Oakville travel guide
Lakeshore Road, century houses and a pier with a Toronto view
An affluent lakeside town between Toronto and Hamilton, worth half a day for its old downtown, harbour and pier. May to September is the season for the waterfront and Bronte Creek. GO trains make it an easy trip from Toronto. Costs are very high, and visa-exempt visitors flying in need an eTA.
Oakville lines the Lake Ontario shore between Mississauga and Burlington. It is Ontario's largest town and mostly a Toronto commuter suburb. The reason to visit is the old lakeside core at the mouth of Sixteen Mile Creek: a small downtown on Lakeshore Road, streets of century houses, the harbour and its pier.
South of downtown, between Navy Street and Reynolds Street, many houses carry a plaque by the door with the year they were built and the name of the first owner. Walk Navy Street down to the water for the pier and lighthouse; on clear days the Toronto skyline shows across the lake. Erchless Estate by the harbour is now a museum of 19th-century life.
East of downtown, Lakeshore Road passes some of the grandest mansions in the region. Out west, Bronte has its own small harbour. Bronte Creek Provincial Park adds trails and a children's farm, though its big outdoor pool is currently closed. Nightlife is thin; Kerr Street has the more interesting places to eat.
Explore Oakville by theme
Find your kind of trip: 24 travel themes, each with the packages in Oakville.
Oakville at a glance
The essentials first-time visitors ask about, in one place.
Explore more of Canada
Pick a place by travel style: beaches, nature, cities, heritage, hills.
Nothing in that category yet.
Top things to do in Oakville
A lakeside downtown, a pier with a view of Toronto and a provincial park on the western edge of town.
No things to do in Oakville are listed yet. Browse all things to do
Best time to visit Oakville
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Highs of 18C in May rising to 26C in July; the lake keeps the shore a little cooler than inland, which suits pier walks and the creek-side trails at Bronte Creek.
January lows average -9C and the wind off Lake Ontario bites; Lakeshore Road shops and Kerr Street restaurants carry the town until spring.
Merrick Thomas House and the Old Post Office open only in summer: Tuesday to Sunday in July and August, weekends in May, June and September.
Packages in Demand
A Journey to Remember
Tours, activities and day trips in and around this destination, with the details you need before booking.
No packages in Oakville are listed yet. Browse all packages
Create Your Custom-Made Trip to Oakville
Traveling to Oakville? Chat with a Local Travel Specialist in Oakville Who Can Help Organize Your Trip.
START HEREOur Travel Experts are Recommended by
Plan your trip
Practical answers before you go. Pick a topic.
Getting there
Lakeshore West trains to Cross Avenue and the Trafalgar Road exit
Take the train to Oakville GO station on Cross Avenue, just off Trafalgar Road, which serves GO Transit's Lakeshore West line from Toronto Union, VIA Rail corridor trains to London and Windsor, and the Maple Leaf between Toronto and New York. Drivers leave the QEW at the Trafalgar Road exit. Oakville GO station on Cross Avenue, just off Trafalgar Road, is a stop for GO Transit's Lakeshore West line from Toronto Union, for VIA Rail corridor trains to London and Windsor, and for the Amtrak and VIA Maple Leaf between Toronto and New York. GO trains run frequently all day and take roughly 35 to 40 minutes from Union. The station lies about 1.5 km north of the lake, a 20-minute walk down Trafalgar Road or a short ride on Oakville Transit bus 14. Bronte GO, further west, serves GO trains only and is about 5 km from Bronte Village. From Toronto Pearson, the quickest option is a taxi or ride-hail car, around half an hour outside rush hour; on transit, take the UP Express to Union and double back on the Lakeshore West line.
- Oakville GO
- Lakeshore West GO trains, VIA corridor trains and the Maple Leaf to New York
- Bronte GO
- GO trains only; Oakville Transit bus 3 to Bronte Village
- From Pearson
- Taxi or ride-hail about 30 minutes off-peak, or UP Express plus GO via Union
- By car
- QEW or Highway 403, exit at Trafalgar Road and drive south
- When the QEW jams, leave at Ford Drive and take Lakeshore Road, Cornwall Road or Upper Middle Road instead.
Where to stay
Kerr Village, the lakeside streets or the South Service Road strip
Visit Oakville for the day or stay by the highway with a car, because the walkable core has few hotels. Kerr Village and the lakeside streets suit walkers, while the South Service Road strip along the QEW has the chain hotels with parking.
- Downtown and the lakeside streets
- Walk to the harbour and Lakeshore Road shops; very little hotel stock, mostly rentals
- Kerr Village
- Kerr Street's restaurants west of Sixteen Mile Creek, a short walk to downtown and the GO station
- Bronte Village
- Small harbour on the west side, quiet and residential, close to Bronte Creek Provincial Park
- South Service Road
- Sandman, Monte Carlo Inn and other chains beside the QEW; good value but car-dependent
Getting around
Oakville Transit's route 14, Presto taps and the lakefront Trans Canada Trail
Walk downtown Oakville and Bronte once you arrive, and drive or take Oakville Transit between them and out to Bronte Creek Provincial Park. Buses take exact cash or a Presto card, the same card used on GO trains, and route 14 runs down Trafalgar Road. The lakefront Trans Canada Trail suits walkers and cyclists. Buses take exact cash or a Presto card, the same card used on GO trains; tapping a credit or debit card on the Presto reader also works but charges the higher cash fare. A fare gives two hours of travel on Oakville Transit, and children 12 and under ride free with an adult. On foot, the lakefront paths and the Trans Canada Trail link the parks along the shore, a flat and pleasant way to get from downtown towards Bronte on a fine day.
- Oakville Transit
- Route 14 from Oakville GO to downtown, route 3 to Bronte
- Presto card
- Valid on Oakville Transit and GO; two hours of local transfers
- Walking and cycling
- Lakeside pathways and the Trans Canada Trail along the shore
- Youths and seniors with a Presto card set to their fare type ride Oakville Transit free.
Know before you go
What makes Oakville worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- The pier and lighthouse at Oakville harbour, with Toronto's towers on the horizon on a clear day.
- Reading the house plaques on the streets south of downtown, each one giving a build year and first owner.
- St. Jude's Church gardens on William Street, a small park of flower beds beside the church.
Good to know
- The QEW jams at rush hour, so time a drive from Toronto for mid-morning or after 7 pm.
- Nightlife is limited; The King's Arms on Church Street is one of the few downtown bars open until last call.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Oakville, month by month
Lake Ontario softens the edges a little, but winters are still cold and summers warm.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Oakville (Environment and Climate Change Canada, via Wikipedia).
Navy Street plaques, Erchless Estate and the creek pier in old Oakville
Old Oakville, between Lakeshore Road and the lake, is an easy day on foot. Arrive on a Lakeshore West GO train, take bus 14 down Trafalgar Road or walk 20 minutes, browse Lakeshore Road between Navy and Allan Streets, read the heritage plaques on the side streets, visit the Erchless Estate museum and walk out on the pier at Sixteen Mile Creek.
Start on Lakeshore Road, the old main street between Navy and Allan Streets, where independent shops and cafés fill the low brick buildings. Then drift south into the grid of side streets towards the lake. Between Navy Street and Reynolds Street, look for the small plaques by the front doors that name the year each house went up and its first owner; some date back to the town's shipbuilding years.
Walk down Navy Street to Erchless Estate, the former home of the founding Chisholm family, now a museum of 19th-century life that opens in the afternoons. Next door in Lakeside Park, Merrick Thomas House and the Old Post Office open on summer afternoons. Carry on to the harbour at the mouth of Sixteen Mile Creek and out along the pier to the lighthouse. On a clear day the Toronto skyline sits on the far side of the curving lake.
For the afternoon, follow Lakeshore Road east past the large lakeside homes to Gairloch Gardens, where the Oakville Galleries show contemporary art in a former estate house. Return to Kerr Street for dinner. With a car, swap the gardens for a few hours at Bronte Creek Provincial Park on Burloak Drive, with its trails and children's farm.
Kerr Street mezze, Lakeshore patios and a pint at the King's Arms
Oakville eats well but quietly, and the best food is a short walk from the GO station. Start in Kerr Village, along Kerr Street west of Sixteen Mile Creek, where Maro's serves Middle Eastern mezze with plenty for vegetarians. Lakeshore Road has the patios, and the King's Arms pours pints in a British-style pub.
Maro's serves Middle Eastern plates with plenty for vegetarians and vegans, good for a long lunch of mezze and grilled meats. A little further up, Jac's Bistro cooks rustic French and Italian food in a small room, better suited to dinner.
Downtown on Lakeshore Road the restaurants are more polished and pricier, with summer patios that fill on warm evenings, so book on Friday and Saturday. Away from the centre, Celadon House on Ford Drive does Asian comfort food in a large, relaxed dining room, worth knowing if you are staying out by the highway.
Drinking is low-key. The King's Arms on Church Street is the dependable downtown pub, open until last call every night of the week, with live acoustic sets on some evenings and a patio in summer. In Bronte, buy something to eat and sit by the harbour to watch the boats come in.
Travelers are asking
No questions yet about Oakville. Ask the community or our travel team, and the answer will show here once it is published.
Our travel desk answers questions about Oakville
How we research our Oakville travel guide
The Town of Oakville's website, Destination Canada and the eTA page are the references here, with GO Lakeshore West timetables checked when they change.
Last updated . Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Checked against trusted sources:
Official website of OakvilleGovernment of CanadaDestination Canada
See all 3 sources
Before You Go...
Discover Trips & Info
A Travel Network Connection Travelers and locals
Incredible Event & Festival, Don't Miss!
Most Popular Event & Festival of Oakville
Festivals and events in this destination, with dates, venues and ticket details where available.
No upcoming festivals or events in Oakville are listed right now. Browse all events
Memorable Experiences
Where to Go (& NOT Go) In Oakville!
Roaming the World one Adventure at a Time: Travel Tales, Tips, and Inspiration for wanderlusters.
Subscriber
Popular car hire destinations
Explore more options to hire a car for cheap
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Oakville.
Timing & weather
Roughly 35 to 40 minutes, with trains running frequently through the day. Oakville GO is about 1.5 km north of downtown.
Erchless Estate opens Tuesday to Sunday afternoons. Merrick Thomas House and the Old Post Office open Tuesday to Sunday afternoons in July and August, and weekends in May, June and September.
The best time to visit Oakville is May to Sep. Waterfront paths, summer opening at Merrick Thomas House and the trails at Bronte Creek.
- Best overall: May - September (Highs of 18C in May rising to 26C in July; the lake keeps the shore a little cooler than inland, which suits pier walks and the creek-side trails at Bronte Creek)
- Winter: December - March (January lows average -9C and the wind off Lake Ontario bites; Lakeshore Road shops and Kerr Street restaurants carry the town until spring)
Getting there
Oakville Transit route 14 runs south on Trafalgar Road to downtown. Walking takes about 20 minutes.
Yes, the daily Amtrak and VIA Maple Leaf between Toronto and New York stops at Oakville GO, with border checks at Niagara Falls.
Avoid weekday rush hours, or leave the QEW at Ford Drive and use Lakeshore Road, Cornwall Road or Upper Middle Road.
Take the train to Oakville GO station on Cross Avenue, just off Trafalgar Road, which serves GO Transit's Lakeshore West line from Toronto Union, VIA Rail corridor trains to London and Windsor, and the Maple Leaf between Toronto and New York. Drivers leave the QEW at the Trafalgar Road exit. Oakville GO station on Cross Avenue, just off Trafalgar Road, is a stop for GO Transit's Lakeshore West line from Toronto Union, for VIA Rail corridor trains to London and Windsor, and for the Amtrak and VIA Maple Leaf between Toronto and New York.
General
From the pier at Oakville harbour, at the foot of Navy Street, on a clear day.
They record the year each house was built and the name of its first owner. Look on the streets between Navy Street and Reynolds Street.
For half a day, yes: the old downtown, the house plaques and the pier fit neatly between trains on the Lakeshore West line.
Walk downtown Oakville and Bronte once you arrive, and drive or take Oakville Transit between them and out to Bronte Creek Provincial Park. Buses take exact cash or a Presto card, the same card used on GO trains, and route 14 runs down Trafalgar Road. The lakefront Trans Canada Trail suits walkers and cyclists.
Families & accessibility
Yes. A 19th-century barn has been turned into a play loft next to farm animals, and easy trails start nearby, off Burloak Drive at the western edge of town. The large outdoor pool is closed, so check Ontario Parks before planning a swim.
Stay & facilities
Maro's on Kerr Street is a relaxed lunch of Middle Eastern plates; Jac's Bistro, further up the street, is better for a French or Italian dinner.
Visa & documents
Visa-exempt travelers, including citizens of the UK, the EU and Australia, need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to fly to or through Canada. US citizens need only a passport. Other nationalities need a visitor visa.
Health & safety
Canada's main risks are natural: wildlife, summer wildfires and extreme winter cold. Store food properly in bear country, check wildfire and road conditions before summer drives, and carry winter gear when driving in snow. Call 911 for police, fire or ambulance anywhere in the country.
