Southwestern Ontario

Arcing around Lake Ontario are a number of the Greater Toronto Area’s 'satellite' cities. Day trip the up-and-coming hip strip of Hamilton, or really escape Toronto’s gravity in the delightful villages of Elora, Fergus and the unique Mennonite settlement of St Jacobs.

For more grit, stop in the thriving university centers of Guelph, Waterloo and London, each with their own appeal if you dig deep. Nearby Stratford, birthplace of Justin Bieber and yet a remarkably cultured country town, is home to a fabulous festival of Shakespearean theater in honor of the bard’s home in Stratford-upon-Avon, England.

From here, you can head northwest until the farmlands dissolve into the sandy shores of Lake Huron, or follow the dead-flat fields of gold – wheat, corn and everything-growing regions – until you reach the north shore of Lake Erie, the bird and butterfly hub of Point Pelee National Park, and quirky Pelee Island, Canada's southernmost point. The end (or beginning) of the road is in Windsor at the USA border.

Explore Southwestern Ontario

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Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Southwestern Ontario.

  • Park

    Point Pelee National Park

    About 13km southeast of Leamington, this well-loved national park features nature trails, a marsh boardwalk, lookout towers, forests and lovely sandy…

  • Historic Building

    Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site

    About 100km northeast of Windsor, this historic site is the location of the clapboard home of Father Josiah Henson, an escaped slave who later became a…

  • Museum

    Chimczuk Museum

    Sharing the building with the Art Gallery of Windsor, this remarkable museum unfolds the region's history in an inclusive and in-depth way, integrating…

  • Market

    St Jacobs Farmers Market

    This quintessential country market 3km south of town has an earthy soul, and a shiny new face after renovations in 2015 replaced a building gutted by fire…

  • Museum

    Bruce County Museum

    This two-story museum gives an excellent overview of the region's history and heritage, including the importance of the Ojibwe people and the changes (and…

  • Notable Building

    Woodland Cultural Centre

    This well-conceived indigenous cultural center has a performance space, museum and gallery. Though dated in its presentation, the museum provides an…

  • Gardens

    Royal Botanical Gardens

    Northwest of Hamilton, Canada's largest and most spectacular botanical gardens comprise more than a thousand hectares of trees, flowers and plants,…

  • Museum

    Wellington County Museum

    A National Historic Site midway between Fergus and Elora, this austere, red-roofed former 'Poor House' provided refuge for the aged and homeless for…

  • Park

    Elora Gorge Conservation Area

    About 2km south of Elora is this photo-worthy plunging limestone canyon through which the Grand River seethes. Easy walks extend to cliff views, caves and…

  • Historic Site

    The Griffin House

    This well-preserved early-19th-century home belonged to Enerals Griffin, an escaped slave from Virginia who arrived in Canada via the Underground Railroad…

  • River

    Avon River

    Stratford's swan-filled Avon River (what else were they going to call it?) flows slowly past the town, with plenty of riverbank lawns on which to chill…

  • Museum

    Guelph Civic Museum

    Housed in what was originally an 1854 sandstone convent and extensively transformed in 2012, this attractive museum has attained LEED (Leadership in…

  • Museum

    Art Gallery of Hamilton

    The largest art museum in southern Ontario, the sleek AGH has a wide-ranging collection of 10,000 works, with a strong emphasis on modern art and 19th…

  • Area

    Six Nations of the Grand River

    Southeast of Brantford is Six Nations of the Grand River – a reserve designated for the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca and Tuscarora – and the…

  • Historic Site

    Bell Homestead National Historic Site

    You might know that Alexander Graham Bell, on 26 July 1874, shaped our futures by inventing the telephone (though the US Congress credits Italian Antonio…

  • Park

    Bayfront Park

    Take a stroll to gorgeous Bayfront Park where you'll find a calm harbor with fancy yachts and a beach with people fishing. In summer, they are joined by…

  • Park

    Pinery Provincial Park

    South of Grand Bend is popular, picturesque Pinery Provincial Park, with 10km of wide sandy beaches, coastal dunes and lots of trails winding through…

  • Historic Site

    Schneider Haus National Historic Site

    This National Historic Site was one of the first homes in the area, originally built for a prosperous Pennsylvanian Mennonite, Joseph Schneider. It has…

  • Church

    Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate

    Lording over downtown Guelph is the dominant stone-faced bulk of this basilica and church in the Gothic Revival–style (think England's Houses of…

  • Museum

    Amherstburg Freedom Museum

    This history museum explores the role of Amherstburg as the destination of many escaped slaves on the Underground Railroad, their experiences before…

Top experiences

Whether it’s a guided tour of a historic landmark, private tasting of local delicacies, or an off-road adventure — explore the best experiences in Southwestern Ontario.

  • Activities