Saliem Talash: A day trip to the Toronto Islands, ferry to sunset

Fifteen minutes from the foot of Bay Street, the noise of downtown Toronto stops. The Toronto Islands are a chain of small islands in Lake Ontario with beaches, a lighthouse, a boardwalk, an amusement park and no private cars. They are the easiest day trip in the city and the one visitors most often get wrong, usually by arriving at noon on a Saturday and spending an hour in the ferry line.

I'm Saliem Talash. I live in Toronto and build practical tools for small businesses. This is the plan I give friends for a good island day. Prices and schedules below come from the City of Toronto's pages, checked in September 2026; the ferry timetable changes by season, so check it on the day.

The ferry: where, how much, and how to skip the worst of the line

All public ferries leave from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal at 9 Queens Quay West, at Queens Quay and Bay Street, behind the Westin Harbour Castle hotel. There is no parking at the terminal, so come by transit, bike or on foot.

Round-trip fares posted by the City for 2026:

  • Adult (20 to 64): $9.57
  • Older adult (65 and over): $6.15
  • Youth (15 to 19): $6.15
  • Junior (2 to 14): $4.51
  • Under two: free

Buy online in advance. This is the single best tip. The City sells tickets online and at the terminal, but on busy days people with online tickets get an express line. Online tickets can be used until December 31 of the year you bought them, and they are transferable. Tickets bought at the terminal are only good for that day, and all tickets are non-refundable.

Time it against the crowd. The City says the peak is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. heading to the islands and 5 to 9 p.m. heading back, with waits that can exceed 30 to 60 minutes on weekends and holidays. Leave before ten, or go after three and stay for the sunset. Either way, you miss the worst of it in at least one direction.

Your ticket works to any dock. You can go out to one island and come back from another.

Pick your dock

From mid-spring to mid-autumn, ferries run to three docks. In winter, service drops to Ward's Island only.

Centre Island is the busiest route and the one for families. Centreville Amusement Park (privately run, more than 30 rides and attractions, open on a seasonal calendar that for 2026 runs to late September) is a short walk away. So are Far Enough Farm, a free petting farm, the William Meany hedge maze, the Franklin Children's Garden and the pier with its view back to the skyline. Centre Island Beach is about a ten-minute walk south of the dock.

Ward's Island is the quiet end. It is where the island's small residential community lives, with cottages along narrow lanes. Ward's Island Beach is about a five-minute walk south of the dock, and the boardwalk starts nearby. If the Centre Island line is long, the City suggests Ward's as an alternative; the walk from Ward's to Centre Island takes about 35 minutes.

Hanlan's Point is at the west end, near the island airport. Hanlan's Point Beach is about a 15-minute walk from the dock. Part of it is officially clothing-optional, and part is not; the signs are clear. The City has warned that some access points to this beach have been closed at times because of high water.

What to do once you're there

Walk or cycle end to end. With no cars, the islands are made for walking and cycling. You can bring your own bike on the ferry (walk it on and off). Bike Share bikes are not allowed on the ferries, but you can rent one on the islands through Toronto Island Bicycle Rentals or the island's Bike Share stations. Large e-bikes, roughly over 40 kilograms, are not allowed in the park.

The boardwalk. A 1.5-kilometre boardwalk runs along the south shore between Ward's Island Beach and Centre Island Beach, with open views of the lake. It is the best walk on the islands at the end of the day.

Gibraltar Point Lighthouse. Begun in 1808 and first lit in 1809, it is the oldest stone building in Toronto, and the City calls it Canada's oldest standing lighthouse. It stands just north of Gibraltar Point Beach, about a 20-minute walk from the Centre Island dock.

The beaches. Four of Toronto's supervised swimming beaches are on the islands: Centre Island, Gibraltar Point, Hanlan's Point and Ward's Island. Lifeguards supervise them in summer. From June to September, water at the supervised beaches is sampled daily and Toronto Public Health posts the results on its SwimSafe page, so check it before you swim.

A picnic. Picnic sites that have not been booked are first come, first served, all year. Food on the islands is privately run and seasonal, so bring your own lunch and plenty of water on a hot day.

A sample day

  1. 9:30 a.m. Ferry to Ward's Island with online tickets.
  2. Morning. Swim or sit at Ward's Island Beach, then walk the boardwalk west.
  3. Lunch. Picnic near Centre Island Beach.
  4. Afternoon. Centre Island's gardens, maze and pier; or keep walking west to the lighthouse and Gibraltar Point Beach.
  5. Early evening. Back to the Centre Island pier for the view of the skyline as the light drops, then a ferry home after the evening peak.

What to bring

  • Sunscreen, a hat and more water than you think.
  • A tote or backpack, since you will be carrying lunch and anything you buy.
  • A light layer. The lake is cooler than the city, and the evening ferry ride can be windy.
  • A charged phone with your ticket on it, or a printout.

Buy the ticket the night before, leave early or stay late, and give the islands a whole day. They reward it.

Sources

  • City of Toronto: Ferries to Toronto Island Park (fares, terminal, buying tickets, peak times, bicycles)
  • City of Toronto: Things to do on Toronto Island (docks, beaches, boardwalk, lighthouse, gardens)
  • City of Toronto: Ferry routes and schedules
  • Centreville Amusement Park: 2026 season calendar
  • Gibraltar Point Lighthouse: the dates it was begun and first lit
  • City of Toronto: SwimSafe beach water quality

Drafted with AI assistance.

More from Saliem Talash: saliemtalash.vercel.app · ZELR · YouTube

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