In search of the most effective issues to do in Sudbury? This Northern Ontario gem is filled with surprises, suppose 330 glowing lakes, a large regreening transformation, Canada’s most iconic coin, and world-class science sights that children and adults will each love. Whether or not you’re after family-friendly enjoyable, nature escapes, or hands-on experiences you gained’t discover wherever else, Sudbury delivers.
We’ve explored Sudbury in each season, from skating underneath the celebrities at Kivi Park to sending postcards 60 metres underground at Dynamic Earth. Our newest go to stunned us. Sudbury is in the midst of an unbelievable transformation, balancing its mining roots and a rising meals and humanities scene. This information covers every thing price doing, seeing, and experiencing in Sudbury in 2025, together with native suggestions, the place to remain, what to eat, and the can’t-miss highlights that make this certainly one of Canada’s most underrated locations.
Prime issues to do in Sudbury embody:
Exploring Science North’s 4 flooring of interactive displays
Mountaineering, biking or paddling at Kivi Park and Lake Laurentian
Visiting the Huge Nickel and going underground at Dynamic Earth
Chilling at Bell Park on Ramsey Lake (the world’s 2nd largest city-contained lake)
Taking in Onaping Falls from the A.Y. Jackson Lookout
Discovering downtown murals, native eating, and family-friendly occasions year-round
Why Go to Sudbury in 2025?
As a result of this former mining city has pulled off one of many best environmental comebacks in Canada, planting over 10 million bushes and reinventing itself as a inexperienced, family-friendly vacation spot full of lakes, science, waterfalls, and murals. And it’s only a four-hour drive from Toronto.
Issues to Do in Sudbury for Out of doors Lovers
Sudbury has pulled off one of the crucial dramatic makeovers in Canadian historical past. As soon as identified for its blackened rock and moonscape terrain, it’s now a full-blown out of doors paradise, due to over 10 million bushes, 330 lakes, and one of many world’s most profitable regreening tasks. And the most effective half? You don’t must go far to expertise it. Simply minutes from downtown, you’ll discover forest trails, glacier-sculpted lookouts, and sure, bike trails for each degree that rework to a skating path that lights up at night time.
We spent a protracted weekend exploring all of it on foot, on bikes, and with our jaws on the bottom greater than as soon as. Right here’s what you shouldn’t miss.
Kivi Park: Biking, Skating, and a View Definitely worth the Climb
We began our day at Kivi Park, a 480-acre pure playground in Sudbury’s south finish. This place is a dream for energetic vacationers. We rented mountain bikes and hit the paths, which vary from mellow forest paths to quick, flowy single-track loaded with ramps and jumps. When you’re into adrenaline, that is the place Sudbury will get severe.
Don’t miss the climb to the lookout. Belief us, it’s price each pedal stroke. The panoramic view from the highest stretches out over lakes and forest, displaying off simply how inexperienced and wild Sudbury has grow to be.
In winter, Kivi Park transforms once more, with fats biking, snowshoeing, and certainly one of Ontario’s most scenic skating trails that glows at night time underneath strings of lights. Leases can be found on-site, so you’ll be able to bounce in regardless of the season or ability degree.
Lake Laurentian Conservation Space: From Area Science to Beaver Ponds
Later that afternoon, we made our strategy to Lake Laurentian Conservation Space, and it ended up being certainly one of our favorite spots within the metropolis. With over 60 kilometers of trails, you’ll be able to go as massive or small as you need. We caught with three quick hikes, and every one delivered severe wow issue.
Our first was the NASA Path, a 15-minute stroll that passes the positioning of a former satellite tv for pc observatory. It’s a quiet path with a giant presence, a reminder that Sudbury isn’t nearly mining and regrowth. It’s additionally a spot the place science has actually reached for the celebrities.
We continued to the Duck Path and the Beaver Pond Loop, and that is the place Sudbury’s transformation actually hits you. The rocky moonscape we’d seen in previous pictures is gone. As an alternative? Lush forest, wealthy wetlands, and peaceable trails that wind by way of a few of the most resilient nature we’ve ever walked. It’s laborious to consider this was as soon as written off as wasteland. As we speak, it’s a worldwide success story in restoration.
Bell Park and Ramsey Lake: Simple Magnificence within the Coronary heart of the Metropolis
The most effective issues about Sudbury is how shut nature is to on a regular basis life. You don’t have to go away city to search out it. We took a dawn, noon, and sundown stroll alongside the Bell Park Boardwalk, a 2-kilometre path that hugs the shoreline of Ramsey Lake, the second-largest lake on the earth fully inside metropolis limits.
We handed joggers, households, college students, and even a pleasant native who handed us peanuts to feed the squirrels. It was a type of small moments that stated lots in regards to the metropolis. Sudbury has put its prosperity again into the neighborhood, and locations like Bell Park are proof.
That is the place you’ll additionally discover boat launches, picnic areas, a supervised seaside, and a commemorative plaque marking the ten millionth tree planted in the course of the regreening marketing campaign. It’s a good looking spot to chill out after a day of mountain climbing or to kick off a full day of sightseeing.
Onaping Falls: The place Artwork Meets Apollo
Earlier than we left city, we made the scenic 40-minute drive northwest to Onaping Falls. It’s not only a lovely place, it’s one of the crucial fascinating mashups of Canadian artwork historical past and house science we’ve ever come throughout.
The A.Y. Jackson Lookout presents sweeping views of the falls, which plunge 55 metres into the traditional Sudbury Basin, fashioned by a meteorite influence 1.85 billion years in the past. Jackson painted this scene in 1953, and if you’re standing on the lookout, it’s simple to see why. You’re feeling the identical creative vitality, uncooked and actual, that the Group of Seven captured on canvas.
However right here’s what blew our minds: This identical geological website drew the eye of NASA. In 1971, Apollo astronauts got here to Sudbury to review the shattercones and breccia rocks at Onaping Falls. They wished to know what they’d be strolling on up there, and Sudbury was their take a look at website.
And it labored. When Apollo 16 touched down, astronaut John Younger seemed across the lunar panorama and stated:“It looks like a Sudbury breccia.”That’s proper, Sudbury is the one Canadian metropolis ever talked about from the floor of the moon.
Greatest Household-Pleasant Sights in Sudbury
Sudbury isn’t only for nature lovers; it’s certainly one of Canada’s greatest locations to mix schooling, leisure, and hands-on enjoyable. The town’s two flagship sights, Science North and Dynamic Earth, go method past the typical museum. They’re immersive, interactive, and filled with the type of experiences that make each youngsters and adults say “wow.”
We spent a whole day exploring each, and actually, we might’ve stayed longer.
Science North: Interactive Studying on the Canadian Protect
We kicked issues off at Science North, which is about proper on Ramsey Lake and constructed instantly into the traditional rock of the Canadian Protect. Earlier than we even walked in, the placement itself made a press release: this place is grounded in science, actually.
Inside, Science North lives as much as its status as certainly one of Canada’s prime science centres. There are 4 ranges of interactive displays protecting every thing from house and geology to local weather, animals, and well being innovation. It’s not only for youngsters both. We had been simply as fascinated by the shattercone shows (from Sudbury’s meteorite influence website) as we had been by the butterfly room, the reside animal displays, and the house exploration gallery.
One factor we seen straight away is how accessible the power is, with vast ramps, elevators, and exhibit layouts which can be considerate for guests of all ages and skills.
When you’re visiting with household, put together to spend not less than half a day right here, particularly should you catch a movie on the IMAX with Laser Theatre, Northern Ontario’s solely true giant-screen cinema. We advocate pairing your go to with a stroll alongside the Bell Park boardwalk, particularly should you didn’t get to it earlier. Sundown on Ramsey Lake is pure magic.
Dynamic Earth: Go Deep into Mining Historical past
Subsequent up: Dynamic Earth, dwelling of Sudbury’s most iconic attraction, the Huge Nickel. However this isn’t your common photograph cease. It’s the gateway to one of the crucial immersive science experiences within the nation.
We grabbed our laborious hats and headed straight underground. That’s proper, you descend seven storeys down into an actual mine tunnel and stroll by way of the historical past of mining in Canada. From the grueling, hand-drilled strategies of the early 1900s to right this moment’s state-of-the-art, remote-controlled operations, the tour walks you thru the true deal.
It’s the type of expertise that offers you a complete new appreciation for Canadian trade and innovation. And the guides? Improbable. They shared tales that made us giggle, replicate, and genuinely respect the powerful, good work that constructed this metropolis.
Outdoors, you’ll discover extra interactive displays, a mining lab, and certainly one of our favourite photograph ops, the 9-metre-tall Huge Nickel, a large duplicate of the 1951 Canadian coin. It’s kitschy in the easiest way, and it proudly reminds you that Sudbury’s mining legacy nonetheless runs deep.
Festivals, Meals, and Sudbury Vibes
Sudbury is aware of how you can throw a celebration, and it is aware of how you can feed you when you’re at it. Whether or not you’re visiting within the warmth of summer time or bundled up in winter, town’s festivals, patios, and native haunts serve up one thing particular.
Summer time Festivals and Dwell Occasions
We might love to go to throughout competition season. There’s the Northern Lights Pageant Boréal, Canada’s longest-running music competition, which pulls unbelievable expertise from throughout the nation and past. Households, associates, and musicians fill the parks and phases.
One other native favorite is the Up Right here Pageant, which blends music, artwork, and large murals in a method that fully transforms downtown. You’ll detect daring new avenue artwork and listen to every thing from indie rock to throat singing. It’s trendy, inclusive, and uniquely Sudburian. We particularly liked the mural of Alex Trebek. A Sudbury native.
And don’t skip the Indigenous cultural celebrations and pow wows. These are a few of the most significant and delightful occasions, full of drumming, dancing, and connection to the land. When you get the prospect, go.
The place to Eat, Drink, and Have fun the North
Sudbury’s meals scene is as down-to-earth and proud as town itself. You gained’t discover lots of pretension right here, however one can find severely good eats, craft cocktails, and a few of the coolest hidden spots in Northern Ontario. We got here hungry. We left impressed.
We began our mornings at Salute Espresso Roasters and Beni Rise & Shine and Anna Laura Patisserie, the place the espresso is next-level and the vibe is relaxed and welcoming. When you’re a espresso snob (or simply want gas for the path), that is your go-to.
For lunch, you’ll be able to’t miss Deluxe Hamburgers, a real Sudbury establishment. Locals jokingly name this a “one-arch town” as a result of Deluxe has been holding its floor for many years regardless of the Golden Arches opening up proper throughout from it. The hen on a bun and fresh-cut fries are legendary, and it’s simply the most effective deal on the town.
Dinner was a complete journey in itself. One night time, we went full retro at Mr. Prime Rib, a basic steakhouse the place the meat is king and the service is old-school impeccable. It’s the type of place the place your cutlery is polished, your prime rib is ideal, and the horseradish bites again.
One other night time, we stepped into full Canadiana mode at Made In Canada Eatery. It’s quirky, cozy, and completely enjoyable, with partitions lined in pictures of Canadian icons, and a Caesar with Canadian whisky that deserves its personal spot within the Corridor of Fame. When you’re visiting for the primary time, this place units the tone for what Northern hospitality is all about.
In search of wood-fired pizzas or an off-the-cuff upscale vibe? Ripe Restaurant serves scrumptious, crisp pies straight from the oven, whereas The Daventry Kitchen & Bar presents a stable pub menu with craft beer and comfy vibes. We additionally liked Gloria’s Restaurant, a Sudbury basic since 1952, and Eddie’s Restaurant, which locals love for its family-style eating room and separate sports activities bar. Bonus trivia: “Shorsey” was filmed right here, sure, that Shorsey.
However the night time doesn’t have to finish with dinner.
After consuming our method by way of Sudbury, we capped issues off at The Night time Owl, a secret speakeasy you completely must expertise. Image this: you head down an alley, discover an old-school payphone, and provides the password. The hostess greets you and leads you thru a hidden door behind a wall of books. Inside, it’s a full-on Nineteen Twenties-style cocktail lounge, with purple velvet, jazz vibes, and the most effective Manhattans and Outdated Fashioneds this facet of Toronto. It’s one of many coolest spots on the town, however make certain to e-book prematurely; it’s unique for a purpose.
And should you’re up for yet another spherical? Head to The Laughing Buddha for craft cocktails and globally impressed dishes on one of many metropolis’s greatest patios. Then stroll subsequent door to the Townhouse Tavern, a dive bar with coronary heart the place Stompin’ Tom Connors discovered the inspiration for his well-known anthem, Sudbury Saturday Night time. You possibly can even snap a photograph along with his statue within the park close by.
For our farewell dinner, we had an unbelievable meal at Sapporo Ichibang, the place genuine Japanese and Korean dishes warmed us up from the within out. All the things was contemporary, flavourful, and comforting.
Sudbury could shock you, but it surely gained’t go away you hungry or thirsty.
A Enjoyable End at Ezentials Nordic Lounge
After a number of days of mountain climbing, biking, and sightseeing, we wrapped up our Sudbury journey with one thing a bit extra indulgent, a day on the Nordic Lounge at Ezentials. This indoor wellness spa was pure bliss. Suppose cedar sauna, eucalyptus steam room, cold-mist showers, and dimmed lights with chill music within the background.
We grabbed a few robes, sipped a glass of wine within the lounge, and simply let all of it go. We even tried the Starlight Suite, the place we skilled vibrational sound remedy in a darkish, star-lit room designed for deep rest. It was like floating by way of house whereas our brains hit the reset button.
Ezentials was the right strategy to unwind earlier than hitting the street, and a reminder that Sudbury isn’t nearly grit and journey. It’s additionally about figuring out when to decelerate and savour the second.
The place to Keep in Sudbury and How A lot It Prices
The most effective issues about visiting Sudbury? It’s simple on the pockets and large on worth. Whether or not you’re road-tripping by way of Northern Ontario or flying in for a protracted weekend, you’ll discover an incredible mixture of accommodations, inexpensive eats, and world-class sights, lots of that are completely free.
The place We Stayed: Hampton Inn By Hilton Comfort with a Northern Vibe
We stayed on the Hampton Inn by Hilton, and it hit all of the marks, breakfast included, a stable gymnasium, a pool to unwind, and a brilliant handy location. It’s the type of place the place you see enterprise vacationers, particularly from the mining sector, rubbing shoulders with households and street trippers. It felt just like the heartbeat of town handed proper by way of the foyer.
Charges for a keep like ours run round $800 to $1,000 for 4 nights, relying on the season. However with breakfast included (and excellent at that), it covers lots of mornings, providing extra flexibility to splurge at dinner.
How A lot Issues Value in Sudbury (with Actual Numbers)
Touring in Northern Ontario doesn’t have to interrupt the financial institution. Right here’s what we really spent:
Mountain bike leases at Kivi Park: $69 for 2 bikes
Combo go for Science North & Dynamic Earth: $47 per individual
Nordic Lounge expertise at Ezentials: $60 per individual
Theatre tickets: $39 every for a improbable night time out
And a few of the greatest issues in Sudbury are fully free:
Mountaineering at Onaping Falls
Trails at Lake Laurentian Conservation Space
Bell Park boardwalk and Ramsey Lake views
Snapping pictures on the Huge Nickel
Exploring Sudbury’s large out of doors mural scene
In relation to meals, funds about $125 to $150 per day for 2 folks, protecting every thing from informal lunch stops to good sit-down dinners. Sudbury’s mixture of retro diners, native gems, and upscale surprises made that simple to stretch.
Attending to Sudbury: Highway Journey or Fast Flight
When you’re coming from Southern Ontario, Sudbury is a basic Canadian street journey vacation spot. The four-hour drive from Toronto provides you a front-row seat because the panorama shifts from farmland to forested protect nation. It’s scenic, it’s simple, and there are nice stops alongside the way in which.
When you’re quick on time, flying is a breeze. Porter Airways and Air Canada each supply direct flights from Toronto to the Higher Sudbury Airport, getting you right here in about an hour. And for these coming from out west, we’ve heard new direct flights from Calgary are making it even simpler to discover the North.
Getting Round Sudbury
When you’re right here, you’re going to desire a automobile. Sights like Kivi Park, Onaping Falls, and even the Lake Laurentian trails are unfold throughout town and its surrounding wilderness. Count on to pay round $70 to $90 per day for a compact rental automobile, with bigger SUVs costing a bit extra, however completely price it should you’re hauling out of doors gear or touring as a household.
Plan Your Sudbury Getaway
Look, a trip can simply be a trip, or it may be one thing extra.
Our journey to Higher Sudbury felt necessary. We weren’t simply checking off a listing of sights. We had been connecting with part of Northern Ontario that’s actually rebuilding itself from the bottom up. From biking by way of reforested trails at Kivi Park to sending postcards from deep inside a mine at Dynamic Earth, we noticed a metropolis that’s not simply pleased with its previous, it’s investing in its future.
Selecting to journey right here looks like an funding in our personal yard.
You’re supporting a family-friendly Ontario metropolis that’s main the way in which in environmental restoration, hands-on schooling, and inventive neighborhood constructing. Whether or not you’re right here to discover world-class science at Science North, take within the historical past of the Huge Nickel, or stroll the paths that encompass the 4 flooring of interactive displays on the metropolis’s prime family-friendly sights, there’s one thing right here for everybody.
Sudbury is vibrant. It’s shocking. It’s inexpensive. And it’s filled with causes to return again in each season.
You’ll eat nicely. You’ll drink nicely. You’ll paddle, hike, soak, skate, and uncover new sides of Ontario you didn’t count on. And also you’ll go away with a deeper appreciation for the type of magic that occurs when nature, science, and neighborhood come collectively.
So whether or not you’re planning your subsequent lengthy weekend, chasing fall colors, or searching for a winter journey with coronary heart, Higher Sudbury ought to be on the prime of your record.
FAQ: Planning Your Journey to Sudbury, Ontario
What are the highest sights in Higher Sudbury?
A number of the prime issues to do in Higher Sudbury embody visiting Science North with its 4 flooring of hands-on displays, touring the underground mine at Dynamic Earth, snapping a photograph on the Huge Nickel, mountain climbing Onaping Falls, and stress-free at Bell Park on Ramsey Lake. These family-friendly sights make Sudbury the most effective locations in Northern Ontario.
Is Sudbury a great vacation spot for households?
Completely. Sudbury is filled with household sights, from the immersive experiences at Science North to out of doors adventures at Kivi Park and the Lake Laurentian Conservation Space. Many museums and parks are absolutely accessible, and youngsters love exploring the underground tunnels at Dynamic Earth and assembly actual animals on the science centre.
How a lot does it price to go to Science North and Dynamic Earth?
A combo go for Science North and Dynamic Earth is round $47 per individual. It’s an incredible worth contemplating the variety of displays, reside demonstrations, and the scale of the services, 4 flooring at Science North alone. Reserving the combo ticket prematurely helps maximize your go to.
What’s the Huge Nickel in Sudbury?
The Huge Nickel is a 9-meter duplicate of a 1951 Canadian coin and certainly one of Canada’s most iconic roadside sights. It sits proper outdoors Dynamic Earth and is a must-stop photograph alternative when visiting Higher Sudbury.
How do I get to Sudbury from Toronto?
You possibly can drive from Toronto to Sudbury in about 4 hours, making it a simple Northern Ontario street journey. When you’re quick on time, each Porter Airways and Air Canada supply direct flights from Toronto to Higher Sudbury Airport, taking about an hour.
Is Sudbury price visiting in winter?
Sure! Winter in Sudbury presents unbelievable snow-based experiences like illuminated skating trails at Kivi Park, fats biking, and even heated yurt glamping. Plus, many indoor sights like Science North and the Nordic Lounge at Ezentials supply cozy methods to unwind.
Are there free issues to do in Sudbury?
Sure. Lots of the greatest experiences in Sudbury, Ontario, are fully free. You possibly can discover the murals downtown, uncover mountain climbing trails at Onaping Falls and the Lake Laurentian Conservation Space, get pleasure from Bell Park’s lakeside boardwalk, and go to the Huge Nickel with out spending a dime.
