Kingston itinerary: 1 to 2 days
Plans for one and two days in Kingston, day by day: Kingston Penitentiary, Bellevue House, the Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Murney Tower and City Hall on Springer Market Square first, then Fort Henry, the Royal Military College Museum and Lake Ontario Park with a second day. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 2 days
Kingston in 1 day
Day 1
Kingston Penitentiary
Canada's oldest penitentiary, opened in 1835 and closed in 2013, now shown on guided tours of its cells and yards.
Bellevue House
Italianate villa of the 1840s where Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada's first prime minister, once lived; now a Parks Canada site.
Agnes Etherington Art Centre
Queen's University art museum with Canadian, Indigenous and European art, including paintings by Rembrandt.
Murney Tower
Martello tower of 1846 by the lake near downtown, now a small museum of the tower's garrison life.
Kingston City Hall and Springer Market Square
Domed 1840s limestone city hall facing the harbour, with Springer Market Square behind it, home of a public market held since 1801.
Kingston in 2 days
Day 1
Lake Ontario Park
Waterfront city park on the west side of Cataraqui Bay, with lakeshore paths, a beach and a playground.
Kingston Penitentiary
Canada's oldest penitentiary, opened in 1835 and closed in 2013, now shown on guided tours of its cells and yards.
Bellevue House
Italianate villa of the 1840s where Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada's first prime minister, once lived; now a Parks Canada site.
Day 2
Fort Henry, Ontario
Restored 19th-century British fort on Point Henry, with costumed guards, drill displays and summer Sunset Ceremonies.
Royal Military College of Canada Museum
Museum of the military college's history inside Fort Frederick, a Martello tower on Point Frederick.
Kingston City Hall and Springer Market Square
Domed 1840s limestone city hall facing the harbour, with Springer Market Square behind it, home of a public market held since 1801.
Watch: Kingston
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Kingston
June to September is the best time, with warm weather for Fort Henry, the waterfront and boat trips to the Thousand Islands. Winter is cold and snowy, and many of the seasonal sights close from autumn to spring. Summer weekends and university move-in and graduation weeks fill hotels.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Kingston on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Kingston on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Kingston on GetYourGuide
- From the airport: a private transfer in Kingston with Kiwitaxi
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for Canada from Airalo
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Kingston
- Fort Henry, the Royal Military College Museum in Fort Frederick and Murney Tower open for daytime visits in summer only; check the season before planning them.
- Tours of Kingston Penitentiary are guided, run in the warmer months and often sell out; book a time ahead.
- Fort Henry's Sunset Ceremonies, with music, drill and fireworks, take place on summer evenings and need a separate ticket.
- Bellevue House, the home of Sir John A. Macdonald, is a Parks Canada site with seasonal opening days; check before going.
- Downtown, the waterfront, Queen's University and Murney Tower are all close enough to walk; Fort Henry and the military college are across the Cataraqui River by the causeway.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Agnes Etherington Art Centre: KingstonianW, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bellevue House: Illustratedjc, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fort Henry, Ontario: Unknown. Credit: Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. 1970-188-487. W.H. Coverdale Collection of Canadiana. Manoir Richelieu collection., Public domain
- Kingston City Hall and Springer Market Square: Taxiarchos228, FAL
- Kingston Penitentiary: P199, Public domain
- Lake Ontario Park: P199, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Murney Tower: User:Carlb, Public domain
- Royal Military College of Canada Museum: Martin St-Amant, Public domain
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
