I have mixed feelings about the path. I was in Toronto on business for 6 days, staying at the Sheraton but working at the Fairmont, which is across the street from Union Station. I discovered that I could take the path from the lower level of my hotel all the way, without ever going outside. There are numerous shops, banks and restaurants/food courts. The downside is the hours vary (Starbucks and Tim Horton's are good choices for coffee but aren't open super early or very late) and it is kind of a maze if you're not sure where you're going. Yet it's very convenient for the businesses that are above it, and I imagine commuters love it when the weather is bad. read more

See all

The PATH. It can be rather polarizing. Either you love and embrace it, or you despise or find it intimidating. In a nutshell, the PATH is an underground walkway in downtown Toronto that has stores, restaurants, and more. It is handy if you live or work downtown, and the weather isn't stellar outside. This network of walkways seems rather vast. It's best to consult a map to get you from place to place, especially if you are new to it or the city. My experience using the PATH came when I worked downtown. I used to work for a bank and some of my meetings required moving between Brookfield Place and Commerce Court. You could walk outdoors on Bay Street when it was warm and nice outside. However, during the winter months, I preferred walking between the two building through the PATH. I loved looking at all the stores and eyed where I'd go shopping on my next lunch break while trying warm. When I was fairly new to my job, I didn't take vacation between Christmas and New Year's Day. I enjoyed being at work in a fairly quiet office. I also spent quality time gaining my PATH experience by traversing to a new place to shop every day during my lunch hour. Of note, my lunch hour ended up getting extended, but who would know when I was the only person in the office, right? Bonus! My first enjoyable walk was from Brookfield Place to the Winners at Yonge and King. I got a decent walk to and from this store. I also scored a purple Eddie Bauer puffy jacket for a ridiculous $40 that I loved so much. I became more daring as I became more comfortable with the PATH. I remember setting up an appointment at the Apple Store at the Eaton Centre. My iPod wasn't working properly. So, I walked from work over to the store after work. My iPod was analyzed and was determined that it was faulty under warranty. I got a new one, which I still have today and love, despite the device itself being discontinued. Ah, memories! Whenever I'm downtown and I'm taking in a concert or event at Scotiabank Arena, I tend to walk through the PATH. It is open 24 hours a day. Many of the store are closed, but you can still safely meander the underground walkways. I've done it many times between 11:30 pm and 12:30 am. For concerts, I tend to park at Richmond Adelaide Centre and walk down to Scotiabank Arena. Parking is cheaper. I can also drive out of the downtown core without much congestion compared to being a block or two away from the venue. The PATH is perfect. I often leave my coat in my car and walk underground. Less bulk is nice. The PATH is cool is my books. If you're a tourist, give it a try because it's different and it's one of the better ones in major cities. If you walk around downtown often and it's horrible outside, walking underground is a nice alternative. (168) read more

See all

The PATH... I love it. 32 kms of underground walkways with restaurants and stores along the way that you can use to get out of the sun and the cold and navigate the city. What's not to like! read more

See all

I was visiting Toronto for the second time when a colleague informed me that the underground area to our building was only a small portion of a city-wide labyrinth. It seems never ending in size and connects you to several parts of the city. The only sad part is COVID decimated the retail and restaurants that made up the entire PATH system. In some areas, closer to the hotels I have stayed in, the number of open restaurants is limited. The potential is there if it returned to its original state. Head on over to the buildings owned by TD Bank Group and you'll find more options within that block. read more

I'm not sure I'd view this rat maze of an underground labyrinth as a tourist attraction in itself unless you're really sensitive to inclement weather. It's been around since the Kennedy years and has been steadily extended ever since into what is now the world's largest underground shopping center stretching out over 19 miles. Over fifty buildings are connected via the PATH, and if you can make sense of it navigationally, more power to you. Directional signage was hard to find and track, and some sections were squarely stuck in the 1960's. Still, you should take a stroll down there and judge for yourself. RELATED - Traveling to Toronto? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: bit.ly/2LETSfV read more

See all

I still remember the first time I learned of The PATH's existence. My mom throughout her career worked at various office buildings downtown, all connected through The PATH. There was a Christmas function at her work and employees' kids were invited (we got gifts from Santa, there were games, and I got to eat unlimited cookies; I had a grand time), so I got to see her workplace and she showed me The PATH. I was amazed at how there was this whole underground part of the city. It seemed like a maze to me, but my mom zipped around knowing exactly where she was going. When I got older and was able to venture out into the world unaccompanied, I made it my mission to familiarize myself with The PATH. As someone who hates the cold, and the heat, and rain and snow, and even too much sun (ideal weather conditions for me are 17 degrees Celsius, dry but partly overcast, ha!), The PATH keeps me away from the elements and keeps me comfortable. There are so many businesses along The PATH and lots of food court places to eat, and many of them are quite good. It's similar to the RESO Underground Path in Montreal, but much better in my opinion (sorry, Montrealers!). Once upon a time, I knew The PATH so well. You could blindfold me, spin me around, and ask me how to get somewhere and I could point you in the correct direction and tell you how to get there, haha! Then I moved away from Toronto (sniffle, sniffle) and The PATH changed (especially around Scotia Plaza) and I'm pretty sure it also expanded (has the Bay Adelaide section been there for long? I feel that it's new...new being a relative term of course, like built within the last decade, haha) and many of the businesses that I used as landmarks have turned over, so now I actually get lost in there :( I still love it though. I think it's mostly meant as a place for the local office workers to get lunch and run some errands before or after work, or at lunchtime. I don't think it's meant as a tourist destination. I agree that it can be a bit confusing and better signage would be welcomed, but as someone who prefers the temperature controlled climate of the indoors, I love it :) read more

PATH Underground - PATH map. - Shopping Centers Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I had heard about this entire underground network before traveling to Toronto, so I had to find it! Well, it is underground, but its as illusive as the Illuminati! While locals probably do not have a hard time finding it, I had to ask a few times from local shop owners where the entrance was. Not a ton of signage from the above side mentioning where any entrances were. Once you find it though, enjoy the maze! I had gotten lost almost every time, but that adds to the excitement as long as you are not on a mission. While underground in the "PATH" just think of one giant mall, as it offers you the same type of stores and food stalls. Lets see, if its winter and extremely cold outside (Likely), definitely take the underground PATH if you are walking as you are less likely to get frostbite (Wimpy Californian of course speaking). read more

I was really surprised how nice the PATH was! When you hear about an underground pathway, you think of a dark and dingy place or something like where the Ninja Turtles would live. This was like a full on mall with tons of stores and food places, and it was nicer than some above ground malls I've been in! I'm not sure if all areas are this nice, but I came here to go to Chatime, and the whole area was nice. It is definitely confusing though. I actually went back upstairs and used the street to get where I was headed because I had no idea where I was otherwise. They have interactive maps to show you where places are, but it flashed up for like 2 seconds, so by the time I knew where I was, it was gone and I hadn't figured out which way to go yet. It's great as a shopping center, or to avoid rain/snow, etc. But it's super confusing and doesn't have much signage to give you any sense of direction. read more

PATH Underground - Shopping Centers Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

As far as a network of tunnels that get you from one place to another downtown, it does its job I guess. In reality, it doesn't actually cover that much of the downtown core. For example, if you want to go up to College, you'll have to re-surface at Dundas. If you want to go to the hospital, there isn't a direct connection either. But if you just need to go from your office building to eaton centre, city hall, sheridan hotel, MTCC, or union station, then it does its job. Lots of food courts available under most corporate towers with varying choices. The maps are also not very useful. read more

As a novelty experience I recommend dropping into The PATH. But outside of checking it off the bucket list I can't really any other reason to recommend the visit. read more

PATH Underground - Immense underground shopping tunnels - Shopping Centers Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Toronto's PATH network is the world's largest underground commercial shopping centre. Located underneath the major office towers in the Financial District, the PATH is over four million square feet of retail space. This subterranean labyrinth connects over 50 buildings including six subway stops. It will take you from Union Station all the way to City Hall. It's big enough for you, fella. Most Torontonians know the PATH from their daily commute as it connects to the train station and most of the major bank towers. Retail-wise there isn't a lot of creativity down there. A friend once jokingly asked me to meet him at the Jugo Juice in the PATH. That's like saying "meet me at the fire hydrant in Toronto." Though it's not the best for shopping, there are a myriad of food courts, which are usually packed at lunch time. These consist of mostly chains, but you can find a few standouts: DeKefir http://www.yelp.ca/biz/dekefir-toronto Ninki Sushi http://www.yelp.ca/biz/ninki-toronto Soup Nutsy http://www.yelp.ca/biz/soup-nutsy-toronto Four http://www.yelp.ca/biz/four-toronto Szechuan Szechuan http://www.yelp.ca/biz/szechuan-szechuan-fine-chinese-cuisine-toronto In spite of 100,000 people visiting the PATH daily, I can't say there is much to draw a local there (besides work, I mean). It looks like any other mall, except it goes on forever and it impossible to navigate. It is however, the warmest way around the financial district on cold winter days. For that I am indeed grateful. Obligatory Title Pun: This IS the beaten PATH. Menu Readability: PATH isn't even an acronym. Why is it all majuscule? Need to mention: On their map: Red for south, Orange for west, Blue for north, Yellow for east. You will never use this information. What this place teaches me about myself: I don't miss the rat race. Not one bit. read more

My friend and I wanted to check this out on a recent weekend getaway to Toronto. We knew it was going to be hot outside, and were looking for relief from the heat, with an easy way to get around under the city. All the stores are closed on weekends, and although we had a map, and our own sense of direction, it was not easy to navigate. I suspect residents of Toronto must jam this during the week to get around downtown, but for tourists, it can be daunting, as there was no one to ask for help and the signage is no help or non existent. At one point my friend reminded me of the Winchester house in California, all these tunnels go somewhere, but then they connect and go nowhere, and you wind up somewhere else. I am going to give this another try on my next trip (I am up for the challenge) but if you don't have a good sense of direction, or a buddy, I would not recommend to do this alone on weekends. read more

PATH Underground - Cool mural in the underground tunnel. - Shopping Centers Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

See all

I like the idea of walking underground when outside is freaking freezing!! But the PATH is really confusing!! It is OK if you are in no hurry and it can be fun to be lost... but if you are in a rush and you not familiar with the PATH, I would suggest just walk on street level. And it is really strange when some of the buildings are connected through some backstairs... which further confused me and makes me more disoriented! And also I felt like I walked through dozens of food courts, all the food calling my names... and all the stores I walked by are a little boring...zzzzzzzzz read more

the largest underground city, which is confusing and awesome all at the same time. you can do so much walking in this underground path(see what I did there!) and not have to brave the elements. this pathway is far from perfect, but its a gem to walk through and get to key spots in Toronto without braving the elements. the system, or layout depending on which way you want to go about it, is far from perfect, but is a damn good system that's in place. a couple of stores in this mall, only exist in this mall, and you also have some more common stores. the food court is amazing as well, having a very diverse selection of regions to eat from. for how big this is, it is awesome to see how spotless the mall is from one section to the next. since it is in the record books for being the biggest, everyone should check it out! read more

It's been 13 months and I can't figure this tunnel system out. Apparently there is a map for the PATH, but I haven't found it yet. If you are visiting the city and plan to use the PATH to get around, it might be best to hire a taxi-cab instead. However, when the weather gets poor, there is no better way to get around the downtown core. As well, you are able to do some shopping along the way - there are cobblers, boutiques, car rental agencies, and everything else that you would need on a day to day basis in the PATH. However, as most of these locations cater to professionals who work in the downtown core and have no better alternatives, the prices can be sky high (i.e. $30 for a key done v. $10 elsewhere). It shouldn't be something visitors of the city try and take, it should more or less act as a backup for them when the weather gets bad (especially in the winter) as going above ground can be quicker (95% of the time). read more

This is just as other reviews state, a must do as a first time Toronto visitor. Cute shops, nice restaurants and a great way to get out of the rain on those days that we visited... read more

The PATH is a series of underground hallways that all connect to some major buildings in the downtown core. It is a great idea that has ended up being completely confusing and has probably been the source of stress for many tourists and locals alike. It is not unique to Toronto -- in particular, Montreal has a similar system that works MUCH more effectively. They may not have as many stores but you can get across huge portions of the city while keeping warm and walking fast, and their signage is clear and concise so less people get lost and confused. If you are a GO train commuter, you love it because it takes you from Union Station to the Eaton Centre in the cold winters when the last thing you want to be doing is treading through snow to get to work. But if you're a tourist, it's a strange novelty. While there are shops, food and services along the PATH, the PATH itself is so terribly and haphazardly planned that it is almost impossible to get anywhere decent while using it. It's definitely worth checking out once while you're here (look for the PATH signs with arrows pointing in random directions), but it's important to keep in mind that it only covers about 10 city blocks in a very limited area of the downtown core. read more

I understand the draw in the cold Toronto winters... but due to Global Warming this cluster is best avoided. Yes there is food and shopping down there... but it just makes me feel like a worker bee or ant. Half of the folks are zooming around - they have figured out this underground maze, they know how to get from the subway to their office to their lunch spot and back again. The rest of us are walking slowly, desperately trying to find a sign that means something to us. The city should really hire an urban planner and a graphic designer and map this place out with nice signage. Then it could be awesome. Anyway, I'm giving it more than 1 star because... well... sometimes it does rain or get really cold... and we all like to be comfortable. read more

I think the PATH should be a tourist spot, just because of the rare architecture. Think about how some architects/city planners would visualize a whole downtown, not just a building, built over a huge basement that connected to many transportation hubs. And they actually made the vision come true. I can't even imagine the collaboration, finance and political will involved. I think it will be cool to have some writings in the PATH to explain the history and development of the downtown PATH. PRO of PATH: 1) Warm/Air-conditioned and dry regardless of the mother nature outside 2) Far reaching within downtown core 3) Very lively shopping and services area 4) Connect to Union Train and Bus Station and various subway stations 5) Lots of coffee shops 6) Unique among the downtown of North American major cities CON of PATH: 1) Confusing even for those who have been working downtown for over a decade 2) Food from both restaurants and food courts are expensive 3) Goods and services are overly expensive 4) Susceptible to floods 5) Shops close early during weekdays and mostly a ghost town on weekends 6) Restrooms are hard to find read more

Just think about how cold you would be if you had to walk outside in the middle of winter!!! It makes it easy to get lunch or a coffee without dressing for the outdoors. You can definitely get lost down there. They need better maps. I'd recommend "street signs" so you can get an idea of where you are. Anyway, even if it's a labrynth it's MUCH better than freezing. read more

It's like a giant shopping mall which spans half the downtown core. Very handy if its raining, snowing or extremely cold outside, and the good thing is that you can walk around without "outdoor" clothes. Bonus if you work at one of the connected buildings so you can easily get food without stepping outside! It can get confusing at times, but you need to know exactly where you are going to use this efficiently - refer to the map and which building is the nearest to where you are going. The directions are colour coded - blue is north, red is south, orange is west, and yellow is east. read more

Its great for winters......you can make your way from one end of town to the other without surfacing. My fav food places are: First Canadian Place - Pumperknickles - make your own salad and add chicken breas or salmon - Bourbon Chicken - two veggies items with one meat item - Schezuan Express - Thin rice noodle soup with Shrimp dumplings, chicken, or beef TD Tower - Thai Island - Pad Thai, Rice noodle soup, or pineapple fried rice with spicy beef or green curry basil chickent HSBC building - There is a make your own pasta place accross Teriaki Express in the food court where there is a Wendy's. It has the best shrim and clam pasta - i always ask for blush sauce and spaghetti read more

We had a great time walking the PATH today. We walked from Roy Thomson Hall to Eaton Center Mall. After spending time in the mall we walked to the King St station exit. The Path can be confusing but there are signs and maps. We came upon a volunteer who showed us exactly where to walk and gave us a map to take. We loved it. read more

The PATH is the most confusing waste of time ever. I'd rather walk in the rain/wind/snow or whatever instead of spending 30min navigating this thing only to realize that I just walked in a circle The map has no "you are here" dot The signs only point you to one direction (either "west" or east") The stores in the PATH are crappy and overpriced read more

One thing I miss about working downtown in the land of suits and other Corporates, is the PATH. All connected underground, it makes everything so convenient, and the retail down here also has improved quite a bit. They've also recently opened up the passage way through Bay Adelaide Centre, meaning you can walk from Union to Eaton Centre all underground. The ONLY thing they are missing are more maps! I always get lost down here if I'm going somewhere new. Just because you say "South to TD Centre" does not mean that I know where I am. At some point it's all gut feel, and I spent a lot of extra time trying to get my bearings. Today I met a friend for lunch at Commerce Court (King station). The food court here hasn't changed much since 2 years ago. I used to get a yogurt parfait every morning, and lunches at the gourmet do it yourself store was always a treat. There's also a great healthy veggie / falafel option at Fit for Life, which I was surprised I've never been to!. There's a Great American Backrub and a Smart Set / Reitmans for all your therapies during the work hour if you need it. After lunch, I walked through TD Centre. I would have to say they have the better food court in the area with a Hero Burger and Freshii custom salads. Take a visit to the Soup Nutsy (but get there earlier). There's a Town Shoes here, and that got me distracted for a while. Heading in to First Canadian Place, there's lots of higher end food options here in their renovated market place. FCP also is known for their afternoon concerts, so check the listings! I came once to hear Sophie Milman and met her in person! Stores here include an LCBO, Aldo, HMV, a really large Pharma Plus, Madison and Nine West shoes. There's also a food court upstairs and a chinese restaurant. From here, I went to Scotia Plaza. There's a Winner's here and a good Japanese restaurant, Ninki. At this junction, is where they opened up the new corridor to the Bay Adelaide Centre. Everything in there was shiny and new, but not as much shopping. Here you can pass through to the Bay (Now you're at Queen street) and into Eaton Centre. So convenient! With all these food options, there's no need to bring your lunch to work! I miss it! read more

A cute idea, but not accessible all the way. You may be able to get in the PATH but in a couple building you will not be able to get to ground level, turn around and get out where you came in. read more

See all

I would have to say this attraction would be my least favorable experience. It was hot and humid and the smell of stench roamed in the hallways. I was really looking forward to shopping on my way here but the location just did not appeal to me when I finally got in. I was better off going to St.Lawrence Market and Eaton Town Mall. read more

Not easy to navigate at all!! Could not easily find an entrance anywhere...then ended up in a department store that we couldn't find a way out of!! Nice try, but not very tourist friendly... read more

The Path... Great for when it's raining or a snow storm. Not a bad place to people watch. Everyone dressed up in office gear. Very confusing if you're new to the location. My first few months I travelled above ground. Tourist can check it out but I usually recommend they walk above ground. Much more to see. The PATH lacks good shops. A few food courts but nothing worth their value. The best overall value items are Pad Thai at Exchange Tower, $9 and Mucho Burrito Monday $5 burrito and Wednesday $5 burrito salad at FCP (First Canadian Place) read more

First off, the entrance to this undergrouond shopping/eating place was veryy hard to find! Then there's the issue of only street parking being available. When we went everything was closed. Even if everything was opened, based on the window view, nothing really looked like it was worth going into. Some of the labeled exits and directions were also wrong. I could see how one could get lost. I guess this place would be convenient for workers in the area. For anyone else, don't waste your time or money. read more

I live and work downtown and have been my whole life, yet I almost always get lost in the PATH. I agree with what some people said about having a better navigation system and I think they should have an automated map where you punch in where you need to go and it shows you how to get there. When I look at the maps, it only lists major buildings but not actual stores or places you're looking for. It's also very confusing because they sometimes have several of the same store. For example, the other day, one of the Shoppers Drug Marts had stamps on hold for me and apparently there were 3 of them. Every time I kept asking someone to direct me to the Shoppers I was looking for, they kept sending me in a circle and I ended up at the same spot. I think it has a lot of potential but definitely needs a better navigation system. read more

the concept of having stores and paths underground is pretty useful, but the city should definitely invest more money to make it more userfriendly!!! perhaps some lines on the floor telling us which paths keep us on 'the path'... or better maps, more maps, free maps? i took my parents there while visiting toronto, just to show them what people do in the cold. we got lost MULTIPLE times. for a system that's supposed to keep you underground and warm, we had to exit out to the streets a few times just because the 'path' signs were misleading and led us to dead ends. i thought the point was to stay warm and dry underground!!?! i think with some work, there could be some potential. maybe if you're a resident downtown and you use the path often, you don't need the maps.. but as a tourist, i definitely don't need to go through the path ever again read more

I have sent a complaint to two other people about the path not being wheelchair friendly, but as usual when you complain about something they just ignore it and hope you will go away. We took my sister in law, who was staying at the Royal York Hotel and needs a wheel chair to get around, to the path to do some shopping. We could only get as far as BCE Place. That was after having to take an elevator to the outside of the Royal York to get to the Royal Bank Plaza . Then you had to take an elevator down to the garage of the Royal Bank then go into BCE Place. Then after we got there we found out we could not get any further. They should post signs saying wheel chairs cannot go through the path. They only have revolving doors, stairs and escalators. I was appalled at the size of this city and the biggest in the country that this was not made to accommodate everyone. So if anyone has a wheel chair or walker, do not even try it. B. Blair read more