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The best time to visit Ontario
Explore Ontario with festivals, fiery fall colors and epic winter adventures. Find the best time to visit with this seasonal guide.
An enormous province of 250,000 lakes and Canada’s most populous province, Ontario’s four seasons offer year-round vistas and adventure. Its largest city, Toronto, is among the most diverse in the world, with food, music, street art and more, drawing inspiration from across the globe. The region’s most-visited destination, Niagara Falls, is within day-tripping distance of Toronto, while Ottawa, Canada’s national capital with its own abundance of cultural highlights, anchors the province’s east.
Summer in Ontario brings temperatures around 24°C (75°F), along with live music festivals, serene camping, and lakeside fun. Autumn feels magical, with trees blazing into fiery color and hiking trails that could be straight out of a storybook. Winter brings snow sports, cozy cottage getaways, and skating on the world’s largest naturally frozen canal in Ottawa. Spring is a budget-friendly time to explore as flowers bloom and the province shakes off winter’s chill.
Use this guide to help you discover the best time to visit Ontario. 
July to August is best for sunny summer festivals
Ontario in the summer is all about long, sun-drenched days, lakeside escapes and a festival scene that keeps the energy high. Cities come alive with outdoor concerts, street parades and cultural celebrations, drawing visitors eager to soak up the province at its warmest and most vibrant. Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) keeps the party going with carnival rides, over-the-top festival food and nightly air shows. Meanwhile, Toronto’s Caribbean Carnival, fondly known as Carabana, dominates late July and early August with dazzling costumes, steelpan music and an electrifying parade, and Ottawa Bluesfest hosts international headliners for one of Canada’s biggest music festivals.
Nature lovers flock to places like Algonquin Park, where canoeing, hiking and wildlife spotting are at their peak. Algonquin Park is part of the Muskoka region, Ontario’s “cottage country,” where Torontonians and other urbanites come to canoe, hike, or hang out at the lakes. Even if you don’t have your own cottage, a stay in towns like Huntsville, Bracebridge or Gravenhurst lets you live the cottage life, if only for a few days.
Over on the shores of the Great Lakes, Wasaga Beach and Sandbanks Provincial Park transform into summer hotspots, their sandy stretches packed with sun-seekers and picnickers. Meanwhile, the Stratford Festival, which runs from May through October, is in full swing, offering world-class theater performances in a charming small-town setting, named after the birthplace of Shakespeare himself.
Expect warm temperatures 77-86°F (25-30°C) and a lively atmosphere, but also peak-season prices and busy attractions. Canada’s wildfire season has become longer and more severe. Ontario, Québec, Alberta and BC are often hardest hit, but other provinces are also on high summer alert. Check ahead before you visit a specific region; evacuations or diversions may be in effect.
If you’re visiting Niagara Falls, prepare for crowds – this is the season when tour boats are packed and observation decks are shoulder-to-shoulder. But there’s a reason summer is Ontario’s most popular season – city streets buzz with festivals, and lakeshores stay lively from sunrise to sunset. 
September to October is best for fall colors and fewer crowds
Fall in Ontario is the kind of season that makes you want to take the long way home. The forests put on a show, with fiery reds and golden yellows lighting up places like Algonquin Park and the Bruce Peninsula. The air is crisp but not cold, and the summer crowds are long gone, leaving trails and viewpoints blissfully quiet. What grows in the Muskokas and turns the fields burgundy red in the autumn? Cranberries, particularly around the town of Bala, which celebrates its crop at the annual mid-October Bala Cranberry Festival.
In early September, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is a silver-screen extravaganza of blockbuster and under-the-radar flicks plus red-carpet celebrity fun. It’s also harvest season, which is the best time to sip your way through Prince Edward County’s wineries or linger at a roadside market piled high with apples and pumpkins. Down in Niagara’s Montebello Park, the Grape & Wine Festival takes over in September, filling the region with live music, tastings and an excuse to toast to sweater weather.
By October, things shift into full fall mode. Kitchener-Waterloo kicks off Canada’s biggest Oktoberfest, where beer steins and traditional Bavarian celebrations take over the city. Meanwhile, in Algonquin, the sugar maples hit their peak, and the only real decision is whether to admire them from a canoe or a hiking trail.
Either way, it’s hard to go wrong this time of year – just keep your eyes open, you might even spot a moose! Further north, Manitoulin Island offers stunning fall foliage and a peaceful escape, with hiking trails that feel like they belong in a postcard.
December to February is best for ski days and Christmas markets
Winter in Ontario isn’t for the faint of heart, but if you don’t mind bundling up, it’s one of the best times to experience the province in all its snow-covered glory. Crowds are at their peak around the holidays, especially in major cities like Toronto and Ottawa, so expect higher prices for hotels and attractions.
Temperatures range from 14-32°F (-10 to 0°C), with colder wind chills making it feel even frostier. Ottawa fully embraces the cold with the Rideau Canal Skateway, where you can glide past the city’s landmarks on one of the world’s longest skating rinks at 7.8 km (4.9mi). The skateway is free, but gear rentals can be pricey, especially on weekends when demand is highest.
Over in Niagara, the Winter Festival of Lights stretches from November through January, covering the falls and surrounding parks in glowing displays that make the icy mist feel almost magical. At the annual Ice Wine Festival, Niagara-on-the-Lake celebrates this sweet, highly prized, locally made dessert wine. Festival events can range from free tastings to high-end ticketed experiences, so it's worth booking in advance to get the best value.
For those who prefer their winter with a side of adrenaline, Blue Mountain Resort is the go-to for skiing and snowboarding, with après-ski spots to warm up afterward. It’s also one of the busiest resorts in Ontario, meaning lift tickets and accommodations book up fast and come with peak-season prices. Other top winter destinations include Horseshoe Resort and Mt St. Louis Moonstone, both offering excellent runs and a cozy winter atmosphere.
Meanwhile, in February, pull on your parka and head for Winterlude, where ice-sculpture contests and dragon boat racing – on ice – enliven Ottawa’s frostiest season. Expect big crowds on weekends, so visiting on a weekday can help avoid long waits for popular activities.
Toronto keeps things festive with holiday markets and light shows throughout December, including The Distillery Winter Village, where you can sip mulled wine and browse handmade gifts under twinkling lights. This is one of the most popular holiday events in the city, meaning weekends are packed, and some activities require tickets that sell out early. Just be ready for serious cold, with temperatures sometimes dipping below -25°C (-13°F). But that’s what layers (and hot drinks) are for.
May to June is best for tulip fields and budget-friendly travel
Late spring in Ontario is that perfect in-between season – warm enough for outdoor adventures but without the summer rush. In May, more than 300,000 colorful flowers herald the arrival of spring in Ottawa’s Commissioners Park during Canada’s Tulip Festival. Across the province, parks and hiking trails come back to life, making it a great time to hit spots like Bruce Peninsula National Park or the Niagara Escarpment while everything is fresh and green.
This is also a prime time for architecture and history buffs. Doors Open Ontario runs through May and June, giving visitors rare access to historic buildings and cultural sites, many of which are typically closed to the public. Meanwhile, Indigenous Peoples Day in June brings celebrations, performances and cultural events all over Ontario that highlight the traditions and resilience of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities.
Maple syrup lovers shouldn’t miss the many Maple Syrup Festivals, celebrating Ontario’s sweet liquid gold with tastings, demonstrations, and sugarbush tours.
With daytime temperatures ranging from 50-68°F (10-20°C), the weather is ideal for exploring. Bring an umbrella, as this can be a rainy time of year. Hotel rates and airfare are often more affordable before the summer crowds arrive, making it one of the best times to visit Ontario on a budget.
This article was adapted from Lonely Planet’s Canada guidebook, published in June 2024.
