Toronto Harbour Cruise: Which Boat to Book

For the view and a guide, a one-hour sightseeing cruise from US$20; for a meal with the view, the dining cruise from US$52 (GetYourGuide prices, checked October 2026).

A Toronto harbour cruise is the easiest way to see the city’s skyline the way the postcards show it: from the water, with the CN Tower in the middle and the Toronto Islands behind you. The boats are cheap, the trips are short, and they all leave from the same stretch of waterfront along Queens Quay. What you choose is how long you want to be out, whether you want commentary, and whether you want to eat on board.

The three kinds of harbour cruise

The one-hour sightseeing cruise. This is what most visitors want. The Guided Harbour and Islands Sightseeing Cruise on the Harbour Star costs from US$20 and is rated 4.7 from 487 reviews; a guide narrates live, and the boat leaves from the west pier of the Harbourfront Centre. City Cruises runs the City Views Harbor Cruise, about 60 minutes round the inner harbour with a live narrator, from US$27 (4.5 from 825 reviews), boarding at Queen’s Quay Terminal, 207 Queens Quay West. Both pass the CN Tower, the Rogers Centre, HTO Park and the island shoreline.

The dining cruise. City Cruises’ Premium Harbor Cruise with Lunch, Brunch or Dinner sails the Toronto Odyssey with a plated lunch or dinner, or a buffet brunch at weekends, from US$52 (4.5 from 1,583 reviews). Tea, coffee and water are included and there is a DJ; alcohol and soft drinks are from a cash bar. Boarding opens an hour before departure and the boat leaves on time, so late arrivals are not taken. This is the one to book if the cruise is the evening, not just a view. Check its dates below.

The cruise inside a city tour. Several tours fold a harbour cruise into a day: the hop-on hop-off bus with a harbour cruise from US$59, the downtown walking tour with the CN Tower and a harbour cruise from US$106, and the premium driving tour with the CN Tower and a harbour cruise from US$135 (4.7 from 326 reviews). Read the small print on these: the cruise part is seasonal, and outside the summer months the walking and driving tours replace it with a visit to Casa Loma.

When the boats sail

The harbour is a summer business. Sightseeing boats such as the Harbour Star leave hourly from May to October, and the operators of the combined tours say the same: May to the autumn, then Casa Loma instead. The dining cruises have indoor decks and sail in more months, but departures thin out in the cold season. If you are travelling between November and April, open the calendar before you plan around a cruise; if the dates are empty, the boat is not running.

Weather matters even in summer. All the boats have enclosed interiors and sail in rain, but heavy wind or fog can cancel a trip at the captain’s discretion. Book an option with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

Day, sunset or evening

The skyline faces the harbour, so daytime sailings see it in full light and the late-afternoon and sunset sailings catch the warmest light on the towers. After dark the CN Tower’s lighting and the downtown office towers are the show. For photographs, the open upper deck of the sightseeing boats is better than the dining cruise, where most of the time is spent at a table inside.

The islands: cruise or ferry?

A harbour cruise shows you the Toronto Islands from the water; it does not let you off. If you want to walk or cycle on Centre Island or Ward’s Island, take the City of Toronto’s public ferry from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal at the foot of Bay Street instead. It is transport, not a tour, and many visitors do both: the ferry for a few hours on the islands, a cruise for the commentary and the skyline.

Questions people ask

Is the Toronto harbour cruise worth it?

For most first-time visitors, yes: an hour on the water for US$20 to US$27 gives you the best view of the skyline in the city and a narrated introduction to the waterfront. It is less worth it in the off season, when the sightseeing boats stop and the combined tours swap the cruise for Casa Loma.

How long does a Toronto harbour cruise take?

The sightseeing cruises take about an hour. The dining cruises are longer, and you should be at the dock an hour before departure, when boarding opens.

Does the premium harbour cruise include a meal?

Yes. The City Cruises Premium Harbor Cruise includes a plated lunch or dinner, or a buffet brunch at weekends, plus tea, coffee and water; alcohol and soft drinks are extra.

How much is a harbour cruise in Toronto?

From US$20 for the one-hour Guided Harbour and Islands cruise, US$27 for the City Views cruise and US$52 for the dining cruise (GetYourGuide, checked October 2026). The live price for your date shows in the calendar.

Where do Toronto harbour cruises leave from?

From the Harbourfront along Queens Quay West: the Harbour Star from the west pier of the Harbourfront Centre, City Cruises from Queen’s Quay Terminal at 207 Queens Quay West. Your voucher names the exact dock. The CN Tower is a ten-minute walk north, which is why several tours combine the two; see CN Tower tickets direct or with a tour.