Toronto YYZ: 3 Hours, 25 Min to the City
Distillery District in 3 hours: Victorian brick, craft beer, poutine. YYZ is worth leaving the terminal.
Getting from the airport
YYZ to city center: 25 minutes by rail (Union Pearson Express). Fare is $9. Trains run every 15 minutes. Service runs 05:30 to 01:00. Skip the taxi unless your connection is under 5 hours.
What to do in Toronto
The stops worth making: CN Tower, Kensington Market, Royal Ontario Museum, Distillery District. You do not need the full tourist circuit. Pick two and commit.
Visa and entry
Toronto is visa-free for US passports. No application, no fee. The border process at YYZ is standard — budget 30 minutes.
How long do you need
The minimum useful layover is 3 hours. That gives you 25 minutes in each direction plus about 40 minutes on the ground. Up to 24 hours is a proper overnight.
YYZ airport
YYZ has 11 lounges. For short connections under 4 hours, the terminal is the destination — food options, showers, and enough space to reset before the next leg.