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London, Ontario travel guide: Forks of the Thames, Blackfriars Bridge and Sifton Bog

Known as the Forest City for its dense canopy along the Thames River, London, Ontario links a downtown market and heritage core around Victoria Park and Eldon House with wrought-iron Blackfriars Bridge, the Gothic limestone towers of Western University, and the rare floating boardwalks of Sifton Bog.

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  1. London (Ontario) (Approximate city location)

Location coordinates: London (Ontario).

Arrival and getting around in London (Ontario)

VIA Rail Corridor trains from Toronto Union Station (around two hours) and Windsor arrive right in Downtown London at the York Street station, a ten-minute walk south of Victoria Park and Covent Garden Market.

  • London International Airport (YXU) sits 10 kilometres northeast of Downtown (15-20 minutes by taxi), while Robert Q Airbus runs direct scheduled shuttles into London from Toronto Pearson (YYZ) and Detroit Metro (DTW).
  • The Thames Valley Parkway (TVP) provides more than 40 kilometres of paved riverfront walking and cycling paths linking Harris Park, Eldon House, Blackfriars Bridge, and the Western University campus.
  • London Transit (LTC) buses or a 10-minute drive along Oxford Street West reach the Sifton Bog conservation area in the western suburbs.

Sources: City of London: Victoria Park and band shell, Tourism London: Blackfriars neighbourhood

Where to stay in London (Ontario)

Staying near the central parks or just south of the river lets you walk to markets, theatres, and river trails without relying on suburban arterial roads.

  • Downtown and Woodfield Historic District: the best walkable base, placing you beside the mature trees of Victoria Park, the Victorian streetscape of Woodfield, and the food stalls of Covent Garden Market.
  • Wortley Village (Old South): a leafy 19th-century neighbourhood just south of the Thames River with independent cafes, front-porch architecture, and a calm village green.
  • Avoid highway hotels down at Wellington Road and Highway 401 unless passing through by car, as they sit seven kilometres south of the Thames riverfront and historic neighbourhoods.

Sources: Tourism London: Blackfriars neighbourhood, City of London: Harris Park riverfront

Two-day route for London (Ontario)

Pair the downtown parks, historic house museum, and cast-iron river bridge on day one with the northern university campus and western peatland boardwalk on day two.

  • Day 1: Stroll beneath the tree canopy and band shell of Victoria Park in the morning, head west to tour the 1834 Georgian rooms and gardens of Eldon House overlooking Harris Park, walk across the restored 1875 wrought-iron bowstring truss of Blackfriars Bridge into the historic Blackfriars neighbourhood, and finish with local produce and cheese at Covent Garden Market.
  • Day 2: Walk or cycle north along the North Thames River branch to explore the Collegiate Gothic limestone buildings and riverside paths of Western University, then spend the afternoon walking the wooden boardwalk through the Tamarack trees and floating sphagnum moss mat of Sifton Bog down to Redmond's Pond.
  • Cultural add-on: step into Museum London right at the Forks of the Thames between Covent Garden Market and Blackfriars Bridge to view regional southwestern Ontario art.

Sources: City of London: Victoria Park and band shell, Tourism London: Blackfriars neighbourhood, City of London: Harris Park riverfront, Upper Thames River Conservation Authority: Sifton Bog brochure

Seasonal timing and practical rhythm

Southwestern Ontario brings warm, green summers, vibrant October foliage along the Thames River and inside Victoria Park, and snowy winters influenced by lake-effect bands off Lake Huron.

  • Late May to June and September to October offer the best conditions for walking the Thames Valley Parkway and spotting pitcher plants or autumn tamarack needles at Sifton Bog.
  • At Sifton Bog, stay strictly on the elevated wooden boardwalk year-round to protect the fragile acidic peatland, and wear grippy footwear after rain or early frost when the planks can be slick.

Sources