Free
Waterfront Trail and Confederation Park
Walk the harbour from Confederation Park across from City Hall, past the marina toward the lake. Free, flat and pretty.
Thousand Islands, Ontario
Kingston
Canada's first capital, built of grey limestone where Lake Ontario becomes the St. Lawrence, with a fortress, a free island ferry and a canal that's a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Photo: Kingston City Hall, Ontario, DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0
Canada's first capital is built of grey limestone, right where Lake Ontario turns into the St. Lawrence. From the domed City Hall and the market square, Princess Street climbs uphill. Queen's University, the Royal Military College and Fort Henry are all around the harbour.
The water is never far. Walk the lakefront parks, ride the free ferry to Wolfe Island, take a Thousand Islands cruise, or watch boats rise in the locks at Kingston Mills on the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Outdoors and nature
Trails, lookouts, waterfalls, beaches and time on the water come first.
Free
Wolfe Island ferry
A free car and foot ferry from downtown to Wolfe Island, the largest of the Thousand Islands. The ride itself is a harbour tour.
Free
Lake Ontario Park
A big lakefront park west of downtown with walking paths, a splash pad and shoreline views.
Free
Kingston Mills Locks
Four locks on the Rideau Canal in a rocky gorge just north of the city. Watch boats lock through in season.
Cheap
Lemoine Point Conservation Area
Trails through forest and meadow down to the Lake Ontario shore, west of the city.
Paid
Thousand Islands cruise
Kingston 1000 Islands Cruises runs harbour and island cruises from downtown in season.
Season Daily cruises roughly May–Oct (check before you go).
Sights and attractions
Museums, landmarks and the places people come here for.
Free
Kingston City Hall
The domed 1840s limestone landmark facing the harbour. Free tours are offered in summer.
Free
Agnes Etherington Art Centre
Queen's University's art gallery, with Rembrandt paintings among its collection. Admission is free.
Cheap
Bellevue House
Parks Canada's Italianate villa where Sir John A. Macdonald once lived.
Season Open roughly mid-May–mid-Oct (check before you go).
Paid
Fort Henry
A massive 1830s fortress on the hill above the harbour, with drills and the summer Sunset Ceremonies. Part of the Rideau Canal UNESCO site.
Paid
Kingston Penitentiary tours
Guided tours inside the historic 1835 penitentiary, which closed in 2013. Tours run April to October.
Markets, shops and festivals
Main streets, markets and the dates worth planning around.
Free
Kingston Public Market
The farmers' market in Springer Market Square behind City Hall, one of the oldest in Ontario. Seasonal days.
Season Seasonal, check official site.
Free
Princess Street shops
Kingston's main shopping street, climbing from the waterfront through independent stores and cafés.
Book a tour or activity
Cruises, tours and experiences people book here. Each one goes to the operator's official page, and you can still add it to your trip.
Kingston Trolley Tours
Hop-on, hop-off trolley loop past the city's main sights.
The Haunted Walk of Kingston
Evening ghost-story walking tour of downtown.
Also bookable, listed above
These are in the lists above, so we don't repeat them here.
- Thousand Islands cruise Cruise
- Fort Henry Tickets
- Kingston Penitentiary tours Tour
Part of our Thousand Islands guides.
Make it a weekend
Why stay the night
- Fort Henry's summer Sunset Ceremonies are an evening event, so don't plan to race home.
- A Thousand Islands cruise, Wolfe Island and downtown each take half a day.
- Prince Edward County and Gananoque are both close, so Kingston works well for two nights.
Nearby and worth the drive
Gananoqueabout 30 min · Guide ↗
Boat tours deep into the Thousand Islands.
Brockvilleabout 80 min · Guide ↗The railway tunnel and a river waterfront, farther down the Canadian shore.
Alexandria Bay and Claytonabout 60 min · Guide ↗The American river villages, Boldt Castle and the Antique Boat Museum. A passport is required.
Prince Edward Countyabout 60 min · Guide ↗Dunes, wineries and villages, via the free Glenora ferry.
Ready-made trips with Kingston
3 days · Kingston → Prince Edward County
Limestone city and the dunes
Kingston's fort and islands, the free Glenora ferry, then Sandbanks and County villages.
3 days · Gananoque → Kingston → Ottawa
Thousand Islands to the capital
Island cruises, a limestone fortress city, then up the Rideau corridor to Ottawa.
Good to know
- Tourism: visitkingston.ca; visitor centre at 209 Ontario Street, across from City Hall.
- Wolfe Island ferry: Free; details on Ontario ferry services.
- We list only places we can check against an official source. Hours, seasons and prices change, so confirm before you go.
Photos on this page
Photo: Kingston City Hall, Ontario, DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: The Wolfe Islander III ferry docked in Kingston, UkrainianSSR, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: The Island Belle I cruise boat in Kingston harbour, Pierre André Leclercq, CC BY 4.0
Photo: The Fort Henry Guard inside Fort Henry, Kingston, Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 4.0