A Toronto Island Day: The Ferry Terminal, Centre Island and Your Pickup Back

The Toronto Islands are a short ferry ride from the downtown waterfront and a different world from the streets behind you. There are beaches, a boardwalk, a children's garden, bike paths and a skyline view that people photograph all year. There are also no private cars. Everything about an island day is therefore decided at the mainland end: where the ferry leaves, how the season changes, how long the queue is, and how you get home with tired children at the end.

This guide is written from the curb. It covers the terminal, the 2026 schedule changes that start on 14 October, the drive from Union Station and Pearson, and the honest case for leaving the car at home. For private transfers around the city, see limo service in Toronto; the rest of this guide stands on its own.

Can you take a car to Toronto Island?

That single fact shapes the trip. You cannot be driven to the beach, the garden or the lighthouse, and a chauffeur cannot wait for you on the island. What a car can do is take the stress out of both ends: a dry, bag-free arrival at the terminal in the morning, and a seat in a warm vehicle when the ferry deposits you back on Queens Quay.

The ferry terminal at 9 Queens Quay West

The ferries to Toronto Island leave from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal. The City's fares and passenger information page gives the address as 9 Queens Quay West, at Queens Quay West and Bay Street. The terminal is set back about 100 metres south of the intersection, behind the Westin Harbour Castle.

From the terminal, ferries serve three docks: Centre Island, Hanlan's Point and Ward's Island. The City recommends buying tickets online in advance, and ticket holders use an express line during peak times. Tickets bought in person are valid only on the day of purchase, while tickets bought online are valid until 31 December of the year bought. The terminal, the ferries, the washrooms and the waiting shelters are all described by the City as accessible to passengers using wheelchairs or other mobility devices.

Ferry season in October 2026: what changes on 14 October

Timing matters more in October than in July. The City's ferry routes and schedules page lists the 2026 fall schedule as running from 16 September to 13 October, with fewer trips than summer. The winter schedule starts on 14 October and runs to mid-April 2027 on one route only, to Ward's Island.

In practical terms, if you are reading this on 8 October, you have a few days left to reach Centre Island or Hanlan's Point by ferry this season. After 13 October, a Centre Island day is a spring plan. The City also notes that schedules can change because of weather or mechanical issues, so check the page the evening before.

The summer rhythm resumes in spring. The City's schedule says spring service starts in mid-April and runs about a month with reduced trips, then summer service runs from mid-May to mid-September, with exact dates to be posted. Centreville and several other family attractions are seasonal, which is why the island feels so different in winter.

Getting to the terminal by car from Union Station, downtown and Pearson

From Union Station to the terminal is about 1 km, a 5 to 10 minute drive, and on a quiet day you could walk it in 10 to 15 minutes. The route runs south on Bay Street to Queens Quay West. From the Financial District it is the same. From Toronto Pearson the terminal is about 27 km, typically 30 to 50 minutes via the Gardiner Expressway, longer in the weekday peak. If you are landing and heading straight to the ferry, the Pearson Airport limo page explains the pickup procedure, and flight tracking and free waiting time after landing are included on airport pickups.

Billy Bishop Airport is a separate matter. It has its own terminal and its own connection from the mainland, distinct from the park ferries. If you are flying in or out of the island airport, see our Billy Bishop airport limo page; the park ferries described here are for the beaches and gardens.

Dropping off and meeting up at the terminal

The City's pages do not describe a vehicle drop-off zone at the terminal, so treat the exact spot as something the chauffeur confirms on the day. The terminal sits on Queens Quay West, which is a busy waterfront road with bike lanes, hotel entrances and a streetcar line. A car should not linger there.

A workable plan:

1. Set the pickup point for the morning at your hotel or home, and the drop-off at the terminal.
2. Allow five to ten minutes after arrival to buy or show tickets and join the queue.
3. On the way home, agree a meeting point near the terminal, not on it. A side street off Bay or a hotel entrance nearby is easier than the main frontage.
4. Message dispatch when you board the return ferry, and again when you are walking off, so the car is timed to you.

Boarding times depend on the queue, not on the printed timetable, which is why a flexible pickup window works better than a fixed minute.

Peak times and the queue

The City's guidance is plain. Weekends and holidays are the busiest, and the peak periods are typically 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. going to the islands and 5 to 9 p.m. coming back. Waits can exceed 30 to 60 minutes. Boarding is first come, first served, and staff may restrict boarding once a ferry reaches safe capacity.

Two decisions cut the wait. First, buy tickets online and use the express line. Second, travel outside the peak windows: an early departure before 10 a.m. and a return before 5 p.m. is the easiest day. If you must come back in the evening rush, build in an hour of slack before a dinner reservation, and tell your driver the window rather than a single time.

Centre Island with children

Centre Island is the family dock. According to the City's things to do page, Centre Island Beach (also called Manitou Beach) is about a 10-minute walk south from the Centre Island ferry dock. The same page lists:

• Franklin Children's Garden, based on the Franklin the Turtle books, wheelchair accessible and open year-round.
• Centreville Amusement Park, which is not operated by the City, with over 30 rides and attractions, open May through September.
• Far Enough Farm, a free petting farm, summer only.
• Splash pads, from May to September and unsupervised, one inside Centreville and one near the playground and the William Meany Maze.
• The William Meany Maze, a hedge maze of 1,200 Black Cedars recreating the original 1967 centennial maze.
• Avenue of the Islands, a formal pedestrian mall with lawns and flower beds.

Families should plan around the seasons. In October the summer-only attractions are closed, and the City says the Information Hub and the Boat House are closed for the season. The garden, the beaches, the pier and the trails stay open. A booked car with a child seat is the simplest way to reach the terminal with small children, and a car service with car seat can be arranged at booking.

Ward's Island, Hanlan's Point and the beaches

The islands are larger than the first dock suggests. The City lists four beaches: Centre Island Beach, Gibraltar Point Beach, Hanlan's Point Beach and Ward's Island Beach. Walking times from the nearest dock are roughly 10 minutes for Centre Island Beach, about 20 minutes from the Centre Island dock for Gibraltar Point Beach, about 15 minutes from the Hanlan's Point dock for Hanlan's Point Beach, and about 5 minutes from the Ward's Island dock for Ward's Island Beach. A portion of Hanlan's Point Beach is clothing-optional, and the City says some access points were temporarily closed because of high water levels.

Beyond the beaches, the City's page lists a 1.5 km boardwalk with views of Lake Ontario, Tommy Thompson Park and Ward's Island Beach, the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse (over 200 years old and described as the oldest stone building in Toronto and Canada's oldest standing lighthouse), an 18-hole disc golf course, pickleball courts and bird-watching spots that are best in spring and fall migration. Swimming without a lifeguard is not recommended, and lifeguards are on duty only in summer.

One date to note: the City lists a free Goodnight, Island event with guided nature walks and seasonal storytelling on 24 October, from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Check the City's events listing for details.

A simple island day, hour by hour

This plan suits a summer weekend, adjusted for season:

1. 8:30 a.m. Pickup from home or a hotel. Expect 5 to 10 minutes from Union Station, 30 to 50 from Pearson.
2. 9:15 a.m. Drop near the terminal. Show your online ticket and join the express line.
3. 9:45 a.m. Ferry to Centre Island, or Ward's Island if you prefer a quieter start.
4. 10:30 to 1:00 Garden, beach or bikes. Lunch from a vendor or a picnic you brought.
5. 1:00 to 3:30 Boardwalk or lighthouse; Hanlan's Point if you have the energy.
6. 3:45 p.m. Back on the ferry, before the evening rush, with sandy children and a wagon.
7. 4:30 p.m. Message dispatch from the ferry. The car meets you on the street near the terminal.

The City's guidance shows why finishing before 5 p.m. matters: the return rush from 5 to 9 p.m. is where the long waits happen.

Bikes, strollers, wagons and luggage

The City allows bicycles, strollers, wagons and paddle crafts on the ferries, kept on the main deck away from doors, exits and stairs. Walk bicycles when boarding and getting off. Bike Share Toronto bikes are not allowed on the ferries, so dock them before boarding. E-bikes are allowed at staff discretion, they must be fully powered off onboard, and charging is not permitted onboard or at the terminal. Electric scooters and motorcycles are not allowed.

For luggage, the practical advice is to carry less. Large items can reduce the number of passengers a vessel carries. A day bag is fine, a cooler wagon is allowed, and a suitcase is a bad idea. If you are arriving from the airport with luggage, go to your hotel first and do the island on a clean day.

Accessibility and weather

The terminal, ferries, washrooms and waiting shelters are accessible. On the island, the Franklin Children's Garden is described by the City as wheelchair accessible. Sand, gravel trails and the boardwalk are another matter, and you should check the City's wayfinding map for a route that suits you.

Weather decides the quality of the day. A clear August Saturday has queues and heat. A November Tuesday has an empty ferry and cold wind off the lake. A winter visit means the Ward's Island route only. Dress for lake weather, and plan the return before dusk in the colder months. A booked car on the mainland side is the easy part; the ferry and the walk are the hard part.

Walking, TTC and car: an honest comparison

If you are staying within a kilometre of the terminal, walk. If you are arriving from Pearson, travelling with children, or have mobility needs, the car earns its place, because the ferry and the island are physically demanding in ways that do not show on a schedule.

Booking a car for an island day

Book a drop-off at the terminal in the morning, and a pickup for late afternoon. If your plans change, the ferry timetable and the queue are the variables, so ask your driver for a window, not a minute. The booker shows the exact fare for your address and vehicle before you confirm.

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For other waterfront outings, see a CN Tower and Harbourfront afternoon. For cultural days, there is the ROM and Yorkville. For a Saturday morning at a market, read St. Lawrence Market on a Saturday. Our guides are collected under attractions, events and the blog, and the fleet page shows each vehicle class.

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