When the downtown asphalt pushes past 30 °C in July, Torontonians vanish. Not by magic — they go down. Under Yonge, under King, under Bay runs the PATH: a pedestrian tunnel network of over 30 km connecting 75 buildings, 4 subway stations, the St. Lawrence Market, Union Station, the Eaton Centre, the Hockey Hall of Fame, and three major office towers. According to Guinness, it's the largest underground shopping complex on the planet.
Why go down there
First, the temperature: a steady 21 °C no matter how brutal it gets at street level. Second, because it's a Toronto most visitors completely miss — a maze of shops, food courts, indie bookstores, hidden bars, marble fountains from the 1960s. You'll cross paths with lawyers in suits moving fast, lost tourist families, students cramming in windowless cafés. The city goes on, but flipped.
The short history
The first tunnels date back to 1900: Toronto Union Station was linked underground to the Royal York Hotel so travellers wouldn't have to face the Canadian winter. In the 1960s and 70s, developers started connecting their own buildings to attract tenants and customers. The city only started coordinating in 1987 — which is why the signage is still sometimes confusing, a leftover of multiple owners.
The guided tour
A PATH walking tour runs about 2 hours and usually starts at the Toronto Eaton Centre. The guide points out art deco remnants, original staircases, murals commissioned in the 1980s. You'll learn that some buildings have their own colour-coded carpets to help with orientation, that rats don't live down here (filtered air), and that this is where Glenn Gould recorded his late piano sessions at the CBC without ever seeing daylight.
Bonus: most guides wrap up near the St. Lawrence Market, where you can stop for a peameal bacon sandwich before resurfacing.
Who this tour is for
- Visitors staying 3+ days in Toronto: it's an unexpected angle on the city
- Locals who walk part of the PATH every day without knowing its story
- Families with teens: the "underground city" framing lands well
- Anyone on a heatwave day or in pouring rain
Practical tips
Download the official PATH map before going down — the network is broken into colour-coded zones (orange, red, blue, yellow) that point to the main exits. On weekends several sections close (the PATH primarily serves offices), so weekdays are better if you want to explore deeply.
Guided tours available June through August 2026, multiple time slots per week. Book 48 h ahead for groups over 4 people.