If you’re heading to Canada hoping to take part in immersive cultural experiences in Toronto, you’re in for a treat. Not only is Toronto a multicultural city, but it’s the most multicultural city in the world.

Toronto is home to six million people, ½ of which were born outside Canada and have joined Toronto from countries all around the world. Despite being the largest city in Canada and having such a mix of values and belief systems, Toronto has been ranked the second safest city in the world.

Relative to its population, the crime rate in Toronto is fairly low. Toronto is safe, great for families with children, and an exciting place to live and visit, especially for people who enjoy appreciating other cultures, ethnic food, music, and languages – you can find it all in Toronto. No wonder, it’s one of the most desired cities to visit in Canada!

This list will show you different immersive cultural experiences in Toronto, and how the city is a mosaic of different cultures that come together. Here are some of the best ways to soak up cultures from around the world in Toronto.

This meaningful article about the best ways to explore multicultural Toronto is brought to you by Kristin, a mom of 2 who loves to travel the world. She has been traveling with kids for over a decade now and share her knowledge and experience with parents around the world to have fun, fulfilling and adventurous trips with kids in tow through her family travel blog – Tiny Footsteps Travel.

Unique Experiences in Toronto to Take in City’s Varied Art, Culture, & Heritage

Whether it’s a restaurant, a neighborhood, a museum, a Festival, a dish, or a heritage experience, there are many ways to immerse in many world cultures in Toronto.

Try Dim Sum in Chinatown

Chinatown is a long strip along Spadina Avenue where most of the signage is in Chinese. Chinatown Toronto was established in the 1870s and is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city.

There are Chinese grocers and supermarkets, tea shops, street markets, and restaurants. Aside from Chinese cuisine, you can also find Thai, Vietnamese, and Japanese restaurants, and dumpling restaurants that sell dim sum; one of the most popular is Yummy Yummy Dumplings.

There are also many markets in Chinatown selling fresh produce, cool trinkets, unique clothing and jewelry, and Chinese bakeries. 

Find the Best Gelato in Little Italy

Located along a strip of College Street, Little Italy is one of the most well-known ethnic streets in Toronto.

In addition to Italians, it is also home to quite a few Portuguese and Latin Canadians. Little Italy began to emerge after 40,000 Italians made their way to Toronto during the First World War, and settled in the area.

A son of an immigrant family, Lombardi, founded one of Toronto’s first multilingual radio stations – you can find his statue in Little Italy. 

In Little Italy, you can find traditional pizzerias, cafes, trattorias, and gelato shops, as well as Italian grocers selling the perfect ingredients to make your own authentic Italian dish at home.

If you love Italian food, this is an ideal place to stop for a bite to eat and to appreciate Italian, Portuguese, and Latin culture.

Discover Japanese Culture

The Toronto Japanese Cultural Centre is one of the largest Japanese cultural centers in the world. Japanese Canadians and visitors can participate in film screenings, martial arts, festivals, art exhibits, and other Japanese cultural experiences.

There are hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Japanese Cultural Centre each year.

Toronto’s Japanese neighborhood, called J-Town, is the perfect place to stop for sushi, ramen, and tea, or find anime and novels at Japanese bookstores.

Take an Afternoon Walk at the Kensington Market

Toronto’s Kensington Market is a bohemian neighborhood in Toronto, which was originally formed in the 1930s by Jewish people who made homes there. In order to make ends meet, they built markets outside their homes, which turned into a permanent marketplace.

Today, Kensington Market is a vibrant, colorful neighborhood popular with students, foodies, and artists. You’ll see creative street art, and small businesses selling locally sourced items.

There are also a number of restaurants in Kensington market famous for serving authentic ethnic cuisine; Indian, Thai, Chinese, and even Indigenous cuisine. 

Make Things from Scratch at Black Creek Pioneer Village

Visit Black Creek Pioneer Village to learn about the heritage of Canada’s early European immigrants. Most of the early Europeans in Canada came from England, Ireland, Germany, and France.

Having to leave Europe behind, they set out on a life where everything had to be made from scratch, including clothing, butter, bread, and even their homes. Black Creek is a little town made to look like you’re walking through an early European village in the 1800s in Toronto.

You can see how people once lived off the land and what the communities once looked like, with small churches, schoolhouses, a butcher, blacksmith, and bakeries. 

Black Creek Pioneers Village also offers workshops and classes where you can learn the art of needlework, soap making, spoon carving, and candle making.

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Try Ukrainian Food at the Toronto Ukrainian Festival

Held annually in September, the Toronto Ukranian Festival is one of the largest ethnic festivals in the Greater Toronto Area.

It’s also the largest Ukranian festival in North America. There are Ukranian performers, authentic Ukranian food, and many activities for families with children.

Learn Sign Language at the Distillery District

The Distillery District is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Toronto. With its cobbled streets and heritage buildings, you can discover Toronto’s Victorian past in this secluded neighborhood downtown.

Officially having opened to the public as a tourist attraction 20 years ago, it is considered the main center for Toronto arts, culture, and entertainment. There are art galleries, theatre performances, and world-renowned festivals.

In addition to showcasing arts, heritage, and culture from around the world, the Distillery is an important center for Toronto’s deaf culture.

The Deaf Culture Centre has its headquarters in the Distillery District, and there are also many workshops, events, and classes. You can learn about deaf culture, and deaf artists, and even learn Sign Language.

Be Amazed at the Royal Ontario Museum, One of the Best Cultural Attractions in Toronto

The Royal Ontario Museum is the largest museum in Canada and is considered to be one of the top 10 cultural institutes in North America.

At the Royal Ontario Museum, commonly known as the ROM, you can find thousands of pieces of art and cultural artifacts from around the world. 

Try a Poutine

You can’t visit Canada without trying poutine, a traditional French Canadian dish. Trying poutine has to be on your list of the best culinary experiences in Toronto.

The poutine originated in Quebec in the 1950s and involves French fries drizzled with warm gravy on them and melting cheese curds.

It’s the perfect comfort food on a summer evening or cold winter day.

Smoke’s Poutinerie is Canada’s largest poutine chain and can be found at several locations throughout Toronto. You can also find poutines at many regular fast-food joints, bars, and restaurants.

 Appreciate Indian Culture at Gerrard India Bazaar (Little India)

Little India is open year-round as a special neighborhood in Toronto where you can find goods from various countries in South Asia.

In Little India, you can find authentic Indian restaurants, shop at Kohineer Foods to find imported items from India to make your own curries at home, and even check out the exciting Bollywood Music Centre.

Little India is also the perfect place to celebrate an Indian festival of Diwali in the fall, where you will see hundreds of tea lights and will be welcomed by the Indian community to observe the festival of lights.

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Have the Best Baklava in Greektown

Greektown Toronto is the largest Greek neighborhood in North America. Greektown, also known as “The Danforth” even has signs written in Greek.

It is full of Greek restaurants, grocers, cafes, and bakeries. Their annual festival, Taste of the Danforth, has been held annually since 1994.

Here you can try authentic Greek dishes such as gyros, souvlaki, and baklava, and celebrate Greek culture and hospitality with the whole family.

Salsa Dance at the Salsa In Toronto Festival

The Salsa in Toronto Festival is Canada’s largest celebration of all things Latin that takes place every July.

It consists of a La Fiesta parade, delicious Latin-flavoured eats, festivities, vendors, music, salsa lessons, and a flare of several Latin-American cultures.

 Step Back into Time at the Bata Shoe Museum

A lot can be told about a culture’s lifestyle and values through what they wear on their feet. At the Bata Shoe Museum, you can learn a lot about different cultures around the globe, past and present.

It’s the largest shoe museum in the world and shows you not only footwear from around the globe but related historical and contemporary artifacts as well. 

 Sing Karaoke in Koreatown

Koreatown emerged in Toronto in the 1970s, near the University of Toronto. It’s now a bustling, important enclave in Toronto for Koreans and those wanting to appreciate Korean culture.

You can find authentic Korean restaurants that serve Korean delights such as bibimbap, and all your other favorite Korean dishes. There are Korean grocers and stores selling snacks, pantry items, and food from South Korea. 

Experience an intimate singing experience with friends in a norae-bong (in Korean meaning “song room”, which is a karaoke room,) a private room for you and your friends to sing your heart out to your favorite songs, a popular activity in Korea. There are many noraebongs in Koreatown, but one of the most popular is Echo Karaoke on Bloor.

Try a Taste of Scandinavia

Nordic culture has been a fascination in Canada for the past decade. There are thousands of people from Scandinavia living in Toronto, from Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland, and Denmark.

You can experience Scandinavian baking at many locations and events around Toronto.

• Viking Foods; a Scandinavian restaurant and grocer
• Vegan Danish Bakeries; one in Thornhill and one downtown
• FIKA Cafe in the Kensington market. Fika is a tradition in Sweden about living in the moment, calmly with a cup of coffee and a pastry, and FIKA Cafe is the best cafe to experience this.
• Four different IKEA locations (one in Vaughan, one in Etobicoke) where you can find affordably priced foods and products popular in Sweden
• Toronto Swedish Christmas Fair, hosted by Swedish Women’s Education Association held annually in November. You can enjoy Scandinavian winter treats like glogg (mulled wine) and pepparkakor (gingerbread) and other Swedish goods, crafts, plus a children’s Lucia choir.

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Celebrate at Caribana Festival

During the month of August, check out Toronto’s famous annual Toronto Caribbean Carnival. Commonly known as Caribana, this festival is one of the most famous in the city, kicking off with a parade and followed by daytime family events and even nightlife fun.

Carribana celebrates Caribbean culture and traditions, and the contributions of Caribbean and Black people’s contributions to Canada. Having started in the 1960s, it has become more popular each year.

Check out Cultural Festivals at Nathan Phillips Square

Nathan Phillips Square is known for being a tourist attraction where tourists can get photos in front of the TORONTO sign, see the old city hall, and skate on the ice rink in the winter.

In the summer, in addition to hosting events such as farmer’s markets, Pride, and a vegan food festival, Nathan Phillips Square also hosts several cultural festivals which are worth checking out. It’s where some of the best cultural events in Toronto take place!

Here are some of the cultural festivals that you can find at Nathan Phillips Square between June and September:

• Pan American Food and Music Festival
• Taste of the Middle East Summer Fest – Celebrating Arabic Music, Arts, and Culture
• Taste of India Festival
• Toronto Diversity Festival
• Taste of Vietnam
• Mabuhay Phillipinnes Festival
• India Day Festival and Grande Parade
• Toronto Dragon Festival by the Chinese Association of the Performing Arts
• Mexican Independence Day Celebration
• Indigenous Legacy Gathering 

For more information on the events and dates held at Nathan Phillips Square, click here.

 Become a Hockey Fan at the Hockey Hall of Fame

Hockey has been famous in Canada since the 1800s. To this date, it is the country’s most popular sport and is considered to be Canada’s national sport.

Many Canadians love to watch hockey, and it’s very common that Canadian children to learn to ice skate, and play hockey from a young age.

At the Hockey Hall of Fame, you can learn about Canada’s hockey history and culture by looking at important artifacts, and even participate in interactive exhibits.

Try Bannock Bread at Tea N Bannock

Tea N Bannock is one of Toronto’s Native American restaurants. It’s a casual eatery that has been serving traditional indigenous food for lunch and dinner to the Toronto community and visitors for over 10 years.

Be sure to try traditional bannock bread, which was made and consumed often by several indigenous groups in North America.

Watch International Films at the Vaughan International Film Festival

The annual Vaughan International Film Festival (VIFF) allows you to watch international films from the comfort of your car with snacks every year in June. It is one of the only Toronto-area drive-in movie theatres that specifically focuses on international and student-made movies.

Some of the internationally made movies available in 2023 are made in Argentina, the United Kingdom, China, and Belgium. Of course, it will be different every year. 

Nearly 20,000 people attend VIFF every year and it’s a great way to support the short-film industry, and student and internationally-made films.

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Final Thoughts: Immersive Cultural Experiences in Toronto

By now you’ve seen all the different ways to can experience the world’s cultures in Toronto. Toronto is a multicultural haven, a mosaic of different cultures that come together to make a vibrant, educational, safe, fun, and friendly city.

If you’re visiting Toronto from afar, the downtown area of Toronto is easily accessed by taking the UP Express train from Toronto’s international airport.

This long-awaited train has become an affordable and fast way for both tourists and Torontonians to get to the heart of the city cheaply and easily, making it easier to explore Toronto’s downtown area, where most of the cultural activities and experiences are located. Once you’re in Toronto, the Toronto Commission (TTC) can be used to access all of the experiences above.

A visit to Canada’s largest city is well worth the experience to indulge in immersive cultural activities. You can stay in one city, you can feel like you just traveled around the globe.

Whether it’s eating at an authentic restaurant, visiting a museum, exploring a historic sight, going to a festival, or learning a new language, the possibilities for immersive cultural activities in Toronto are endless.

With an array of cultures, foods, languages, and colors – you can experience the flavors and essence of countries all around the globe in Toronto.

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