Tag: travel

ONE DAY IN TAKAYAMA, JAPAN

Konnichiwa! Today we’re spending one day in Takayama, a city of 88,473 people in the Northern Japanese Alps in the Hida region. It lies within the Gifu Prefecture. Takayama’s official name is Hida-Takayama, to avoid confusion between places in Japan with the same name.

Thanks to its remote location in the mountains, Takayama wasn’t affected by war attacks, fires, or other catastrophes in the past. This is why it’s one of Japan’s most preserved historic cities.

Besides, back in the Edo period (1603-1867), Takayama was famous for its high quality timber, woodworking, and skilled carpenters. So it became a very wealthy merchant town. Even today, Hida lumber, woodcrafts, and furniture from the Takayama area are popular across Japan.

There are lots of options on how to spend one day in Takayama, from visiting its Old Town District, Temple Town, morning markets, Nakabashi Bridge, to unique lodging and restaurants. Hajimemashou! (Let’s get started!) 😀

The Best Things to Do and See in Takayama

The Old Town District

Let’s start with Takayama’s top attraction, which means walking around and admiring the well-preserved houses and streets from the Edo period inside the Old Town District. Some of the oldest houses in this neighbourhood were built back in the 17th century!

A dark brown wooden Japanese-style house with plenty of green plants on its roof.

The main streets covering the Old Town District are Ninomachi Street, Sanmachi Street, Ichinomachi Street, and Sannomachi Street. There are many old homes, shops, cafés, museums, and sake breweries (you can participate in sake tastings as well). Some have been in business for centuries!

An alleyway of dark brown wooden traditional Japanese style houses. Some have a pot of green plants in front of their door.

Some of the old merchant houses are open to the public, and you can find lots of unique souvenirs, arts and crafts, and woodcrafts inside the shops. What a great way to support the local economy!

The Old Town District is only 10 minutes of a walk from Takayama Station, and there are local buses as well. Or you can book a rickshaw ride, i.e. a person will pull you while you sit and relax inside a carriage! The cost is „7,000 for 30 minutes (based on two people).

Two women in traditional Japanese dress are sitting in a carriage, with their legs being covered by a red blanket for comfort. A man, also dressed in traditional Japanese clothing, is wearing a black hat and will start pulling the carriage soon. All 3 of them are smiling!
An example of a Japanese rickshaw. Photo by Maria Krasnova on Unsplash.

Miyagawa Morning Market

Not too far away is the Miyagawa Morning Market (33 Suehiromachi, Takayama, Gifu, 506-0016), which happens daily from 7 am to 12 pm (8 am to noon from November to March). Local vendors sell fresh fruit and veggies, flowers, and handmade souvenirs, and there are also regular stores next to the road.

This is a great opportunity to meet friendly locals, and the market is right next to the banks of the stunning turquoise Miyagawa River, which is a nice spot to sit for a while after your shopping is done!

A turquoise coloured river with a bridge crossing it in the distance. On the left side of the riverbank there are several sitting spots and on the right there are some higher buildings. There's quite a few trees around the riverbanks as well.

Jinya-Mae Morning Market

The other daily morning market in Takayama is Jinya-Mae Morning Market (1-5 Hachikenmachi, Takayama, Gifu, 506-0012), open from 7 am to noon (8 am to noon in the winter months) in front of Takayama Jinya. The vendors sell fresh produce, snacks, and souvenirs.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have a chance to visit Jinya-Mae Morning Market this time. 🙁

Neko no Tsuki Sakurayama Cat Café

If you’re a cat lover, visiting the Neko no Tsuki Sakurayama Cat CafĂ© (1-4-2, Oshinmachi, Takayama, Gifu, 506-0851) is a must! This cozy and inviting cafĂ© is inside a traditional Japanese townhouse, that has been a part of the city for 130 years.

The Neko no Tsuki Sakurayama Cat Café intends to find a loving home for stray cats in Takayama and encourages locals and tourists to spend some quality time with cats! The spacious cat area of the café has two floors and the second level looks like a Japanese house.

A wall screen showing cats that are available for adoption. Each one has a photo and a description of the cat's personality.
A brown/black tabby cat with white patches on its face and front body and legs/paws is looking around curiously.
A black and white cat is sitting on a window sill of the cat cafe.
A tabby cat with white patches on its face and front neck is sitting on the dark brown wooden floor of the cat cafe.
A dark brown wooden traditional Japanese house with some posters on the sliding door, and a black entrance flag where you enter the cat cafe.

Every cat’s profile for people interested in adopting one, a few of the kitties I hung out with, and the Neko no Tsuki Sakurayama Cat CafĂ© from the outside.

It’s obvious that the cats feel very comfortable here, because they have plenty of hiding and sleeping spots, tasty food, and get cuddles every day! The staff is very friendly, too, and I love the design of this place, especially the dark brown wooden outside building and floors.

For 30 minutes of kitty time, the cost is „ 700, and feel free to buy some treats as well (for an extra „ 200)! The Neko no Tsuki Sakurayama Cat Café is open Tuesday to Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm.

You can find the separate café sitting area on the right side of the building, which is equipped with Hida wood furniture and the coffee mugs were designed by artists from the Hida region!

A cozy sitting area with 5 brown/grey armchairs and a dark brown coffee table in the middle. There are some books and a menu on the table. The sitting area is right next to the see-through sliding door, so you can look outside.

Temple Town

Next, we’ll wander around the Teramachi district, better known as Takayama’s Temple Town! Here, more than 10 temples and shrines are standing next to each other. So it’s a great chance to see them all in a short time.

It’s in a quieter area, and while they are rather small, the temples and shrines are all very well taken care of. First, I walked by the Myokanzan Eikyoin Temple (1-6-4 Wakatatsumachi, Takayama, Gifu, 506-0854), and the pathway to Higashiyama Hakusan Shrine (1-74 Wakatatsumachi, Takayama, Gifu, 506-0854). It was built in 720 AD, which makes it the oldest shrine in Takayama.

A white temple with dark brown framings and a red roof area. There are lots of flags hanging upside down in front of the temple with red Japanese symbols on them. There are some stones and a few plants as well.
A grey Japanese torii gate with a yellow rope around its top middle part. There are trees on both sides of the pathway leading towards the shrine.

Left: Myokanzan Eikyoin Temple. Right: Torii gate leading the path to Higashiyama Hakusan Shrine.

Then I stopped at Daio-ji Temple (67 Atagomachi, Takayama, Gifu, 506-0855) with its Buddhist statue, Zen garden, and Shoro (bell tower) that was built in 1689. It’s the oldest bell tower in the Gifu prefecture.

A dark brown Buddhist temple building with a red roof.
A grey Buddhist stone statue sitting cross legged inside the temple complex. It looks like it's meditating and there's a flower bouquet on its left side in front of it.
A peaceful Zen garden with a pond, plants and a wooden bridge. There's a temple building on the right hand side.

Then look at Gohozan Dounin Temple (64 Atagomachi, Takayama, Gifu, 506-0855), built by the priest Senso in 1614. It’s famous for its Jizo statues and Koryuzan Sogen-ji Temple (39 Tenshojimachi, Takayama, Gifu, 506-0832). The main hall of the latter temple has a hipper copper roof, and has an impressive bell tower as well.

A dark brown temple gate entrance with a sign of golden Japanese symbols in the top middle part. A few trees are standing on the left and right side of the gate.
A wooden gazebo with a bell out of metal in the middle. There are a few more wooden gazebos around the bell tower and some trees.

Left: Entrance to Koryuzan Sogen-ji Temple. Right: The bell tower within the Koryuzan Sogen-ji Temple complex.

If you’d like to stay at a Buddhist temple for a night, this is possible at Tensho-ji Temple Youth Hostel (83 Tenshoji-cho, Takayama, Gifu, 506-0832). It was built in the 12th century.

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Nakabashi Bridge

Another one of Takayama’s iconic landmarks is Nakabashi Bridge (4-9 Kawaharamachi, Takayama, Gifu, 506-0847). This crimson bridge overlooks the Miyagawa River and is a part of the 1 Chome Hon-machi and Kamisannomachi neighborhoods.

Nakabashi Bridge is a popular photo destination, in particular during the cherry blossom season. This offers a great mix of colours (i.e. the pink/white flowers and the crimson bridge colour). Moreover, the bridge is lit up in different colours at night during busy tourism periods every year.

A bright crimson bridge crossing the same turquoise river. There are lots of trees and a pathway on the left and houses on the right hand side of the river.

Watch Out for Sarubobo Dolls

While you’re browsing through Takayama’s souvenir stores (or just walking around the streets), it’s very likely that you’ll see one special item: Sarubobo Dolls! These cute-looking lucky charms are typical for the Hida region and the translation for sarubobo is “monkey baby”.

Many mothers give it to their daughters for a happy marriage, good fertility, and a child birth that’s as easy and smooth as possible. You can also buy Sarubobo dolls in different colours with a different meaning (e.g. green for peace and health and black for protection from evil), but the red one is the most common. What a unique souvenir to take back home!

A red faceless Sarubobo statue sitting on a light wooden bench in front of a store window. It wears a black hat and jacket and holds a cup of coffee in its hands.
A cute Sarubobo statue I stumbled upon while walking around Takayama!

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Other Things to To Do in Takayama

So as you can see, there are tons of fun things to do in Takayama in a day! But if you’d like to explore more attractions in or close to the city, I suggest staying for at least two days.

Here are some other things to do and see that sound amazing:

  • Takayama Festival happens in April and October, and is in the Top 3 of Japan’s most beautiful festivals. The main attraction are the stunningly decorated yatai (festival floats). If you’re in Takayama outside of this timeframe, you can see the floats at the Takayama Festival Float Exhibition Hall.
  • The Takayama Jinya was the local government office until the end of the Edo period in 1868. The building still stands today as a museum for visitors. You can look at the offices and conference rooms, and next to the main building is the largest traditional rice storehouse in Japan.
  • Shiragawago is a remote village in the Shogawa River Valley, only an hour from Takayama by bus. It’s famous for its traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses in the Ogimachi district, and some of them are more than 250 years old! Shiragawago was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.
  • If you don’t have time to visit Shiragawago, stop at the Hida No Sato (Hida Folk Village) instead. This open air museum has more than 30 traditional buildings from the Hida region. They were built during the Edo period, and it’s only a 30-minute walk or 10-minute bus ride from Takayama.

To learn more about these attractions, check out this YouTube video by Japan Guide:

Where to Stay

As a popular tourist attraction, Takayama has plenty of lodging options to offer. You can choose between hostels, guesthouses, apartments, B&B’s, ryokans (traditional Japanese inns), and Western-style hotels.

I stayed at the Takayama Ninja House (1-31-2 Wakatatsumachi, Takayama, Gifu, 506-0854), a small traditional Japanese guesthouse just a few minutes from the Old Town District. I booked a Japanese-style single room with tatami mat flooring and a very comfy futon bed. Western-Japanese style rooms are available, too.

The lowest room charge ranges from „ 7,500 to „ 10,000 per night, and bathrooms are shared. You can enjoy free coffee and Japanese tea at the reception. Besides, there’s a public bath house (onsen) only 5 minutes from the property, at „ 440 per person.

Octavio, the owner, was always happy to chat, which made me feel at home right away! He also had great suggestions on things to do in and around Takayama. Moreover, he prepared a small breakfast in the morning (green tea, toast, and jam), which was very good! He offers a free shuttle service (must be reserved in advance), and private parking is possible on site (at „ 1,000 per night).

Where to Eat & Drink

While Takayama is a smaller city, there’s a big selection of restaurants to choose from.

First, I tried a local specialty of the Hida region, which is soba noodles! I had Fried Soba Noodles with an egg on top for lunch at Bokunchi CafĂ© (5-6 Shimosannomachi, Takayama, Gifu, 506-0841), and it was super tasty! It’s really close to the Miyagawa Morning Market as well.

For dinner, Octavio suggested that I eat at the Royal Nan House (6-18 Hanasatomachi, Takayama, Gifu, 506-0026), a local Indian restaurant. I’m so glad I followed his advice, because the Chana Masala with Garlic Naan bread and Mango Lassi were amazing!

A plate of soba noodles with a few vegetables and a fried egg on top. On the left there is a glass of water.
Garlic naan bread on the left, cut into pieces, Chana Masala on the right. Above these dishes there are a glass of Mango Lassi and water.

But there was a local specialty I couldn’t try, which is Hida gyu (Hida beef). If you eat meat, it’s supposed to be one of the best! Fortunately, Brandon mentions the best Hida beef dishes and where to find them in his Takayama Travel Guide, so feel free to check it out!

How to Get To and Around Takayama via Public Transit

It’s pretty easy to get from/to Takayama to other places in Japan via train and bus.

The closest big city is Nagoya, which is a 140-minute train ride via the JR Hida Limited Express to Takayama, and costs around „ 6,140 per person. If you have the Japan Rail Pass, the cost is fully covered.

From Tokyo, take the JR Tokaido Hikari Shinkansen to Nagoya, then transfer to the Hida Limited Express train (about 4.5 hours, at „ 14,190 per person). Please note that the Tokaido Nozomi Shinkansen train to Nagoya is not covered by the JR Pass.

From Kyoto or Osaka, hop on the JR Tokaido Shinkansen to Tokyo, then transfer to the Hida Limited Express train in Nagoya (3 to 4 hours, at „ 10,000 to „ 11,000 per person).

I took the Hida Limited Express from Nagoya to Takayama, and man, the scenery was so beautiful! <3

Or you can take the JR Hokuriku Shinkansen train from Tokyo to Toyama, then transfer to the Hida Limited Express train to Takayama (about 4 hours, at „ 16,120 per person).

You can also book a daytime highway bus from Tokyo (Busta Shinjuku) to Takayama (5.5 hours, starting at „ 6,500 per person), and there’s an overnight bus available as well on certain dates.

JR Takayama train station is right next to the Takayama Hida Bus Centre, and local buses from/to the city centre run on a regular basis (at „ 100 per bus ride). There’s also the Sarubobo tourist bus to Hida no Sato, that goes every 30 minutes.

The closest airport is Toyama Kitokito Airport, which is 57 km/35 miles north of Takayama. It offers domestic flights to Tokyo Haneda Airport and Sapporo, and international flights to Shanghai, Seoul, and Taipei.

The Best Time to visit Takayama

Takayama sees the nicest weather of the year in the spring (April/May) and fall (October/November). While summers get hot, it’s colder than in big cities in the evenings.

Takayama can get pretty cold and snowy in the winter months, with one meter (3.2 feet) or more per month of snow piled up! The average low temperature in January and February is -5 C or 34 F.

Mid-June to mid-July is the rainy season, but it doesn’t rain every day, so it’s a nice time to visit as well. So just bring a rain jacket and/or umbrella just in case, and you’re good! 😀

As you can see, Takayama is an awesome place to visit, no matter what time of the year it is!

Moreover, I like that Takayama is not as busy as Tokyo, Kyoto, or Osaka, but it offers a great Japanese small-town vibe, and a chance to experience the “real” Japan in a rural area!

If you’ve been to Takayama and have any insider tips, feel free to share them in the comment section! Cheers 😀

Here are a few of my other Japan blog posts for you to check out:

How to Spend Four Days in Tokyo, Japan

Fukuchiin Temple Stay in Mount Koya, Japan

Is Nagoya Castle Worth Visiting? (Guest Post for The Directionally Challenged Traveler)

How to Spend 48 Hours in Kyoto, Japan

Disclosure: I only recommend products that I’ve used in the past, and all opinions expressed in this post are my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you use one of the links throughout the page to buy something, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks.

14

THE BEST DUBLIN TRAVEL GUIDE

Last updated: September 7, 2023

Dublin is Ireland’s capital and largest city, with 1,417,700 inhabitants in metro Dublin in 2020, and is located on the east coast.

Like in the rest of Ireland, there are two official languages spoken here: Irish (Gaelic) and English, so don’t be surprised about bilingual signs!

For many tourists, Dublin is the gateway to their Irish adventures, which is why I chose this city as the first part of my Ireland Travel series! 😀 We spent four days in Dublin, which is a perfect amount of time before moving on to other places.

Things to See and Do

The Guinness Storehouse

First, stop at the Guinness Storehouse (St. James’s Gate, Dublin 8, D08 VF8H), which tells the story of Ireland’s most famous beer! It’s a seven-floor building at St. James’s Gate, and used to be the fermentation plant of the brewery. Since opening its doors in 2000, more than 20 million people have been to this iconic attraction!

Visitors learn about the four ingredients needed to make Guinness, the brewing process, and how it’s been stored and transported around the world. You’ll even “meet” Arthur Guinness (the inventor)! Equipment that was used for brewing Guinness is displayed as well.

Moreover, don’t miss the many advertising slogans that promoted Guinness over time, and you can even learn to pour your own pint at the Guinness Academy!

Entrance gate, the lengthy Guinness brewing process and a Steele’s Masher tool (c. 1880), and a vintage advertising poster from the 1930’s.

For a pick-me-up during your visit, take a seat at the Cooperage CafĂ© or Arthur’s Bar and 1837 Bar & Brasserie, that are ready to serve hot and cold drinks, snacks, and traditional Irish food!

Once you get to the 7th floor, you deserve a free pint of Guinness at the Gravity Bar, as well as a 360° panorama view of Dublin! Lastly, buy some cool souvenirs at the gift shop, like t-shirts, hats, pint glasses, socks, magnets, key chains, coasters, and even Guinness chocolates!

Ticket admission is 26 EUR for a self guided tour of the Guinness Storehouse. Or you can book a special experience, such as the STOUTie Experience, which includes your selfie being printed on a Guinness beer! You can find more info on this in Tom’s post.

From left to right: Barrels used to store Guinness, ship for transporting the beer around the world, and 360° view of Dublin.

Trinity College

Trinity College (College Green, Dublin 2) was founded back in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I, and is Ireland’s oldest university. Many famous Irish people went to school here, including Oscar Wilde, Sally Rooney, Samuel Beckett, and Douglas Hyde (Ireland’s first president, who served from 1938-1945).

But the most popular spot of Trinity College is the Book of Kells exhibition. It’s a 680-page manuscript written in the 9th century AD, that, according to the Book of Kells Facebook page, “is Ireland’s greatest cultural treasure and the world’s most famous medieval manuscript”.

Every day, one page is turned, so it takes 170 days to finish this book. Moreover, the Long Room inside the Old Library, which opened in 1732, has 200,000 ancient books, as well as Ireland’s oldest harp (built in the late Middle Ages)!

It’s strongly recommended to purchase tickets online for a timed visit of 30 minutes (starting at 18.50 EUR), to guarantee entry into the exhibit.

Entrance of Trinity College (Photo by Stephen Bergin on Unsplash) and The Long Room (Photo by Hanna May on Unsplash).

It’s fun walking on the cobblestoned paths of the campus, looking at the amazing Georgian and Victorian buildings, such as the Campanile (completed in 1853), and the ‘Sfera con Sfera’ (Sphere Within Sphere) bronze sculpture by Arnaldo Pomodoro (1982/83).

The Campanile.

The ‘Sfera con Sfera’ bronze sculpture and a part of the campus grounds.

You can book self-guided or guided tours around the campus and the Book of Kells exhibit. Lastly, it’s possible to book rooms (single/twin/double or apartments) at the Trinity College Campus and Dartry (15 minutes from the campus) during the summer months.

Temple Bar District

Temple Bar is Dublin’s cultural quarter and nightlife hotspot. It’s right next to the riverbank of the Liffey, which flows through downtown.

Temple Bar used to be a wealthy neighbourhood in the 17th century. But this changed drastically in the 1800s, when it was one of Dublin’s main red-light districts! It was still a crappy area towards the end of the last century, but in 1991, it was modernized.

Today, the most famous spot is the bright red Temple Bar Pub (47-48 Temple Bar, Dublin 2, D02 N725), where you can check out Ireland’s largest Whiskey collection, and it has live music every day. This pub was established in 1840, and is known for its flower decorations outside, low hanging lamps, and a bronze statue of James Joyce.

The Temple Bar Pub (Photo by Leonhard Niederwimmer on Unsplash).

The Temple Bar district has many other pubs, night clubs, cafés, restaurants, hotels, hostels, and lots of shopping opportunities, but is also home to many art galleries and the Irish Film Institute (6 Eustace St, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, D02 PD85).

Thanks to its high popularity with tourists and locals, this area can be pretty crowded. Moreover, it’s often more expensive than in other parts of Dublin, and petty crime, like scams and pickpocketing, can happen sometimes. But as long as you watch your valuables, you should be fine. 🙂

The Liffey River.

The Irish Rock’n’Roll Museum

If you love Irish music, there’s no way to miss the Irish Rock’n’Roll Museum on Curved Street! The Wall of Fame outside, that displays many Irish Rock’n’Roll legends, including U2, Rory Gallagher, Thin Lizzy, and Sinead O’Connor, is a great first impression of this place!

We join a guided tour, and look at a bunch of vintage guitars and records by Irish musicians, like The Cranberries, Enya, The Undertones, and The Boomtown Rats.

Next, there’s Michael Jackson’s pajama and a jacket he wore while touring with the Jackson 5 (Fun fact: He lived in Ireland for a while in 2006!). After watching a short movie about Irish Rock’n’Roll legends, we move to a room dedicated to U2, that has tons of exclusive material!

But this place is not just a museum, as it also has a recording studio (Rihanna and The Script recorded here) and the Button Factory, a music venue, and to get the real Rock Star feeling, we jump on stage as well!

Moreover, this is Dublin’s major rehearsal space for unknown and famous bands. As we enter one of these rooms, Brian, our guide, encourages the musicians in our group to start a jam session! After this completely unexpected experience, we check out Thin Lizzy’s recording studio and a selection of Phil Lynott’s guitars and a jukebox.

Lastly, we find a few things related to Rock legends who have Irish roots, like Johnny Rotten’s sleeveless jacket, a Nirvana gig poster, and Beatles memorabilia! The Irish Rock’n’Roll Museum is open 7 days a week, ticket admission is 16.50 EUR, and only guided tours can be booked at this time.

Beatles memorabilia, Johnny Rotten’s jacket, Thin Lizzy’s recording studio, and a drummer in action!

Phoenix Park

Need a break from the busy city now? Then hang out for a couple hours at Phoenix Park. It’s perfect for walking, having a picnic, playing sports, and relaxing. You can also rent a bike with Phoenix Park Bikes (Chesterfield Ave, Saint James’ (part of Phoenix Park), Dublin 8, D08 DF88) at the main entrance, and ride along the park’s 14 km (8.69 miles) of cycle trails.

It was founded in 1662 as a royal hunting area, and has been open to everyone since 1747. At 1,750 acres, it’s Europe’s largest city centre park (it’s twice the size of Central Park in New York City!).

The Irish President lives at the Áras an Uachtaråin residence inside the park, same as about 600 wild fallow deer, which have been here for many years, and are free to move wherever they like! There are ponds to look at, a Visitor Centre, the Papal Cross, Victorian Flower Gardens, a Biodiversity Information Centre, Phoenix Café, and Tea Rooms as well.

Lastly, you can also find the Wellington Monument inside Phoenix Park. It’s Europe’s tallest obelisk, and was built to honour the Duke of Wellington in 1817, who’d beaten Napoleon two years earlier. But the builders ran out of money, so it wasn’t completed until 1861, after he’d already died!

Trees and flowerbed, the Wellington Monument, and one of the ponds in Phoenix Park.

St. Stephen’s Green Park

St. Stephen’s Green Park has 750 trees with a Victorian layout, and is right in the heart of Dublin. Until 1664, it was a marshy common for sheep and cattle to graze, and even public executions and witch burnings happened here! In 1877, Arthur Edward Guinness (Arthur Guinness’s great-grandson) asked the City of Dublin to open St. Stephen’s Green to the public, which was done in 1880.

The park also played a role during the Easter Rising of 1916, when rebels of mainly the Irish Citizen Army dug trenches and took it over. St. Stephen’s Green Park also has several monuments, like a bronze statue of Theobald Wolfe Tone, the leader of the Irish rebellion in 1798. There’s also a memorial to the Great Famine from 1845 to 1849.

Many birds and plant species live inside St. Stephen’s Green Park. There’s also a playground, the Ardilaun Lodge (Superintendent’s Lodge), built shortly after 1880, flowerbeds, waterfall, as well as a garden for the visually impaired.

Grafton Street

There are many stores and shopping malls in Dublin, so get your credit card ready to be maxed out! A popular shopping spot is Grafton Street, a pedestrian street only minutes away from St. Stephen’s Green Park. There are tons of shops, like The North Face, Disney store, Levi’s, but also the Card Gallery, Ulysses Rare Books, the Irish Design Shop, and Aran Sweater Market (handknitted Irish wool clothing).

It’s also a great area to watch street performers and buskers, especially during the summer. Some well-known musicians started their career while busking here, such as Bono, U2’s lead singer. He also plays here every year on Christmas Eve, to help the homeless people of Dublin. How cool is that?

St. Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre

Next, check out St. Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre (St Stephen’s Green, Dublin, D02 HX65), which has many European and Irish chain stores, like Game Stop, Flying Tiger, Butler’s, Eason Books, United Colours of Benetton, and Carroll’s Irish Gifts.

The latter sells jewelry, Irish-style (shamrock) clothing, chocolates, tea towels, green Leprechaun top hats, bookmarks, and more! We also like the design of this shopping centre, especially the large clock and all the balloons!

Grafton Street (Photo by Sophi Raju on Unsplash) and St. Stephen’s Green Shopping Center.

George’s St. Arcade

George’s St. Arcade (South Great George’s Street, Dublin) is a market inside a lovely Victorian-style red brick building in downtown Dublin, and is perfect if you’re into unusual stuff! It’s been around since 1881, and has several independent shops and stalls with vintage clothes, records, jewelry, book store, crafts from Asian countries and West Africa, and many more!

My favourite is Elevation Music Movies Comics, which, for example, sells cool vintage music and movie prints, comic book merch, buttons, patches, key chains, and magnets!

George’s St. Arcade from the outside (Photo credit: The Layden Group) and a poster print of Nirvana’s Unplugged Concert!

Join a Bike Tour with Lazy Bike Tours

A great way to see lots of Dublin’s downtown attractions is through a bike tour. We join a tour with Lazy Bike Tours, which takes about 2.5 hours, and you can rent a push bike (cruiser bike) or e-bike, and rates start at 35 EUR.

Our first stop is Dublin Castle (Dame St, Dublin 2), that was built in the early 13th century. But the powder storage of the castle exploded in 1684, that’s why the round tower (right side of the photo below) is the only original part still intact today. The hard dirt that was left from the explosion was later turned into a Georgian palace.

Next, we look at St Patrick’s Cathedral (St Patrick’s Close, Dublin, D08 H6X3), completed in 1260, which is one of the few medieval buildings in Dublin that still exists. You can also find Jonathan Swift’s grave here, and there’s a nice park right next to the cathedral.

When we arrive at the Teeling Whiskey Distillery (13-17 Newmarket, The Liberties, Dublin 8, D08 KD91), opened in 2015, we learn that it’s the first distillery that opened in more than 125 years! Ireland’s whiskey making history started in the middle ages.

Fast forward to the 1800’s, a production boom happened, with 30 distilleries all over the country. But in the 20th century, the industry declined drastically, because of the damage due to the two World Wars, civil wars in Ireland, and a changed consumer taste preference.

Dublin Castle.

St Patrick’s Cathedral.

We also stop at The Liberties, Dublin’s oldest working class neighbourhood. In the 12th century, when Dublin was a walled city, this area was one of its suburbs, and many distilling and brewing families (including the Guinness family) lived here. The Guinness brewery is still here today, that a very optimistic Arthur Guinness leased in 1759 for 9,000 years!

You can also find many antique shops and small shops, that sell all kinds of knick-knacks. As we get to the Guinness Storehouse, Laura, our guide, tells us that Arthur Guinness was advised by businessmen that he’d be more successful producing whiskey instead of beer, as it was perceived as the “poor people’s drink”. Who knows what would have happened if he’d listened to them?!

We also ride by some amazing Guinness street art murals painted by Holly Pereira.

The most touching stop of this tour is the Kilmainham Goal Museum (Inchicore Rd, Kilmainham, Dublin 8, D08 RK28), where criminals (especially revolutionaries fighting for Ireland’s independence) were imprisoned and executed from 1796 until 1924.

In May 1916, a total of 14 Irish rebels were shot by the British Army at the Stonebreakers’ Yard of this prison, soon after the Easter Rising had occurred.

Today, visitors can look at 14 bronze sculptures across the street, which were put up to honour these brave men. They are standing in a circle, blindfolded, and each one has holes where the bullets hit them.

EPIC – The Irish Emigration Museum

If you want to learn more about Ireland’s history, the EPIC – The Irish Emigration Museum (The Chq Building, Custom House Quay, North Dock, Dublin 1) should be on your list!

These days, more than 70 million people worldwide (many in North America, Australia or New Zealand) have Irish heritage, even if they never met their ancestors.

First, you find out why many Irish people emigrated, whether it was extreme poverty caused by the Great Famine (1845-1852), oppressive laws from the government, civil wars, forced labour, a weak economy, or a lack of jobs. Others were looking for a romantic partner or land to buy abroad.

You can also watch lots of short movies that show the Irish emigrants’ hopes and fears, which are very moving, and read some of the questions they were asked upon entering their new home land.

As the tour goes on, visitors learn how the Irish culture and identity have changed the rest of world. Many Irish communities were formed overseas with time, and emigrants were happy to share traditional Irish music and dance with their peers, which started in the mid-1800’s.

Other Irish migrants and/or their descendants became politicians, actors, musicians, authors, journalists, directors, athletes, scientists, and so on. For example, did you know that several Canadian and Australian prime ministers and US presidents have Irish roots?

Irish food and drinks have travelled the world, too, which is why today, we have at least one Irish pub in many bigger cities, and Guinness and Jameson’s Whiskey are famous! And let’s not forget about the many St Patrick’s Day celebrations worldwide on March 17th each year!

Wow, the EPIC Museum was just awesome! It’s great that every visitor gets the EPIC Passport at the start of their tour, which gets stamped after each section is completed. You can also visit the Irish Family History Centre, to find out about your Irish ancestors, as well as the Gift Shop, which has many unique gifts and souvenirs.

Self-guided entry ticket admission is 19 EUR for adults, and you can download a free audio guide in various languages to your phone. The museum is also fully wheelchair accessible.

Politicians and hit albums by musicians with Irish roots, books written by Irish writers, and my completed EPIC Passport!

Samuel Beckett Bridge

Only a few steps from the museum you can find the famous Samuel Beckett Bridge, a cable-stayed swing bridge shaped as a harp. It’s one of Ireland’s traditional musical instruments, and a big part of Irish culture.

It crosses the Liffey River, is 120 meters (390 ft) long and 48 meters (157 ft) high and was completed in 2009. Since then, it has become one of Dublin’s major landmarks.

Dublin’s Street Art

Dublin also has more cool street art to look at, and we even saw a very colourful piano inside Connolly train station:

Where to Eat & Drink

If you’re looking for craic (Irish slang for good times ;)), you can’t miss Dublin’s diverse food scene!

Here are our favourites:

Camden Bites & Brews (9 Camden Street Lower, Saint Kevin’s, Dublin, D02 FX67). This fun bar and restaurant is open daily, and is known for Italian coffee and cold drinks, DJ nights, and has hosted a flea market several times.

They serve lots of pub food, like burgers, wings, Fish & Chips, calamari, and chunky fries. We’re having a Beef Burger and Piccolo Vegan Burger, and they are both really good! There’s also an outside terrace and we love the chessboard floor design!

The Little Pyg (59 William St S, Dublin 2, D02 E521). Wow, what an unusual name! This restaurant is inside Dublin’s Powerscourt Townhouse Centre, and they are proud to serve authentic Neapolitan pizza, as per Michelin Maestro Enzo Coccia’s recipe.

We order their Tomato Soup and Mushroom Ravioli, which are very tasty, although a bit expensive, in our opinion. But even though this restaurant is inside a busy mall, it’s got a chill vibe, and the staff was very friendly and efficient.

Kale + Coco (18 Grangegorman Lower, Dublin, D07 WF44). This 100% vegan food cafĂ© is perfect if you’re looking for a healthy and organic breakfast or lunch! They have smoothies, chia pudding, nourish bowls, smoothie bowls, pastries, and hot and cold drinks on their menu. All food is gluten-free as well, and prices are very reasonable.

I’m having their Treat Yo’self Smoothie Bowl, that consists of bananas, almond milk, dates, raw cacao powder and Himalayan pink salt, and strawberries, granola, tahini maple caramel sauce, and cacao nibs for toppings.

I also love all the plants inside the café (whether they are real or painted on the walls), and cozy atmosphere, so no doubt that this is a great spot for hanging out or getting some work done.

The Hard Rock CafĂ© (12 Fleet St, Temple Bar, Dublin, D02 NW56). This iconic chain restaurant is right in the heart of the Temple Bar district. We’re having The Big Cheeseburger and Cauliflower Wings, and some Guinness, so good! They even have a Guinness Burger, but like in any of their locations, it’s not just about the food and drinks, but also about all the Rock memorabilia on the walls.

So while you’re waiting for your grub, check out Brian Johnson’s tweed hat, Jimi Hendrix’s silk shirt, Slash’s top hat, Ringo Starr’s drumsticks, and more! There’s also a drum set hanging from the ceiling, live music happens quite often, and don’t miss the Rock Shop with its iconic merch on your way out!

Gushi Asian Bar & Kitchen (48 Capel St, North City, Dublin 1, D01 P7W9). This place is perfect if you’re craving authentic Asian food. There’s sushi, ramen, Chinese fried chicken, Thai Beef & Basil stir-fry, kimchi burger, Dakganjeong Wings, and more! They also have two bars with many drink options and a cocktail menu!

I’m having their Green Dragon Roll and Avocado Inari Roll, which are very good! They were quite busy that night, so service was a bit slow, but it was more than worth waiting for this great food! :p

Where to Stay

The Leeson Bridge Guesthouse

The Leeson Bridge Guesthouse (1 Leeson Street Upper, Ranelagh, Dublin, D04 AH22) is a Georgian guesthouse in Dublin’s south. It’s a 20-minute walk to downtown, and bus stops are just a few minutes away.

We love the red entrance door and the reception area is very pretty as well. Guests can choose between a Budget Double Room and Executive Suite, which has a sauna and jacuzzi. We book the first option, and it’s cozy and clean, and has a balcony. But for some people, the bathroom may be a bit small …

They offer a complimentary breakfast in the morning, and St. Stephen’s Green Park and Grafton Street are only a 10-15 minutes of a walk.

Entrance door and sitting area inside our Budget Double Room.

Clayton Hotel – Burlington Road

Clayton Hotel – Burlington Road (Leeson Street Upper, Dublin, D04 A318) has 502 rooms and suites, so it’s a less personal vibe than at the Leeson Bridge Guesthouse. But the rooms are bigger and have A/C, and they have a very tasty breakfast buffet (at 15 EUR extra per person). Room service, a fitness room, meeting rooms, and work spaces are available, too.

There’s also a bus stop right out the door, and some of them take you right to the airport or downtown.

The Generator Hostel

Of course, Dublin also has tons of budget-friendly accommodations! I’m staying at the Generator Hostel (Chimney Viewing Tower, Arran Quay, Smithfield, Dublin, D07 F2VF), which is just a short walk to Temple Bar. The receptionist is very friendly, and there’s a bar with live music and a cafĂ©/restaurant area on site!

It has private or dorm rooms, a cinema room, games room, lockers, laundry, towels (for a small fee), and even bike rentals! There’s no kitchen though, and breakfast vouchers are available for 7.50 EUR per person.

I’m staying in a 6-bed ensuite female-only dorm, and it’s great chatting with other travelers again, and the beds are very comfy! I just would have appreciated a privacy curtain when I wanted to be left alone, but otherwise, it’s perfect!

How to Get to and Around Dublin

Many airlines from Europe, North America, Dubai, etc. fly directly to Dublin Airport, Ireland’s busiest airport, with 32.9 million travelers passing through in 2019.

The Dublin Express #782 (at 8 EUR per person) and Aircoach #700 (at 7 EUR per person) go to the city centre (and back), which takes 30 to 40 minutes.

Dublin’s public transportation system is very good, and double-decker buses go pretty much anywhere in the city. Fares range from 1.30 EUR to 2.60 EUR for a single trip, depending on how far you’d like to go. Please note that no change is given back if you pay with the bus driver. Also, it’s important to wave when the bus approaches, so the driver knows you want to enter. Otherwise, the bus may just drive by you!

Dublin also has a light rail system (trams) called LUAS, with two lines, that go to Central Dublin and some residential areas (mostly in the south and southwest of the city). Single trip fares range from 1.70 EUR to 2.60 EUR.

For travel to the suburbs, use the DART trains and Commuter Trains to satellite towns in the Greater Dublin Area, which are operated by Irish Rail. DART goes along the coast side close to Dublin (e.g. Malahide, Howth and Greystones), and fares start at 2.50 EUR.

One of Dublin’s double-decker buses. Photo by Nico Baum on Unsplash.

If you’re in Dublin for at least 24 hours, it’s best to buy a Visitor Leap Card, as it’s 31% cheaper than buying individual tickets. You can buy it online, at Dublin Airport, or Dublin Central (59 O’Connell Street Upper, Uachtarach, Dublin 1, D01 RX04). It offers unlimited travel on buses, LUAS trams, and DART and Commuter Trains (within the Short Hop Zone, i.e. all of Dublin City and county).

If you’re just staying in and around Dublin, renting a car is not necessary. Traffic is often very busy, and parking spots can be hard to find and expensive. Moreover, driving on the left side of the road can be a challenge for tourists used to driving on the opposite side.

Uber and taxis are of course available, but can be expensive.

You can also join a bike tour or walking tour of Dublin, to get lots insider information from a local guide. Or renting a bike or just walking around are great ways to explore the city as well, especially because many attractions are within the City Centre.

Be sure to look into the right directions before crossing a street (there are some helpful writings on some roads, which are a nice reminder as a traveler who’s not used to left lane traffic).

My Opinion on Dublin

Wow, we loved our stay in Dublin! It gave us a great first impression of what Ireland is like, and the diverse restaurant scene is amazing! The many red brick buildings are very cool as well. Although it rains a lot in Dublin (271 rain days on average per year), there are lots of indoor things to do, whether it’s shopping at a mall, touring one of the many museums, or hanging and drinking at a pub, lol! The best you can do is bringing rain gear on your Dublin visit, so you’re always prepared for weather changes.

We also meet some friendly Dubliners, who make us feel very welcome in their city, like our guides mentioned before, hotel receptionists, bus drivers, or taxi drivers. They all have cool stories to tell, and their sense of humour makes us laugh a lot!

One of the cab drivers truthfully says that the Guinness at the Guinness Storehouse is the most expensive in Ireland, lol! Another one raves about tasty Indian food in Dubai, then tells us that while Dublin is beautiful, visitors should also spend some time in the rest of Ireland!

My favourite things to see and do in Dublin are the Irish Rock’n’Roll Museum and the EPIC Museum, hanging at the parks, and shopping at George’s St Arcade.

But you can’t see everything Dublin has to offer in just a few days, so I hope to visit some of its literary attractions someday (Chester Beatty Library, Oscar Wilde Statue, a Literary Pub Crawl, etc.). So until then, I’m gonna read some books by Irish authors!

I’d also love to see the Old Jameson Distillery, the National Leprechaun Museum (closed as of June 2023, but plans to reopen in August 2023), a few art galleries, and some “underrated” attractions next time, so if you have any tips, let me know in the comments! SlĂĄinte! 😀

If your kids are joining you on your Dublin trip, don’t miss Christine’s post:

10 Things To Do in Dublin With Kids

For other cool places in Ireland, check out my blog posts below:

How To Spend A Day in Athlone, Ireland

Killarney, Ireland Travel Guide

What Is Bunratty, Ireland Famous For? (Guest Post for First Step: Europe)

Disclosure: I only recommend products that I’ve used in the past, and all opinions expressed in this post are my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you use one of the links throughout the page to buy something, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks!

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24 HOURS IN BERLIN, GERMANY

Last updated: September 19, 2023

Berlin is Germany’s capital, and is located in the Northeast of the country. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it’s also the largest city in Germany.

visitBerlin calls it “The City of Freedom”, which is thanks to its openness and tolerance, so you can just be yourself!

I visited Berlin in August 2020, and I’m excited to share with you how to spend 24 hours in this awesome city!

Things to See and Do

Brandenburger Tor

Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate) (Pariser Platz, 10117 Berlin) is our first stop on this tour! It is Berlin’s most famous landmark, that was designed by Carl Gotthard Langhans, and built between 1788 and 1791. It’s 26 meters (85 ft) high, 65.5 meters (214 ft) long, and 11 meters (36 ft) deep. It was damaged during World War II, but thankfully, it survived.

It’s Berlin’s only gate that is still standing today, and during the Cold War (1945 to 1991), it was a symbol for the division of Berlin into east and west. But this changed for the opposite with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, and since then, Brandenburger Tor has been representing a unified Germany.

Today, this spot is also popular for celebrating New Year’s Eve, with amazing fireworks and live music! The Berlin Tourist Information is only a few steps from Brandenburger Tor, if you need any help with navigating Berlin or booking accommodations or events.

The Reichstag

The Reichstag (Bundestag) building (Platz der Republik 1, 11011 Berlin) is the home of the German parliament, and was designed by Paul Wallot, who took inspiration from the Memorial Hall in Philadelphia, USA. It was completed in 1894, and as per visitBerlin, is “an internationally recognizable symbol of democracy”.

The Reichstag was in use by the parliament until 1933, when the Nazi party (NSDAP) took over, and it was neglected during the Third Reich, and badly damaged in World War II.

After the war, West Germany’s parliament was moved to Bonn (the previous German capital), and the Reichstag building was only used sometimes for ceremonial events. In 1990, this site is where the official reunification ceremony takes place, and soon after, it was decided that the German parliament will work at the Reichstag again.

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Visitors can take a guided tour of the Reichstag from the inside, listen to a plenary session (in German only), and even go up all the way to the dome and the roof of the building.

But although admission is free, you’ll need to register online on the Bundestag website first, and if you want to miss the crowds, consider visiting this place on a weekday instead of on weekends.

There’s also the KĂ€fer Dachgarten Restaurant at the roof, and the food is supposed to be amazing (reservations are required). Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to go inside, but I was fascinated by the Reichstag’s unique architecture, and enjoyed taking a break on the grassy area, which is popular for having a picnic, spending time with loved ones, and soaking up the sun!

Tiergarten Park

Tiergarten Park (Strasse des 17. Juni, 10785 Berlin) is a perfect spot if you need a break from the hustle and bustle of the city. Founded in 1527, it was originally intended to be a private hunting area for Berlin’s ruling class. But since 1740, it’s been open to the public.

Tiergarten Park is Berlin’s largest park (it covers 210 hectares), and is a popular spot for outdoor activities (e.g. BBQing, cycling, walking, relaxing, or playing football) with Berliners and tourists alike.

Take the kids to one of the playgrounds, then refuel at the Café am Neuen See or a beer garden, and visit the SiegessÀule (Victory Column), which has a viewing platform, to see Tiergarten Park and the rest of Berlin and beyond.

If you like German literature or classical music, don’t miss the Goethe Monument, Lessing Monument, Beethoven-Haydn-Mozart Monument, and Richard Wagner Monument.

Memorials inside and close to Tiergarten Park

I highly recommend visiting the many memorials inside or close to Tiergarten Park, that were built to honour minority groups murdered under National Socialism. For example, the Memorial to Persecuted Homosexuals under National Socialism, a concrete cuboid first opened in 2008, wants to “set a constant sign against intolerance, hostility and exclusion towards gays and lesbians”, as per the Stiftung Denkmal.

You can also watch a short movie of a same sex love scene, by looking through the black window of the cuboid. The Memorial to the Sinti and Roma of Europe, Soviet War Memorial, and the Memorial and Information Site for the Victims of the “Euthanasia” Murders are worth a visit as well.

From top left to bottom: The Memorial to Persecuted Homosexuals under National Socialism, film in the Memorial to the Persecuted Homosexuals, entrance to Sinti and Roma Monument with candles, and open-air exhibition on the Memorial and Information Point for the Victims of National Socialist »Euthanasia« Killings. All photos by Marko Priske, © Stiftung Denkmal.

East Side Gallery

East Side Gallery (MĂŒhlenstraße 3-100, 10243 Berlin) is my favourite place to visit in Berlin! It’s a remaining section of the Berlin Wall, and is the longest open air art gallery in the world, at 1,316 meters (4,317 ft) long. I can’t get enough of the vibrant colours of these murals and the meaningful messages!

You can find it in Berlin-Friedrichshain, right next to the banks of the Spree river. Soon after the Berlin Wall fell in November 1989, 118 artists from 21 countries started painting the East Side Gallery. It opened on September 28, 1990, with 106 murals to admire.

Since the East Side Gallery is outside, it had to be restored and repainted since its initial opening. This was last done in 2009, when 87 artists participated in order to restore 100 paintings.

Tours of this unique attraction (in German, English, or French) can be arranged with the Artist Initiative East Side Gallery e.V. online. You’ll learn about the history, restoration, and the artists involved with the East Side Gallery, and tours take 60 to 90 minutes. Please find more details here.

Impressive artistic murals at East Side Gallery. The sentence on the bottom right one translates to “You learnt what freedom means, so never, ever forget this”.

Alexanderplatz

Alexanderplatz is Germany’s largest public square. Its nickname is “Alex”, and it’s in Berlin-Mitte, only 10 minutes from Berlin’s main train station on public transit. This spot was named after Tsar Alexander I of Russia, who visited Berlin in 1805, and street fights happened here during the March Revolution of 1848.

Also, peaceful protests occurred here just before the Berlin Wall fell for good, and a scene in “The Bourne Supremacy” (2004) was filmed at the Weltzeituhr (World Clock), one of the main attractions of Alexanderplatz. It was first installed in 1969, and shows the current time in many big cities of the world (e.g. New York, Tokyo, Sydney, Cape Town, Vancouver, and Lima).

Alexanderplatz also has many shops, restaurants, movie theatres, and hotels. It’s busy with pedestrians 24/7, and there’s very limited parking, so I recommend getting there via public transit.

There are many other attractions within walking distance from Alexanderplatz, including the popular Museum Island, Berlin Cathedral, and the Nikolaiviertel (Berlin’s historic neighbourhood).

The Weltzeituhr from different sides.

Berliner Fernsehturm

Another popular attraction nearby is the Fernsehturm (TV Tower) (Panoramastraße 1A, 10178 Berlin), opened in 1969. According to visitBerlin, it’s Berlin’s “most visible landmark”, and at 368 m (1,207 ft) high, it’s Europe’s highest building open to the public. More than one million people visit this attraction every year.

Don’t miss its famous viewing platform (at a height of 200+ m/656+ ft), and enjoy a 360-degree view of Berlin and beyond! Tickets can be bought online, and start at 25.50 EUR for adults, and 14.50 EUR for children (4-14 years), and children 3 years and under are free!

You can also have drinks at the Panorama Bar or a tasty meal at Sphere Restaurant, and buy cool souvenirs at the Gift Shop.

Unfortunately, the TV Tower has very limited access for visitors in wheelchairs or who have limited mobility. When its construction was planned in the 1960s, society wasn’t as open-minded about accessibility concerns as it is today, so physically handicapped visitors weren’t considered in evacuation plans. Please find more details about this here.

The TV Tower is open daily from 9 am to 11 pm from March to October and from 10 am to 10 pm from November to February.

The Fernsehturm. Photo by Jocke Wulcan on Unsplash.

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (Holocaust Memorial) (Cora-Berliner-Straße 1, 10117 Berlin) is a memorial that was designed by the New Yorker Peter Eisenman, and remembers the six million Jews murdered during the Third Reich (1933 to 1945). It is managed by the Stiftung Denkmal der ermordeten Juden Europas (Foundation Memorial of the Murdered Jews of Europe).

Opened in 2005, this place covers 19,000 sq meters (4.69 acres), and 2,711 concrete slabs (stelae) of various heights are standing here. The Memorial is open 24/7, and you can enter from all four sides. As per visitBerlin, it’s “a place of contemplation, a place of remembrance and warning”.

The Field of Stelae from above, October 2020. Photo by Marko Priske, © Stiftung Denkmal.

The Information Centre under the Field of Stelae

The exhibition in the Information Centre under the Field of Stelae has several themed rooms about some victims and their stories. It’s separated into the Room of Dimensions, the Room of Families, the Room of Names, the Room of Sites, and more.

Here you can look at journal entries, farewell letters, photos, personal documents, and listen to the names and short biographies of some victims.

Moreover, this exhibition displays historic film and photo footage of the places where the killings occurred, and at the end, you can listen to interviews with holocaust survivors. Audio guides are available for rent, and group tours can be booked as well.

Room of Families (left) and Room of Dimensions (right). Both photos by Marko Priske, © Stiftung Denkmal.

Almost half a million people visit these memorial grounds each year, and the opening hours of the exhibit are 10 am to 6 pm (Tuesday-Sunday). Admission is free, and tickets can be booked online.

The Holocaust Memorial is only a few minutes away from the memorials at and close to Tiergarten Park, so a visit of these can be combined, if preferred.

The Berlin Wall Memorial

The Berlin Wall Memorial is a historic site at Bernauer Strasse, opened in 1998, is where the border strip of the Berlin Wall separated East and West Berlin.

This street was all over the news in August 1961, when many East Berliners jumped or climbed out of their apartment windows at the last minute, to escape to the West Berlin side. Some of them succeeded, while many others did not.

Today, this memorial site intends to commemorate the 140 victims of the Berlin Wall, and a large outdoor exhibit covers historic audio and photo material, a Visitor Center, and Observation Tower.

But the most impressive part is the 70-metre (229 ft) stretch of high rusty metal bars, which stands at the former location of the Berlin Wall. Public tours and group tours can be booked as well, please find more details here.

Across the street, you can find the Visitor Center and Documentation Center, and the latter shows a permanent exhibit about the history of the wall (in English and German). There are also stations with historic audio broadcasts from East and West Berlin, as well as a digital archive with original documents.

The Documentation Center and outdoor exhibits are accessible for visitors in wheelchairs or with limited mobility as well.

The Chapel of Reconciliation, formerly known as the Church of Reconciliation, that was destroyed by the GDR government in 1985, is at this memorial site as well. Nowadays, a memorial service for the victims occurs three times a week. Also, don’t miss the Window of Memorial, which tries to keep the victims of the Berlin Wall alive, by showing their photos.

During my research, I stumbled upon this moving article by Deutsche Welle, which portrays the history of the Berlin Wall very well, and talks with two survivors.

The Documentation Centre and the Visitor Centre are open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm, and the outdoor exhibition in the memorial area on Bernauer Strasse is open daily from 8 am to 10 pm.

From the top left to bottom right: Entrance to the Documentation Center and Observation Tower, border crossings and course of the Wall map, partial outdoor exhibit, and flowers to commemorate the victims.

The Mall of Berlin

Berlin also has lots of great shopping spots, such as the Mall of Berlin at Leipziger Platz, right in the heart of the city. It’s Berlin’s second largest shopping center, with four floors, and has around 300 shops and a large food court to offer!

You can find many international/European chain stores here, like H&M, Zara, Douglas (perfumery), C&A (clothing store), Claire’s, Pandora, The Body Shop, and Saturn (electronics store), but also souvenir shops.

The building has an impressive glass roof, and right next door, you can find more shopping opportunities at Potsdamer Platz, as well as theatres, cinemas, and restaurants.

The Mall of Berlin. Photo by KP Ivanov on Unsplash.

Buy the Berlin Welcome Card

If you’re in Berlin for at least two days and like to save cash, I recommend buying the Berlin Welcome Card. It allows you free travel on public transit (buses, trains, and streetcars), up to 50% off at many attractions and sights, and three children up to 14 years can join one adult for free.

The pass can be bought online, and prices start at 25 EUR for Berlin and its city limits, and 30 EUR if you’d like the fare to nearby cities (like Potsdam) and Berlin Brandenburg Airport to be included.

There are also other options, such as the Berlin Welcome Card all inclusive ,which starts at 89 EUR for 48 hours (for Berlin and Potsdam), and includes free entry to more than 30 Berlin attractions.

Whew, what a busy day looking at Berlin’s attractions! But there are many more things to see and do, which of course, you can’t cover in such a short time. So I recommend checking out The 18 Best Things To Do in Berlin by Nomadic Matt, to learn more, as well as general tips about visiting Berlin.

Where to Stay

Whether you’re looking for budget, mid-range, or luxury accommodation, Berlin has a great selection of places to stay!

I’m staying at the 36 ROOMS Hostel (Spreewaldplatz 8, 10999 Berlin-Kreuzberg), which is 25 minutes from the main train station by public transit. I love that this hostel is a traditional townhouse (in German, it’s called Altbau), built in 1878, with four floors and high ceilings, and an easy going vibe.

There’s free wifi, lockers, and luggage storage, but also a garden area, and no curfew! Guests can choose between private and dorm rooms (mixed and women only).

A swimming pool, night clubs, bars, grocery stores, and restaurants are nearby, too. I’m booked in a single room, which is rather small, but has everything I need. I like the colour combinations (white furniture and walls, black chair, and dark blue curtains), and it’s quiet at night.

The staff is very accommodating as well, but sometimes, the bathrooms could have been cleaner… But to be honest, the room was pretty cheap, and I’m not too fussy, so it’s fine for me 🙂 Unfortunately, there’s no breakfast, but you can choose between tons of restaurants with breakfast options close to the hostel.

The 36 ROOMS Hostel from the outside, and the single room I stayed in.

If you’d like a great selection of other hostels in Berlin, check out Nomadic Matt’s blog post on the 8 Best Hostels in Berlin! For hotel accommodations, visitBerlin’s Hotel guide throughout the city is very helpful.

Where to Eat

Of course, Berlin also has a huge selection of restaurants and cafés to choose from!

I’m having dinner at Dean & David (Mercedes Platz 1, 10243 Berlin), which is a restaurant chain founded in Munich, Germany in 2007. Their menu consists of salads, wraps, Buddha bowls, sandwiches, soups, curries (all either with meat or vegan/vegetarian), juices, and smoothies.

I’m having their Vegan Falafel Bowl and Super Green Matcha Smoothie, so yummy! At the Mercedesplatz location, you can sit inside or outside (great for people watching), and the service was great as well!

Van Long, a Vietnamese restaurant inside the Mall of Berlin’s food court, is a great lunch spot! You can choose between Thai and Vietnamese dishes with meat, and there’s an extra menu for veggie dishes as well. I’m having their Mango Lassi and Tofu Summer Rolls, and they are a great pick-me-up after walking around Berlin for a while!

For breakfast, I head to the Ramones Museum, Bar & CafĂ© in Berlin-Kreuzberg, where you can order tons of awesome veggie options! I’m having the Blitzkrieg Bop breakfast and a bottle of Club-Mate, a non-alcoholic caffeine drink often found in Eastern Germany.

I wrote a separate blog post on my visit to this awesome museum in September 2020, which you can find here.

Unfortunately, the Ramones Museum is temporarily closed. But I recommend keeping it in mind, and checking before your trip to Berlin if they reopened in the meantime 😉

Blitzkrieg Bop breakfast at the Ramones Museum, Bar and Café.

As you can see, Berlin is a great spot for vegans or vegetarians! In fact, it is one of the most vegan friendly cities in Germany, with more than 800 restaurants in and around the city, as per Contiki.

You can also find tons of other recommendations for vegan restaurants (including vegan donuts :p), as well as a vegan-friendly hotel, and more things to see and do in Rebecca’s Berlin Vegan Guide.

How to Get to and Around Berlin

Like many other big cities, Berlin has a great public transit system. From other cities and towns in Germany. Tons of regional and long-distance trains (EC, ICE, and IC) managed by the Deutsche Bahn and FlixTrain go to Berlin many times a day, same as buses, such as FlixBus.

Within the city limits (and suburbs), you can choose between the S-Bahn (suburban trains), U-Bahn (subway), buses, Hop On/Hop Off buses, and the iconic yellow streetcars! Day tickets and 7-day tickets for public transit in and around Berlin are available as well.

A streetcar on its way around Berlin. Photo by Fionn Große on Unsplash.

Thanks to the good public transit system, it’s not necessary to rent a car in Berlin, especially because traffic can be insane during rush hour! Taxis are of course available, but as usual, can be quite expensive.

It’s also popular to explore Berlin by bicycle, and I found that the downtown area was very walkable as well, and there are tons of signs, which is very helpful! But if you’d like to visit places away from this area, I’d recommend biking or taking public transit, unless you have tons of time on hand!

You can also fly into Berlin Brandenburg Airport, which was opened in October 2020 (after 15 years of construction!), and it’s a 35 to 40-minute train ride to Berlin Hauptbahnhof, the city’s main train station.

(Airport) buses to Berlin and nearby cities (like Potsdam), as well as private transfers and taxis are available as well. Many flights from domestic and international destinations start and land here daily, and 35 to 40 million travelers are expected every year in the future.

Well, that’s a wrap on spending 24 hours in Berlin 🙂 Thanks for joining me, and if you have more tips on Berlin, let me know in the comments!

Feel free to check out this blog post as well:

The Ultimate Travel Guide to Bamberg, Germany

Disclosure: I only recommend products that I’ve used in the past, and all opinions expressed in this post are my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you use one of the links throughout the page to buy something, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks.

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“A WHALE OF A TIME” AT THE ORCAS EXHIBIT IN VICTORIA, BC

Last updated: June 19, 2023

While planning my trip to Victoria and Vancouver Island in 2021, I learnt about the cool-sounding “Orcas: Our shared future” exhibit at the Royal BC Museum. These giant marine creatures have been in my Top 5 of favourite animals for many years, so of course, I had to check it out!

After being in the making for five years, this exhibit opened in mid-April 2021 and ended on March 31, 2022. It covered 10,000 square feet, and featured 10 movie presentations and 7 interactive games for its visitors.

Poster advertising the Orcas exhibit at Victoria International Airport.

The Royal BC Museum Corporation was founded in 1886, and as per its website, is “one of Canada’s greatest cultural treasures”. In a nutshell, its core galleries (Natural History, Becoming BC, Our Living Languages, and First Peoples Gallery), and temporary exhibits teach visitors about British Columbia’s natural and human history.

The IMAX Movie Theatre is in the same building, where you can watch both educational and commercial films. The Royal BC Museum stands on the traditional territories of the Lekwungen (Songhees and Xwsepsum First Nations), who have lived here for many years.

Lastly, this is one of Victoria’s most popular tourist attractions (860,000 visitors in the 2018/19 season), and is only steps away from the Inner Harbour and Empress Hotel in downtown.

After taking an escalator to the first floor, where the Orcas exhibit was displayed, the first thing you saw was the whale tail-shaped entrance door. What a great way to start a museum tour!

Right after entering, visitors were greeted by Ruffles, Slick, and her daughter, Scarlet, three local orcas hanging from the ceiling, who, of course, weren’t real, but 3D printed replicas. They were Southern Resident Orcas, and each replica looked exactly the same as the original. For example, Scarlet had several scratches and scars on her body, which were caused by her difficult birth, when other orcas of her clan had to pull her with their teeth out of her mother’s womb.

There was very little light in this room of the exhibit, and several screens on the left and right showed marine creatures, just swimming around and singing, and you could hear them breathe, by listening to the bubbles rising up to the “surface”. Some of them were orcas close to the replicas, so Ruffles, Slick, and Scarlet felt comfortable, and it felt like you’re right there with them in their home!

The whale tail-shaped entrance door, and the three 3D printed orca replicas, and screens on both sides. Both photo courtesy of the Royal BC Museum.

Then I walked to the next section of the exhibit, which showed a bunch of panels with cool information about orcas. For example. did you know that more than a dozen orca species live in all oceans, both inside the Northern and Southern Hemisphere, and they are distinguished by their behaviour, hunting styles, anatomy, and diet?

Apart from the Southern Resident Orca, who eat mostly Chinook salmon, the Bigg’s (Transient) Orca, who’s diet consists of other whales, seals, and sea lions, and the Offshore Orca, who prefer to eat sharks and other fish, call the North American west coast home.

A detailed overview of orca kinds around the world, and what’s unique about each one!

Another panel in this section taught visitors about the orca’s anatomy, and that females can weigh up to 5,000 kilograms (11,023 lbs), and can be up to 8.5 meters long (27.88 ft), and live up to 80 years in the wild! Males, on the other hand, can even weigh up to 6,000 kg (13,227 lbs), and get up to 9.5 meters (31 ft) long, but “only” live up to 60 years!

Lastly, they can stay underwater for up to 17 minutes, like to swim 55 to 60 km (34 to 37 miles) per hour(!), and can dive up to 260 meters (853 ft) deep.

Next, did you know that orca species around the world live and travel in pods (e.g. the Southern Resident Orcas are separated into J, K, and L-pods and each whale has his/her own number), and every family has its own dialect and preferred territory to swim in?

Each pod is led by the oldest female, who, with other females of the group, passes on her extensive knowledge about ocean life (like good areas to hunt, and which to avoid), including their unique dialect, down to their offspring.

In 2018, you may have seen tons of media content about a heartbreaking incident that happened to Tahlequah (J35), when her baby had died only an hour after birth. Afterwards, she kept carrying her child’s body with her on the surface for 17 days, which, in my opinion, is a proof that orcas, among other animals, can experience grief and other sad (or happy) feelings, just like us.

Panel showing a few members of the J-pod of the Southern Resident Orcas. Photo courtesy of the Royal BC Museum.

Here’s one fact that amazed me the most in this section: Orcas used to live and walk on land, before entering the water about 50 million years ago, which caused their back legs to get smaller, their tails grew long and powerful, and their nostrils turned into blowholes! The earliest known orcas (Pakicetus) had ankle bones similar to a cow’s, deer’s, or hippo’s, and the latter is the closest living relative of today’s whales.

Man, the animal world has so many surprises to show to us humans!

The next stop of this exhibit was the Indigenous Views Gallery, which told visitors about the strong significance that orcas have had for local coastal and inland tribes for many years. As per Lou-Ann Neel, Curator of Indigenous Collections of the Royal BC Museum, orcas are perceived as family, and these groups believe that orcas feel the same way, because they are so gentle and friendly to us.

They are respected like elders, and some nations are convinced that their loved ones are reincarnated as orca whales after passing away. Orcas can also transform themselves into humans and other animals, and talk to all of these beings, to share their wisdom, wealth, power, and healing.

I was very impressed by these beliefs, but also by the stunning art pieces displayed in this gallery. There were 100+ indigenous artifacts, and a lot of them were traditional work, like a large orca carving, and a button blanket with Killer Whale crest by Elizabeth Kasalas Hunt of the Kwagu??, Kwakwaka’wakw tribe, which was made before 1897, but also contemporary art.

My personal favourite was a screen print reproduction called “Killerwhales”, that was created by Don Yeomans from the Haida people in 1999, because I thought that the blue, red, white, and black colours match very well.

Last but not least, there were animations by two young Haida artists, telling stories about orcas that have been passed on to younger generations for many years!

From the top left to bottom right: “Scana with the Woman” screenprint reproduction by Freda Diesing of the Haida people (1980), Button blanket with Killer Whale crest by Elizabeth Kasalas Hunt, “Killerwhales” by Don Yeomans, and orca carving,

Now it was time to check out the Science Section of the exhibit, that had a bunch of great information about orcas as well. One of the best parts, in my opinion, was a real skeleton of Rhapsody, another local Southern Resident orca, that hung down from the ceiling! Sadly, Rhapsody was pregnant when she died in 2014, and her calf’s bones were displayed underneath her skeleton.

Next, you could look at (and touch!) a silicone replica of an orca brain next to a human’s brain, it’s amazing that the orca one is almost 4 times bigger than the human’s (5 kg vs. 1.3 kg/11 lbs vs. 2.8 lbs)!

There was no way to miss the scientific equipment from various decades, that’s been used to support orca research in BC and around the world, like drones, hydrophones, a tape recorder, and a digital acoustic recording tag. The latter is needed to find out the speed and orientation of whales while they swim, both during the day and at night!

Last but not least, I learnt that orcas can hear frequencies of 0.5 Hz to more than 120,000 Hz (in comparison, a human can hear frequencies of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz), and use echolocation (i.e. reflected sounds), to find and hunt their prey.

From the top left to bottom right: silicone replica of an orca brain vs. a human’s, scientific equipment to research orcas whales’ behaviour, partial panel about orcas finding their prey through echolocation, and Rhapsody’s skeleton.

Next, let’s look at a dark era of orca history, which was caused by human beings. I’m talking about Orca Captivity, that first started close to Saturna Island in BC in 1964, when Moby Doll was captured and later taken to the Vancouver Aquarium.

Before that, humans never got this close to an orca, and marine scientists were able to study them close-up for the first time. For many years, orcas were seen as “killer whales” in Western culture, and many people were scared of them, but then, they learnt what Indigenous cultures had known for a long time: Orcas are intelligent and friendly creatures towards us humans, so they fell in love with them.

Soon after, more orcas and other marine creatures were captured, and marine theme parks and aquariums featuring them opened their doors, like SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida, and Loro Parque in Tenerife, Spain. These marine theme parks were incredibly popular in earlier decades, and the exhibit displayed some original material, like a trainer’s wetsuit, and tons of rare footage. Some of it hadn’t been shown to the public in 40 years!

Moreover, there was no way to miss the Wall of Commercial Photographs, which were supposed to promote a fun time for the entire family, and the small movie theatres in the exhibit showed rare film footage, too.

But with time, it became obvious that taking orcas away from their families (often at a young age), and forcing them to perform and spend the rest of their lives in a tiny pool terribly affects their mental and physical health. In the wild, orca families stay together for their entire life, and if there are conflicts with other pods, they can get away from each other, but this is not possible in captivity.

Another sign of stress and mental trauma is a floppy dorsal fin, which commonly happens to orcas in captivity, but only to 1% of them living in the wild. Nowadays, life captures of orca whales are banned in BC, but they are still captured and bred in marine theme parks in other parts of the world.

After taking in this sad (but I think, important to know) information, I moved on to the next section, Orcas in Popular Culture. In the past, several orcas gained fame while participating in popular movies, like Namu, the Killer Whale (1966) and Free Willy (1993), and this section featured the original movie posters, and a detailed biography of each famous orca.

I’ve loved Free Willy since I was a kid, and Keiko, the whale who played Willy, was the first orca being released back to the wild in 1998, after children around the world had raised money to make this possible. Of course, it’s devastating that Keiko wasn’t able to survive on his own for long, and passed away because of pneumonia in 2003.

Partial area of the Orcas in Captivity and Orcas in Popular Culture sections. Photo courtesy of the Royal BC Museum.

Original movie poster of Free Willy and Keiko’s detailed biography.

Thankfully, the popularity of marine theme parks has decreased drastically in recent years. One reason for this is the documentary Blackfish, published in 2013, which shows how much orcas suffer in captivity, and how this affects their mental and physical health, and other beings around them. The “main character” of this movie is Tilikum (1981-2017), an orca who lived in captivity for many years, and killed several of his trainers. The original movie poster of this movie was displayed in this section as well.

With time, several orca rights organizations were founded, such as the Free Morgan Foundation, who fights for Morgan, a malnourished orca whale who was rescued off the coast of the Netherlands in 2010, but once she was cured, was taken to Loro Parque in Tenerife, Spain, instead of being returned to the wild.

In 2018, Morgan gave birth to a calf, Ula, from whom she was separated right after, and last year, Ula died, at only 3 years old. Until today, Morgan still lives at Loro Parque, so hopefully, she’ll be freed someday!

According to Dr. Lorne Hammond, Curator of History at the Royal BC Museum, children who visited marine theme parks often become teenage activists, who fight for orca rights. My family and I visited SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida, in 1993, but after my mother learnt about these horrible conditions, we never went to one of these places again.

I only became an animal (including orcas) activist in my early Twenties, though! 😉

Collaterals from the Free Morgan Foundation and buttons that support orca rights.

A much more ethical way to get close to orcas is Whale Watching. There are several whale watching companies in Victoria and the rest of Vancouver Island, and many people like to support them, especially national and international visitors.

Of course, it’s not guaranteed to see orcas and other marine creatures (like in an aquarium), but I think it’s worth it, to see them happily swimming around their natural environment, and either way, it’s always exciting to be out on a boat!

If you’re out with a tour group, the tour leader tries his/her best to make the whales feel comfortable while they’re being looked at. For example, he/she would turn off the boat’s motor, or it’s switched for a quieter electrical motor, and the boat is within a kilometer (0.6 miles) of the whales.

The Signal Flag, introduced by the North Island Marine Mammal Stewardship Association.

Although capturing orcas to perform is much less popular nowadays, there are still other man-made threats that orcas and their fellow sea dwellers have to deal with. Orcas are apex predators, so same as humans, they don’t have any natural enemies.

Some major threats are starvation, often because of overfishing, air and noise pollution, habitat destruction, climate change, and (plastic) trash found in the oceans.

Remember Scarlet, one of the 3D printed orca replicas who greeted us in the beginning of our tour? Unfortunately, she’s not with us anymore, as she passed away from malnutrition in 2018, at only 4 years old. Moreover, her clan, the Southern Resident Orcas, are endangered because of these issues.

So this section wants to show visitors how some of our behaviour influences the lives of orcas, either directly or indirectly, and us as well in the future, because everything is connected.

There was the Ocean Health interactive table, on which you could move pieces around, to learn how our habits affect the health of the oceans and orcas. What a cool way to learn about these issues, for both kids and adults!

One of the Royal BC Museum’s slogan was “Orcas need clean, quiet oceans, and pollution-free food. What about you?”, and I think that’s all that needs to be said to motivate humans to think about how we can improve, so hopefully, we can all live together in peace someday!

The Ocean Health interactive table, and a display of trash found in the ocean in the background. Photo courtesy of the Royal BC Museum.

This was the end of the Orcas exhibit, and wow, I’m amazed by all the great things I learnt about these magnificent marine mammals!

The Royal BC Museum is open daily from 10 am – 5 pm, and tickets are valid all day, for all exhibits, so it’s a great way to spend a cold or rainy day in Victoria! I recommend to arrive fairly early, so you’re in no rush to explore the museum. Visitors are strongly encouraged to buy tickets through the museum’s website here. You can also buy combination tickets to visit both the museum and the IMAX theatre!

CONTACT INFORMATION

Royal BC Museum

675 Belleville Street

Victoria BC

V8W 9W2

Telephone: +1 250-356-7226

Email: reception@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

MUSEUM ADMISSION PRICES

Adult (19+) $29.95

Senior (65+) $19.95

Youth (6-18) $16.95

Student (19+ w/ ID) $19.95

Child (3-5) Free

What I really liked about this exhibit is that it was fully accessible to everyone. The museum is fully wheelchair accessible, elevators are provided, and several benches are available if you’d like to take a break.

But wait, of course, no museum visit is complete without checking out the gift shop, lol! It’s on the ground floor of the Royal BC Museum, and upon entering, a bunch of cool orca souvenirs (e.g. t-shirts, books, stuffed animals, and chocolate) grabbed my attention.

But if you keep on walking around the store, there are even more nice things, like gifts made or designed by local indigenous people, games, jewelry, puzzles, and other items related to exhibits at the Royal BC Museum.

Awesome orca souvenir selection at the Royal BC Museum’s gift shop, and really yummy orca chocolate 😛

Thank you for checking out my blog today 🙂 Cheers!

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THE BEST TORONTO TRAVEL GUIDE

Last Updated: September 21, 2023

When I first arrived in Canada in May 2012, I spent about a month in Toronto. I’d never been there, so unlike many other people I know, who started their Canadian adventure in Vancouver, I decided to check out Toronto.

Toronto is in the eastern province of Ontario, and is Canada’s largest city by population (3 million in 2022). This city is known for business, technology, architecture, arts (e.g. music, design, theatre, and TV productions), fashion, culture (museums and galleries, sports events, festivals, national historic sites, etc.), and tourism.

Toronto Pearson International Airport is the busiest and largest airport in Canada, and more than 43 million people from all over the world visit this city every year. Toronto has tons of cool attractions, such as CN Tower, Kensington Market, Sugar Beach Park, Lake Ontario and the famous NXNE Festival in June every year. So let’s go! 😀

The Best Things To Do in Toronto

CN Tower

As I’m walking around downtown Toronto on my first evening in 2012, a tower higher than any other building amazes me. It’s CN Tower (301 Front Street W, Toronto ON M5V 2T6), a communications and observation tower built out of concrete, that is 553.30 meters (1,815.3 ft) high.

A high concrete tower with 2 circular observation levels and a large antenna at the top.

CN Tower is Toronto’s major landmark, first opened in 1976, and more than 1.5 million visitors stop here each year. Until 2009, it was the world’s highest tower!

So soon after, I got in line for one of the six glass elevators, that took me up to the Main Observation Level in only 58 seconds! This area is at 346 meters (1,136 ft), and what a great way to see Toronto and beyond from a bird’s eye perspective! There’s also a glass floor to stand on and look down. Admission starts at C$ 43 for adults.

View of Toronto with many high skyscrapers, but also some green areas (parks, trees, etc).

You can even upgrade to access the Sky Pod Level at 447 meters (1,465 ft) for a surcharge of C$ 10, where you can see up to 160 km (99 miles), all the way to Niagara Falls and New York state, if the weather allows. Tickets for both levels can be bought here or at the bottom of the tower.

Another cool thing about CN Tower is that it’s often lit in various colours at night, especially during special occasions, like a hockey or baseball game!

Last but not least, 360 Restaurant, a fine dining place featuring local, fresh, and sustainable meals from across the country is inside this tower, and at 351 meters (1,151 ft), it has the world’s highest wine cellar!

CN Tower is open daily from 9 am to 10 pm.

Edge Walk at CN Tower

When I visited Toronto again in July 2023, I felt really adventurous, so the Edge Walk at CN Tower was a must! This experience includes walking in a circle two stories above the Main Observation deck (at 356 m/1,168 ft) in 30 minutes! First, I had to sign a waiver at the base camp on the ground level, then the helpful staff put me in a special suit, and lastly, our group took the elevator all the way up!

Your body is attached to “an overhead safety rail via a trolley and harness system”, according to CN Tower’s website. Of course, a guide is with you at all times, and if you dare, lean forward, and just enjoy the best view of Toronto! Alex, our guide, was super nice and very understanding of people being a bit scared (me, lol)! :p

Myself being secured to a rope and harness, leaning back, with Toronto's skyscrapers in the background.

Photo credit: CN Tower.

The Edge Walk experience occurs seasonally (in almost any kind of weather), and starts at C$ 199 per person. It includes two photo prints, video, a certificate of achievement, and a visit to the two observation levels. You can also buy digital photo copies for an additional charge.

Kensington Market

Next, spend a few hours at Kensington Market (Kensington Avenue, Toronto ON M5T 2K2), a multicultural and artsy district of Toronto, that has been a World Heritage Site of Canada since 2006. It’s in downtown as well, and has many narrow streets, so it’s easier to walk than drive in this area.

Every last Sunday of the month (except during the winter months), only pedestrians can enter Kensington Market, to enjoy live music and street theatre shows, dancing, and games, as well as the Winter Solstice Festival in December.

The biggest eye-catcher though is the colourful Garden Car on Augusta Avenue & Oxford Street, which is used as a community garden from May to November every year. The original one put up in 2007 retired in 2012, but soon after, the second Garden Car took over, and its look was updated again since then as well. It was launched by “Streets for the People”, a (now inactive) local anti-car advocacy group.

A small car with a graffiti style exterior. Colour examples are pink, yellow, white, green, and blue. Green plants are growing out of its top area.
A small vehicle sitting in front of a cobblestone building. The car is yellow and green, with lots of green plants growing out of its top area.

The Garden Car in 2012 (left) and in 2023 (right).

Kensington Market is also famous for its shopping (e.g. meats, fish, vegetable, cheese shops and bakeries), cafés and restaurants (with food from all over the world), clubs, new and vintage clothing stores, and lots of street food.

Kensington Market has been a popular spot for immigrants to live since the early 20th century, so it’s no surprise that its attractions are so diverse today! Lastly, don’t miss the many unique street artworks in this neighbourhood!

A beach artwork, with ferns and a red bicycle in the front, the ocean, a sail boat, a sunset, and more ferns in the back. There's also the CN Tower.
A colourful graffiti style artwork, with the title "Kings & Queens", and a bunch of skeleton figures. In the front, there's a blue and orange bunny. Their eyes are yellow with no pupils, and the blue bunny is holding a carrot.

Explore Toronto Islands

Another place worth visiting is Toronto Islands (40 Avenue of the Islands, Toronto ON M5J), a group of 15 small islands inside Lake Ontario, that can be reached by ferry from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal in downtown Toronto, or by water taxi in just 13 minutes!

Both locals and visitors come here to have a picnic or BBQ at Toronto Island Park, rent a canoe, kayak, stand-up paddleboard, or bicycle. There are also tennis courts, Japanese cherry trees (Sakura), walking trails, playgrounds, water play areas, Centreville Amusement Park and petting zoo, and disc golfing.

This area is also known for its many beautiful beaches, including Hanlan’s Point Beach, where clothing is “not necessary”, one of only two of that kind in Canada! Many of these attractions, as well as the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse, completed in 1908, are on Centre Island, the largest and most popular of Toronto Islands.

A beautiful green park area, with two large trees, with green leaves. A tree with reddish leaves is in the background.
A lighthouse made out of grey cobblestones with a red door and red lookout area at the top. It's surrounded by green trees and bushes.

But don’t worry, all islands are connected by bridges and pathways, so it’s easy to get to the other islands. The entire island area is about 5 km (3.1 miles) long.

I especially like the view of Toronto Skyline, which always makes a nice picture, whether it’s rain or shine! Toronto Islands is also home to various wild animals, like turtles, herons, swans, Canada geese, and 35 species of fish, and it’s pretty much a car-free area (except for service vehicles).

Canada geese (they are white and brown with black heads and necks) swimming around in the water.
A white sandy beach area with lots of people sunbathing. There's a large piece of wood with a sign attached to it.

The ferry goes to Centre Island, Hanlan’s Island, and Ward Island several times a day, and roundtrip tickets can be bought online or right by the ferry dock in downtown Toronto.

Dogs on a leash are welcome on Toronto Islands, and there are some cafés and restaurants as well. So Toronto Islands is an awesome spot for anyone looking to relax or explore, and escape from the bustling city life for a bit!

Toronto's skyline with Lake Ontario in the front and CN Tower and several skyscrapers in the back. There are some trees as well.

NXNE Music & Gaming Festival

If you’re in Toronto in June, visiting the NXNE Music & Gaming Festival, which lasts for 10 days, is a must! It has been a part of Toronto’s entertainment scene since 1995. Its main location is Yonge-Dundas Square and a part of Yonge Street, but also many other venues in downtown.

Apart from live music, visitors can watch comedy shows, participate in eSports gaming tournaments, and browse a flea market. According to NXNE’s website, more than 200,000 people visit this festival every year.

NXNE Festival has been proud to host many local but also some famous music acts over time, like Billy Talent, Iggy and the Stooges, The Lumineers, The Tragically Hip, and Ludacris. The open air shows at Yonge-Dundas Square are always free, but you’ll have to pay for a ticket to go to concerts at other venues.

I visited the NXNE Festival in 2012, and found out by accident about the headliners playing at Yonge-Dundas Square: Bad Religion, another punk rock band I love! I arrived just after the show started, so I was at the back of the crowd this time, but luckily, a screen was nearby, so I felt “closer” to the band, lol!

A screen showing Greg Graffin, the middle aged singer of Bad Religion with very short dark hair, who's singing into a microphone.
A screen showing Bad Religion's bassist Jay Bentley, a middle aged man but with longer blonde hair, also singing into a microphone.

Bad Religion’s lead singer Greg Graffin and bassist Jay Bentley performing at NXNE Music & Gaming Festival in 2012.

Canada’s Walk of Fame

If you’re walking on King Street West and Simcoe Street in downtown Toronto, be sure to look down sometimes, so you don’t miss Canada’s Walk of Fame! This collection of stars looking similar to maple leaves was founded in 1998 and honours famous Canadians from various fields.

Examples are Bryan Adams, Terry Fox, The Tragically Hip, Jim Carrey, Michael J. Fox, Neil Young, Wayne Gretzky, and Alexander Graham Bell. Since the first induction in 1998, more than 190 Canadians have been added, and you can even nominate a celebrity who you think deserves to be a part of this!

A red star shaped like a maple leaf, that says "Bryan Adams".
A red star shaped like a maple leaf, that says "Michael J. Fox".
A red star shaped like a maple leaf, that says "Neil Young".

A map of the stars of Canada’s Walk of Fame (Photo credit: Canada’s Walk of Fame).

Lake Ontario

Next, sit by Lake Ontario for a little bit. It’s a nice spot to relax, soak up the sun, and watch the many boats and ships go by. Lake Ontario is the smallest of the five Great Lakes in North America by surface (18,960 sq km/7,340 sq miles), and is accessible through parts of Southern Ontario and a part of New York state.

The word “Ontario” was taken from the Huron word OntarĂ­’io, which means “great lake”, and the deepest spot of Lake Ontario is at 244 m (802 ft). Since 1954, nearly 50 people have completed a swim across Lake Ontario.

A beautiful lake with blue water and a lots of sail boats. There are a few larger boats as well.

Sugar Beach Park

Toronto also has beaches, such as Sugar Beach Park. This man-made urban sandy beach park next to Toronto’s East Bay waterfront was opened in 2010, and is right across from the Redpath Sugar Refinery.

While visitors aren’t allowed to wade or swim in Lake Ontario, there are lots of other things to do, like chilling in one of the lounging chairs, reading, playing in the sand, and joining social activities.

Sugar Beach Park also has umbrellas, two giant granite rocks to sit on, an amphitheatre, and candy trim, so it’s a beautiful place to hang out without having to leave the city! Sugar Beach Park is also a popular spot for concerts and other events.

Bata Shoe Museum

Last but not least, if you have time, stop by the Bata Shoe Museum (327 Bloor Street W, Toronto ON M5S 1W7), a museum about footwear and its history. It has four galleries, and “regularly displays over a thousand shoes and related artifacts, chosen from a collection of over 13,000 objects”, as per their About page. Over 4,500 years of history are featured in “All about shoes”, their permanent collection, and the three other gallery displays change on a regular basis.

In 1979, Sonja Bata started the Bata Shoe Museum Foundation, and in 1995, the Bata Shoe Museum opened its doors. Unfortunately, I only saw this cool-sounding place from the outside, but some people I know visited it, and had an awesome time!

The Bata Shoe Museum is open Mondays to Saturdays from 10 am-5 pm, and Sundays from 12-5 pm, and general admission is C$ 14 per person. On Sundays, admission is free!

A smaller white sandy beach area with a few trees and pink sunshades with people lounging underneath them.
A large colourful poster that says "Bata Shoe Museum".

Sugar Beach Park and an outside poster of the Bata Shoe Museum.

Where To Stay in Toronto

Clarence Park Hostel

During my recent visit to Toronto in July 2023, I stayed at the Clarence Park Hostel (7 Clarence Square, Toronto ON M5V 1H1), which is only a short walk away from cool attractions, like CN Tower, King Street West (with its many restaurants and shops), and Kensington Market.

I slept in a female dorm, and the bed was very comfortable (especially if you’re in a wider lower bunk bed), and every dorm has a private bathroom. There’s a simple free breakfast consisting of toast and cereal every morning, and feel free to hang out in the common areas as well.

A large grey couch that goes around the corner with a light brown coffee table in the middle. On the one wall, there's a poster with the Toronto Maple Leafs team logo and some smaller framed movie posters on the other wall.
One of the common areas inside the Clarence Park Hostel.

My Couchsurfing Experience

Back in 2012, I did Couchsurfing for about half of the time in Toronto. It’s a worldwide online community, where you can sign up to stay at local people’s homes at no charge.

I really liked meeting and getting to know my Couchsurfing hosts, seeing some parts of Toronto I hadn’t been to before (unfortunately, I don’t remember the specific neighbourhoods), getting insider tips on what to do, and saving lots of cash!

Because let’s be honest, although it’s fun to stay in hostels and hotels, the cost for accommodation can add up very quickly! I even heard that some of these stayovers can turn into friendships or even relationships for life!

On average, I stayed with a host for two to four days, and everyone was very kind and helpful. For example, one host introduced me to Dollarama, while others let me use their bike, or allow me to take advantage of the gym inside their building. As a thank you, I helped with cooking or household chores, bought them some booze, and told them about my travel stories.

It’s important though to stay with hosts who are verified by the Couchsurfing community, who have received good reviews from previous guests, and to tell your friends or acquaintances where you’re staying, especially if you’re a solo traveler.

Back in 2012, it was free to use the Couchsurfing website, but since May 2020, members in most developed countries, including Canada, have to pay a monthly fee of US$ 2.39 or US$ 14.29 for a whole year. 

Where to Eat & Drink

Toronto is a great place to visit if you’re vegan or vegetarian, as it has 100+ veggie restaurants!

So during my visit in July 2023, I ate at these places:

My favourite was Tenon Vegan Sushi (487 Bloor Street W, Toronto ON M5S 1Y2), which offers authentic Japanese sushi dishes and Thai appetizers. While it’s a rather small restaurant, their menu features an awesome selection of more than 30 sushi rolls and many fake meat, fish or seafood dishes.

I went for the Soy beef on a Skewer appetizer, Kay Satay (Soy chicken on a stick with Thai peanut sauce), King Mushroom Special Roll, and Salmon Sashimi with cucumber. Everything was super tasty, so part of me just wanted to keep eating, lol!

Four soy chicken skewers with an orange Thai peanut sauce on the side.
A plate of pink vegan salmon sashimi, soy beef skewers with vegetables, and large sushi rolls with mango pieces on top.

Another great restaurant I had to try was German Doner Kebab (246 Queen Street W, Toronto ON M5V 1Z7)! In case you don’t know, doner kebabs are a very popular street food in Germany, and while they serve meat, their Veggie Kebab with fries was delicious and very filling! :p

A triangular pita style bread filled with coleslaw, a veggie burger patty, tomato, red cabbage, and lettuce. A pack of fries is in the background.

Of course, Toronto also has lots of dessert places to choose from!

If you’re vegan or gluten-free, a great place to check out is Bunner’s Bakeshop (244 Augusta Avenue, Toronto ON M5T 2L7) in the heart of Kensington Market. Their menu includes any pastry you can think of, from cakes, cupcakes, muffins, cinnamon buns, brownies, cookies, ice cream, to so much more!

I chose their Vanilla ice cream cone, and it was so nice and creamy!

Moreover, I went to Second Cup quite a lot back in 2012 and during my recent Toronto trip, and my favourite is their Frozen Hot Chocolate! They have locations all over the city.

A large white vanilla ice cream cone.
A frozen chocolate drink with lots of whipped cream on top!

How to Get Around in Toronto

It’s easy to get around in Toronto and its suburbs by public transit, which consists of subways, streetcars, and buses. The subway has two lines, the Yellow Line from Yonge Street to Union Station (north to south) and the Green Line, which runs from Etobicoke to Scarborough (via downtown Toronto) from east to west.

The Union Pearson Express takes you from Union Station in downtown Toronto to Toronto Pearson International Airport (about 25 minutes) and vice-versa, at a one-way cost of C$ 12.35. They run every 15 minutes, seven days a week.

Toronto also has a second airport, the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport on Toronto Islands. It offers flights from/to more than 20 locations in Canada and the United States, including Montreal, Boston, Chicago, Halifax, New York, and Ottawa. Besides, it’s only a short walk to downtown Toronto!

Buses and streetcars go pretty much everywhere in and close to Toronto. GO Transit buses and trains and VIA Rail have their hub at Union Station in downtown, which take passengers to the Greater Golden Horseshoe region and other places in Ontario and beyond.

So it’s not necessary to rent a car, especially as traffic can be insane during rush hour in Toronto’s city centre! Of course, there are taxis as well, which can be expensive though, as well as Uber and Lyft rides.

If you’re into biking, Bike Share Toronto has 3,000 bikes available at almost 300 stations throughout the city, so it’s super easy to find one. But it’s fun to walk all over Toronto’s downtown area and beyond as well!

A cobblestone building that says "Union Station Bus Terminal" and the green GO bus logo at the top. There are skyscrapers in the background.
Toronto’s Union Station Bus Terminal from the outside.

My Opinion on Toronto

Spending time in Toronto was an awesome start to my Canadian adventures in 2012. First of all, the locals I met were very nice and helpful. For example, I walked around with a tourist map (my antique phone didn’t have Google Maps) one day, and was surprised when total strangers asked me if they could help! This had never happened before, although I heard they are getting paid for this, and even if that was true, I much appreciated it!

I also liked Toronto’s multicultural and open-minded society, which in particular became evident in the Couchsurfing hosts I stayed with, who were from various countries and backgrounds, so it was interesting to learn about their culture and customs a little bit.

Another thing I like is that Toronto has some nice parks and other green spaces as well!

But it was really tough to find a job in May and June, which probably had to do with me not having much work experience (and none from Canada), and some people told me that many temporary positions were already filled earlier in the year with students. Of course, this is not Toronto’s fault!

Unfortunately, a few things were different in downtown Toronto during my recent visit. I noticed that it’s quite dirty now (11 years ago, I found it pretty clean), and there are way more homeless people as well. While they didn’t bother me at all, it’s makes me sad that this has gotten worse here, same as in another cities worldwide.

But of course, these things won’t stop me from visiting Toronto again in the future!

A large green tree inside a pond area with skyscrapers in the background.

If you’re spending some time in Ontario and like reptiles, check out this post as well:

WWOOFing at Scales Nature Park

Disclosure: I only recommend products that I’ve used in the past, and all opinions expressed in this post are my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you use one of the links throughout the page to buy something, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks.

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