Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and is Canada’s largest city by population. It is home to an ethnically diverse population. There are several great attractions within the city to add to your itinerary when you visit. There is, however, one attraction in particular that is a symbol of the city itself. For many major cities, there is a structure that people can point to that represents the city. For Toronto, this structure is the CN Tower, the best view in Toronto. And we feel it is best to visit the CN Tower at night for the view.
CN Tower at Night View
Attraction Name: CN Tower
Where: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Attraction Type: Architecture / Viewpoint
How to Get There: The CN Tower is accessible by bus, taxi, subway, and car. See more here.
Cost: The price of general admission for an adult is $33 CDN. There are several other things you can do beside just the general admission. For more information click here. If you drive, parking costs anywhere from $10-$15 (CDN).
Hours: The CN Tower is only closed on Christmas Day (December 25). It is open from 9:00 am – 10:30 pm.
Duration: Going up the CN Tower and taking your time to view the city from the observatory can take about 1 hour.
Summary: View the entire city of Toronto from the top of CN Tower, take a walk outside of the tower, and enjoy your meal while the tower rotates.
About the CN Tower
The CN Tower, which reaches 553.33 meters (1,815 feet) high, was built in the 1970s. The tower is located in the downtown of Toronto between the Rogers Centre, where the Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball team plays, and the Ripley’s Aquarium, also just down the street from the Air Canada Centre where the Toronto Maple Leafs National Hockey League team plays.
At the base of the CN Tower, after paying for admission, is a marketplace to buy souvenirs of your visit to the tower. After ascending the glass elevator to the lookout of the tower which rests at 346 meters (1,136 feet) high. From there, you can see the famous glass floor that allows you to see through to the base of the tower. Also, there are two restaurants available for dining. The Horizons Restaurant offers incredible views and bistro dining, however the 360 Restaurant is worth a reservation for the food and revolving experience.
Further up the tower is the Skypod, which can be seen as the smaller dome above the larger one on the tower. It rests at 447 meters (1,465 feet) high. You can walk outside to the caged in area to get a commanding view of the city. In addition to these, you can also do an Edgewalk along the main dome, OUTSIDE on the tower. There are no railings, but you are strapped to the tower.
Our Experience at the CN Tower at Night
After trying to adjust to the jet lag for two days, we were still going to sleep late and waking up at four or five in the morning, going out to get Tim Horton’s, and continuing on with our day. This meant we were tired by five in the afternoon. Exhausted is more the word for this feeling when your body goes numb and does not function the way you want it to.
On the day we went to the CN Tower, we woke up from a nap around 7:30 p.m. and immediately began a short 20 minute walk from our hotel to the tower. I had been up the CN Tower before when I was little, but never at night time. The Toronto night view from the CN Tower is truly something wonderful, especially for a photographer. You are able to setup your camera and take long exposure shots of the building lights and traffic from that high up.
We went further up to the Skypod to experience the cold fall weather outside. Though it is less impressive for photography purposes because of the enclosed cage, it is still a beautiful view of the Toronto night view. A night trip up the CN Tower is highly recommended for any traveler, especially photographers.
Why Visit the CN Tower at Night
Visiting the CN Tower is a must-do while in Toronto. It is the iconic symbol of the city. The most prominent building on the skyline and seen from almost anywhere in the city. When visiting the city, you should at least visit the base of the tower. However, there are some great packages available by CityPass for the CN Tower, Casa Loma, Ripley’s Aquarium, the Royal Ontario Museum, and the Toronto Zoo or Science Center for one low price. This makes your visit to the city much cheaper should you want to visit at least two of these places.
If you do decide to visit the CN Tower, we would recommend you see the view at night. It is one thing to see the city in the light of day and from the top of the tower and to make out each and ever condo building, but it is another to see the city lit up at night from thousands of different light sources and seeing the airport bringing in planes lit up. It is quite simply a beautiful spectacle to see the cars zooming by on the highway below and to see the city still moving at night.
It is also a great time for photographers to practice their long exposure photography from the top by capturing the streams of light from the cars from the best view of Toronto.
Conclusion
The CN Tower is open every day of the year except for Christmas Day (December 25). The tower is open from 9:00 am – 10:30 pm, but the restaurants have different operating times. It is located in the downtown area of Toronto and can be seen from nearly anywhere in the city. It is difficult to miss. For more information on how to get there, click here. Costs vary from age to the activity you want to do. General admission prices for adults are $33 CDN. Tickets can be purchased online with a small discount, but they must be purchased 24 hours in advance. Check out the prices here.
With so much to do at the tower, it allows for a great addition to any itinerary for Toronto. Have a fancy meal and slowly rotate around the city while you eat. Take a walk along the outside of the tower, hundreds of meters in the air. Or, just see the views of the city with a general admission ticket. The CN Tower is a main attraction and the perfect place to see a beautiful Toronto night view.
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Happy travels!
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