Favorite Trips in Canada


Toronto to Niagara Falls to Hamilton Itinerary

My husband and I have been together for less than a year now, but we've traveled more than enough compared to the other couples we've known in their years of being together. This time around we went to explore Hamilton and Toronto. One of the most famous tourist destinations in Ontario. I wanted to make this post more interesting, unique, and personal so I have here my husband to answer a few questions along with me about our trip. Let's go!


Toronto to Niagara Falls to Hamilton to Toronto Itinerary:

Dec 22,23 & 24 Toronto
Dec 22 Friday: Arrival at night
How to get to the subway from the airport:
Take bus 192 outside Toronto Pearson Airport to Kipling station.

Check-in: West Hostel West, Toronto
Address:1521 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON M6R 1A5

Check out:
1. Prenup Pictorial in High Park 1:30-4:00
Address: 1873 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M6R 2Z3
Bought a Groupon voucher for the prenup package.
Save on activities, spas, restaurants, and events near you at Groupon 


2. Dine: Early Christmas Eve Celebration at CN Tower (brunch)
Address: 301 Front St W, Toronto, ON M5V 2T6
Book yelp or call for reservations.
Budget: 120 CAD for two-person

Megabus: 7:30PM - 8:55PM Toronto Coach Terminal - St Catharines Bus Terminal
BUS Terminal Address: 610 Bay St, Toronto, ON M5G 1M5
Fare: 11 cad - 18 cad (book early for cheaper fares)


Dec 25, 26, 27, 28,29,30 & 31 Niagara Falls - St. Catharines
Christmas and New year celebration with family in St. Catharines

Wedding Prep:
How to get a Marriage Licence in St. Catharines, Ontario.
1. Passport or Birth Certificate
2. Valid Government-issued ID
3. If previously married, bring along the certificate with seal

Dec 30 Sat Wedding
Check-in: Ramada Hotel by the river
Address: 4357 River Rd, Niagara Falls, ON L2E 3E8 (nearby Niagara bus terminal)

Jan 1,2,3,4,5 & 6 Hamilton 
GO bus: Fairview mall in St. Catharines to Hamilton
Bus Fare: 11 CAD (no booking required, first come first serve basis)

Air BnB in Hamilton: Conveniently near Hamilton Downtown.
Address: 55 Wellington St. South, Hamilton, ON L8N 2P9, Canada


Check out: 
1. Hamilton Mountain. Climbed the stairs
Address: Wentworth St S, Hamilton, ON
No admission fee

2.Tiffany Falls Conservation Area
Address: Tiffany Falls Side Trail, Hamilton, ON L9G 3H6
No admission fee

3. Fun indoor activity, Escape Room: Alcatraz
Call for a reservation to get a cheaper price
Address: 576 Concession St, Hamilton, ON L8V 1B1
Game: 30 cad per person

4. Movie: Landmark Cinemas 6 Jackson Square (recliner leather seats)
Address: 2 King St W, Hamilton, ON L8P 1A1
Ticket: 15 cad

5. Food: Kenzo (try the spicy ramen)
Address: 21 King St E, Hamilton, ON L8N 1A1
Meal ranges from 10 cad - 15 cad

6. Cafe: The Nook (try the Turkish coffee)
Address: 6, 2 Bold St, Hamilton, ON L8P 1T2


Jan 6,7,8 & 9 Toronto
Greyhound Bus: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Hamilton Bus Terminal to Toronto Coach Terminal
Hamilton Bus terminal address: 36 Hunter St. E., Hamilton, ON L8N 3W8

Air BnB Toronto: 
280 Wellesley St. East, Toronto, ON M4X 1G7, Canada


Check out:
1. Birthday Celebration 4pm Helicopter Ride with Toronto Heli Tours
Address: Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, 2 Eireann Quay, Hangar 6, Suite 214, Toronto, ON M5V 1A1
Ride: 70 CAD per pax
Purchased a Groupon voucher to save more. Save on activities, spas, restaurants, and events near you at Groupon 

2. Buffet: TCJ Restaurant (All you can eat Thai, Chinese and Japanese food)
Address: 64 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M5B 1Y4
Price: 25 CAD per person

3. Philips Nathan Square - Ice Skating
Address: 100 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5H 2N2
Skate Rental for 2 hrs: 10 cad

4. Dine: O.Noir Dine in the dark 
Address: 620 Church St, Toronto, ON M4Y 2G2
Book yelp or call for reservations.
Dinner: 90 cad for two person (tax + tip)



Jan 9 Tuesday: Flight 
How to get there: Toronto Pearson International Airport
Take bus 192 from Kipling Subway Station to Pearson Airport 


Q & A with my husband: Hamilton and Toronto Favorites


1.What is your most favorite part of the trip?
She said: Definitely our small place in Hamilton, where we had the freedom to do whatever we want like cooking, staying up late and just about everything. 
He said: Agreed.  Hamilton was very cozy and we had a lot of freedom with that AirBnB compared to our second one.  I also liked watching the snowfall outside the window while we stayed warm inside.

2.What is your least favorite part of the trip?
She said: When you're craving for popcorn and there's no microwave around.
He said: The way the cold air breezes through my 2 layers of pants and up my butt!

3.Top three memorable moments?
She said:
a. Helicopter ride in Toronto on my birthday. I like the feeling of flying. I hope it fills up your dream of flying too.
b. Short waterfall hike to Tiffany Falls in Hamilton. It was really cold but we made it there. A frozen waterfall is quite mesmerizing, it's a must-see on winter days.
c. Dinner in the Dark at O.Noir in Toronto. I've always wanted to try this back in Singapore. The food was delicious, I'm glad I chose the all surprise meal.

He said: 
Flying in the helicopter definitely satisfied that dream.  Thanks, babe!  Next dream: space! Ahaha.
a. Watching the snowfall while having warm food and drinks in Hamilton.  It's much prettier indoors than -25C outdoors.
b. Laughing while taking prenup pics in Highpark. The timing was perfect as the snow stopped falling and the sun peaked out just enough.
c. Walking around downtown and checking out cafes (that took a while of walking and freezing), then having warm, spicy ramen.


4.Best meal you had during the trip?
She said: My husband's ultimate ramen specialty. 
a. And Definitely the CN Tower Brunch in Toronto. Aside from our great view of the city, the food was delicious. I also loved the idea that we made it more special by being there on Christmas Eve
b. Kenzo Ramen in Hamilton was an outstanding meal on winter nights. Best spicy ramen so far that I've tried in Canada. 
c. Plus the Mexican meal we had at Aztec's Mine Restaurant in High Park, Toronto.

He said: Besides my wife’s home cooking and the extra flavor added by her company, runner-ups include:
a. CN Tower's medium-rare steak and its bird's eye view of the city below.
b. The saucy Mexican meal you ordered.  We dipped our shrimp tacos in the leftover sauce.
c. Maybe it was the hunger speaking, but the sashimi we ordered at the all-you-can-TCJ Restaurant.  The mango "salad" was also nice to clear our palettes. 

5.What part of the trip would you want to change?

She said: Heading to the airport. I hate goodbyes. Plus making the wrong turn to the Ski Resort, next time let's follow instructions babe. 
He said: Leaving you in Canada... And the 2nd BnB. I learned I like having a unit instead of just a room. And a non-noisy bed for better sleep.

6.Name three funniest moments.
She said:
a. The Mountain Stairway in Hamilton. We were singing and dancing as we made our way up, it was more of you actually. I like the cheerfulness we had that day.
b. We saw a big stuffed toy dog as we went downtown. Face first on the snow with it's butt facing the sky. It was such a cute sight to see, I felt bad that we left him there, at least he's sitting on the snow comfortably.
c. CN tower observation deck in Toronto. We went out to see the view outside and the cold wind just paralyzed us for seconds. We run all to the way to the exit laughing and freezing to the cold air. 

He said:
a. Riding the elevators up CN Tower and Skylon Tower while looking through the glass elevator's picturesque view.
b. The "heli-ride" from the helicopter was awesome.  The sensation of flying upward in a sitting-position is amazing.
c. Figuring out the puzzles and escaping in time from the Alcatraz Escape Room was fun too.



7.Which part of the trip where you got scared? 
She said: Hiking to Tiffany falls in Hamilton. We didn't have a car where we can run to after visiting the falls. It was freezing cold, we walked from the bus stop to the falls and back again to where we came from. I was worried we will get headaches from all that walking. 
And the Mountain stairway in Hamiton too, it reminds me of a traumatic experience I had hiking alone a few years ago.
He said: Whew, yeah, you joked that our feet would get so numb from the cold that we wouldn't feel anything fall on it!  On our way down from the top of Hamilton's hill, we took a detour and ended up illegally crossing a railroad.  I suppose it's only illegal if you get caught?  Heheheh.

8.Name three things that we can put on our winter list next time.
She said: 
a.Learning to Ski and Going for Wine tours.
b.Winter Camping or stay in a cabin up in the mountains.
c.Having hot chocolate in front of a fireplace.
He said: 
a.Yeah, definitely skiing.
b.A food tour (hope it includes wine as well).
c.Try a cold brew float.

9.Do you believe we make a good travel buddy together?
She said: Yeah! You're patient and not bad with google maps. Next time, let's do it old school, no phones, and just a really handy map.
He said: Challenge accepted! If I had a bit of trouble navigating with the GPS before, then let's see what treasures we serendipitously discover.



10.Which activity do you want to do again?
She said: Hiking to waterfalls and adrenaline-pumping activities (Helicopter ride).
He said: Hiking was definitely fun.  It'd be interesting to try when it isn't freezing next time.

11.Which activity does not interest you anymore? 
She said: Hunting down cafe's around downtown. Ooops sorry, babe. 
He said: Trekking along with wet snow.  The squishy wasn't as amusing as I thought it'd be.

12.Is there a particular person we've meet you'll never forget? 
She said: Alex, our Air BnB guy because he brought white wine to welcome us in our small home. It was such a sweet gesture. 
He said: Nasir, the dine-in-the-dark waiter.  He guided us quite well into the dark dining room and passed us our dishes.  We kinda thought he'd tell us where the food items were on our plates.

13.Among the people, we've met, which person inspires you to travel more?
She said: Meeting a fellow Filipino traveler in our hotel. He came all the way from the Philippines to visit Canada.  
He said: Besides my wife, it’d be the two guys from Spain while in Toronto.  Spanish-speakers were pretty rare.

14.What are the lessons you've learned during the trip?
She said: I need to get out more. Canada is such a beautiful country. 
He said: There’s so much to discover, enjoy, and experience outside of my comfort zone.  I'm so glad we got to explore Canada together.

15.Where do we go next?
She said: Spain. Hola! 
He said: Besides the Philippines, it’d be Singapore and then Norway.
She said: Agreed! Philippines, Singapore,  Norway, and all over the world.

Have fun and be safe ^__^


Do you want more adventure?
If you still have one more day to spare why not go on a Food trip tour in Toronto.

Where am I going next?
My next adventure is to Los Angeles, California and I have here a survival guide on how to go around the city.

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