Free tour

Discover Toronto's Parks Tour.

Duration: 2h
Languages: English
Guru: Kieran
Registered on May 13, 2023

Hi, there. I'm a tour guide in Toronto. I love the city, as well as meeting new people. A role model of mine was Anthony Bourdain, as I loved what he was trying to accomplish by bringing people together, regardless of background, to illustrate the human desire for connection we all have. I aspire to give my guests the same genuine passion. In my spare time, I enjoy eating too much chocolate, making music, and writing, the latter two being my side jobs and passions. (If only I was paid to eat chocolate.) I've traveled to over 10 countries, I have lived in four of them, and have spent years residing in different states within the U.S, from California to Pennsylvania. One of my favorite places on earth is Ireland, and a place I want to travel to is Japan. I offer a few tours in Toronto and would love to show you around the city. Lastly, because I majored in Japanese in college, I retain much of the language, and could, upon request, speak Japanese while on the tour if any potential guests are from Japan. (Though I can't promise fluency.) Just thought I'd mention it. NOTE: please message me if you see a booking is full and we can talk about adding you on the schedule. I also offer private tours upon request. Please message me if interested.

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  • No minimum number of attendees
    No minimum number of attendees is required for the tour
  • Free booking and cancellation
    Free payment tour, no set price, booking and cancellation are free
  • Accepts electronic payment
    This tour allows payment by electronic means or credit card

Tour description

Explore Toronto's beautiful park system with me. (It's better than New York City's.)

I wouldn't be from Toronto if I didn't try to bash New York, even just a little. Toronto features an incredible park system, earning it the slogan, "A city within a park." While most tours of Toronto focus on the downtown history and urban environment, my, "Park Tour" will take you through the city's greenspace, leaving you doubting that you are surrounded by over four million people.

The tour starts at the historic North Station, now converted into an LCBO, just off Yonge Street and Summer Hill Subway station. It includes the history of the neighborhood as well as the city's railway system, and Toronto's affluent citizens.
From there, we pass through one of Toronto's hidden parks, a small cozy neighborhood, and into David Balfour Park, a hiking and walking trail that takes you through a perfectly preserved forest and ecosystem. There is beautiful scenery here, including serene streams and tall bridges that illustrate some of Toronto's talented graffiti artists. As well as touching on the history of this beautiful and hidden gem, there will be many opportunities to see the city's wildlife, including over a dozen species of birds, racoons, foxes, black squirrels, and the occasional coyote.
The park then leads directly into Mt.Pleasent cemetery, a historically significant spot in mid-town, Toronto. We will pass by beautiful trees and flowers, making our way towards some important graves and monuments of Toronto's elite founders and businessmen.
This then transitions smoothly into Toronto's beltline path system, a linear trail miles long that connects different neighborhoods of Toronto together through an intricate walkway and bike lane. Utilizing this forest path, we will be lead towards our final destination, the brickworks, a former digging site for clay which has been relclaimed by nature. There, we will discover a unique and vibrant wetland, observing many new animals including frogs, turtles, cranes, hawks, fish, and ducks. Beautiful small pools and wooden bridges make this an ideal spot to talk about Toronto's wildlife conservation efforts and the laws within the city that were set up to include greenspace within a growing urban environment.

If you are passionate about nature, animals, the environment, or just good outdoor exercise, this tour is a good choice for you. It offers less 'tourist-y' spots, while still giving you insight into Toronto's history and development.
The difficulty of this tour is medium, as there are a couple of parts (totaling no more than five minutes in length each) that include steepish hills and pathways. Good walking or hiking shoes would be essential, and due to the nature of the tour, it will only operate on days where it has not rained the day before or the day of, due to any mud, which makes part of the tour slippery. I don't want anyone getting injured, even if it is not that advanced of a walking tour.

The approximate length of the tour is about two hours, and almost entirely consists of being within some kind of park or greenspace. The ending of the tour, at Brickworks, also has a FREE shuttle bus that takes you to nearby Broadview Subway Station. In addition to this, Brickworks has repurposed some of its buildings into a marketplace, a gift shop, restaurant and bar. There are bathrooms there as well, and at the beginning of the tour at the historic LCBO station.

If you enjoy a guide with a sense of humor, and a passion for people, I'm sure we will get along great. I look forward to walking with you.

NOTE: This tour is a free walking tour. If you liked the tour, no one got lost, and didn't totally hate me, you can choose to tip at the end. It is appreciated and always welcome, but there is no strict obligation. 

ATTENTION: You must confirm your booking with me the night before the tour is scheduled, otherwise, your reservation may be cancelled. I do this because there are no booking fees for these tours, and it is easy for people to not show up because of this fact. Out of respect for my time and energy, I want to make sure I know I am going to be leading a tour with guests the next day. Thank you for understanding. 

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  • Meeting point:
    1109 R Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4W 2L9,...
    1109 R Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4W 2L9, Canada
    View on map

    I will be wearing a lanyard with a tour guide button, and will always be standing in front of the LCBO building, near the fountains.

How much does this tour cost?

Free tours do not have a set price, instead, each person gives the guru at the end of the tour the amount that he or she considers appropriate (these usually range from €10 to $50 depending on satisfaction with the tour).

Tour opinions

3 ratings
5.0
By category
Professionalism
4.67
Fun
5.0
Expression
5.0
Quality
4.67
Route
5.0
Generic
5 stars
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0
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1 star
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Michelle 21 Jul 2023
Buenos Aires

Verified booking
Travelled alone - Jul 2023
Kieran is really proffesional, this is second tour I had with him besides the "Old town and Destillery". I loved the park tour, we went to such beautiful trails. During the park tour we got to see squirrels, ducks, frogs, turtles, and a variety of birds in such a beautifully designed tour he planned for us to discover places from the city which are not so common, some of them hidden. You can tell he really loves what he does and is really committed to the turists he is guiding. He shared really interesting information. He always waits for people to take pictures or will take a picture of you. He will also give you good advise of places to go. Definitely recommend him as a guide and all of his tours!
Leonardo 11 Jun 2023
Buenos Aires

Verified booking
Travelled in group - Jun 2023
All went excellent!!
Nicolas 02 Jun 2023
Bogotá

Verified booking
Travelled in couple - Jun 2023
Spectacular tour, excellent information and clear, great scenarios to see and connect with nature. Kieran is a great person to be with and very fun. 100% recommended !!! Thanks Kieran!!
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Who is this tour for?

Accessibility
Non suitable for people with reduced mobility.
Groups
Does not accept large group reservations.
Pets
Suitable for carrying pets.

What should you know?

Minimum of attendees
There is no minimum number of people required for the tour.
Additional costs:
The tour does not require the payment of entrance fees or additional expenses.
Free cancellation
If you will not be able to attend the tour, please cancel your booking, otherwise the guide will be waiting for you.
Payment methods
Electronic or credit card payment is accepted.
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