Tour Guys
Tip-based “pay what you feel” walking tours of Toronto and tour guides for hire. Graffiti, ghosts, beer, bacon, culture and calamity are what we cover!
The two original Tour Guys met while working for Breakaway Tours and Impact Educational Tours in Toronto more than 20 years ago, and spent years becoming awesome tour guides and great friends along the way. Together they decided to start Tour Guys as a tour guide cooperative, offering free walking tours as a way to have some fun, work with their tour guide friends, and meet people from around the
One of our guides, Jennifer, snapped these photos on her walking tour this afternoon. People are gathering in parks and venues around the city to enjoy live music and the company of others on this Canada Day.
For many, this day celebrates Canada. For others it’s a time to reflect on our country and think about what we want Canada to be. We are, after all, a work in progress!
What are you doing today? How are you spending Canada Day? Share a photo!
I’m so sad the Ontario Science Centre is closing for good. Designed by Raymond Moriyama as the world’s first interactive science museum it has been hugely influential not just in the lives of countless children since opening in 1969 (it was a Canadian centennial project but opened late) but it influenced how museums are designed to engage visitors - especially children - to better educate. I’m getting a little teary here… I’m so glad we had it and am so sad it’s closing.
Today marks National Indigenous Peoples Day.
We recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.
In recent years, the Trust has worked with a number of Indigenous communities to share their stories in their own voices and, where possible, their own languages, through events, our Heritage Matters magazine and provincial plaques.
Learn more about Indigenous heritage in Ontario:
https://www.heritagetrust.on.ca/pages/our-stories/indigenous-heritage-in-ontario
Today is National Indigenous Peoples Day 🧡 We recognize and celebrate the history, heritage, resilience, and diversity of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis across Canada.
📸 jgazze on IG
National Indigenous Peoples Day is commemorated every year on June 21 to recognize and celebrate the histories, heritage, resilience and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis across Canada.
Today, as we welcome the summer solstice, let’s take some time to listen to and uplift Indigenous voices and learn about these incredible communities.
Discover Indigenous connections to Parks Canada ➡ https://parks.canada.ca/culture/autochtones-indigenous
June is , a time to learn, reflect on and celebrate the diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis across Toronto and Turtle Island.
Learn more: https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/festivals-events/indigenous-events-awards/national-indigenous-peoples-month/
You might see this on our Downtown Toronto Walking Tour, with departures daily at 10am from Union Station. Book your spot at www.tourguys.ca
This would be fun! You should go!
This Saturday! Follow in the hoofsteps of a rampaging cow as we explore the history of Edwardian Toronto. Jamie Bradburn & I will co-lead the tour, following the path the runaway bovine took exactly 111 years ago...
Summer is peak ice cream season. Hit us with your favourite flavour and place for a scoop or two.
Tour Guys founder Jason used to work at Baskin-Robbins as a teen and loves to pair a chocolate and a fruit flavour together in a waffle cone. Here’s a dark cherry scoop on a chocolate fudge brownie scoop in a cone from Avondale Dairy Bar.
With City of Toronto – We just got recognized as one of their top fans! 🎉
This coming weekend (May 4th and 5th) we will not be running any of our “tip-what-you-feel” public tours and instead encourage our tiur guide team and you to check out the many topical FREE volunteer-led walks in the city as part of the annual Jane’s Walk Festival. Full schedule is below and you don’t need to book, just show up at the time and place specified, and enjoy!
This will be fun!
From puddles of filth to morbid mourning traditions, the history of Toronto is filled with gross and gory tales that are hard to believe people ever thought were normal. We'll dive into some of them with Jason Kucherawy of Tour Guys during The Festival of Bizarre Toronto History: www.bizarretoronto.com
In doing some research on accidents and injuries in Old Toronto, I learned Toronto's first recorded car accident took place on August 31, 1900, at the intersection of Yonge Street and Adelaide Street. The accident involved an electric taxi operated by the Electric Vehicle Company and a horse-drawn carriage. The collision resulted in minor injuries to the occupants of both vehicles. This incident marked the beginning of Toronto's relationship with automobiles and highlighted the need for regulations and infrastructure to accommodate the growing number of motor vehicles on the city's streets.
This past weekend was the Celebration of Life for one of our own Tour Guys, Michael Cavanagh. Michael was our primary guide for Hamilton tours and one of our weekend Toronto guides, but would always take the train into Toronto from Burlington if he was needed at any time. Michael was a gifted storyteller, and blessed with an incredible memory. He loved sharing what he knew and spending time with people, which made him such a great tour guide. But above all, he was a kind and compassionate person - a dear friend. His unexpected passing after a brief illness (and on his 57th birthday) was a shock to us all at Tour Guys. The gathering of friends and family was incredibly moving, and the impact of his passing is only surpassed by the impact of his life on all of those who knew him. RIP my friend. - Jason
https://tiac-aitc.ca/TIAC_s_Tourism_Week_in_Canada.html
National Tourism Week 2024 - Tourism Industry Association of Canada Now in its 14th year, National Tourism Week (NTW) is a dynamic, weeklong national social media campaign orchestrated by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC). This esteemed event, scheduled for April 15-19, 2024, is a crucial platform for highlighting the pivotal role of tourism in Canad...
We like learning about Canadian history. If you do too, follow this page and check out the podcast - all by a smart dude in Alberta named Craig Baird.
https://www.facebook.com/CanadianHistoryEhx?mibextid=opq0tG
Canadian History Ehx A simple approach to the epicness that is Canadian history
If you're looking for a cool side gig, and love sharing the city with others, telling stories and teaching a thing or two, this is the job for you.
Jobs | Tour Guys - Walking Tour Guides Wanted Join our team as a tour guide! If you are looking for a job that is both fun and pays well, complete the application form.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone!
Highly recommended!
This Saturday! Morgan Campbell & I are giving free tours of our Toronto sports history exhibit at Myseum! From bizarre boxing bouts to hockey curses to unexpected baseball stars, Toronto's sporting past reveals a lot about our city: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/myseum-tour-winners-losers-with-curators-adam-bunch-and-morgan-campbell-tickets-767620221747?aff=ebdsoporgprofile
Kensington Market is one of the key destinations on our Toronto walking tours and it’s a neighbourhood with a diverse population and sometimes conflicting views. Here a local Montessori School director has created a non-profit organization and secured a permit to use what’s essentially the front yard of a church to build a pollinator garden (in late October?) that currently hosts a homeless encampment that is supported by the church. This eviction is simply cruel and unnecessary.
When searching for walking tours in Toronto on TripAdvisor, we're at the top of the list! If you made a list of things to do in Toronto, what would be at the top of yours?
Our "Fact or Fiction" ghost tours are back, offered nightly at 8pm from now until October 30th. Visit www.tourguys.ca to book. $6 booking fee, then tip your guide what you feel the tour is worth at the end.
We are 2 reviews shy of hitting 2000 on Trip Advisor!
TOUR GUYS - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos) Aug 5, 2023 - Tour Guys began operating free or "tip-what-you-feel" tours in Toronto and Vancouver in 2009, and have since expanded into other cities and offer tours for school groups, corporate clients, confere...
If you are looking for something to do on Canada Day, we have tours running! Check the calendar here to see what’s available. www.tourguys.ca
Tour Guy Neil was a guest on CBC Metro Morning recently to talk about the Canadian Heroes and Villains walking tour offered every week this summer and fall. Check the website for schedule and to book. www.tourguys.ca
NEW TOUR! Learn about the evolution of Queen Street West's music scene with local expert Mark Vendramini. This tour runs Sunday afternoons at 1pm through June and July! There's a small booking fee (about $6) and guests are encouraged to tip Mark what they feel the tour was worth.
Queen Street West BIA - can we get a like?
https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/tourguys-toronto/items/469753/?full-items=yes&flow=54189
It's GO TIME! All of our public tours are available for booking, with at least 3-6 different tours offered each day of the week! Check our website calendar under "Public Tours" to choose from our "tip what you feel" tours and our small group Urban Adventures which cost more, are done in smaller groups and include some food and drink!
Tip What You Feel Tours:
- Downtown Toronto
- Old Town Toronto
- Graffiti in Toronto
- Canadian Heroes & Villains
- Yonge Street Music History & Pop Culture
Intrepid Urban Adventures:
- Beer Makes History Better
- Kensington Market & Chinatown
Book your tours at www.tourguys.ca
Tour Guys | Free Walking Tours | Toronto Ottawa & Hamilton Discover Canadian cities on our free walking tours, graffiti tours, food tours, beer tours, and history tours in a group or with a private guide. Awesome local expert tour guides means a great time, guaranteed!