A Perfect Day in Tobermory
Located along the shores of Georgian Bay, Tobermory is known for its beautiful crystal blue water, scenic hiking, and historic shipwrecks. The town of Tobermory itself is quaint and gives major East Coast vibes despite being located in Southern Ontario. My family is lucky to live only a couple hours drive away, so one weekend we decided to pack up the car and embark on a perfect one-day trip to Tobermory.
A Tobermory Day Trip Itinerary
This post will break down the details of my family’s perfect day trip to Tobermory, Ontario. I’ll be touching on where to go, what to see, and what to eat! Here’s a rough outline of what we did:
- Hike the Grotto
- Swim at Indian Head Cove
- Lunch in Tobermory
- Explore the town of Tobermory
- Glass bottom boat tour
Getting to Tobermory
As I mentioned above, Tobermory is located on the shores of Georgian Bay in Southern Ontario. The town of Tobermory is located at the northernmost tip of the gorgeous Bruce Peninsula. The easiest/only way to get to Tobermory is by car. From Toronto it’s roughly a four hour drive. If you’re coming from the GTA, I’d suggest staying overnight to make the most of your trip. There are some great campsites and some cute motels that can be booked in advance.
When to Visit Tobermory
Tobermory is an incredibly popular summer destination. If you are planning to visit between June and August, be sure to book your parking, accommodations, reservations, and any activities well in advance. Also, be prepared for throngs of tourists everywhere you go while visiting.
If that doesn’t sound like your jam, I’d suggest visiting in May, September, or October. While still popular at these times of year, Tobermory will be far less busy than the peak summer months. Going in the off-season makes it easier to plan and secure your bookings.
During the winter months, Tobermory basically shuts down. It is very much a seasonal town, which is why I would not recommend a visit in the winter if you are looking to get the most out of Tobermory.
Now, let’s get into our Tobermory day trip itinerary!
Stop One: The Grotto
We started our morning with a nice hike/walk out to the Grotto, one of Tobermory’s most famous landmarks. The trails can be accessed from the parking lot at Cypress Lake. Make sure to book your parking in advance! Confirmed reservations are required from April 30 to October 31, so don’t forget to do this! You can make your reservation here. Be sure to arrive on time as reservations are for four hour time slots.
From the Cyprus Lake parking lot, the Grotto is approximately a 2km hike into the park on very well maintained trails. The trails are extremely well marked, making it easy to find the Grotto. Along the way you’ll get to marvel at other natural beauties such as Horse Lake and Indian Head Cove. We returned to Indian Head Cove after seeing the Grotto to go for a little swim.
The Grotto is an incredible cave carved into the limestone rock face of the Bruce Peninsula. Surrounded by crystal clear turquoise water, the Grotto is quite spectacular! The trail will bring you to the top of the Grotto. From there you can peak over the edge to see the Grotto opening down at shore level. To view the inside of the cave, you can climb down the rock face. My only caution is that some of the terrain is a bit tricky to climb. Make sure you assess the terrain before committing to climbing down.
Stop Two: Indian Head Cove
The next stop on our Tobermory day trip was Indian Head Cove. As I mentioned above, Indian Head Cove is along the trail you hike to get to the Grotto. Indian Head Cove is a great place to swim because it has a flat rock beach which makes it easy to walk or jump into the water. Swimming at the Grotto itself would be a bit more challenging.
There are two washrooms located near Indian Head Cove and the Grotto where you can change into a swim suit if you plan to swim. We visited in May, so we did more of a cold plunge than a swim. It was still lots of fun and the weather was gorgeous that day.
Stop Three: Lunch at Tobermory Brewing Co.
After our swim at Indian Head Cove, we headed back to the car to drive into town for lunch. We ate on the patio at the Tobermory Brewing Co., which was delicious! The patio boasts beautiful views of the harbour and the surrounding town. Just down the street from the Brewing Co. there is The Fish and Chips Place which also seemed to be quite popular.
Stop Four: Exploring Tobermory
It wouldn’t be a Tobermory day trip without exploring the town of Tobermory! After lunch we wandered around town popping in and out of shops, until our glass bottom boat tour reservation at 3pm.
Although it is quite small, Tobermory has a great selection of shops. The Reader’s Haven Book Shop has a great selection of books, gifts, and souvenirs; The Sweet Shop has – you guessed it – an insane selection of sweets; Golden Gallery is home to some stunning local artwork; and the Mariner Chart Shop has great Tobermory merch such as clothing, stickers, maps and more!
Before heading to the dock for our boat tour, we stopped at Stella’s Gelato and Café for a sweet treat. The café has a mouth-watering selection of baked goods, gelato, and fruit popsicles. I got the mango popsicle and it was delicious!
Stop Five: A Glass Bottom Boat Tour
Taking a glass bottom boat tour is a classic Tobermory tourist activity. One of Tobermory’s famous sights is the Sweepstakes Schooner shipwreck in Big Tub Harbour. The glass bottom boat tour passes directly over the incredibly preserved shipwreck with only five feet of clearance so passengers get an up-close-and-personal view of the wreck. Since Tobermory’s waters are so clear, you get an incredibly clear view of the wreck through the glass bottom or from the deck of the boat.
There are several different companies that conduct these boat tours and each company offers different tour options. We did the Stay Aboard Glass Bottom Scenic Tour with Blue Heron Cruises. The tour is 90 minutes and includes:
- Visit to Big Tub Harbour to view the Sweepstakes Schooner shipwreck
- Cruise past the Big Tub Lighthouse
- Cruise through the Devil Island Channel
- Cruise past Flowerpot Island and its famous flowerpots!
There is also a longer tour available that will drop you off on Flowerpot Island to explore the 4kms of hiking trails. We didn’t do this, but I would love to come back another time to do it!
I would recommend bringing warmer layers with you on the tour. Even if it’s a hot day, it can be much colder out on the water. A rain jacket, long pants, and a sweater are a good idea. Also, a hat and sunglasses if it’s a sunny day.
More Canadian Adventures
If you liked this post, be sure to check out some of my other Canadian adventures!
A Weekend Hike in Lion’s Head Provincial Park
A Friendsgiving Roadtrip in Newfoundland
Thanksgiving Weekend on Vancouver Island
A (Self-Proclaimed) Local’s Guide to Vancouver
Final Thoughts
We had such a wonderful time visiting Tobermory for the day. I’ve been before a couple of times and it is a place that I would be happy to return to over and over. There is so much to explore. I hope you enjoyed this one day Tobermory Itinerary! If you found this post helpful, please be sure to leave a review and a comment. I love to hear from you! As always, if you use this guide, be sure to tag me on Instagram.
Happy adventuring!
xx
Ashley