Day trip to Niagara Falls from Toronto| Itinerary
- Feli Travel
- Aug 21, 2023
- 5 min read
Niagara Falls in Ontario is am iconic attraction that should be on every traveler’s itinerary! It is famous for its majestic waterfalls that are situated between the borders of Canada and USA.
The planning
The drive from Toronto downtown to Niagara Falls is about 1hr and 19 minutes in regular traffic, for us it took about 1 hr and 30minutes. If you’re travelling during rush hour, the drive can definitely take longer. We didn’t want to head down to the falls too early in the day since we wanted to stay util 10pm to catch the fireworks! We had brunch in Toronto then made our way down to Niagara. The fireworks occur every night in the summer at 10pm, which is usually between May and October! Be sure to check the website when the fireworks are available as the exact start and end date can vary from year to year.
There are many attractions and things to do at the falls including:
➵Winery tours
➵Journey behind the falls ($16 child, $24 adult)
➵Niagara fury ($17)
➵Butterfly conservatory ($18)
➵Voyage to the Falls boat tour ($32.75)
➵Skylon tower ($18)
➵Marineland ($45.95 child/seniors, $52.95 adults)
➵Clifton hills MUST VISIT!! (Shopping, restaurants, attractions, entertainment)
➵Sky wheel($7 child, $15 adult)
➵Go karts
➵3 attraction combo: Ripleys believe it or not, Louis Tussaud’s Waxworks, Selfie
($24.99 child, $34.99 adult)
➵Clifton hill fun pass 6 attractions ($34.95)
➵Maple Leaf Place is a maple factory with tasting and tours
(Free parking and admission)
You can purchase tickets to the attractions here!
The Experience
We arrived at Niagara around 3pm and so after taking a look at all of our options, we decided to Journey behind the falls. Arriving to the falls earlier would be advantageous if you plan to engage in additional activities or purchase a multiple-attraction pass.
Niagara Falls was simply stunning! It was such a beautiful experience. We felt very fortunate that the day we decided to venture out of Toronto and visit the falls turned out well. Given that it was October, we were worried that the weather might have been cloudy, gloomy and chilly. However, with luck on our side, it was a beautiful sunny and warm day. We were even able to spot a double rainbow right above the falls!
If boats aren’t your cup of tea or you’re prone to seasickness very, journeying behind the falls is another great way to witness the falls from a unique perspective. We descended 125 ft by an elevator and were greeted with a long dark tunnel. We were all handed rain ponchos on our way in which was a definite necessity! Behind the falls, we could see fresh water crashing down at a staggering speed of 65 kilometres an hour! The upper and lower observation decks were super cool as it allowed us to step out and stand right beside the falls, offering an unparalleled experience! Not only was it an eye-opening experience to witness the falls up close, there was tons of history and pictures plastered on the walls of the tunnel.
Afterwards, we were all super hungry and ready for an early dinner and snacks. Our next stop was Clifton Hills! Clifton hills aka the street of fun was definitely quite a sight to see! There was so much shopping, food and attractions to see and do! There was everything from haunted houses to mini golf to go carting and arcades. One of the most iconic attractions was the Niagara Skywheel that offers an unparalleled view of the falls and town. Clifton hill was not just for families and a younger audience but for everyone of all ages!
While walking to Clifton Hill we passed by Remingtons of Niagara which had caught out eye, so we chose to enjoy our supper there. Remingtons was absolutely fantastic! The servers were kind, accommodating and the ambience was great! They had an open mic where the servers would sing which was a great experience. If you choose to dine at Remingtons be sure to check Groupon if they have special deals going on!
After eating our dinner, we wanted to do more exploring and walking along the streets of Clifton to burn off all the steak we just finished indulging in! The nightlife was beautiful. There were vibrant lights and eye-catching signs creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a carnival and truly embracing it’s name “the street of fun”. I was actually surprised but they had a chatime for all the bubble tea lovers out there! Since we’ve had chatime a lot in the past, we decided to get something new and different so we had churros for dessert! Since we were there during the fall, it started to get chilly as the sun had slowly set. The warm churro was the perfect little treat to keep us nice and warm.
Since our car was parked at the falls parking lot, we decided to walk 18 minutes to return to the falls and watch the fireworks show. The fireworks display was directly above the falls and was a beautiful sight to see. It was truly the perfect way to end our night! However, once the fireworks display was completed, we were sent back to reality which meant hopping back in our car for a drive back in to the city of Toronto.
Parking
Niagara Falls
If you’re driving to Niagara Falls there are multiple locations where you can park! Daily parking passes are around $30.97 +HST in major parking lots. There are lots of parking lots available, some of them include:
➵Falls Parking Lot A
➵Floral Showhouse Parking (Lot B)
➵Fallsview Casino Parking
➵Rapidsview Parking (Lot C)
➵Skylon Parking Area A
➵Butterfly Conservatory & Botanical Gardens
If you drive around you may get lucky as there are some lots near the casino where it is about a 10-15 minute walk to the falls and parking is about $15 daily. They also have valet services at nearby hotels but those can range upwards from $50.
Clifton Hill
If you are driving and visiting Clifton Hill there are multiple parking options:
➵Private parking lot $10 full day (5060 Magdalen St, Niagara Falls, ON L2G 3S4)
➵Green P Parking lot $10 full day (5616 Ellen Ave, Niagara Falls, ON L2G 7V5)
➵Metered parking on Ellen Ave (~ $3 an hr- $12/8h)
Conclusion
Our single day trip down to Niagara Falls from downtown Toronto was a short but exhilarating experience. We ran a little short on time as we arrived in the afternoon so if I were to go again, I would definitely want to go to Maple Leaf Place and marine land! Maple Leaf Place specializes in everything maple! Maple Leaf Place is incredibly exciting as it offers you a journey through the rich history of Canadian maple through immersive tasting and production tours. My personal favourite is indulging in maple taffy, which is made right in front of you on an icy snow table! It might even be worthwhile to make it an overnight trip as there is so much to see and do! I’ve heard that the falls are stunning at night, as numerous lights will illuminate the water and create a beautiful cascade.
~By Feli
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