Toronto sits at the centre of the Golden Horseshoe, with several worthwhile escapes within a couple of hours' drive. Niagara Falls, about 90 minutes southwest, is the obvious one — touristy at the brink but still genuinely spectacular up close on the Maid of the Mist. Just downriver, Niagara-on-the-Lake is a prettier, calmer base for the surrounding wine country and the Shaw Festival.
Further afield, Stratford, two hours west, draws crowds to its summer-long Shakespeare festival, while Prince Edward County, two hours east, has reinvented itself around wineries, sandbanks, and Lake Ontario beaches. All make comfortable day trips, though the County and Stratford reward an overnight stay.
