Toronto PATH

A maze of shops and restaurants that twists and turns beneath the heart of downtown Toronto. Sounds unlikely, but the Toronto PATH is a real thing- all 28 kilometres of it. This underground walkway connects more than 50 buildings and office towers in the downtown core as well as hotels and major attractions such as the CN Tower and the Hockey Hall of Fame. PATH is fun to explore and a great way to navigate the city when the weather is less than stellar.

Setting a Record Beneath the City

Toronto PATH is a network of tunnels that runs underneath the city’s biggest and busiest office towers. At 28 kilometres (17 miles) of walkways boasting four million square feet of retail space, the Guinness World Records has named the Toronto PATH the world’s biggest underground shopping complex.

Shopping on the PATH

There are over 1,000 stores including mall favourites like Aldo and Gap on the PATH, as well as many independent boutiques. There are also several convenient services such as hair salons, health clubs and travel centres. A list of PATH retailers is available at www.torontopath.com; click on “Today’s Featured Sale” for a list of PATH merchants offering specials and sales that day.

Eating on the PATH

There are dozens of fun and tasty places to grab a bite at on the PATH, from fast-food eateries such as McDonald’s to a Longo’s supermarket which offers quick and healthy meals. And there is no shortage of cafes for coffee-lovers- Second Cup, Starbucks and Tim Horton’s can all be found in the walkways of Toronto PATH.

Weatherproof Convenience for Tourists and Commuters

This pedestrian labyrinth of shops, services and restaurants can be accessed from several areas of the city. Connected to five subway stations and the rail terminal, PATH links over 100,000 commuters from public transit to the downtown core every day. And there is no need to worry if you forget your umbrella- PATH is a popular and comfortable way to avoid the rain, sleet and snow and the frigid winter temperatures.

Connect to Top Toronto Attractions

Toronto PATH links tourists from the subway line to many of Toronto’s top attractions. Planning to attend a Blue Jay game at the Rogers Centre or a Maple Leaf game at the Air Canada Centre? Sport fans can connect to these venues through PATH. Other points of interest you can link to via PATH include Roy Thomson Hall and the Hockey Hall Fame, as well as the Toronto Eaton Centre, Hudson’s Bay Company and Yonge-Dundas Square. Ryerson University, the CBC and Toronto City Hall can also easily be reached by following the Toronto PATH.

History of the PATH

Shopping plays an integral part in the origins of downtown Toronto’s underground network of walkways. In 1900, Eaton’s connected its main Yonge Street store to its bargain outlet by constructing tunnels. When Union Station opened in 1927, it was also connected by an underground path to the Royal York Hotel. The creation of the Toronto PATH network that exists today began in the 1960s, when the architects of the Toronto-Dominion Centre planned underground shopping in the base of the tower with plans to grow and expand the network of shopping. By the 1970s this expansion began in earnest after the tunnel which connects the Richmond Adelaide office complex and the Sheraton Hotel was built.

How to Access Toronto PATH

The Toronto Coach Terminal at Dundas and Bay Streets is the most northerly access point to the PATH, and the Metro Toronto Convention Centre's South Building is the most southerly.

The Toronto subway stations linked by PATH are Dundas, Queen, King, Union, St. Andrew, Osgoode and Union Station, Toronto’s major commuter hub. For more information on Toronto’s downtown walkway and to view a downloadable map of Toronto PATH, click Toronto PATH Map

Click here to visit Toronto PATH official website.