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Royal Botanical Gardens in early August

Burlington is a city in Ontario, Canada which lies across Burlington Bay from Hamilton. Located on the north shore of Lake Ontario, Burlington is a 45-minute drive from Toronto and Niagara.

The city's waterfront features dining, water play, skating and model boating. Downtown, next to the lake, are many homes owned by middle to upper-class families, as well as many expensive homes from millionaires living in Burlington. Enjoy unique shopping, exquisite dining, the world-renowned Royal Botanical Gardens, museums, art galleries, golf courses, scenic hiking and biking trails and lively festivals such as Sound of Music and Canada's Largest Ribfest.

Get in

By plane

  • The Hamilton International Airport is the local airport which is just 30 minutes from Burlington. it is serviced by WestJet.
  • Toronto's Lester B. Pearson International Airport is located a short driving distance from Burlington, around 45 or more minutes.
  • Niagara Falls NY and Buffalo NY International Airports are located about an hour's drive away.

By car

  • Burlington is easily accessible by highways 403, 407, and QEW.

By train

Get around

The best way to get around Burlington is by car. Arterial roads are spaced about 2 kilometres (1.25 miles) apart, and generally run on a 45 degree angle to the compass points. Main roads running northeast to southwest are (from southernmost to northernmost) Lakeshore Road (former Highway 2), New Street, Plains Road/Fairview Street, the Queen Elizabeth Way/Highway 403 (a controlled-access highway), Upper Middle Road, and Dundas Street (former Highway 5). Main roads running northwest to southeast are (from easternmost to westernmost) Burloak Drive, Appleby Line, Walkers Line, Guelph Line, Brant Street, King Road, and Waterdown Road.

Burlington is a pedestrian- and cycling-friendly city, although, as the city is somewhat sprawling, walking or cycling is sometimes impractical. There are several long-distance walking and cycling trails in Burlington, including the Waterfront Trail, a 23-kilometre-long paved trail that offers beautiful views of Burlington's waterfront. In Burlington, you may ride your bicycle on sidewalks, except in the downtown core. Burlington Transit is the transit authority for the city. Bus service is reasonable for a city of Burlington's size, although not as good as other neighbouring GTA municipalities due to lower population density and higher levels of car ownership. Most buses run on a 30-minute schedule, although some routes run more frequently during rush hour and/or less frequently on weekends or evenings. A variety of discount tickets and passes are available.

See

  • Burlington Art Centre. 
  • Joseph Brant Museum. 
  • Ireland House. 
  • Royal Botanical Gardens, 680 Plains Rd West, ☏ +1 905-527-1158, toll-free: +1 800-694-4769. Canada's largest botanical garden. It is comprised of several gardens and natural areas, spread out over 900 hectares, accessible by foot, car, and a RBG run shuttle bus. Adult $12.50, Senior/Stgudent $10.50, Child $7.50, Family $30.50. 
  • In the winter time during December, you can walk through an extensive Christmas lights display downtown at Spencer Smith Park. Showing the Eiffel Tower and various large displays of lights, this is the time when you can enjoy the beauty of Christmas.
  • On July 1, you can celebrate Canada Day in Spencer Smith Park and gather with dozens of others to wave the Canadian flag with pride and music.

Parks

There are 115 parks and 325 ha of parkland within the city. A complete list of parks can be found here

Do

A great time to visit Burlington is in the summer, when there are numerous free festivals are held.

  • Discovery Landing. A 14,200 square foot landmark building that faces out to the lake and offers prime storm and weather watching views. Designed by Baird Sampson Nuert it has given residents and visitors a unique place to discover, celebrate, play, and relax by our lake. Discovery Landing is open all day, daily and features The Observatory, Spencer's on the Waterfront, the Bite Café, and an information area to provide information on the park. Discovery Landing overlooks the Rotary Centennial Pond, a 10,000 square-foot year-round water feature. In the spring, summer and fall it is a reflective pool ideal for model sail boating and in winter it will have free ice-skating on an artificial ice surface. 
  • Surrounding features include the Joseph Brant Museum, the Ireland House the Burlington Art Centre, and Tourism Burlington.
  • Hike the Bruce Trail. A portion of the Bruce Trail, the hiking trail that runs along the Niagara Escarpment from Niagara to Tobermory runs through Burlington. The Burlington portion of the trail starts near the intersection of Highway 6 and Mountain Brow Rd., skirts the escarpment before reaching Snake Rd., and then takes a winding path that isn't always easy to follow (if you find yourself in a cemetery near a convent, you've gone the wrong way), but leads to a few beautiful waterfalls just before entering Waterdown. East of Waterdown, the trail then runs through Kerncliff Park, crosses Dundas St., then runs for several miles through rural Burlington before entering Milton. 

Festivals

  • Canada's Largest Ribfest, Spencer Smith Park. Labour Day weekend. Music, crafts and some of the best rib makers in North America. 
  • Sound of Music Festival, downtown, waterfront, ☏ +1 905-333-6364, . Proclaimed as Canada's Largest Free Music Festival. Five day free music festival on several stages. Jazz, folk, rock, pop, country, blues, latin, celtic. Parade, carnival, marketplace, family zone and downtown streetfest. Held on Father's Day weekend. For 2014, the dates are June 7, and 12 to 15. 

Buy

  • Many stores and malls are located in the city. Mapleview Centre, at 900 Maple Avenue, has more than 150 stores. You can also shop at the Burlington Mall , at 777 Guelph Line.
  • If you are interested in small shops, then the downtown core, on Brant Street, is the right place for you. Stores are in an old town setting with many restaurants, cafés, and boutiques nearby.
  • One of Ontario's five Ikea stores is located on Plains Road.
  • Woodworking and gardening enthusiasts will want to visit Lee Valley Tools off Guelph Line north of the QEW.
  • For the sports enthusiast, Mountain Equipment Co-op is located on Brant Street before Highway 403.

Eat

There are many great dining establishments in Burlington. The restaurants below are just a few of over 200 establishments.

Budget

  • Easterbrooks, 694 Spring Gardens Rd. (near Royal Botanical Gardens), ☏ +1 905-527-9679. 10AM–10PM (Summer), 10AM–8PM (winter). Well-known for its footlong hotdogs (note that a "regular" hotdog here is a footlong) its ice cream and milkshakes are also good. The restaurant has been located at this location since 1930 and features a retro atmosphere. A second location is located at; 2422 New Street. 905-632-7490 

Mid-range

Splurge

Sleep

Please note that not all hotels are listed.

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

  • The Waterfront Hotel Downtown, 2020 Lakeshore Rd, ☏ +1 905 681-5410. Formerly Travelodge. 

Go next

Routes through Burlington
London ← Brantford ←  W  E  → Oakville → Toronto
Niagara Falls ← Grimsby ←  W  E  → Oakville → Toronto
Niagara Falls ← Hamilton ←  W  E  → Oakville → Toronto
London ← Hamilton ←  W  E  → Oakville → Brampton
END ← Hamilton ←  W  E  → Oakville → Toronto



This city travel guide to Burlington is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.
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