A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Boise vs. Toronto for Attractions, Nightlife, Food, and Families

Should you visit Boise or Toronto?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Boise or Toronto? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Boise

Boise is a friendly, welcoming, and authentic city. Other reasons to visit include nightlife, shopping, and museums. See Boise travel costs.

Toronto

Toronto is a vibrant, cultural, and diverse city. Visitors will also find so much to do here because it's a large city with many sights and attractions. It's also popular because of the food, shopping, and museums. See Toronto travel costs.

Is there more to do in Boise or Toronto?

You'll generally find more things to do in Toronto than Boise. Toronto is bigger than Boise, and it also has more attractions and activities for travelers. Toronto is more touristy than Boise and is known for its art and culture, diverse cuisine, and multi-cultural population. Also, Toronto is famous for the CN Tower. Boise is well known for its many outdoor and recreational activities.

How is Boise different from Toronto?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

Let's take a look at the differences and similarities between Toronto and Boise. Then, you can decide for yourself which place is better for your next trip.

Are the Museums and Historical Sights Better in Boise or Toronto?

Toronto is a must-visit destination for its museums and history. Also, Boise is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its museums and landmarks.

With plenty of landmarks, attractions, and museums, Toronto has many famous sights for visitors. The city is filled with landmarks and museums such as the CN Tower and the Royal Ontario Museum. Ripley's Aquarium is a highlight for many visitors. It's near the CN Tower and has an underwater tunnel. The city is also filled with art galleries and cultural sights. Another must is a visit to Casa Loma and, of course, the Toronto Zoo.

Boise is a good place to visit if you're interested in museums or other recognizable sights. As the state capital, there's a nice selection of local museums around town. Favorites include the Boise Art Museum, the Basque Museum & Cultural Center, the Idaho Black History Museum, and Discovery Center.

Is the Food Better in Boise or Toronto? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

Toronto is an excellent place to visit for its restaurants. However, Boise is lacking in options for its restaurant scene.

Toronto has a number of nationally recognized food spots and restaurants. The food scene is as diverse as the city itself. You'll find classic Canadian favorites like peameal bacon sandwiches and beavertails, as well as almost any international cuisine you could want. Make sure you try the dim sum, roti, and street hot dogs.

Boise offers some easy restaurants to choose from. While Idaho has long been associated with the potato, the locals usually think of "finger steaks" when describing local food. These are deep-friend beef strips that are as good as they sound.

Is Boise or Toronto Better for Nightlife?

Toronto is a must-visit destination for its evening party scene. Also, Boise is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for nightlife.

Toronto is a world class party destination. It's a diverse nightlife scene, with upscale lounges, dive bars, live music, and high energy nightclubs. Popular areas for nightlife include King Street, the Ossington Strip, College Street, and Kensington Market.

Boise has an active nightlife scene for those who seek it out. In downtown Boise you'll find a selection of bars, lounges, and breweries. There's enough around town to keep the nightlife scene interesting.

Is the Shopping Better in Boise or Toronto?

Toronto is a must-visit destination for its shopping areas. Also, Boise is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for shopping.

Many people travel to Toronto specifically to go shopping. Shopping is huge here, with plenty of options available that range from large malls to vintage stores or flea markets. Eaton Center on Yonge Street is a major shopping area. Yonge Street is also home to more than 600 retail stores.

Boise is a great destination for shopping. You'll find a mix of local boutiques, independent vendors, and suburban shopping centers where you'll find anything that you might need.

Is Boise or Toronto Better for Families?

Toronto is an excellent place to visit for its kid-friendly activities. However, Boise is lacking in options for its family-friendly activities.

You'll find plenty of family-friendly things to do in Toronto. Kids will enjoy the city's many family-friendly museums like the Royal Ontario Museum or the Ontario Science Center. Younger kids will have fun playing at the Centreville Theme Park while all ages will love a day at Canada's Wonderland. Black Creek Pioneer Village is a highlight for many families as well.

Boise doesn't usually come to mind when thinking about kid-friendly destinations. You'll find parks, playgrounds, and the Discovery Center which will help keep kids entertained.

Is Boise or Toronto Better for Couples?

Toronto is an excellent place to visit for couples. However, Boise is lacking in options for romance.

Toronto makes for a fun place to visit for a couple. This city is full of energy, and couples can enjoy amazing meals, impressive shows, and romantic outings. You can picnic at a park or check out the view from CN Tower. There are also dinner cruises and live theater.

Boise is not the best destination for a couple to visit. Date night activities include dining at a nice restaurants and seeing a show at the theater.

Is Boise or Toronto Better for Backpackers and Budget Travelers?

Toronto is an excellent place to visit for backpackers and budget travelers. However, Boise is lacking in options for backpackers.

Plenty of budget travelers and backpackers visit Toronto. There are a number of hostels around town and there's often a good crowd of backpackers.

Boise is not the best destination for backpackers and budget travelers due to its high prices. Backpackers rarely make their way to this town.

Is Boise or Toronto Better for Students?

Toronto is a must-visit destination for its student-friendly activities. However, Boise is not popular with students.

Many students frequent Toronto. The city has a good number of universities that attract students from around the globe. This is a very livable city with a lot of diversity and plenty of entertainment options.

Boise is not popular with students.

Is Boise or Toronto Better for Public Transit? Which Is Easier to Get Around Without a Car?

Toronto is a must-visit destination for times when you don't have a car. However, Boise is lacking in options for its public transit.

Toronto has a world-class public transit network to take passengers everywhere in the city. Union Station is the hub of the city's transportation system, which includes subways, buses and streetcars.

Public transit is generally limited in Boise. There are infrequent buses around town, but visitors usually have a car to get around town efficiently.

Is Boise or Toronto a more walkable city?

Toronto is an excellent place to visit for its ease of walking around. However, Boise is lacking in options for its walkability.

Toronto is a very walkable destination. It's a pedestrian-friendly city that is great for exploring on foot. The waterfront area has a walkway and there are cycling trails around town as well.

Boise is generally not very walkable. There are a couple of walkable neighborhoods but, in general, the town isn't very walkable.

For even more information, also check out Is Boise Worth Visiting? and Is Toronto Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in Toronto or Boise?

How long in Boise or Toronto?

Both Boise and Toronto have a number of activities to choose from. With generally more activities and things to do, visitors tend to spend more time in Toronto than in Boise. Usually, 1-2 days is a good amount of time for Boise, and 3-7 days is enough time in Toronto.

Families should spend more time in Toronto than Boise. Because of the many family-friendly attractions and fun things to do for kids in Toronto, it's a great place to visit with the whole family.

Couples should spend more time in Toronto than Boise. You'll find plenty of romantic sights and fun activities in Toronto that are perfect for a weekend getaway or a longer couple's trip.

Backpackers and budget travelers should spend more time in Toronto than Boise if your budget allows for it. With a larger number of budget-friendly sights, good nightlife, and active things to do, anyone traveling on a budget would have a good time in Toronto.

One day in Boise or Toronto?

In Boise, you'll find museums and nightlife. This city offers something for everyone. This would be the perfect place to spend one day, as it has just the right amount of activities.

Each neighborhood in Toronto has its own distinct appeal, so there are pleny of areas to explore. This city offers a variety of activities to choose from. Since there is so much to do in the area, one day is probably not enough for all of it.

A weekend in Boise or Toronto?

In Boise, you'll find nightlife and shopping. The length of your trip often depends on your style of travel. A weekend here is typical. A weekend is a great amount of time to relax and see the many things that Boise has to offer.

It's hard to know how much time to spend in Toronto. A weekend is usually not enough time for a trip here as there is plenty to do. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision.

Five days in Boise or Toronto?

Boise is a great place to explore. Five days is more than enough time to enjoy everything. Take some day trips to nearby places to fill the extra days. Anyone can find something fun to do here.

Toronto is a fun place to experience. Each neighborhood in Toronto has its own distinct appeal, so there are pleny of areas to explore. This would be the perfect place to spend five days, as it has just the right amount of activities.

A week in Boise or Toronto?

It's hard to know how much time to spend in Boise. Many people enjoy the museums and nightlife when visiting Boise. One week may feel like too much time unless you plan to do a lot of relaxing.

Each neighborhood in Toronto has its own distinct appeal, so there are pleny of areas to explore. Plenty of people spend one week in the area when traveling. Take your pick from the many activities offered here. One week is often enough time to do most activities.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Camping Tours in United States of America, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in United States of America, The Best Northern Lights Tours in Canada, and The Best Luxury Tours to Canada.

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Boise and Toronto, we can see that Toronto is more expensive. And not only is Boise much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Boise would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Boise and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Toronto would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Toronto than you might in Boise.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Boise Expensive? and Is Toronto Expensive?.

Which is Bigger, Boise or Toronto?

Toronto has a larger population, and is about 30 times larger than the population of Boise. When comparing the sizes of Boise and Toronto, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.