CN Tower Reviews (Toronto, Ontario)

A big tower in the heart of downtown

Scarborough, England, United Kingdom

November 12, 2011

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Best of IgoUgo The CN Tower is one part of the Toronto skyline that you really can't miss. When we were there it was the third tallest tower in the world, yet when it was built in 1976 it was the world's tallest tower, a record that it held for 34 years. In ...Read more The CN Tower is one part of the Toronto skyline that you really can't miss. When we were there it was the third tallest tower in the world, yet when it was built in 1976 it was the world's tallest tower, a record that it held for 34 years. In addition to this in 1995 it was declared one of the modern seven wonders of the world.

We thought that a trip to the top would be most spectacular at nightime (also it meant we could cram in loads of other things on our short time in Toronto). Even an hour before it closed for the day, the line to buy tickets was really quite long, we thought we might not even get up to the top. There are loads of different types of tickets to choose from, with the most expensive being CAD$35.99 which includes everything you can do (Look Out, Glass Floor, Skypod, Movie and the Motion Theatre Ride). To be honest most of that felt like a con, so we just paid to go up to the Look Out and see the Glass floor, which cost CAD$23.99.

You get taken up in a speedy lift with a guide who gives you a quick bit of information. Then we were on the observation deck, which is very impresive and the twinkling lights of Toronto shone out. I think perhaps our idea of going up at night might not have been such a good idea. Although during the day the mist was so bad that we wouldn't have seen anything. We would certainly have had much better photos during the day, but no matter it was still an experience in itself. The glass floor was a bit scary, especially if you have a fear of heights, but well worth the experience.

All in all though I would say that perhaps the tower is a bit more exciting to look at from the ground with all it's twinkling lights that were on when we were there, than from the top. I don't know perhaps it's because we felt it was a 'must-see' in Toronto and had to go up to the top, but I left feeling a little disappointed by the whole thing. Oh well at least I can say I have been up the 3rd tallest tower in the world! Close

From journal Tourist fun in Toronto

Up in the Clouds

by dkm1981

Blackburn, England, United Kingdom

July 7, 2011

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Best of IgoUgo The CN (Canadian National) Tower is without a doubt the star of Toronto's impressive skyline. It towers over some of the smaller yet still impressive buildings around it and makes it one of the most eye catching and unique skylines in the world. No ...Read more The CN (Canadian National) Tower is without a doubt the star of Toronto's impressive skyline. It towers over some of the smaller yet still impressive buildings around it and makes it one of the most eye catching and unique skylines in the world. No visit to Toronto should pass without a trip up the CN Tower, that's for sure.

Standing at over 533 metres the CN Tower has gained and lost various accolades. When it was built, it was the tallest tower in the world and the tallest free standing structure in the world. It lost both of those titles after thirty odd year when other buildings took over, however it is still the tallest free standing structure in the western hemisphere and is still unbelievably tall when you look up at it and, if possible, even taller when you look down from somewhere near the top.

You journey up the tower should, without a doubt, start with some pictures from the base where more often than not you'll find the top covered in clouds so that it looks almost impossibly large with the top of it vanishing into nothingness. From here it is clear to see why it was named one of the seven wonders of the modern world in 1995, it truly is breathtaking.

That is only the beginning though. In the basement is the ticket desk, where you have a number of options. The cheapest ticket ($23 for adults and $15 for children) will gain you entry to the main deck which is 346 metres high. The next ticket ($29 for adults and $22 for children) gets you to the skypod, which is over 446 metres high and is the second highest public observation deck in the world. I would strongly recommend that you pay the extra and go all the way up because the views, especially on a clear day, are absolutely breathtaking and not to be missed. There is another ticket you can buy, which is $65 per person and allows you access to both decks as well as the pretty gimmicky movie and simulator rides. More importantly it gives you the chance to go straight to the front of the queues, ideal if you only have a short time in the city. To be honest, I never found the queues to be too bad and I visited the tower about five times.

So once you have bought your ticket, you are whisked up by elevator (there are stairs in case it breaks down, but you are probably just better hoping that it doesn't break down!) to the main deck. On the way, the friendly lift attendant gives you a brief history of the building and some interesting facts about the height and so on. It is worth listening to although you'll undoubtedly be distracted by the popping of your ears!

Once you get the main deck, you’ll be instantly awed because it is surrounded by huge glass windows and you can literally see for miles, in fact on a clear day you can see over Lake Ontario into America. The star of the show here on the main deck though is the glass floor. Apparently it is the strongest bit of the whole tower and can hold the weight of nine hippopotamuses (I’m not sure quite how they managed to prove that, I have images of great hippos walking single file up the steps to the top now!), but that doesn’t make it any less scary. There are always children with no qualms in the middle of the glass jumping up and down gleefully, whilst the more safety aware amongst are gathered round the edges looking precariously over the side. It sounds stupid, but it really does show you just how high up you are – the cars and buildings far down below look absolutely tiny.

The next stop, if you have paid the extra, is the sky pod. This is a lot smaller than the main deck and you have to queue again to get up there because they only allow a certain number of people up at a time, but it is so worth it. The sides of the sky pod are floor to ceiling glass so you can see all around you and it is amazing.

So if you are in Toronto, you should definitely head to the CN Tower, it is reasonably price for such a fabulous experience, in my opinion.
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From journal Places To Visit In Toronto

Views from the sky

by linzeeloulabelle

Grimsby, England, United Kingdom

May 12, 2011

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Best of IgoUgo As soon as I had decided to go to Toronto, I began looking up things to do and see while I was there. Visiting the CN Tower was on the very top of my list! == History == The CN Tower actually stands for Canada’s National Tower, after the railway ...Read more

From journal Toronto pt 1

Toronto from the sky

by tvordj

Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

October 11, 2010

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Best of IgoUgo The CN Tower is one of the "must do" attractions in Toronto. Yes, it's probably also a tourist trap and it's not cheap, but most major attractions aren't cheap and some are still worth doing. This is one of them. The basic visit will cost an adult ...Read more The CN Tower is one of the "must do" attractions in Toronto. Yes, it's probably also a tourist trap and it's not cheap, but most major attractions aren't cheap and some are still worth doing. This is one of them. The basic visit will cost an adult about $25 to go up to the observation deck. You can look out from inside or go outside on the deck which is caged in and get a 360 view. The view from inside is nearly that and if it's windy, which it probably will be, you might want to stay inside. Besides, because of the caging, you won't get good photos from outside anyway.

The outside deck and the glass floor looking down hundreds of feet to the plaza below are on one level and the inside observation area is one floor above it, which is where the elevators drop you off. You get the elevators back down to the ground from the glass floor level. There is a revolving restaurant in the CN Tower and you won't need to pay the tower entrance if you have reservations there. There's also another restaurant called Horizons where you can get a light meal and gawp at the views.

There is also a ticket that costs extra that allows you to go several hundred feet higher to the smaller Skypod and an all-inclusive ticket that includes a film on the ground floor. For me, the basic is enough. When you're that high up, another hundred feet or two isn't really going to look that much different. This is where the tourist trap bit comes in, I think.

At night, the tower is lit up with changing colours running up and down the shaft and around the observation levels. It's odd, too, it doesn't look that big from the ground but when you're up in it, you realize how high up you really are.

Even though the CN Tower is no longer the tallest structure in the world, it's still got the highest public observation level and even on an overcast and gloomy day, like the day we were there, the views were still pretty spectactular.

There are often long queues to get tickets so if you can get them online or, like us, from the tour bus operator, do that so you can skip the lines. As we were there in October and a bit later in the afternoon, it wasn't too busy but it can be wall to wall in high tourist season.
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From journal Toronto in October

Toronto Below your Feet

by MagdaDH_AlexH

Perth, Scotland, United Kingdom

April 6, 2010

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Best of IgoUgo The CN Tower (Canadian National) is a major Toronto landmark and one of the most iconic if perhaps not the most iconic building in Canada. Built as a television tower in 1975, it is the second tallest free-standing structure in the world at 553m, ...Read more The CN Tower (Canadian National) is a major Toronto landmark and one of the most iconic if perhaps not the most iconic building in Canada.

Built as a television tower in 1975, it is the second tallest free-standing structure in the world at 553m, and quickly gained enormous popularity as an attraction in its own right.
Although the tower as a whole is 553m metres high, the main observation platform and restaurant are located at 346m metres and the so-called Sky-pod 100 metres.

The adult entrance ticket to the tower costs normally xx CAD. We visited as a part of our City Pass that allows for an entrance to five different attractions over 9 days and costs around 60 CAD for adults (the SkyPod is not included in the pass, but on the day of our visit it was closed anyway due to high winds).

The base of the tower contains a shop, some catering establishments and the entrance to the tower elevators. We had to wait at least 10 minutes on a fairly dull but not rainy Sunday and I can imagine in the high season on a sunny day this might be much longer.

The ride up is quick and fairly interesting, with the glass panels in the lift allowing the visitors to see out and up through the roof of the lift. The main viewing area is indoors, with large, panoramic glass windows affording excellent views over Toronto. You are high enough to see really far (60 km on a good day) but close enough to be able to pick individual buildings.

The view of the Toronto Islands is also excellent, although the best views towards the lake are from the restaurant that takes up a section of the circle. We had a coffee and cake or juice and sorbet for kids) there and although expensive, it was good fun (and decent enough if not mind-blowing cakes).

The Glass Floor is another gimmick, an area of grubby thick glass, It takes quite an effort for an adult to walk on the glass, and to look down is vertigo-inducing, but also almost magically exhilarating. I can imagine that when the floor first opened and was yet unscratched, the experience of walking on air mush have been pretty amazing, as it is it's still good.

Is this all worth the entrance price? This of course depends on your budget. I would say that if you had to choose between let's say the tower and the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) or, if you have children, Ontario Science Centre, then go for the museums every time. On the other hand, the views are really great and the Glass Floor is a memorable if gimmicky addition that somehow makes it more worthwhile.
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From journal Toronto 2010

Beatiful View

by betosanasa

Campinas, Brazil

October 21, 2009

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Take a look your feet.. it's an incredilble view above you... just.. go there! I'm sure that CN Tower is the best turistic attraction in Toronto.

A Lovely View on a Clear Day!

by MilwVon

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

August 20, 2009

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Best of IgoUgo The CN Tower was built in the mid 1970's and at the time was the tallest structure in the world, a record it held for over three decades. Today it remains the second tallest, with still the highest lookout point for visitors in the world. It is ...Read more The CN Tower was built in the mid 1970's and at the time was the tallest structure in the world, a record it held for over three decades. Today it remains the second tallest, with still the highest lookout point for visitors in the world. It is the landmark most recognized on the Toronto skyline.

Originally built by Canadian National as a television tower to improve reception within the city limits of Toronto, today the CN Tower is a top attraction in Ontario with over two million visitors annually.

During my visit to Toronto, I made an early morning of it, being the first one at the admission booth when they opened at 9:00am. Having already purchased my "CN Tower Total Tower Experience" ticket online via the Shoppers Drug Mart web site (and at a nice discount!), I could by-pass the ticket purchasing cue and proceed right into the tower itself.

They say if you come on the weekends or midday to expect at least an hour wait to enter, explore the tower and marvel at the 360 views of the city. I took the elevator to the observation deck level which is approximately 1150 feet above the ground. There you can take the second elevator to the Sky Pod, but only if you buy that additional ticket.

The Sky Pod is at 1465 feet and provides a spectacular view, but I don't know that things look any more spectacular another 300 feet up. The additional price is just $4 CDN, however, so maybe it's not worth skimping on the experience. (More info on ticket prices at the end of this review.)

At the observation level, there is a glass viewing floor where you can stand and look below you, the 110 storeys. YIKES that is a long way straight down!

It is right above this level at 1150 that their fine dining restaurant (open for lunch and dinner) is located. The 360 Restaurant features a rather pricey menu, although those who are budget conscious can enjoy a "fixed price" three course meal for around $55 CDN.

At the entry level of the tower they have to additional attractions, also for an ala carte or "packaged" ticket. Their movie theatre presentation of "The Height of Excellence" is a 20 minute documentary on the building of the CN Tower. It was very interesting and really providing a nice historical perspective on the tower and its importance in Toronto.

For the kids and young at heart, there is also the Himalamazon ride. Passengers "ride" in a vehicle type enclosure, much like the Back to the Future ride at Universal Studios. The motion of the ride is intended to simulate a roller coaster and included several "splash scenes" level guests wet.

Pricing at La Tour - CN Tower is a best value if you buy the "total experience" package that includes total access in the tower, the movie and the ride. To do them ala carte is very expensive in my opinion. Both the movie and the ride were $9.00 (CDN) a piece.

NOTE: All prices quoted are for adults. They do have special rates for children under 13 and seniors 65 and older.

For more information including hours of operation, check them out at www.cntower.ca. They also have a link there for their 360 Restaurant which includes menus and online reservation services.
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From journal Learning and Adventure in Toronto

How High??!!

by tartlette

Bath, United Kingdom

July 24, 2009

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Best of IgoUgo If you asked most people to name an attraction in Toronto then the CN Tower would probably come top of the list. So is it worth all the hype?HISTORY: The Tower was built in 1976 by Canadian National and was originally designed to be used for ...Read more

CN Tower

by RoBoNC

Indianapolis, Indiana

March 3, 2008

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Best of IgoUgo The tallest structure in Canada and the world until recently is the CN Tower in Toronto. It is a communication and tourist tower which rises 1,815 feet and was the tallest free standing structure until September 12, 2007 when the Burj Dubai, in the ...Read more The tallest structure in Canada and the world until recently is the CN Tower in Toronto. It is a communication and tourist tower which rises 1,815 feet and was the tallest free standing structure until September 12, 2007 when the Burj Dubai, in the UAE, still under construction, eclipsed it. The CN Tower is a fixture on the Toronto skyline and a favorite for tourists to admire the panoramic views of the city.

A visit to the CN Tower begins at the ticket booth where you can customize your package to include one or all of the different attractions. You can choose the Look Out and Skypod at $26 or just the Look Out for $21. Thirty-three dollars gets you the whole package which includes the Look Out, Skypod, Movie, and a Motion Theater Ride.

After purchasing your ticket, you board the high speed elevators that take you to the top. At a speed of 15 mph, it takes only 58 seconds to reach the top. The first stop is the Look Out, at a height of 1,136 feet; it offers great views of downtown Toronto as well as the Horizons Café when the altitude makes you hungry. For those with Skypod tickets, board the special elevators which takes you another 33 stories high or 1,465 feet. At this height, you can see unobstructed views of Toronto and Lake Ontario and on clear days, Niagara Falls and Rochester, New York.

Whether you only go to the Look Out or decide to do both, the Glass Floor is included. The Glass Floor is just that, a section of the floor laid in glass that allows visitors to look directly down at the ground below. From the Look Out, take the stairs down one level where at 1,122 feet, you can straight down. Walking across it and looking down at the same time is easier said than done. My father walked across it but only stepped on the frame of the glass and didn’t even look down. It is a unique sensation to look straight down from that height and words cannot adequately describe the experience.

The 360 Restaurant is as exactly as it sounds. It is a restaurant with a 360 degree view of Toronto from a height of 1,151 feet. Although I did not eat here, the restaurant continuously receives high culinary awards. It is a fine dining restaurant, which is my major turn-off. It isn’t that the food is not good, but the price. A dinner entrée is between $30-45 with the highest menu item being steak and lobster for $110. The restaurant also boasts a huge wine selection which they call its “cellar in the sky” featuring over 550 different wines. If price is not a concern and you want to experience Toronto on a different scale, then this is the place to go. And your dinner includes a free ride to the top.
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From journal Father & Son Trip to the Northeast Part 1

CN Tower

by Muchmor

Belleville, Ontario

March 2, 2007

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Best of IgoUgo Whilst in Toronto we took the girls to the CN Tower. We had been up these before, but they hadn’t. We had pre-purchased tickets on the web, but there wasn’t a queue, so it wouldn’t have mattered if we hadn’t.The elevator to the main level is very ...Read more Whilst in Toronto we took the girls to the CN Tower. We had been up these before, but they hadn’t. We had pre-purchased tickets on the web, but there wasn’t a queue, so it wouldn’t have mattered if we hadn’t.

The elevator to the main level is very fast and you can see outside whilst you are travelling up, which is good. Once on the main level you can walk around freely to see the views, which are quite magnificent. Obviously the weather you get makes a big difference. We were in Toronto for three days, so managed to wait for a day when the weather was pretty good, especially for mid December. We had excellent views from the tower and couldn’t have asked for better.

The tower has a glass floor section that you can walk on. You can literally see straight down to the ground, which can be a little disconcerting. One of the girls was a little worried about heights but after a lot of coaxing managed to finally stop onto the glass floor and even managed to stay on long enough to have a photo taken. You can obviously take your own pictures or there is an official photographer there to take them for you, but obviously you pay for them if you want to keep them.

After this level and the glass floor we went up another elevator to the highest level. Obviously the views are the same, just from a bit higher up. Also the views are more restricted as the glass windows are not as large as on the main level. If cost is an issue, I would say, leave this level out as you get much more from the main level and it is not necessarily worth the extra. If money is not an issue, then you really have to go up there, just because you can!

When you get out of the elevator on the return to the ground you exit in the gift shop. This is quite a large shop and sells everything from clothing to replica towers as well as jewellery and many other things. The prices in the shop are pretty good and nothing is overpriced because it is in the tower like many other attractions do.

If in Toronto, you have to go up the CN Tower – it’s the law! Close

From journal Christmas In Toronto

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A big tower in the heart of downtown

Up in the Clouds

Views from the sky

Toronto from the sky

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How High??!!

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CN Tower

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A big tower in the heart of downtown

Up in the Clouds

Views from the sky

Toronto from the sky

Toronto Below your Feet

Beatiful View

A Lovely View on a Clear Day!

How High??!!

CN Tower

CN Tower