Dear Guests
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Please excuse our mess...we are currently undergoing renovations.

We will be adding an additional 20 rooms and Event Space that can accommodate up to 150 people and we anticipate to be completed by Spring 2026.

The Matheson rooms face the construction site and may be noisy at times during the day, but we will do our best to help make your stay enjoyable and comfortable.

We are pretty excited about our renovation project and realize what an inconvenience it can be, but we feel the end result will all be worth it.

During construction elevator use will be limited to hours of operation - Check with front desk associates for operational hours.

Thank you for your understanding and patience as we undergo these growling pains.
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Sincerely
The Princess Team

Person in red shirt standing on rocky cliff by clear blue ocean under a partly cloudy sky.

The Perfect Tobermory Weekend: Your 2-Day Local Itinerary

Tobermory is a 3.5 to 4 hour drive from Toronto — the ideal distance for a long weekend escape. Most visitors arrive Friday evening and leave Sunday afternoon. If you plan carefully, two days is enough time to see The Grotto, take a boat tour to Flowerpot Island, explore the village, and still have time to simply sit on a harbour balcony with a cold drink.

This itinerary is written by the team at Tobermory Princess Hotel. We have been welcoming weekend visitors since 1977 and we know what makes a trip here genuinely memorable.

Before you arrive: what to book in advance

Do not leave these until the last minute — especially on summer weekends:

•  Grotto timed-entry parking permit: reservation.pc.gc.ca (required April–October)

•  Flowerpot Island boat tour: book directly with Bruce Anchor Cruises, Blue Heron Cruises or Tobermory Wave

•  Your hotel room: Princess Hotel books out weeks in advance on summer weekends

•  Ferry to Manitoulin Island if you want to add a crossing: ontarioferries.com

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When Driving North to Tobermory - Gas up in Ferndale!  Currently, Tobermory has no operating gas station.

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Day 1: Friday evening or Saturday

Afternoon: Arrive and settle in

Check in to Princess Hotel and walk to Little Tub Harbour — it is 2 minutes from our front door. This is the heart of Tobermory: the working harbour where the glass-bottom boats depart, the Chi-Cheemaun ties up, and the village centres on the water.

Book your Flowerpot Island boat tour for the next morning at the harbour ticket offices if you have not already done so online.

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Evening: Dinner at Pharos Restaurant

Pharos Restaurant at Princess Hotel overlooks Little Tub Harbour and Georgian Bay. On a clear evening, the sunset from our patio is one of the best views in Ontario. We recommend the Georgian Bay whitefish — it is our most popular dish and it has been on the menu  since our family first started cooking in Tobermory in 1977.

Book a table by calling 519-596-8282 or ask our front desk when you check in.

Day 2: The Grotto and Flowerpot Island

Early morning: The Grotto

Drive 17 minutes to the Cyprus Lake trailhead. Reservations for the parking lot fills fast on summer weekends — making reservations early is the single most important tip we can give you.

The hike to The Grotto is 2.4 kilometres each way on the Georgian Bay Trail. Allow 2 to 2.5 hours return including time to swim and explore. The water is cold but clear — bring a towel.

Afternoon: Flowerpot Island boat tour

Return to Tobermory for your boat tour. Tours typically take 3 to 4 hours including the glass-bottom section over the shipwrecks and time ashore on Flowerpot Island to hike to the flowerpot sea stacks and lighthouse.

The boats depart from Little Tub Harbour — a 5-minute walk from our hotel.

Late afternoon: The village

After the boat tour, enjoy the boardwalk along the harbour, browse the local shops, or just sit by the water.

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Ready to plan your weekend?

Check availability at Tobermory Princess Hotel. The only waterfront hotel in downtown Tobermory with harbour-view rooms.

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Book your STAY

Let’s Plan Your Stay

We’d love to host your group. Reach out to start planning your Tobermory getaway or add a memorable stay to your itinerary.
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Contact us today to check availability, rates, and customized group packages.

[email protected]

Small marina with boats docked along piers and a body of water with land in the distance on a clear day.