Looking for the most effective issues to do in Sudbury? This Northern Ontario gem is filled with surprises, assume 330 glowing lakes, an enormous regreening transformation, Canada’s most iconic coin, and world-class science points of interest that youngsters and adults will each love. Whether you’re after family-friendly enjoyable, nature escapes, or hands-on experiences you received’t discover anyplace else, Sudbury delivers.
We’ve explored Sudbury in each season, from skating below the celebs at Kivi Park to sending postcards 60 metres underground at Dynamic Earth. Our newest go to shocked 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 little thing price doing, seeing, and experiencing in Sudbury in 2025, together with native ideas, the place to remain, what to eat, and the can’t-miss highlights that make this considered one of Canada’s most underrated locations.
Top issues to do in Sudbury embody:
Exploring Science North’s 4 flooring of interactive reveals
Hiking, biking or paddling at Kivi Park and Lake Laurentian
Visiting the Big 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 Visit Sudbury in 2025?
Because this former mining city has pulled off one of many best environmental comebacks in Canada, planting over 10 million timber and reinventing itself as a inexperienced, family-friendly vacation spot stuffed with lakes, science, waterfalls, and murals. And it’s only a four-hour drive from Toronto.
Things to Do in Sudbury for Outdoor Lovers
Sudbury has pulled off one of the crucial dramatic makeovers in Canadian historical past. Once identified for its blackened rock and moonscape terrain, it’s now a full-blown outside paradise, because of over 10 million timber, 330 lakes, and one of many world’s most profitable regreening tasks. And the most effective half? You don’t have to go far to expertise it. Just minutes from downtown, you’ll discover forest trails, glacier-sculpted lookouts, and sure, bike trails for each stage that remodel to a skating path that lights up at night time.
We spent an extended weekend exploring all of it on foot, on bikes, and with our jaws on the bottom greater than as soon as. Here’s what you shouldn’t miss.
Kivi Park: Biking, Skating, and a View 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. If you’re into adrenaline, that is the place Sudbury will get severe.
Don’t miss the climb to the lookout. Trust us, it’s price each pedal stroke. The panoramic view from the highest stretches out over lakes and forest, exhibiting off simply how inexperienced and wild Sudbury has turn into.
In winter, Kivi Park transforms once more, with fats biking, snowshoeing, and considered one of Ontario’s most scenic skating trails that glows at night time below strings of lights. Rentals can be found on-site, so you possibly can soar in regardless of the season or ability stage.
Lake Laurentian Conservation Area: From Space Science to Beaver Ponds
Later that afternoon, we made our option to Lake Laurentian Conservation Area, and it ended up being considered one of our favorite spots within the metropolis. With over 60 kilometers of trails, you possibly can go as huge or small as you need. We caught with three quick hikes, and every one delivered severe wow issue.
Our first was the NASA Trail, a 15-minute stroll that passes the positioning of a former satellite tv for pc observatory. It’s a quiet path with an enormous presence, a reminder that Sudbury isn’t nearly mining and regrowth. It’s additionally a spot the place science has actually reached for the celebs.
We continued to the Duck Trail and the Beaver Pond Loop, and that is the place Sudbury’s transformation actually hits you. The rocky moonscape we’d seen in previous photographs is gone. In its place? Lush forest, wealthy wetlands, and peaceable trails that wind via a number of the most resilient nature we’ve ever walked. It’s arduous to imagine this was as soon as written off as wasteland. Today, it’s a worldwide success story in restoration.
Bell Park and Ramsey Lake: Easy Beauty within the Heart of the City
One of the most effective issues about Sudbury is how shut nature is to on a regular basis life. You don’t have to depart city to seek 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 planet solely 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 kind of small moments that stated quite a bit in regards to the metropolis. Sudbury has put its prosperity again into the group, and locations like Bell Park are proof.
This 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 fantastic spot to calm down after a day of mountain climbing or to kick off a full day of sightseeing.
Onaping Falls: Where Art Meets Apollo
Before we left city, we made the scenic 40-minute drive northwest to Onaping Falls. It’s not only a stunning place, it’s one of the crucial fascinating mashups of Canadian artwork historical past and area science we’ve ever come throughout.
The A.Y. Jackson Lookout gives sweeping views of the falls, which plunge 55 metres into the traditional Sudbury Basin, shaped by a meteorite impression 1.85 billion years in the past. Jackson painted this scene in 1953, and whenever you’re standing on the lookout, it’s simple to see why. You really feel the identical creative vitality, uncooked and actual, that the Group of Seven captured on canvas.
But right here’s what blew our minds: This identical geological web site drew the eye of NASA. In 1971, Apollo astronauts got here to Sudbury to review the shattercones and breccia rocks at Onaping Falls. They needed to grasp what they’d be strolling on up there, and Sudbury was their check web site.
And it labored. When Apollo 16 touched down, astronaut John Young regarded 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.
Best Family-Friendly Attractions in Sudbury
Sudbury isn’t only for nature lovers; it’s considered one of Canada’s finest locations to mix schooling, leisure, and hands-on enjoyable. The metropolis’s two flagship points of interest, Science North and Dynamic Earth, go method past the common museum. They’re immersive, interactive, and filled with the sort of experiences that make each children and adults say “wow.”
We spent a complete day exploring each, and actually, we may’ve stayed longer.
Science North: Interactive Learning on the Canadian Shield
We kicked issues off at Science North, which is about proper on Ramsey Lake and constructed straight into the traditional rock of the Canadian Shield. Before we even walked in, the placement itself made an announcement: this place is grounded in science, actually.
Inside, Science North lives as much as its status as considered one of Canada’s high science centres. There are 4 ranges of interactive reveals overlaying every little thing from area and geology to local weather, animals, and well being innovation. It’s not only for children both. We had been simply as fascinated by the shattercone shows (from Sudbury’s meteorite impression web site) as we had been by the butterfly room, the stay animal reveals, and the area exploration gallery.
One factor we observed straight away is how accessible the power is, with huge ramps, elevators, and exhibit layouts which are considerate for guests of all ages and skills.
If you’re visiting with household, put together to spend a minimum of 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 suggest pairing your go to with a stroll alongside the Bell Park boardwalk, particularly should you didn’t get to it earlier. Sunset on Ramsey Lake is pure magic.
Dynamic Earth: Go Deep into Mining History
Next up: Dynamic Earth, house of Sudbury’s most iconic attraction, the Big Nickel. But 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 arduous hats and headed straight underground. That’s proper, you descend seven storeys down into an actual mine tunnel and stroll via the historical past of mining in Canada. From the grueling, hand-drilled strategies of the early 1900s to at present’s state-of-the-art, remote-controlled operations, the tour walks you thru the actual deal.
It’s the sort of expertise that offers you an entire new appreciation for Canadian trade and innovation. And the guides? Fantastic. They shared tales that made us chortle, replicate, and genuinely respect the robust, good work that constructed this metropolis.
Outside, you’ll discover extra interactive reveals, a mining lab, and considered one of our favourite photograph ops, the 9-metre-tall Big Nickel, an enormous duplicate of the 1951 Canadian coin. It’s kitschy in one of the simplest ways, and it proudly reminds you that Sudbury’s mining legacy nonetheless runs deep.
Festivals, Food, and Sudbury Vibes
Sudbury is aware of find out how to throw a celebration, and it is aware of find out how to feed you whilst you’re at it. Whether you’re visiting within the warmth of summer season or bundled up in winter, town’s festivals, patios, and native haunts serve up one thing particular.
Summer Festivals and Live Events
We would love to go to throughout competition season. There is the Northern Lights Festival Boréal, Canada’s longest-running music competition, which attracts unbelievable expertise from throughout the nation and past. Families, buddies, and musicians fill the parks and levels.
Another native favorite is the Up Here Festival, which blends music, artwork, and big murals in a method that utterly transforms downtown. You’ll discover daring new road artwork and listen to every little thing from indie rock to throat singing. It’s fashionable, inclusive, and uniquely Sudburian. We particularly cherished the mural of Alex Trebek. A Sudbury native.
And don’t skip the Indigenous cultural celebrations and pow wows. These are a number of the most significant and delightful occasions, stuffed with drumming, dancing, and connection to the land. If you get the possibility, go.
Where to Eat, Drink, and Celebrate the North
Sudbury’s meals scene is as down-to-earth and proud as town itself. You received’t discover a variety of pretension right here, however you will see that critically good eats, craft cocktails, and a number of the coolest hidden spots in Northern Ontario. We got here hungry. We left impressed.
We began our mornings at Salute Coffee Roasters and Beni Rise & Shine and Anna Laura Patisserie, the place the espresso is next-level and the vibe is relaxed and welcoming. If you’re a espresso snob (or simply want gasoline for the path), that is your go-to.
For lunch, you possibly can’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 rooster on a bun and fresh-cut fries are legendary, and it’s simply the most effective deal on the town.
Dinner was an entire 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 sort of place the place your cutlery is polished, your prime rib is ideal, and the horseradish bites again.
Another night time, we stepped into full Canadiana mode at Made In Canada Eatery. It’s quirky, cozy, and completely enjoyable, with partitions coated in photographs of Canadian icons, and a Caesar with Canadian whisky that deserves its personal spot within the Hall of Fame. If you’re visiting for the primary time, this place units the tone for what Northern hospitality is all about.
Looking for 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 gives a strong pub menu with craft beer and comfy vibes. We additionally cherished 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.
But the night time doesn’t have to finish with dinner.
After consuming our method via Sudbury, we capped issues off at The Night Owl, a secret speakeasy you completely must expertise. Picture 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 pink velvet, jazz vibes, and the most effective Manhattans and Old Fashioneds this facet of Toronto. It’s one of many coolest spots on the town, however ensure that 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 finest 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. You may 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. Everything was contemporary, flavourful, and comforting.
Sudbury might shock you, nevertheless it received’t depart you hungry or thirsty.
A Relaxing Finish 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 little bit extra indulgent, a day on the Nordic Lounge at Ezentials. This indoor wellness spa was pure bliss. Think 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 leisure. It was like floating via area whereas our brains hit the reset button.
Ezentials was the proper option to unwind earlier than hitting the highway, and a reminder that Sudbury isn’t nearly grit and journey. It’s additionally about understanding when to decelerate and savour the second.
Where to Stay in Sudbury and How Much It Costs
One of the most effective issues about visiting Sudbury? It’s simple on the pockets and large on worth. Whether you’re road-tripping via Northern Ontario or flying in for an extended weekend, you’ll discover an awesome mixture of lodges, reasonably priced eats, and world-class points of interest, a lot of that are completely free.
Where We Stayed: Hampton Inn By Hilton Convenience with a Northern Vibe
We stayed on the Hampton Inn by Hilton, and it hit all of the marks, breakfast included, a strong fitness center, a pool to unwind, and a brilliant handy location. It’s the sort of place the place you see enterprise vacationers, particularly from the mining sector, rubbing shoulders with households and highway trippers. It felt just like the heartbeat of town handed proper via the foyer.
Rates for a keep like ours run round $800 to $1,000 for 4 nights, relying on the season. But with breakfast included (and excellent at that), it covers a variety of mornings, providing extra flexibility to splurge at dinner.
How Much Things Cost in Sudbury (with Real Numbers)
Traveling in Northern Ontario doesn’t have to interrupt the financial institution. Here’s what we really spent:
Mountain bike leases at Kivi Park: $69 for 2 bikes
Combo move for Science North & Dynamic Earth: $47 per individual
Nordic Lounge expertise at Ezentials: $60 per individual
Theatre tickets: $39 every for a implausible night time out
And a number of the finest issues in Sudbury are utterly free:
Hiking at Onaping Falls
Trails at Lake Laurentian Conservation Area
Bell Park boardwalk and Ramsey Lake views
Snapping photographs on the Big Nickel
Exploring Sudbury’s huge outside mural scene
When it involves meals, funds about $125 to $150 per day for 2 folks, overlaying every little 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.
Getting to Sudbury: Road Trip or Quick Flight
If you’re coming from Southern Ontario, Sudbury is a basic Canadian highway journey vacation spot. The four-hour drive from Toronto provides you a front-row seat because the panorama shifts from farmland to forested defend nation. It’s scenic, it’s simple, and there are nice stops alongside the way in which.
If you’re quick on time, flying is a breeze. Porter Airlines and Air Canada each supply direct flights from Toronto to the Greater 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 Around Sudbury
Once you’re right here, you’re going to desire a automobile. Attractions like Kivi Park, Onaping Falls, and even the Lake Laurentian trails are unfold throughout town and its surrounding wilderness. Expect 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 outside 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 Greater Sudbury felt essential. We weren’t simply checking off an inventory of points of interest. We had been connecting with part of Northern Ontario that’s actually rebuilding itself from the bottom up. From biking via 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.
Choosing to journey right here appears 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 artistic group constructing. Whether you’re right here to discover world-class science at Science North, take within the historical past of the Big Nickel, or stroll the paths that encompass the 4 flooring of interactive reveals on the metropolis’s high family-friendly points of interest, there’s one thing right here for everybody.
Sudbury is vibrant. It’s shocking. It’s reasonably priced. And it’s filled with causes to come back again in each season.
You’ll eat effectively. You’ll drink effectively. You’ll paddle, hike, soak, skate, and uncover new sides of Ontario you didn’t count on. And you’ll depart with a deeper appreciation for the sort of magic that occurs when nature, science, and group 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, Greater Sudbury needs to be on the high of your checklist.
FAQ: Planning Your Trip to Sudbury, Ontario
What are the highest points of interest in Greater Sudbury?
Some of the highest issues to do in Greater Sudbury embody visiting Science North with its 4 flooring of hands-on reveals, touring the underground mine at Dynamic Earth, snapping a photograph on the Big Nickel, mountain climbing Onaping Falls, and stress-free at Bell Park on Ramsey Lake. These family-friendly points of interest make Sudbury probably the greatest locations in Northern Ontario.
Is Sudbury a very good vacation spot for households?
Absolutely. Sudbury is filled with household points of interest, from the immersive experiences at Science North to outside adventures at Kivi Park and the Lake Laurentian Conservation Area. Many museums and parks are absolutely accessible, and children love exploring the underground tunnels at Dynamic Earth and assembly actual animals on the science centre.
How a lot does it value to go to Science North and Dynamic Earth?
A combo move for Science North and Dynamic Earth is round $47 per individual. It’s an awesome worth contemplating the variety of reveals, stay demonstrations, and the scale of the amenities, 4 flooring at Science North alone. Booking the combo ticket prematurely helps maximize your go to.
What is the Big Nickel in Sudbury?
The Big Nickel is a 9-meter duplicate of a 1951 Canadian coin and considered one of Canada’s most iconic roadside points of interest. It sits proper exterior Dynamic Earth and is a must-stop photograph alternative when visiting Greater Sudbury.
How do I get to Sudbury from Toronto?
You can drive from Toronto to Sudbury in about 4 hours, making it a simple Northern Ontario highway journey. If you’re quick on time, each Porter Airlines and Air Canada supply direct flights from Toronto to Greater Sudbury Airport, taking about an hour.
Is Sudbury price visiting in winter?
Yes! Winter in Sudbury gives unbelievable snow-based experiences like illuminated skating trails at Kivi Park, fats biking, and even heated yurt glamping. Plus, many indoor points of interest like Science North and the Nordic Lounge at Ezentials supply cozy methods to unwind.
Are there free issues to do in Sudbury?
Yes. Many of the most effective experiences in Sudbury, Ontario, are utterly free. You can discover the murals downtown, uncover mountain climbing trails at Onaping Falls and the Lake Laurentian Conservation Area, get pleasure from Bell Park’s lakeside boardwalk, and go to the Big Nickel with out spending a dime.