Private 2-Hour Walking Crime Tour in Toronto

Explore Toronto’s dark past with former Detectives. Uncover crime stories from the 1800s to today on this unique 2-hour walking tour.

Duration: 2 hours, 15 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • CF Toronto Eaton Centre - The shocking murder of a 12-year-old shoeshine boy in 1977 shakes the city but leads to the cleanup of the dirty downtown area.
  • Yonge Street - The 2005 Year Of The Gun and the tragic death of a 15-year-old girl caught in a street gang shootout on Boxing Day.
  • Yonge Street - Riots in Toronto’s history, from the Upper Canada Rebellion in 1837 to the G20 riots of 2010.
  • The Path - An exploration of how the mentally ill are treated in the criminal justice system.
  • Downtown - Toronto’s greatest unsolved mystery: the disappearance of wealthy theatre owner Ambrose Small in 1919.
  • Old Toronto - At Courthouse Square, the last public gallows in Canada, we delve into the bizarre list of crimes that carried capital punishment, such as stealing turnips and cattle.
  • Old Toronto - The trial of the century in 1915: the murder of Bert Massey of the wealthy Massey Ferguson empire.
  • Old Toronto - No crime tour of Toronto would be complete without mentioning the infamous Boyd Gang, their numerous bank heists, and their two escapes from The Don Jail. Media sensationalism doesn’t overlook the fact they were killers—two would hang for killing a Toronto Police detective.
  • St. Lawrence Market - The Jarvis Duel of 1817, the last such duel (once common) in Toronto.
  • Old Town - Hear the shocking details of Canada’s first “gangland” slaying in 1939 and the sordid state of “The Corner” at Dundas & Jarvis.
  • Old Toronto - The incredible story of how a riot between circus clowns and the Hook & Ladder fire company in 1855 led to a revamp of the Toronto Police structure, which is still in effect 166 years later!
  • Old Toronto - A serial killer was targeting gay men in The Village, but the police claimed there was no proof or links among the victims. Then they found eight victims buried in a ravine.
  • Old Toronto - Topless sunbathing in the park. Illegal? Immoral?
  • Distillery Historic District - In 1832, whiskey making rapidly grew with Gooderham & Worts. But is Wort’s ghost still here?
  • Distillery Historic District - Part 2 of the large historical Distillery complex, focusing on its rougher past with bootlegging in 1922.
What's Included
  • All fees and/or taxes
What's Not Included
  • Bottled water
Additional Information

Welcome to the only crime tour in Canada hosted by former Detectives! We know these streets like no other tour guide, since we policed these very streets throughout our careers. With a total of 15 stops, we cover the early days of a growing city, with the Upper Canada Rebellion, through some dark decades where bookmakers and bank robbers were making headlines. We have more current stories too, such as the G20 riots that erupted in 2010, and the serial killer who shook the LGBT community in 2017, killing 8 men. We do have some more unusual tales as well, like circus clowns vs firefighter riot from 1855, which actually modernized the Toronto Police to a standard still in place today.

  • must be able to walk for 2 hours
Location
250 Yonge St
Yonge Street
meet near 250 Yonge Street outside The Roots Store at Toronto Eaton Centre.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(21 Ratings)
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Christinekay
Jul 20, 2024
It would be a crime to miss this tour! - I recently took part in this tour, and wanted to share my experience with you. It just so happened that I was the only one taking part in today's tour, but both guides very kindly went ahead with it. The tour covers a fair amount of ground, literally and figuratively! Obviously, you will need a comfortable pair of shoes for the walk, but the distance should be ok for most people to handle. I have to admit, although I have a strong interest in true crime, I hadn't heard of a lot of the cases featured. For obvious reasons, some of the details can be very upsetting, so please be prepared for this. Having said that, there are some more light-hearted moments - a fight involving circus clowns, for one! It was also very interesting to hear how some of these crimes had a beneficial effect on police work and ended up benefitting the community as a result. Both guides had themselves several years' experience in the police, and this gave an extra dimension to some of the stories. It must be a pretty tough job at times! I can really recommend this tour - the amount of detail and the cases covered provide a fascinating insight into the dark side of Toronto.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Neilp451
May 19, 2024
An informative and educational tour - This is an excellent tour and I highly recommend it. Bob and Phil were full of details about past and present crimes, how they were dealt with and the impact on policing. Not only was the tour interesting but we also learned a lot. Not a lot of walking (this was their longest tour) and very informative stops. Saw some places in Toronto (Courthouse Square) that we did not even know existed.
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Q7282pjjeanetteh
Sep 3, 2023
Very enjoyable and interesting!! - Great day yesterday. Bob and Phil were very informative and fun. Would recommend this tour!! Something a wee bit different.
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887lusiab
Jul 18, 2023
BETTER THAN FICTION - The detectives were very personable and interesting. Everyone in the group was riveted to the stories, many of which made headlines locally, nationally and internationally. Best 2-hour tour I've taken and a great way to spend a sunny summer afternoon. Can't wait to book my next tour.
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Jayhawknurse
Jul 4, 2023
Crime Tour - Great experience my 15 year old son loved it. Great history and first hand knowledge of the crimes and how they affected Toronto culture. They should have these in every city. Would highly recommend!
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Susan
Jul 2, 2023
Captivating crimes and punishments that shaped Toronto through the decades - Bob was a knowledgeable and FUN guide! Taking this tour optimized our time in the city afterwards as we got to know a bit about many different neighborhoods and hear history from a unique perspective of crime and how it changed Toronto.
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469nihars
Jun 19, 2023
Great tour, highly recommend! - Very knowledgeable, super interesting, and kept it fun! Covered a lot of unique crimes and details. Would highly recommend!
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Dana3456
Jun 11, 2023
A must do Toronto event! - This tour puts a unique spin on knowing Toronto a little better! Tour guides, Phil and Bob, were great making the tour not just informative but also a lot of fun with their insight as former detectives. Highly recommeded! A must do Toronto event whether you reside in Toronto or are visiting the city.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
S9974bblp
Jun 11, 2023
Interesting , the good and bad of local history - Very well done . Interesting local stories. Some of which I remember happening and forgot about. Educational and recommend this tour if you are interested in first hand crime stories. Thank you for your tine and expertise
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En13kab
Sep 25, 2022
Fascinating and Unique Walking Tour! - I do a lot of walking tours, but Toronto Crime Tours was my first true crime tour and my first tour led by former detectives! We really enjoyed the guides’ personal stories of working in policing. We also really appreciated the tone of the tour - it was fun and sometimes even funny, but did not sensationalize crime or murder. Instead, the guides used each story to explain how it shaped the history of the city, from the 1800s all the way up until the present day. They also addressed some tough topics, like the relationship between crime and mental health care. The downtown tour lasted over two hours and covered a lot of ground - make sure you wear comfortable shoes! - but I would definitely recommend it to everyone, especially if you love walking tours, true crime, or local history. Thanks Bob and Phil for an amazing morning! I can’t wait to do one of your other tours very soon.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 8 guests
1 Adult
September 2024
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