8 Spontaneous Day Trips That Are Less Than 3 Hours Away From Toronto

For your spring bucketlist. 🌷
Contributor

The big city can be all-consuming, and with spring around the corner, it's the perfect time to escape for an afternoon.

There are a ton of day trips from Toronto that are under three hours away, meaning you can fit the whole adventure in one day. 

To help buff out your spring and summer bucket lists, we've provided a list of eight day trips from Toronto that won't take you more than a day.

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Sand Hill Park

Price: $10

Address: 930 Lakeshore Rd., Port Burwell, ON

Why You Need To Go: This dreamy campsite is only two hours from Toronto, sits on the edge of Lake Erie and is full of sand dunes to frolic on. If sliding down dunes isn't your thing, you can also just work on your tan.

Bayfield

Price: Free.

Address: Bayfield, ON

Why You Need To Go: This tiny town boasts hiking trails and tons of cute artisanal shops — not to mention its proximity to the beach. Spend the day roaming quaint streets or taking in nature.

Port Hope

Price: Free.

Address: Port Hope, ON

Why You Need To Go: Just over an hour from Toronto, Port Hope is about as cute and quaint as it gets. The streets are lined with small, local businesses and a river runs through the town.

Wellington Beach

Price: Parking fees.

Address: Prince Edward, ON

Why You Need To Go: Go soak up some rays or stroll the boardwalk. This pristine beach is located just over two hours from the GTA.

Shakespeare

Price: Free

Address: Shakespeare, ON

Why You Need To Go: This cute little village is named after – that's right — William Shakespeare and is filled with eccentric antique stores. Plus, there's a brewery for when you tire of shopping.

Cheltenham Badlands

Price: Parking fees.

Address: 1739 Olde Base Line Road, Caledon, ON.

Why You Need To Go: You only have to travel 45 minutes from Toronto to experience the Joshue Tree of Canada. It opens in May for the season, so make sure you include it on your spring bucket list.

The Devil's Punchbowl

Price: Parking fees

Address: Ridge Road, Hamilton, ON.

Why You Need To Go: Over 30m of waterfall, The Devil's Punchbowl is a popular destination for Torontonians looking for an adventure — especially since it's only 50 mins from the city.

Lennox and Addington Dark Sky Viewing Area

Price: Free

Address: 7980 Lennox & Addington County Rd. 41, Erinsville, ON

Why You Need To Go: This may be more of a 'night' trip than a 'day' trip, but you won't regret it. This dark sky viewing area offers the experience of looking into the night sky 100 years ago — before there was so much light pollution. What are you waiting for?

  • Abby Neufeld was a writer at Narcity Canada. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English and Professional Communications at the University of Victoria. Her past work has been published in The Toronto Star, Bitch Media, Canadian Dimension, This Magazine, and more. In 2019, Abby co-founded The New Twenties, an environmentally-focused literary and arts magazine.

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