Ontario Four Season Guide

Summer in Ontario turns up the heat

When it’s summer in Ontario, the skies are blue and the air is filled with the sound of live music and the aromas of fresh produce and backyard barbecues. School is on break and people are heading to summer cottages to relax on the lake. Meanwhile, the cities brim with excitement as visitors explore endless food, street and music festivals. Summer is Ontario’s busiest season, so best to book your stays and experiences early.

Enjoy rest and relaxation like a true Canadian

Summer means lakeside holidays on Ontario’s pristine waters. Imagine quietly canoeing across a beautiful lake, fishing for muskie, northern pike, walleye and perch or experiencing the rush of a whitewater rafting adventure. Then, at night, lighting a fire and listening to the call of the loon—Ontario’s official bird. And that’s just the beginning of cottage life in Ontario!

Revel in music and food festivals

All summer long, cities big and small host live music festivals some taking place in open air, others in intimate concert venues. Jazz greats take the stage at the TD Toronto Jazz Fest and Ottawa Jazz Festival. Love blues music? The TD Kitchener Blues Festival is the place to be!

Every weekend, everywhere across Ontario, there’s a food festival happening. The diversity of Ontario’s cultures and foods means you can savour everything from Caribbean and Pan Asian delicacies to a variety of other flavours Canada is famous for. Music and art are a big part of these fests too—they’re truly immersive experiences.

If you’re in Toronto, the Toronto Food Truck Festival, Waterfront Night Market and Taste of Little Italy aren’t to be missed. Explore smaller towns and you’ll inevitably come across uniquely Ontario foodfests like Ontario’s Best Butter Tart Festival in Midland, the travelling Poutine Feast Ontario and Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Annual Peach Festival.

But don’t stop exploring yet. Follow Ontario’s food trails where every twist and turn in the highway leads to somewhere unexpected and mouth-watering. 

Ontario’s theatre scene will earn your applause

Summer sets the stage for live theatre across Ontario. From small-town repertory playhouses, to large professional companies, there is a show for everyone! 

Every summer, two of Ontario’s most charming towns raise the curtain on two enduring theatre festivals acclaimed worldwide. Niagara-on-the-Lake’s renowned Shaw Festival, created in celebration of Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw and the Stratford Festival, dedicated to the works of William Shakespeare. Expect classics penned by these immortals one night and more contemporary works the next.

Spend a day at the spa — or a night “glamping”

Take some time to pamper yourself. There are so many spas to stop at but a favourite is The HighAcre in the pretty, historic town of Dundas. A stone’s throw from nearby waterfalls, this revitalizing retreat was originally built in 1867 and each suite has its own private ensuite spa.

Or put a luxurious twist on camping outdoors by “glamping” by the Grand River. The Fieldstone Barn in picturesque Elora features four luxury safari tents set in a sunflower farm and was recently spotlighted by National Geographic magazine.

Fall in love with autumn in Ontario

As September rolls around, the leaves across Ontario’s forests, cities, and roadways blaze into fiery red, gold and amber. The weather becomes brisk and refreshing, and it’s now harvest time for fresh, sun-ripened produce. There are a million things to love about autumn in Ontario.

Fall foliage

How do you take in as much of Ontario’s spectacular nature as possible? By land, water and air!

Start with a “leaf peeping” road trip, getting behind the wheel to cruise through kilometre after kilometre of constantly changing fall colours.

Not interested in driving? Explore off the highway. Agawa Canyon Tour Train takes you on a 10-hour, 185-kilometre railway excursion into the majestic heart of northern Ontario. Travel back in time to the 1860s on a heritage Muskoka Steamship cruise. Or for a thrilling bird’s eye view of the province, 1000 Islands Helicopter Tours and Sundance Balloons, prove the sky really is truly the limit when exploring Ontario!

Explore a beautiful provincial park

While spring and summer are wonderful times for outdoor activities in Ontario’s more than 300 Ontario provincial parks, there’s something special about fall. The weather is temperate, the parks are calmer, and equipment rentals can be easier to find, and more affordable too.  

Pancake Bay provides a spectacular panoramic view of the brilliant blue waters of Lake Superior from the Lookout Trail Loop of the Edmund Fitzgerald hiking trail. Silent Lake Provincial Park is exactly what the name suggests—no motorized watercraft are allowed, so time spent here is quiet and serene.

Travel Ontario’s scenic wine route at peak season

Harvest season in Ontario is not to be missed. The grapes in particular are bountiful, with Ontario’s established and emerging wineries situated in the geographic heart of winemaking excellence. As you travel the Ontario wine route you will discover three distinct wine regions. Essex County and Pelee’s exceptional soil conditions and longer sun hours established it as the birthplace of winemaking more than 170 years ago. The Niagara Peninsula is home to over 50 wineries, most welcoming you to stop for a tasting. Driving through the scenic villages of the historic Niagara Benchlands takes you past charming markets, cafes, cideries and produce stands. Heading east to Prince Edward County, the cooler climate and specific terroir result in elegant reds, crisp whites and fine sparkling wines.

Winding your way through wine country, stop by the many farmers’ markets and roadside produce stands selling freshly harvested grapes, peaches, blueberries, corn on the cob and more. You will find picnic-ready pies, sandwiches and apple cider, too.

Tee off at a golf course

In fall, the rolling greens of Ontario’s golf courses provide a bold contrast to the autumn foliage. Here, the course architects use the province’s rugged and challenging terrain to inform their designs, many ranking with the world’s best. A stunning example is Hockley Valley Resort, an 18-hole championship-level course whose emerald fairways are masterfully integrated into Southern Ontario’s Hockley Hills.

Want to learn more about the best Fall experiences in Ontario? Check out our curated Top 10 List!

Welcome to our winter wonderland

Glistening white landscapes of ice and snow make winter in Ontario particularly enchanting. Ontarians do not hide from the cold—they embrace it with winter activities and festivals across the province.

Ontario was made for winter fun

Everything you imagine to be the ultimate Canadian winter experience happens in Ontario. Dog sledding, ice skating, snowmobiling, ice fishing, snowshoeing, downhill and cross-country skiing—it’s all here.

Dog sledding is one of Canada’s signature adventures. Imagine the exhilaration of driving a team of exuberant huskies through remote, wintry trails. Winterdance Dogsled Tours and North Ridge Ranch offer experiences ranging from family-friendy one-hour tours, to overnight adventures. 

They say that children in Ontario can ice skate before they can walk. It must be thanks to the many ice skating rinks and frozen-over rivers and lakes inviting you to lace up. Each winter, the Rideau Canal Skateway becomes the world’s largest skating rink, stretching 7.8 kilometres from Downtown Ottawa (Canada’s bustling capital city) to Dow’s Lake. Have you ever skated on a mountaintop? Woodview Mountaintop Skating atop Blue Mountain offers magnificent views of the Niagara Escarpment below.

All across Ontario are thousands of kilometres of groomed and backcountry trails perfect for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Stokely Creek Lodge in the Algoma Highlands offers all-inclusive packages and proximity to the striking ice caves created by the wind and waves of Lake Superior.

Come face to face with winter wildlife

Not all Ontario wildlife hibernates or migrates south in winter. Spot rare glimpses of stately moose and deer, white-tailed deer, red foxes, wolves, snowy owls and other indigenous northern animals against a wintry white background. Killarney Provincial Park is a prime location for sightings, with yurt accommodations available for avid wildlife enthusiasts.

’Tis the season to be festive

Throughout winter, Ontario celebrates culture, cuisine and the season itself at fun-filled festivals and holiday events. The Distillery Winter Village in Toronto is a picture-perfect, pedestrian-only neighbourhood for festive shopping and dining. Winterlude in Ottawa features stunning ice sculptures, a gigantic snow playground and, of course, ice skating on the Rideau Canal Skateway. In the Niagara Wine Region, the annual Icewine Festival invites you to taste the celebrated dessert wines unique to this area. Not far away is the incomparable natural wonder of Niagara Falls, where the Winter Festival of Lights illuminates the falls and surrounding area with more than three million lights.

Explore the great indoors

Take off that heavy winter coat and explore the indoors! Major attractions, fascinating museums and unique shopping outlets open their doors to you year-round. 

See the entire city of Toronto laid out before your eyes from the top of the CN Tower (the tallest freestanding structure in the western hemisphere), then stroll a short distance to encounter thousands of aquatic animals from sharks to sea turtles at Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada.

Discover Canada’s vast history in the country’s capital city of Ottawa. The Canadian Museum of Nature invites you to explore Canada from coast to coast and through time in six world-class, natural history galleries.

Shopping in Ontario covers everything from exclusive, upscale designer labels to major brand name discount outlets. Whether for holiday gift giving or simply for yourself, winter is a wonderful time to peruse Ontario’s shops.

Spring is always warmly welcomed

Springtime is spectacular in Ontario. Nature comes alive as migrating birds soar high in the skies and colourful florals bloom everywhere you look.

It’s time for Maple Syrup!

As winter turns to spring, Ontario maple syrup starts to flow. Families flock to sugar bushes where maple trees are tapped and their sap boiled down into a sweet, delicious syrup that’s perfect with pancakes or poured over snow to make sticky maple taffy. Wheelers Pancake House is a favourite destination for many but the biggest maple syrup event of all might be the Sugarbush Maple Syrup Festival at Bruce’s Mill Conservation Area. 

Brilliant blooms blanket the province

Spring bursts with colour as indigenous wildflowers blossom and enchanting botanical gardens open their doors to visitors from around the world. Toronto Botanical Garden is a sprawling four-acre urban oasis with 17 uniquely themed gardens that bring a welcome touch of tranquillity to this major metropolis.

From late April to early May, exotic cherry blossom trees burst with pink and white flowers in neighbourhoods and parks all over Toronto—take lots of selfies! Mid-May brings the most anticipated and visited floral celebration in Ontario and the biggest tulip festival in the world. During Ottawa’s annual

Tulip Festival over three million tulips cover Ottawa with a kaleidoscope of colour.

About an hour west of Toronto are the Royal Botanical Gardens, the largest in all of Canada with over 2,400 acres of gardens and nature sanctuary. Circle your calendar for later in May and experience one of the biggest and most diverse collections of lilacs in the world in peak bloom.

Birds are making their way back home

Because of its unique location on migratory paths, countless species of birds—and throngs of bird watchers—arrive in Southern Ontario every springtime.

At the southernmost tip of the province sits Point Pelee National Park, a crossroads for two major migration routes and a habitat for nearly 400 species of birds. Each May, its Festival of Birds invites thousands of visitors to take the 100 Species Challenge! Jutting 32 kilometres into Lake Erie, Long Point Bird Observatory is the oldest bird observatory in the Americas, dedicated to observing, researching and protecting bird life.

Spring is the start of cycling season

Cycling through Ontario’s city streets, rural backroads and nature trails is one adventure after another.

And the weather is perfect in spring. Our big cities are designed for safe and scenic riding; Toronto’s Martin Goodman Trail and the Ottawa River Trail can be enjoyed by anyone on two wheels. Meanwhile, the BruceGreySimcoe region has hundreds of kilometres of hardtop routes punctuated by twists, turns, rail trails and shorelines.

Ontario is truly a four-season destination—any time you visit is the perfect time.