Once we arrived in Toronto and parked the car, we took the lift out of the car park — and unknowingly stepped straight into the city’s famous underground labyrinth: the PATH. Stretching over 19 miles, the PATH is a web of tunnels, walkways, and shopping areas that connect most of downtown’s major buildings. It’s especially useful in winter when Toronto gets properly freezing, and it’s home to more than 1,100 shops and services — you could honestly get lost in there for hours.

We attempted to use the PATH to walk straight into our hotel, the Fairmont Royal York, but an unexpected escalator threw a spanner in that plan. We popped up to street level and made our way in via the accessible side entrance — a small detour, but one that worked out just fine. And it wouldn’t be the last time we found ourselves wandering below the city.

The Fairmont Royal York is a Toronto icon — a historic railway hotel opened in 1929, sitting right across from Union Station. The place is full of character, with that polished, old-school charm and a reputation to match (the British Royal Family stay here when they’re in town). But don’t let the historical heritage fool you — the hotel takes accessibility seriously. Our accessible room had two beds, a spacious lounge area, and a bathroom fitted with grab rails, a roll-in shower, a low-level sink, and even a button-operated automatic door. Thoughtful touches everywhere.

With bags unpacked and a quick recharge, we headed back out into downtown. First stop: the Hockey Hall of Fame. Now, the iconic Great Hall entrance isn’t step-free, but most of the museum is inside the Brookfield Place complex — which is accessible. You can easily take a lift down to reach the lower levels.

Inside, it’s a hockey lover’s dream. Rows of memorabilia from across NHL history, jerseys, gear, and of course, the Stanley Cup, proudly on display for visitors to get a photo with. There’s even a replica of the Montréal Canadiens’ dressing room from the legendary Forum, where they won most of their record-setting 24 Stanley Cups. You’ll also find exhibits on international hockey, the Olympics, and even Paralympic sledge hockey. After a good explore (and a visit to the gift shop — no regrets), we returned to the hotel to get ready for the evening’s highlight: the CN Tower.

Built in 1976, the CN Tower held the record for the world’s tallest building for a while, and it’s still the tallest in the Western Hemisphere. Its glass-fronted lift climbs at 15mph, shooting you up the side of the tower for incredible views from the main observation deck. The entire deck is step-free and accessible, with a dedicated lift to get back down. We made it up with no trouble at all, and even at 9pm, the place was buzzing. We managed to catch a gorgeous sunset over Lake Ontario — one of those “wow, this is actually real life” moments.

Now, if you fancy going even higher, you can book access to “The Top“, the CN Tower’s highest viewing point. Just a heads-up — it involves two flights of stairs, with no lift alternative, so it’s not suitable for all visitors.

We headed back down, back to street level, and eventually back to the hotel for a good night’s rest. Day one in Toronto: complete.

The next day, we hit the ground running. From the waterfront boardwalks to the glass-and-steel towers of the financial district, downtown Toronto has plenty to explore. After a bite to eat in the city centre, we ventured northwest to one of Toronto’s most iconic neighbourhoods — Kensington Market.

It’s a proper bohemian pocket of the city, full of vintage shops, quirky cafés, street murals, and market stalls that spill out onto the pavement. Officially, Kensington Market falls within Chinatown, centred around Dundas Street and Spadina Avenue, which only adds to its multicultural flavour. You’ll find everything from Mexican street food to South American grills, plus plenty of live music and art. It’s lively, colourful, and absolutely worth the visit.

On the way back downtown, we passed through Nathan Phillips Square, took in the grand facade of Old City Hall, and of course, grabbed a snap in front of the Toronto sign — obligatory tourist moment. Then, it was time to head back into the PATH. We re-entered through Royal Bank Plaza (where we’d originally parked), and navigated the underground passageways all the way to the Union Station food court. This is where it really hit us how much locals rely on the PATH — thousands of people zipping between buildings below ground, barely touching the cold outside. We grabbed some Thai food for dinner and made our way back to the hotel, ready for one final outing before the next leg of our journey.

Our last day in Toronto wasn’t actually spent in Toronto at all. Instead, we took a two-hour drive along Lake Ontario to see the legendary Niagara Falls.

Having a car made it easy, but for those travelling without one, there’s a direct train from Union Station to Niagara Falls — accessible and straightforward. While the town itself has grown into a full-on tourist hotspot, with everything from hotels to casinos, the falls are still absolutely worth the hype. On the Canadian side, you’ve got the jaw-dropping Horseshoe Falls, while the American Falls sit just across the river.

We parked at Table Rock Centre, which thankfully has accessible parking — always a win in busy tourist towns. From there, we walked over to the main viewing area, which is free and fully accessible, offering brilliant views of the water crashing down into the gorge. You can pay to enter the Falls attractions inside Table Rock, but even just being outside in the mist is an experience in itself. We took our time, snapped our photos, watched the Niagara City Cruises boats float into the spray, and soaked it all in.

It was more of a quick visit than a full-day excursion, but Niagara has enough to keep you busy for hours — or even an overnight stay if you’re up for it. Between the observation deck, the accessible boat tours, the restaurants, and various attractions, there’s something for everyone.

From there, we made the drive back to Toronto for the last time — bags repacked and ready to fly out from Montréal the next day.

Next stop: Nova Scotia, Canada’s Ocean Playground.