ontario travel restrictions

Here's what you need to know about planning a vacation in Ontario right now

Travel between different Ontario regions has been off limits for quite some time now thanks to the stay-at-home order and lockdown restrictions.

But as public health measures begin to ease, residents are likely wondering what will and won't be allowed when it comes to travelling this summer.

Thanks to the provincewide nature of Ontario's new reopening plan and improving vaccination rates, travelling between regions will be a possibility for residents over the next few months — just as long as COVID-19 indicators remain under control.

Ontario's stay-at-home order, which requires residents to remain at home except for essential outings and therefore prohibits all recreational travel, is officially set to expire on Wednesday, June 2.

Once the order is lifted, Ontarians will be able to leave home to travel within the province to a secondary residence.

All other public health restrictions implemented under the emergency brake shutdown will remain in place until Ontario enters Step One of the Roadmap to Reopen, which is currently scheduled for the week of June 14.

Under Step One, residents will once again be permitted to go camping in provincial parks and on Crown land, and short-term rentals will also be allowed to reopen for recreational use — giving residents who are in dire need of a summer getaway the chance to finally venture elsewhere in the province.

Once Ontario has vaccinated 70 per of adults with one dose and 20 per of adults with two doses and it has been at least 21 days since entering Step One, the entire province will move into Step Two of the roadmap, which will allow even more travel-related activities to resume.

Step Two will see outdoor tour and guide services resume with capacity limits, outdoor waterparks and amusement parks reopen with capacity limits, and overnight camps will also be allowed to operate.

Even more attractions and tourist activities will resume once Ontario enter the third and final step of the roadmap, including but not limited to indoor dining, museums, art galleries, cinemas and performing arts venues, aquariums and casinos. 

But while regional travel (while following public health measures) will be a possibility this summer, the province's ban on interprovincial travel was just extended until at least June 16. 

The ban could very well be lifted on or soon after that date but, in the meantime, travelling across the Quebec and Manitoba borders remains off the table. 

Lead photo by

Sebastien Ip


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