Kingston walking tour & city guide

Downtown and the waterfront

Kingston City Hall, with its silver dome, faces Confederation Park and the harbor. Behind it, Springer Market Square hosts one of the oldest markets in Ontario. Princess Street, the main shopping street, climbs up from the water past historic stone buildings, pubs and cafés.

Queen's University, west of downtown, has a beautiful campus of limestone halls near the lakeshore.

Fort Henry and the Rideau Canal

Fort Henry, on a hill across the Cataraqui River, was built in the 1830s to protect the harbor. In summer, guides in red uniforms perform drills and the evening Sunset Ceremony. Kingston is also the southern end of the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that runs to Ottawa, and its locks can be seen at Kingston Mills.

A classic downtown and waterfront walk

Start at Springer Market Square and City Hall, then walk out to Confederation Park and the harbor. Follow the waterfront path west past the Marine Museum and the Pump House to the lakeshore near Queen's University.

Return up through the campus and along Princess Street back to the market. The walk is about 4 kilometers. Fort Henry is a 30-minute walk across the causeway, or a short drive.

Visiting tips

Summer and early autumn are the best seasons. Kingston is the gateway to the Thousand Islands, and boat cruises leave from the waterfront to see the islands and their castles and cottages. It is about halfway between Toronto and Montreal.