I visited Toronto’s CN Tower, which attracts 2 million visitors every year, and the iconic tourist destination far exceeded my expectations

• Toronto’s CN Tower sees nearly 2 million visitors a year, and its construction has landed it a spot as an “engineering Wonder of the Modern World.”
• For 34 years after the tower was finished, it held the record as the tallest free-standing structure in the world – it’s still the tallest free-standing structure in the western hemisphere, according to World Atlas.
• On a recent trip to Toronto, I decided to see if this iconic tourist attraction was actually worth a visit.
• I typically stay away from perceived tourist traps when I travel for fear of wasting half my day standing in lines, but I arrived at the tower just as it was opening and was back on the ground just an hour and a half later. I even went up to the Sky Pod, the highest observation deck in the western hemisphere.
• A ticket agent told me that the offseason – which started the week I was visiting – typically sees wait times of around 10-15 minutes to reach the elevator, while peak-season visitors – those who travel in the summer months – can end up standing in line for up to two hours.
• With no lines, the entire experience was really enjoyable and I was able to see what the Toronto cityscape looked like from above. I’m so glad I didn’t skip out on this attraction.
• Here’s what my experience at the CN Tower was like.
• Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.

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When I hear “Toronto,” an image of the CN Tower immediately pops into my mind.

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The towering landmark sees nearly 2 million visitors every year.

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It’s located near Toronto’s Entertainment District …

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… on the same grounds as other attractions like Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada.

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In my experience with tourist attractions anywhere, it’s expected that visitors will endure some pretty wild wait times. The tower opens for visitation at 9 a.m. so that’s when I planned to get there — I wanted to hopefully beat the rush.

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Surprisingly, there was no line. There were only a few other people waiting, and lots of empty stanchion chutes. After walking through the security vestibule, I passed through an empty, outdoor ticket booth …

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… and continued on to the indoor ticket booths.

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Again, it was fairly empty and I got my ticket quickly without an issue or a hold-up.

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Ticket agents explained the different options available — I chose the $53 ticket for the main observation deck and access to the SkyPod.

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I thought it was worth it to spring for the pod experience — after all, it’s touted as one of the highest observation decks in the world at 1,465 feet.

Source: CN Tower Experience

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After getting my ticket, the agent told me to continue down a photo-lined hallway. Visitors can stop and read historical anecdotes about the landmark along the way.

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Then, I was greeted by two men working a photo station — a classic feature for any large tourist attraction is that they take your picture in front of a green screen and then print it out at the end if you want to buy it.

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After walking around another corner, I was led toward an elevator that was going to take me up to the observation deck. Everywhere I turned there were stanchions set up for long lines, but nobody was there to fill them — a ticket agent said this is typical for the morning hours especially during the offseason.

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Since there was hardly anyone else at the tower, it was just me and the CN Tower employee in the small elevator together.

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In 2008, the CN Tower elevators became the first in North America to feature glass floor panels, but they were small and difficult to see through.

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The elevator attendant told me a little bit about the observation deck and what I would see when I got there. When the doors opened, I immediately saw the view.

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The whole observation area is white and sterile-looking from the floors …

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… to the café counters.

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The main level of the observation deck has a combination of floor-to-ceiling windows …

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… and half-walls.

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The tower opens to tourists at 9 a.m., but the café doesn’t open until 10 a.m., which was kind of a bummer since I got there early.

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So instead I thought I’d explore the outdoor terrace. But again I was thwarted and found that the terrace wasn’t open yet either. — employees were waiting for security to come open the automatic doors.

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While tourists took photos on the glass portion of the floor, I remembered I had another option: the SkyPod. An employee on the main observation level scanned my ticket and showed me to another elevator.

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A couple on their honeymoon rode up to the pod with me. The pod kind of felt like the top of a lighthouse. It was cramped, had a small circumference of walk-around space, and was filled with natural light.

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The SkyPod is 33 floors above the main observation deck.

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It’s said that on a clear day visitors can see Niagara Falls from the SkyPod.

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Unfortunately, it was pretty cloudy when I was up there, so I didn’t see much. But it was still cool to be up that high.

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The attendant came back up to get us after around five minutes — visitors can’t call the elevator from the SkyPod so the attendant on-duty makes a trip to the upper level every five minutes for those who have had their fill of the view. We went back down to the main level and I went straight for some coffee.

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Iced coffee wasn’t on the menu, but the barista happily made one for me — the level of accommodation was really nice especially at a tourist attraction.

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I took the advice of foodies everywhere and decided to sit and really enjoy my coffee with a side of Toronto skyline as opposed to taking it to-go and finishing it in less than three minutes.

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As the morning went on, more and more people gathered to take photos on the see-through floor.

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The thrill-seeker in me was disappointed because it wasn’t as jaw-dropping a view as I had hoped, but I imagine it’s a difficult feat to cover a huge floor with supportive glass.

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I finally made it out onto the outdoor terrace, and wow it was windy.

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The outside area is covered with this metal fencing that obstructs the view but, of course, is meant to keep people safe.

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The fencing made me feel like I was in an area I wasn’t supposed to be in — like I walked through the “employees only” door to this cool secret view.

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Of course, that’s not the case, and anyone with a basic ticket up the tower can access the terrace, but it was a cool feeling.

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I did a quick lap around, but the wind was a bit much for me to handle — my hair was flying all over the place and the air felt a lot colder than it did on the ground — so I went back inside.

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There’s a restaurant on the upper level of the main observation deck that’s quite fancy.

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It wasn’t open during the morning hours I was visiting, but I snuck a peek through the glass doors before heading back to the ground level.

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On my way back down, the elevator seemed to be moving a lot faster. But the employee in the elevator and I decided that was just because we were now “falling” toward the ground instead of soaring away from it.

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All visitors exit through the gift shop — of course — where they sell Canada-themed clothes …

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… souvenirs …

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… and have another cafe.

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On the way out, I passed one last counter offering the chance to purchase the photo they took of me before going up to the deck. I took a pass on that, though.

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On my way out of the attraction area — nearly two hours after I first arrived — I saw that ticketing and security lines were starting to form. But it still wasn’t anything overwhelming.

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When I exited the doors of the tower, I was able to explore the grounds — it’s a nice place to walk around.

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I saw the Blue Jays’ baseball stadium …

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… the old roundhouse — a maintenance area for trains typically built in a semi-circle with a rotating piece of rail track in the center — across the road …

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… which now houses a brewery …

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… and a beautiful city skyline.

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The CN Tower is within walking distance of other Toronto neighborhoods as well as the waterfront, and visitors can reach the tower via their transportation method of choice.

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I’m usually someone who stays far away from tourist attractions when I’m traveling, but I’m glad I visited the CN Tower. Had I got caught up in lines or crowds of people, I probably would have thought differently …

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… but it’s worth getting up early and beating the rush to be able to see the whole of Toronto from the sky.