shelve whatever other plans you had and head up the tower whilst the weather is clement.

In summary, going up the CN Tower - even if you forego the optional extras - is resource intensive on several counts, as it is hellish expensive (over C$20 just to access the lookout and glass floor at the time of writing in September 2011) and would probably also involve a wait in peak season, even if you bought your ticket online due to limitations on the number of visitors that are permitted at any given time. So particularly if you're a budget traveller or have limited time in Toronto, I would suggest that your time and money could be much better spent doing something more worthwhile such as a trip to the Bata Shoe Museum, Royal Ontario Museum or a ferry ride to the Toronto Islands.

One unexpected high point for me was the gift shop by the entrance is large and absolutely excellent. It sells a wide range of high quality souvenirs, and you don't have to pay the entrance fee to visit the gift shop.

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Well most VTers already wrote a review about this one so I wont tell much about it. I can only say that it's worth visiting whenever you are in Toronto. I am not really into heights but of course I need to try this one.. like everyone did. I felt safe in the observation deck it has bigger space but the skypod is a different story , the smaller space and much higher altitude made my knees weak and tummy churns. I didnt stay more than 10 minutes. Try the glass floor as well, even though I know it's safe but still I cant walk on it haha. I read that during summer you can walk outside with a harness. Geez.

Let the elevator take you to to the top of (what was once) the tallest free standing structure in the world and you'll have a great view of Toronto and Lake Ontario.

The CN Tower is 1,815.4 ft feet high (553 metres.) There is a glass floor and an outdoor observation deck. You will also have the option of taking the elevator a little higher, to the very top of the tower and get an even better view but you can't go outside.

Admission prices go up every year. As of 2012, it is $23 for adults for basic entry (observation and glass floor only) and an extra $10 for some sort of motion theatre ride. Keep in mind that the Toronto City pass is worth buying if you plan to see a lot of Toronto attractions.

In 2011, the CN tower just introduced a new form of adventure called 'the Sky Walk' where you're securely tied but hanging over the edge of the tower. It looks pretty scary for those afraid of heights.

The Tower is located on Front street, which is in the middle of the entertainment district of Toronto. Union Station is just a 2-minute walk away.

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Officially opened in October 1976 and standing at 553 metres (1815 feet) tall, the CN Tower was the place I most wanted to visit while in Toronto. The stunning structure can be seen from all over the city and is just as impressive close up.

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Once at the top of the CN Tower there are spectacular views of Toronto and Lake Ontario from either the Look Out Level or the Sky Pod. Visability on a clear day is over 160km (100 miles). It's possible to see both Niagara Falls and Rochester in New York State.

The tower is the highest building in Toronto, and it has all the common attractions in this kind of structures - high speed elevators, rotating restaurant, sightseeing points but also a wine cellar, 3D movies and more. Sorry we had no time to go up!

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If you visit the city, the 553 meters high CN Tower (Canada's National Tower, constructed 1973 – 1976 ) is one of the first things, you notice from a distance already. In the tower you should experience at least three attractions:
First one is the Skypod observation deck at 447 meters. In case of clear weather from here you can see all the way to Niagara Falls.
Second one is the favourite of many visitors, the Glass Floor, also mine. Through it, you can see all the way down to street level, it is really amazing. You do not need to afraid from a breaking of the glass, it stands more than 2 tons.
Third one is the Lookout at 346 meters, the first stop of the glass-walled elevators. This level above the Glass Floor contains the IMAX theater, two flight simulators, a nightclub, and the revolving restaurant.

Entrance fee for Total Tower Experience including Look Out+Glass Floor+Movie+Flight Simulator: C$ 30.00

Notice:Since 2009 Burj Dubai is world's tallest structure with its height of about 2,260 ft