A Weekend in Toronto: Two Days of Markets, Islands and Art

Two days in Toronto, built around what the city does best: a Saturday farmers' market, a ferry to the car-free Toronto Islands, Victorian distillery lanes, a gallery reshaped by Frank Gehry, Kensington Market and a night at the theatre. It suits first-timers, couples and friends who like to see a city on foot and eat their way between the sights.

Morning. Start on Front Street East at St. Lawrence Market, the city's market since 1803. More than 120 merchants and artisans trade here, and Saturday is farmers' market day in the North Market, so come early and come hungry.

Walk east to The Distillery Historic District: the 47 buildings of the Gooderham & Worts distillery, founded in 1832 and opened in 2003 as a 13-acre walking district of shops, galleries, studios, restaurants and theatres. It holds the largest collection of Victorian industrial architecture in North America. Wear flat shoes, because the lanes are cobblestone.

Inside, Spirit of York Distillery Co. is the only active distillery in the district. Its Tour & Taste opens with a gin and tonic, walks you past the copper pot stills and ends with a flight of the four core spirits: gin, vodka, aquavit and rye whisky. The bar pours them alongside farm-to-table food.

Afternoon. Island ferries leave from the foot of Bay Street at Queens Quay West. Ride to Centre Island and walk east to Ward's Island on car-free paths that cross bridges from one island to the next. In winter, sail to Ward's and walk the other way.

In summer, Toronto Island Bicycle Rental on Centre Island rents single bikes, tandems and family bikes that carry up to four riders, by the hour or for the day.

Prefer the water? Harbourfront Canoe & Kayak Centre on Queens Quay West rents canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards and runs guided tours of the islands, all 13 of them on its doorstep.

Evening. Back on the mainland, follow the water west to the Toronto Music Garden. Landscape designer Julie Moir Messervy and cellist Yo-Yo Ma shaped its three acres around Bach's First Suite for Unaccompanied Cello, with six sections named for the suite's movements, Prelude through Gigue.

Then head up to King Street West for a show at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. Built in 1907 to a beaux-arts design by John M. Lyle, it is the oldest continuously operating legitimate theatre in North America, and the city's first steel-framed structure, which is what lets its balconies cantilever. See what's on this weekend.

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Morning. Head to the Art Gallery of Ontario on Dundas Street West. Frank Gehry's 2008 transformation added Galleria Italia, a promenade of Douglas fir timbers and curving glass that runs the length of a city block above Dundas, and the much-photographed spiral staircase.

Midday. Walk west along Dundas and cross Spadina Avenue into Kensington Market, a National Historic Site since 2006. Its narrow streets are lined with small shops under colourful awnings, built onto the fronts of former homes and selling food, spices and clothes from around the world. Successive waves of newcomers to Toronto have made it home since the early 1900s.

Coffee first. FIKA Cafe on Kensington Avenue has poured coffee in a century-old house since 2013, with every pastry made in-house from scratch, a back room lined with old books and a patio out back.

Over on Augusta Avenue, Pancho's Bakery bills itself as Canada's first Mexican bakery and churrería, and the home of the churro cone. Take the afternoon slowly: the market is made for wandering.

Evening. Stay in the neighbourhood for dinner at Burdock Brewery Kensington Tavern on Augusta Avenue. Burdock has brewed in downtown Toronto since 2015, and the tavern pours the full lineup with a proper steak to match.

End the weekend at TIFF Lightbox, at King and John streets. The home of the Toronto International Film Festival screens films in its cinemas year-round.

• Ferries to the islands run year-round from Jack Layton Ferry Terminal, at Queens Quay West and Bay Street. From mid-April to mid-October they serve Centre Island, Hanlan's Point and Ward's Island; in winter, Ward's Island. Buy tickets online to use the express line at busy times.
• Only emergency and commercial vehicles drive on the islands. Centre Island to Ward's Island is 2.9 km, about 35 minutes on foot.
• From October to April it is colder on the islands than in the rest of the city. Pack layers, a hat, gloves and boots.

Tell the planner your dates and who's coming, and it will shape this weekend around you.

Make this my trip