MrsMommyHolic: Toronto Trip: CN Tower

I really like visiting towers when in a different country (like in Seoul and Tokyo) so I can see the view of the city from way up high. When we were in Toronto, the CN Tower was definitely on top of our itinerary, considering it is the city's most famous landmark.

Towering above the downtown, the 553-meter structure can be seen from almost everywhere in the city. Trivia, the CN Tower held the distinction of being the tallest free-standing structure in the world until the completion of Burj Khalifa in 2010.

view of the tower from downtown

at the base of the tower

To get here, hubby and I took the train to Union Station and just walked a short bit towards the tower. The CN Tower was actually the last stop during our sightseeing around Downtown Toronto, and we timed it that way so we could also see the view at night.

We arrived around 6pm and there wasn't that much people in line. General admission for adults (ages 13-64) was $38 each, which allowed access to the LookOut, Sky Terrace and the Glass Floor areas.

We took the high speed elevators which zoomed us to the LookOut Level (346m) in just 58 seconds! The floor-to-ceiling glass windows gave us spectacular panoramic views of the sprawling city around the tower.

It was also amazing seeing the sunset from our vantage point.

From the LookOut area, you can go down one level to experience the Glass Floor, which is 256 square feet of solid glass that provides a view 342m (1,122 feet) straight down. I really HATE heights so it was physically hard for me to actually step on the glass considering how high up we were! But hubby had no problem with it, even lying down, dancing and JUMPING on top of the floor! But the glass is totally strong, they say it can actually withstand the weight of 35 moose! ;p

After checking out the Glass Floor, we then walked outside to the Sky Terrace, which was an outdoor walkway that encircled the tower. It was really cold and windy in this part so we just stayed for a few minutes. There was also a mesh netting around the grills, so it wasn't the best place to take photos.

The highest observation deck is the SkyPod, another 33 storeys up from the LookOut Level. You actually need a separate ticket for this which costs an additional $15, but luckily it was FREE during our visit!

At a thrilling 447m (1,465ft) high above the city, the SkyPod is one of the highest observation platforms in the world with an unobstructed 360 degree bird’s eye view of the city.

To be honest, I didn't really notice a huge difference from the view here compared to the LookOut Level. Good thing it was free during our visit, otherwise I don't think an additional $15 would be worth it.