Niagara Falls, Ontario
The greatest waterfall in the world, and the town that grew up selling tickets to it
Niagara Falls, Ontario, is a city of roughly 95,000 on the Canadian bank of the Niagara River, facing the Horseshoe Falls and the American city of the same name across the water. Some twelve million people a year come to look; the trick is seeing past what has been built to sell to them.
The falls are around twelve thousand years old, cut by the Niagara River as the last ice sheet withdrew, and they have retreated some eleven kilometres upstream since. Father Hennepin described them for Europe in 1678; Loyalists settled the river after the American Revolution; and in July 1814 the bloodiest battle of the War of 1812 was fought at Lundy's Lane, within the present city. The village of Clifton grew at the Suspension Bridge in the 1850s, the honeymoon trade began about the same time, Blondin walked the gorge on a rope in 1859 and Annie Edson Taylor went over in a barrel in 1901. Ontario created the Niagara Parks Commission in 1885 to rescue the brink from hucksters, and the town became the City of Niagara Falls in 1903, the date on our masthead. Sir Adam Beck's power stations made it a hydro and industrial town; the casinos of 1996 and 2004 remade it as a resort.
The river runs north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario and the city lies along its west bank, with the American city of the same name across the water. The Horseshoe Falls, the big one, is on the Canadian side; the American and Bridal Veil falls are opposite, and the Rainbow Bridge crosses just below. Queen Victoria Park runs along the brink from Table Rock, with the Fallsview hotel and casino district on the bluff above and Clifton Hill's carnival strip running down to it. Lundy's Lane is the motel and chain-restaurant artery west; the old downtown on Queen Street, by the railway station, is a few kilometres north and largely forgotten by visitors. Chippawa, upstream, is a village within the city; north along the Parkway are the Whirlpool, the Niagara Glen, the Botanical Gardens and Queenston Heights, and then Niagara-on-the-Lake and the wineries. St Catharines and Welland are the other towns of the region.
The falls themselves are free, floodlit at night, and worth every one of the several visits people make; the boat to the base and the tunnels behind the Horseshoe are the two things to pay for. Around them the city has built the most cheerfully vulgar strip in Canada — Clifton Hill's wax museums, haunted houses, the SkyWheel and the arcades — two casinos, and a hotel tower for every taste. The counterweight is twenty minutes north: Niagara-on-the-Lake's Shaw Festival theatre, the icewine and Riesling of the Bench and the lakeshore, and a restaurant scene that the falls city itself is only beginning to match. The Winter Festival of Lights runs from November to January. Sport is the region's: the IceDogs and the River Lions in St Catharines, junior B hockey at the Gale Centre, golf at Whirlpool, and the Bruce Trail beginning at Queenston.
The hard parts are that Niagara Falls is two cities. One is the resort, with its tourist prices, parking fees, summer crowds and a labour force of seasonal, low-paid hospitality work; the other is a working town of roughly 95,000 with a hollowed downtown, incomes below the provincial average and the legacy of lost factories. Winter is cold, the mist freezes on the walkways, and the strip looks bleak in February. The border is convenient and slow: expect queues on the Rainbow Bridge and carry a passport. Transit is thin and a car is assumed. Against that, housing is far cheaper than Toronto's ninety minutes up the QEW, the GO train now runs year-round, the wine country and the Escarpment are on the doorstep, and the falls at night, with the crowds gone and the lights on, remain one of the sights of the world.
Where People Live
The Falls & Queen Victoria Park
Table Rock at the lip of the Horseshoe, the Niagara Parks promenade along the gorge, the boat cruise from the foot of Clifton Hill, Journey Behind the Falls and the nightly illumination. Free to walk, and best early or after dark.
Clifton Hill
The 'street of fun' down to the falls — Ripley's, wax museums, haunted houses, the SkyWheel, arcades and Casino Niagara at the top. Loud, expensive, loved by children and endured by parents.
Fallsview
The hotel towers and the Fallsview Casino on the bluff above the Horseshoe, with the best falls-view rooms, the convention centre, the Skylon Tower and the Incline Railway down to Table Rock. Where the money stays.
Lundy's Lane
The long strip running west from the falls of motels, chain restaurants, outlet shopping and the 1814 battlefield and its museum; also where locals go for groceries and where visitors find the cheaper beds.
Downtown & Queen Street
The old city centre north of the tourist district by the VIA and GO station — a struggling but reviving main street of cafés, a few galleries and the history museum, and the city's real residential neighbourhoods around it.
Chippawa & the upper river
The village at the mouth of the Welland River upstream of the falls, with Marineland (winding down) and the Dufferin Islands nearby, and the Adam Beck power stations' intakes. The quiet, boaty end of the city.
The Parkway north: Whirlpool, Glen & Queenston
The Niagara Parkway along the gorge — the Whirlpool Aero Car, the Niagara Glen's trails to the rapids, the Botanical Gardens and Butterfly Conservatory, the Floral Clock and Brock's Monument on Queenston Heights, where the Bruce Trail begins.
Niagara-on-the-Lake & the wine route
Twenty minutes north, the prettiest town in Ontario: Georgian streets, the Shaw Festival, Fort George and dozens of wineries on the Lakeshore and the Bench making icewine and Riesling. Where the region's better restaurants are.
Must-see attractions
Where to stay
Skyline Hotel & Waterpark
4800 Bender St, Niagara Falls, ON L2G 3K1, Canada
The Oakes Hotel
6546 Fallsview Blvd, Niagara Falls, ON L2G 3W2, Canada
Restaurants & places to go
Carpaccio Ristorante & Wine Bar
. A contemporary dining experience serving the best Italian Cuisine in Niagara Falls 🇨🇦 ORDER ONLINE or â˜Žï¸ 905.371.2063 📧… · carpacciorestaurant.com
Blackburn Brewhouse
Blackburn Brew Houses, brew pubs, restaurants, craft brewery, craft beers, craft breweries · 8001 Blackburn Pkwy, Niagara Falls, ON L2H 0A6 · blackburnbrewhouse.com
Airports
Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF) 34 km to the centre
Buffalo, NY, US — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 10 airlines (Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, US Airways…) · direct flights to 20 destinations incl. Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Orlando, Baltimore… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Serves Toronto (96 km) — the low-cost way in
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 10 airlines, 20 direct destinations
- Southwest Airlines WN (737-700, 737-800, 73C, 737-800, 737-300) · 7 routes: Baltimore, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Orlando, Phoenix, Tampa
- American Airlines AA (CRJ, Embraer 175, A319, A320, 737, CRJ-700…) · 5 routes: Boston*, Charlotte, Chicago*, Philadelphia, Washington*
- Delta Air Lines DL (M90, MD-88, CRJ-900, CRJ-700, A319, A320…) · 5 routes: Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis*, New York*, New York
- US Airways US (CRJ, Embraer 175, Embraer 170, A319, A320, 734…) · 5 routes: Boston*, Charlotte, Chicago, Philadelphia*, Washington*
- AirTran Airways FL (737-700, 73C, 737-800, 737-800) · 4 routes: Baltimore*, Chicago*, Fort Lauderdale*, Orlando*
- United Airlines UA (Dash 8-300, Dash 8-400, ERJ, Dash 8-200, A320, 737-800…) · 4 routes: Chicago, Cleveland, Newark*, Washington*
- JetBlue Airways B6 (A320, Embraer 190) · 3 routes: Boston, New York, Orlando
- Air France AF (M90, MD-88) · 1 route: Atlanta*
- Alitalia AZ (M90, MD-88) · 1 route: Atlanta*
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines KL (M90, MD-88) · 1 route: Atlanta*
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Niagara Falls International Airport (IAG) 12 km to the centre
Niagara Falls, NY, US — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day. ✈ 2 airlines (Allegiant Air, Spirit Airlines) · direct flights to 5 destinations incl. Fort Lauderdale, Myrtle Beach, Punta Gorda, Sanford, St. Petersburg (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 2 airlines, 5 direct destinations
- Allegiant Air G4 (MD-80, A320) · 3 routes: Punta Gorda, Sanford, St. Petersburg
- Spirit Airlines NK (A320) · 2 routes: Fort Lauderdale, Myrtle Beach
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Niagara District Airport (YCM) 13 km to the centre
Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, CA — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day.
Getting there by ferry
Niagara City Cruises
Ferry terminal · 1.6 km from the centre · Hornblower Niagara City Cruises
Maid of the Mist
Ferry terminal · 1.8 km from the centre · Maid of the Mist
Bridge-It
Ferry route · City of Thorold
Local transit
Niagara Airbus
Public transit · Schedules & GTFS data
Niagara Region Transit
Bus · Regional buses plus the WEGO tourist shuttle along the falls. · Fares: Cash or app
Trains & rail
VIA Rail Canada
National rail
Coaches & shuttles
FlixBus ← Toronto, Ontario
About two hours to Niagara Falls; GO Transit also runs trains and buses on this route. · Toronto, Ontario guide →
Discover Niagara Shuttle
Coach / shuttle operator
Ebus
Intercity coach
Rider Express
Intercity coach
Private aviation
On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.
AirSprint
Fractional · Praetor 500, Citation CJ3+, Legacy 450 · Canada's fractional-ownership operator, based in Calgary.
Chartright Air Group
Charter, management · Light to large-cabin · Toronto-based charter and aircraft management.
London Air Services
Charter · Learjet, Challenger · Vancouver-based charter operator.
Skyservice
Charter, management, FBO · Managed fleet, Challenger, Global · Canada's largest business-aviation company: charter, management and FBOs in Toronto, Montréal, Calgary and Vancouver.
Air Charter Service
Broker · Any aircraft via operators worldwide · Global charter broker with 30+ offices; private jets, group charters and cargo.
Tours & experiences
Hornblower Niagara Cruises
Boat Tour
Living Here
Getting about
- Niagara Region Transit runs the local and inter-city buses across the peninsula; the WEGO buses, run by Niagara Parks, loop the tourist district, the Parkway and the hotels on a day pass. Both are useful; neither is frequent. A car is assumed for anything beyond the falls.
- GO Transit trains now run to and from Toronto Union year-round (a few a day, about two hours), with GO buses to Burlington the rest of the time; VIA and Amtrak's Maple Leaf to New York stop at the same downtown station. The QEW to Toronto is about ninety minutes without traffic.
- Toronto Pearson is 90 minutes to two hours; Buffalo Niagara (BUF), across the border, is about 45 minutes and often cheaper for US flights; Hamilton (YHM) is an hour. The Rainbow Bridge can be crossed on foot, with a passport and a small toll.
- Parking near the falls is expensive and fills on summer weekends; park once at the hotel or at a Niagara Parks lot and use WEGO or your feet. The Incline Railway saves the climb between Fallsview and Table Rock.
Health
- Dial 911. Greater Niagara General Hospital, run by Niagara Health, is the city's hospital with an emergency department; the new South Niagara Hospital is under construction to replace it. St Catharines has the region's largest hospital. OHIP covers Ontario residents.
- Pharmacies (Shoppers Drug Mart, Rexall) and walk-in clinics handle minor problems. In winter the mist off the falls freezes the promenade and the railings; wear proper boots. The gorge trails are steep and people are hurt every year going off them.
- Visitors, including Americans crossing for the day, should carry travel insurance; emergency care is given but billed to non-residents.
Work & study
- Niagara College has campuses in Niagara-on-the-Lake and Welland, with well-regarded hospitality, culinary and winemaking programmes and a teaching winery; Brock University in St Catharines is the region's university, strong in wine science and education.
- Tourism is the economy — the two casinos are the largest employers, with the hotels, Niagara Parks, attractions and restaurants behind them — and much of the work is seasonal, part-time and paid near the minimum. Hydro generation, greenhouses, wineries and what is left of manufacturing make up the rest.
- Wages are low and housing, though far cheaper than Toronto's, has risen sharply as commuters and retirees arrive; many residents commute to St Catharines or up the QEW.
Money & manners
- Canadian dollars; cards and tap everywhere. US dollars are accepted along the strip at poor rates. Tip 15–20%; HST (13%) is added at the register, and the tourist district adds parking and 'destination marketing' fees to bills — ask.
- The border needs a passport or NEXUS card each way and can take an hour on summer weekends; the casinos and bars require you to be 19. Cannabis is legal in Canada but not at the US border.
- Summer (June to September) is hot, humid and crowded; the shoulder months and the Festival of Lights in early winter are the best value. Winter is cold, grey and windy at the brink, but the frozen falls are a sight and the hotels are cheap.
- The strip is a carnival and behaves like one; the town beyond is ordinary, friendly small-city Ontario. Say thank you to the bus driver, do not feed the gulls, and do not climb the railings for the photograph.