Toronto Islands (Private Island Escape)

Just minutes from the heart of the city, a chain of quiet islands sits in Lake Ontario, home to wild gardens, cottages, ancient willows and some of the finest views of the Toronto skyline. You cross the inner harbour by semi-private water taxi (or a private one, if you would like every seat), with no ferries and no queues, as the CN Tower recedes behind you and your local guide tells the story of this shoreline, from its earliest Indigenous histories to the sandbar that became an island community. The semi-private water taxis run mainly from April to October; outside those months, the crossing is by public ferry.

You arrive at Ward's Island, the quietest corner of the archipelago, where islanders live in wooden cottages draped in wisteria and climbing roses, their gardens spilling over picket fences onto car-free lanes. Your guide leads you through at an easy pace, pausing at the loveliest corners and pointing out the wildlife of the wetlands and meadows.

Along the southern shore, Lake Ontario stretches out more like an ocean than a lake, and your guide finds the right spot to simply stop and take it in before the water taxi carries you back across the harbour.