5 beautiful small towns by the Grand River in Ontario that are short drives from Toronto

If the plan is to explore southwestern Ontario, Grand river could be your north star. This river starts from the vicinity of Georgian Bay in the highlands of Duffrin county and flows south to meet Lake Erie. It’s generally kinda laid back if you can call a river one (except in some places like the Gorge in Elora)! The Grand river flows through mostly farmlands but also neighbours some of the most beautiful towns absolutely worth visiting! To name a few are Fergus, Elora, Cambridge, Paris, and Brantford. Throw in hiking (i.e.Cambridge to Paris Rail Trail), kayaking and tubing (various access points) as you explore these places!

Fergus

Fergus and Elora are like siblings, under ten minutes drive from each other, both quaint and charming, nestled in Wellington County. Shops and restaurants by the banks of the Grand River dot Fergus' downtown. Had sautéed garlic shrimp skewers and open faced beef at the Goofie Newfie which is just by the river with a nice view! Great ambiance and customer service! Walked over the bridges taking in the view and got candle and hand made jewellery from One and Only, browsed through old books of various genres at The Bookery, loved how it zigzagged all the way back to the kids section.

Elora

This charming touristy small town with its limestone buildings by the Grand River has kept inviting me to visit several times over the years. The first one was years ago in fall when the city dresses up for halloween, then in summer when the place buzzes with tourists from all over, relaxing on the patios of the restaurants and cafes, exploring the trails (Elora Gorge Conservation area) and the Grand river while in winter when it's still offering all its small town charms wrapped in white blanket! A walk through the downtown streets checking out the local stores in their seasonal decor is a fun thing to do in each season. Take in the beauty of this town and its surroundings as you walk the bridges! For outdoor activities, explore the Elora Gorge and the Elora quarry conservation areas. For art and culture check out the Wellington County Museum. If you want to get blown glass art or have a hands on glass blowing experience check out Blown Away in Elora! Love my blown glass hummingbird I got from there! If you have time, visit the Covered Bridge (also known as the Kissing bridge) over the Grand river in West Montrose, a 15 minutes drive from Elora. It's a late 19th century wooden bridge which is the only remaining covered bridge over water in Ontario. Nice place for photo-ops!

Cambridge

Here I spent a very relaxed afternoon in Galt, downtown of Cambridge Ontario, founded by the Scott’s in the early 19th century. Walking by the Grand river with friends, through the Mill Race Park and the streets, across the bridges, admiring the architecture of the stone buildings and church spires and enjoying the sunset from the bridge was a lovely trip indeed. If you are a fan of The Handmaid’s Tale series this is where many of its scenes were shot! Note to self, have to come back to check out the Fashion History Museum post covid times!

Paris

Drive around this cute little town and locate the cobblestone homes and churches that were built around the mid 1800. Or do the self guided walking tour offered by the Paris Museum and Historical Society. Explore the local boutiques and gift shops on Grand River street and enjoy a meal or coffee at a local diner or cafe. Paris is a perfect place for kayaking, canoeing or tubing on the river which they say is lazy around this part. In full disclosure I have never done any of the above activities, just watched people do it 😜 and I did the same in Paris, from the 2 Rivers restaurant patio!

Brantford

Check my post on ‘In between Niagara and Toronto’ for my Brantford exploration.