Discover Business in the heart of Canada’s economic capital
Toronto is an excellent destination for a business studies school trip, offering insight into Canada’s financial and technological sectors. Home to the Toronto Stock Exchange, Canada’s largest banks and numerous multinational headquarters, the city plays a vital role in the global economy.
Students can explore the Financial District and discover how Toronto became Canada’s leading financial centre, while its thriving tech industry showcases innovation in action. With its diverse character and range of educational excursions, Toronto brings business concepts to life in a real-world setting.
Trip Highlights
Guided walking tour of the Financial District
Business Skills and Leadership Experience at MaRS Discovery District
Meet an entrepreneur in the regenerated Distillery District
Experience the performance and strong social impact mission of Famous People Players
Itinerary suggestion
1 Flgiht to Toronto (Approx. 7.5 hours)
2 Airport transfer to accommodation
3 Evening meal (own arrangements). Overnight Toronto
1 Breakfast
2 Guided walking tour of the Financial District
3 Rogers Centre Ballpark Tour or Scotiabank Arena
4 CN Tower
5 Evening meal (own arrangements). We suggest the Well Food Hall or Waterworks Food Hall
1 Breakfast
2 Niagara Falls
3 Journey behind the falls
4 Niagara Parks Power Station
5 Evening meal (own arrangements). We suggest St Lawrence Market
1 Breakfast
2 Business Skills and Leadership Experience at MaRS Discovery District
3 Distillery District guided walking tour
4 Evening meal (own arrangements).
5 Evening sports game
1 Breakfast
2 Pocket Planet Canada or Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada
3 Transfer to Toronto Airport
4 Overnight flight to the UK
1 Arrive back in the UK
Recommended excursions
Guided walking tour of the Financial District
Walk amongst the skyscrapers of Toronto and learn how the city became the financial centre of Canada. Home to the country’s top five banks and many Corporate HQs, admire the architecture of the towers and the surviving heritage buildings. The tour includes a look at Toronto’s unique PATH system, an extensive network of underground walkways connecting 70 buildings and 1300 shops, allowing those who work, live and visit the city to move around in a climate-controlled environment.
Scotiabank Arena Tour
Take a guided behind-the-scenes tour of this iconic Sports and Music venue, home to the Maple Leafs ice hockey team and the Raptors basketball team. Learn about the history of the building and the teams through the insider stories and knowledge of your tour guide. Outside of game days, get unparalleled access to the legendary locker rooms of the Leafs and/or Raptors. A great cultural experience and photo opportunity.
Hockey Hall of Fame
Experience the game that defines Canada! The Hockey Hall of Fame has something for everyone: interactive games, theatres, hockey’s greatest artifacts, and best of all, hands-on access to the Stanley Cup, all spread across a 65,000 square foot entertainment complex. Learn all about Canada’s most iconic sport in this interactive and entertaining museum.
Photo credit: Hockey Hall of Fame
CN Tower Observation Deck
A signature icon of Toronto’s skyline, the CN tower is the centre of telecommunications for Toronto serving over 16 Canadian television and FM radio stations. Ride the elevator 1,122 ft to the observation deck at the top of the CN Tower and take in the amazing views of Toronto from a great height.
Fun fact: the tower is viewable to the naked eye from 60 km east of Toronto, in Oshawa.
Rogers Centre Ballpark Tour
Behind-the-scenes guided stadium tours of Rogers Centre, home of the Toronto Blue Jays professional baseball Team. Learn about the history of the Blue Jays and Rogers Centre. The tour will include access to the field, the renovated ballpark areas and Executive suites. Your tour guide will offer insights into major sports venue operations, sports marketing and facility management.
Distillery District Guided Walking Tour
Discover Toronto’s historic Distillery District, once home to one of the world’s largest whisky distilleries. Students will explore how the area was transformed into a thriving hub of independent businesses, culture and entertainment, while examining the impact of urban regeneration. The tour also includes the opportunity to meet a local business owner and gain insight into entrepreneurship.
Business Skills and Leadership Experience at MaRS Discovery District
Step inside Toronto’s innovation ecosystem for an interactive business experience at MaRS Discovery District. Students will take part in a hands-on workshop tailored to their Business Studies curriculum, exploring topics such as entrepreneurship, design thinking, negotiation or leadership. The experience can also include a Q&A or panel with business professionals, giving students the opportunity to hear real career stories and ask questions.
Toronto Company Visit and Business Challenge
Go behind the scenes at a leading Toronto company and gain insight into the world of business. Your students will explore a professional workplace, meet industry professionals and take part in an interactive workshop or business challenge. Tailored sessions on topics such as innovation, entrepreneurship and leadership allow students to develop ideas and experience how businesses solve real-world challenges.
Business of Art Guided Walking Tour
Students will explore the business side of being an artist, examining how art is communicated to the public and its role in commercial spaces. The tour includes a visit to a private gallery to assess how major institutions amplify diverse voices in the arts, and a hands-on activity aiming to generate ideas and experiment with creative approaches to respond to a Public art call.
This tour takes place entirely in Toronto’s underground PATH system so can be completed comfortably in any season.
Pocket Planet Canada Business Studies
Pocket Planet Canada (previously known as Little Canada) is an award-winning immersive attraction that brings the stories, landscapes and landmarks of Canada to life through extraordinary miniature exhibits, built on-site by a talented team of artists, engineers, technicians and designers. A guided tour allows students to explore themes such as entrepreneurship, innovation, marketing, customer experience and operational management.
CF Toronto Eaton Centre
Analyse real-world retail and marketing during a visit to North America’s busiest shopping mall, featuring a huge variety of shops and eateries. Consider brand competition, promotional strategies and foot-traffic economics. The Centre is decorated with commercial art.
Destination Toronto – Business Talk
Operating as a not-for-profit agency, Destination Toronto is a partnership of the public and private sectors that focuses on promoting and selling the Greater Toronto region. A Destination Toronto representative will give a talk with a Q&A, with an emphasis on Marketing & Global Destination Branding, Destination tourism sales, tourism development and storytelling in tourism.
Famous People Players Performance and Workshop
Famous People Players is an internationally recognised black-light theatre company and non-profit organisation that provides opportunities for people with exceptionalities. Educational workshops include a live performance, hands-on black-light activities and an introduction to the company’s history, impact and success.
Famous People Players – Business and entrepreneurship Masterclass
Led by an industry professional, this in-depth Masterclass (available as an add-on to the morning educational workshop) challenges students to develop and launch a business concept, helping to strengthen their creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving and entrepreneurial skills. Pizza lunch is included.
St Lawrence Market
This historic market is a top Toronto attraction, full of speciality food and artisan shops. Opened in 1803, the market buzzes with locals and tourists alike. A chance to see local produce, sample a variety of delicacies and buy some presents for home. There is a Saturday Farmers Market and a Sunday antique market. (Closed on Mondays)
Full day at Niagara Falls
Take a coach for the day and visit the heart of Niagara Falls and visit one of the Natural Wonders of the World. Descend 125 feet and make your way through 130-year-old tunnels through the bedrock. The Observation deck will leave you breathless and a little bit wet. This one-in-a-lifetime experience showcases the beauty Canada has to offer.
Niagara Parks Power Station
The first major hydroelectric power plant on the Canadian side of the Niagara River has been fully restored as an educational, interactive visitor attraction. This historic feat of engineering harnessed the power of the Falls for a hundred years. Discover its pioneering educational story through immersive exhibits, descend in a glass-panelled lift and walk along the 2,200-foot-long tunnel to emerge at an Observation Deck at the river’s edge offering exceptional views of the Falls.
Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada
Get up close to the over 20,000 aquatic animals that live in Toronto’s Ripley Aquarium. Visit all the different galleries of fresh and salt water animals from all over the world. Educational Tours and Workshops are also available to further educate your group.
Royal Ontario Museum
Royal Ontario Museum is full of art, culture and natural history. There is something here for everyone. Learn about Canadian history, as well as Greek Mythology, Egyptians and the history of the indigenous people.
Toronto Harbour Tours
This narrated boat trip is a great way to see the city skyline, the Toronto islands and the waterfront. Highlights include Queen’s Quay Terminal, the Harbourfront Centre, the Rogers Centre, historic Hanlan’s Point, bird and wildlife sanctuaries, Toronto Island Parkland, the CN Tower, Financial District skyscrapers and the eastern Portlands.
Available May – October weather permitting.
Learning outcomes
GCSE curriculum links (Business Studies)
- Enterprise and entrepreneurship: see design thinking, negotiation and leadership in action at MaRS Discovery District, and learn how to develop and launch a business concept in the Famous People Players masterclass.
- Business ownership and aims: compare not-for-profit organisations, such as Destination Toronto and Famous People Players, with commercial businesses.
- Marketing: understand segmentation and the marketing mix through destination branding at Destination Toronto, retail and promotion at the Eaton Centre, and sports marketing at the Rogers Centre.
- Operations and customer service: see how major venues are run at the Rogers Centre and Scotiabank Arena, and get a greater understanding of customer experience at Pocket Planet Canada.
- Business location: learn how the Distillery District turned a former whisky distillery into a hub for independent businesses, with a talk from a local owner.
- Finance and the economic climate: discover how banks and financial services support business on a walking tour of Canada’s financial centre.
A Level curriculum links (Business Studies and Economics)
- Leadership and decision making: explore leadership and negotiation at MaRS, with an optional panel of business professionals.
- Innovation and change: explore innovation at the MaRS Discovery District and the regeneration of the Distillery District.
- Marketing strategy: see global destination branding and tourism sales at Destination Toronto.
- Business strategy and stakeholder objectives: find out how competing stakeholder interests shape strategy, comparing Rogers’ ownership of both the Blue Jays and Rogers Centre with the public-private partnership behind Destination Toronto.
- Financial management and business performance: discover how Toronto became Canada’s financial centre on a walking tour of the Financial District, home to the Toronto Stock Exchange and the country’s five largest banks.
- Sustainability and ethical business practices: see social enterprise in action at Famous People Players and explore a century of renewable energy at Niagara Parks Power Station.
Typical accommodation
Chelsea Hotel
Why we like it for student groups:
- Centrally located and easily accessible to all excursions, great location to enjoy the city
- Hot Breakfast provided
- Large hotel with lots of space for groups
Facilities:
- All rooms with private facilities
- All rooms with TV and other facilities
- Free Wifi
Hostelling International Toronto
Why we like it for student groups:
- Great location, within walking distance to the centre of Toronto and the main attractions
- Dormitory-style rooms with individual lockers
- Range of on-site facilities to keep students occupied during downtime
Facilities
- 24 hour front desk
- Free Wifi
- Continental breakfast provided
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Travelbound organised an outstanding trip to Toronto for our group of 30 students, and the entire experience exceeded our expectations from start to finish. The planning process was seamless, with excellent communication, attention to detail, and support throughout. Every aspect of the trip was incredibly well organised, from transport and accommodation to the carefully planned activities and excursions. The itinerary struck the perfect balance between educational value and memorable experiences, and our students gained so much from the trip while thoroughly enjoying themselves.
Baxter College
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Travelbound’s knowledge, experience and expertise always shine through. They offer good value for money, and we feel like we are getting the best deal whilst offering a good trip experience to our students.
Bath School
Ready to arrange your next adventure?
If you have any questions or would like to book your school business studies trip to Toronto, please contact our educational specialists on 01273 244572 or request a quote below, tailored to your group and learning objectives.
