Welcome to the Ontario Travel Guide

"Yours To Discover"

A Guide2 Ontario is an Exclusive online travel guide to Ontario that includes information to everything in Ontario.  From city and airport for business travellers and holiday makers planning their trip or vacation, to historical data and reference materials, accommodations and restaurants.

(To travel to or from Ontario check out flights, car rentals, etc. at FLIGHTS)

Add your comments to our Blog.

Canada has 10 provinces and 3 territories.  Ontario is the 2nd largest province and the most populous with over one third of Canada's population.  Over twelve million of Canada's approximately thirty-three million people live in Ontario.  The majority of Ontario residents reside in the southern two hundred mile strip that borders the USA.  The total area of Ontario (more than 1 million square kilometres or 415,000 square miles) is larger than the area of France and Spain combined.

Although Canada and Ontario are often thought of as the "Great White North" and an outdoor enthusiast's dream, the southern strip of Ontario is very cosmopolitan, urban and multi-cultural.  Activities for visitors can be far ranging depending on your interests and a Guide2 Ontario attempts to be your definitive destination guide to Ontario.  At one end of the spectrum you can stay in a five star hotel in the world class city of Toronto, include a gourmet meal, followed by a Broadway theatre experience or attend a major league baseball game at the Rogers Centre, or an NHL game or NBA game at the Air Canada Centre.  At the other end of the spectrum you can hike, canoe, portage, camp, cook outdoors and sleep under the stars in one of Ontario's many provincial parks.

Generally, the weather is considered continental, with January being the coldest month of the year and July being the warmest.  January can range from the minus 20C area (0-5F or colder) to around 0C (32F or higher) in the south-western region to much colder in the northern regions.  On the other hand, summer temperatures are often hot and humid, in the high 20C (80F or higher) area in both south and north. 

Snowfalls vary greatly also. Southern Ontario may have no snow while 200 kilometres north-west will have several centimetres of snow.  The winds are prevailing westerly winds often causing large amounts of blowing snow to the western shores of the Great Lakes.  However, as occasionally happens in the winter, the wind will come out of the east depositing large snowfalls on the eastern side of the lakes.  Thus, the combination of winds and relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes supply wonderful ski and snowmobiling areas in Ontario that are only a short drive from the major cities.

Ontario and the rest of Canada gradually adopted the metric system in the 1970's, therefore, distances are in kilometres, temperatures are in Celsius and speed limits are in kilometres per hour.

To check the weather in the city or area you plan to travel to, click Weather and select the appropriate area of Ontario.

There are large cities to visit, such as, Toronto, the Capital of Ontario, Hamilton, the Steel City or the City of Waterfalls (it all depends where you look), Ottawa, the Capital of Canada, London, a diverse city in South-Western Ontario, or Kingston where history stands still.  Every large city in Ontario has access to waterways, conservation areas and walking or biking trails.  You are never far from nature in any of Ontario's cities.

Because of the particular "terroir" - the character of the soil in Ontario, the Niagara Peninsula and the north shore of Lake Erie provides excellent growing conditions for grapes that world class vintners turn into the most delicious wine.  There are wine routes, tours, gourmet dining and wonderful places to stay in Ontario Wine County.

 Ontario is also home to one of the original seven wonders of the world, Niagara Falls.

Niagara Falls is formed when the Niagara River that joins Lake Erie and Lake Ontario flows over the Niagara Escarpment forming a crescent-shaped cataract 54 metres (177 feet) high that was created by the retreat of massive glaciers during the last ice age.

Provincial and local parks abound in Ontario and you can go for a day-trip to enjoy the beaches or trails, take a canoe or kayak ride, or spend a week or two camping in a tent or RV and losing yourself in the beauty of the area.

There are 3,081 kilometres (2,362 miles) of freshwater shoreline bordering the Great Lakes.  Many sandy beaches and resort areas border Lakes Ontario, Erie and Huron.  As well, 250,000 lakes, making up one-third of the world's fesh water, provide fishing, boating and cottage living and holidaying in well known areas, such as, Muskoka, Georgian Bay, Northern Ontario and the Kawarthas.

 The word Ontario is thought to mean "beautiful waters" in the original Iroquoian language.

Make sure you check out the Ontario EVENTS page to see what is happening now and in the near future.  Also, check What's New in Ontario for recent information about Ontario or Tourist Attractions.

To see other Useful Links go to Maps & Facts or see the following: