Toronto typically isn’t the kind of city you experience all at once, but this behind-the-scenes expert is giving visitors the lowdown on how to truly appreciate the best of the city’s urban nature in just one day.
As part of Destination Toronto’s Concierge Diaries series, we step inside 1 Hotel Toronto with longtime concierge Robin Elliott, whose two decades in luxury hospitality and 15 years with Les Clefs d’Or have made him a trusted guide to memorable stays.
Elliott doesn’t just provide a randomized list of places, but offers a full-day, concierge-crafted itinerary designed to show you how Toronto’s natural beauty reveals itself, often just around the corner.
A slow, grounded start to the day
A morning at this stay begins where nature is already built into the experience: brunch at 1 Kitchen inside 1 Hotel Toronto. The menu reflects the hotel’s ethos, using ingredients sourced within 100 km, some grown steps away in the Garden Pavilion.
Elliott recommends menu items like “The 6ix:” eggs, sourdough, and sides of bacon or turkey sausage, alongside a mimosa. Then, follow it with a Mindful Movement yoga session overlooking the park, led by some of the city’s top yoga instructors.
After a morning reset, Elliott says it’s now time to explore the city at a leisurely pace.
Ride into the city’s greenspaces
Toronto is definitely a cyclist city, and Elliott recommends visitors to dive head first into the culture. Guests have access to borrow one of the hotel’s bikes, and he says the first direction to head is west along the trendy Queen Street, passing shopping boutiques, cafés (like Nadege and Nord Lyon), and the ever-evolving picturesque Graffiti Alley.
Trinity Bellwoods Park is at the centre of this journey, and guests can enjoy the real metropolitan experience: locals lounging, dogs running, and the iconic skyline peeking through trees.
“[It’s] an interesting journey for first-time visitors to the city to get a feel for the eclectic mix that is Toronto,” Elliott shared.
And if you’re visiting in spring, Elliott encourages guests to continue further to High Park, where cherry blossoms truly make the city bloom.
An afternoon of hidden waterfront escape
Elliott says cyclists should then head south toward the lake and slip into one of Toronto’s best-kept secrets: Toronto Music Garden.
“[It’s] one of these gems,” he said. “You could easily miss it if you just walked along Queens Quay, but when you enter the pathway to this space you feel you’ve arrived at a wonderful spot.”
From there, he says to continue along the Martin Goodman Trail – a 22-kilometre stretch of waterfront path across the city.
Now at this point, the adventure can go in two directions; Firstly, visitors can take a ferry or water taxi to the Toronto Islands.
“It’s an oasis within our city,” Elliott said. “And we may even arrange a luxury picnic for [guest]them to take with them.”
Elliott points toward Ward’s Island specifically for quieter paths and skyline views that feel worlds away from downtown.
Another option is that guests can book a guided experience with Ramble Tours for a deeper look at Toronto’s ravine system. Their routes wind through lush places like Evergreen Brick Works and the stunning Casa Loma.
Golden hour on the water
The waterfront is at its peak in the late afternoon, which also happens to be Elliott’s favourite time of day.
“Stroll along the quays, enjoy a sunset cruise,” he suggested. And the evening culminates with a dinner at waterfront-adjacent restaurant Queen’s Harbour.
Dinner with a view
End your day lakeside with dinner at Queen’s Harbour, where Elliott recommends booking a table in the Garden Room. The restaurant blends a Mediterranean vibe with the traditions and flavours of Asian cuisine.
According to Elliott, “urban nature” is bigger than just a day in the parks — it’s a grounding mindset that travellers might not realize they need.
“I think in our hectic and busy lives, travellers are seeing the value of moments of calm within green spaces,” he explained. “Whether it be walking, cycling, swimming or just enjoying being at one with nature, there is a restorative feeling that comes along with it.”
The wonders of Elliott’s itinerary is that it’s flexible. It can stretch into a full weekend, adding day trips, local spa visits like Hammam Spa or AIRE Ancient Baths Toronto, or even vineyard escapes beyond the city.
But even in one single day, Toronto delivers something rare: a city that doesn’t ask you to choose between energy and escape — you can get both, often at the same time. And if you’re not sure where to begin, surely there’s a concierge around the corner ready to unlock the beauty of the city.
Read More
To unlock more Toronto, read our Concierge Diaries series, powered by Destination Toronto.
