Best Places For a Holiday Getaway in Toronto

Do you have any plans to get away for holidays somewhere near Toronto? Are you running out of ideas or places to go near Toronto? We’ve got that covered:

Give yourself a totally comfortable time this summer and try to get away from all the daily stress of living and working in Toronto. Now is the best time to experience new places and relax.

If you would like to see more of Ontario, it’s easy to plan weekend escapes. Those who live in Toronto have a great advantage of proximity to nature and charming small towns within a couple of hours from the city.

The following list includes some of the best ideas for weekend trips, scenic hideaways and most popular getaways from Toronto. The list is prepared based on their distance from Toronto for your best comfort. So, if you want to go farther away from Toronto for holiday, take a look at the last option!

1.Langdon Hall Country House Hotel & Spa

Distance from Toronto: 1 hour and 15 minutes

The first spot that we recommend to go for your weekend getaway near Toronto is Langdon Hall Hotel and Spa. Take your partner and enjoy your weekend with great food and spa treatments in a tranquil country setting at Langdon Hall located in Cambridge, Ontario. This stunning five-star service Hotel has 60 guest rooms and suites, featuring antique furnishings, baths with soaking tubs and walk-in showers.

Ask for one of the suites with a wood-burning fireplace and a private terrace overlooking the gardens. Langdon Hall was a private residence that was later transformed into a luxury country house hotel. It belonged to Eugene Langdon Wilks who inherited American wealth and built this place as a summer residence in 1898.

After all the developments and restorations through time, you can still find the English ambience inside Langdon Hall’s 75 acres of expansive gardens and trails. They offer many different entertaining and fun options, some of the in-site activities include: Complimentary Wine Tastings, Culinary Activity, Archery Lessons, Outdoor Pool, Spa, and Woodland Trails. This quiet and peaceful spot could be the option for a romantic get-away, creating a unique experience in a full-service spa and enjoying the marvelous five-diamond award-winning restaurant in Ontario. Other amenities are available in the area, including a championship-style golf course, canoeing, theatre, horseback riding, biking, and hiking.

2.Ste. Anne’s Spa

Distance from Toronto: 1 hour and 20 minutes

This beautiful 1800’s heritage fieldstone castle is located only 90 minutes from downtown Toronto. If you are looking for a close spot to relax and nurture your physical and mental health, this could be one of the best spots and a different experience for you. At Ste. Anne’s Spa, you will enjoy the charm of an old setting while you take advantage of modern methods of relaxation and rejuvenation.

Besides the best spa treatments, there are many facilities and delicious food available in the Ste. Anne’s Spa. Exploring over 500 acres of the extended beautiful countryside can help you focus on your mental health and well-being. You can choose to use the eucalyptus steam room, hydrotherapy pools, tranquility garden and massage chair room in your day visit. Or you can stay overnight in one of the spacious and private spa cottages or old-style suites in their Main Inn, enjoying the privacy of our rural atmosphere and thoughtfully prepared meals.

They have many different packages and programs to offer the best services. There are also yoga, meditation and deep breathing classes, a natural skincare line (using 100% pure botanical ingredients), more than 35 exquisite spa treatments, a seasonal outdoor pool, saunas and a full fitness facility to create the best time for your all-inclusive stay.

3.Elora

Distance from Toronto: 1 hour and 27 minutes

If you love exploring natural historic towns, Elora can be one of your best options to get away and relax this summer. This quiet small town will bring you much more beauty and adventure than you imagine. You can start your plans by discovering the nooks and crannies along the Grand River. Elora is mostly known for its 19th-century limestone architecture and picturesque landmarks by the river.

This wonderful small town is located in the northwest of Toronto offering you interesting summer activities. Some of the most popular activities include:

• The Elora Quarry is a two-acre limestone quarry encircled by 40 feet high sheer cliffs and a tree-covered park to picnic and enjoy nature. (Alcohol and dogs are not allowed at this park).
• Bissell Park is a beautiful stretch of the park along the Grand River with a little waterfall, a boardwalk, and a lot of room for a nice picnic while watching swans in the river.
• Elora Gorge Conservation Area is one of the most beautiful and spectacular natural areas in the Grand River valley.
• Elora Gorge lookout includes riverside trails with safety barriers and scenic views to see everything this great place has to offer. The best location for hiking.
• One Axe Pursuits provides personalized lessons with seasoned experts including ice climbing, zipline, urban rappelling, rock climbing, caving and mountaineering
• Elora Bicycle tours
• Raft Rides in Elora to experience English “punts”, rowboats, canoes, and kayaks riding or starlight and musical cruises piloted by chauffeurs.
• Elora Cataract Trail is a forty-seven-kilometre trail-way linking the Credit Valley Watershed to the Grand River Watershed.

Take your family and enjoy the beauty of nature in this lovely town.

4.Stratford 

Distance from Toronto: 1 hour and 47 minutes

Stratford is a city on the Avon River mostly known for its Stratford Festival and Shakespearean plays, its stunning Victorian buildings, including Stratford City Hall and many parks and gardens including the Shakespearean Gardens. This quaint city has so many other unique things to offer other than the theatre festival. Spending summer at Stratford would be a new adventure for you, exploring it needs more than a day trip.

You can choose to stay at Forest Motel and Woodland Retreat and enjoy their fun programs, including forest hikes, continental breakfast, luxurious rooms, saltwater hot tubs, nightly campfires, and free canoes and lawn games. Another surprising thing about Stratford is that it is home to one of the best foraging tours in the world. There is also a Festival Theatre Bar near the Festival Theatre Shop, offering light snacks and a variety of wine, beer, cocktails and non-alcoholic options to enjoy during the show.

If you are going to this trip with your friends, the wonderful option is an individually catered picnic (preparing for 2-10 guests) offering a private table on the terrace, butler service and sparkling wine. Don’t forget to try a photoshoot with gorgeous costumes retired from the Stratford Theater Festival itself.

5.Muskoka 

Distance from Toronto: 1 hour and 55 minutes

Looking at the stunning towering pine trees, clear lakes, and rocky shorelines of Muskoka could be a kind of relaxing activity by itself. Take your car and set up camp or go for a hike at one of the many provincial parks with your friends and enjoy your summer holiday in this beautiful nature. Or you can rent a cottage for the weekend and enjoy a luxury resort with attentive service, and great cuisine. Muskoka with about 1,600 lakes is a popular cottage destination.

There are so many exceptional experiences just waiting to be discovered in Muskoka. During summer, one of the fun activities is the famous Kee to Bala performance venue, where top bands perform at night. There is also an award-winning bog to bottle discovery tour, zipline, swing glide and trek through the forest canopy, chasing waterfalls in Bracebridge, water skiing, tubing, jet skiing, and just cruising around the lake. Or just relax in many spas in the area.

Don’t miss the brewery, roastery and winery Tours and Lake of Bay scenic drive when you are at Muskoka, discovering all the natural beauties. Select a perfect vacation package or book a romantic vacation and enjoy the holiday in a naturally beautiful setting.

6.Prince Edward County

Distance from Toronto: 2 hours 

Prince Edward County has a coastline on Lake Ontario’s northeastern shore known for its sandy beaches and towering limestone cliffs at Sandbanks Provincial Park. The 19th-century buildings also show the local history at Macaulay Heritage Park. Prince Edward County may seem a little far, but this 800 km of shoreline and a range of accommodations from camping to luxury spa suites will provide you with the best opportunities to relax and rejuvenate at one of Canada’s best beaches.

One of the interesting activities is spending your summer holiday with the light-hearted afternoon flow yoga class at Karlo Estates Winery. Bring your yoga mat and try this outdoor yoga practice to improve memory, lower stress and increase well-being. Buy some freshly made cheese at Black River Cheese in Milford. Or for having a healthier holiday, use massage therapists, mini and full-service spas and the greenest smoothies.

Another fun program could be unique farm stay packages at Littlejohn Farm offering wine tours, private dinners, workshops. They have interesting workshops, including how to make sourdough starters, canning and preserving, and more. But don’t forget to try the Wine Tours, because Prince Edward County is known as a mecca for wine enthusiasts! Believe me, with plenty of wine tours available, your cup will never run dry of good experiences!

You can enjoy boating, fishing, cycling, festivals, fairs and fun. Reconnect with nature and spend peaceful moments paddling through waters on East Lake, West Lake, Roblin Lake and Black River.

At the end of this article, if you are convinced to have your own place or cottage in any of the above areas, we have a solution for you. We, as Toronto real estate agents, are connected to very reputable Realtors in the above 6 areas throughout the Royal Lepage Network. If you decide to buy a cottage for your personal use or renting it out or Airbnb it, we can refer you to the best in the area. Feel free to contact us to see the list of our trusted cottage realtors.

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