Niagara Falls Tour: Boat Cruise, Journey Behind Falls and Skylon
Description
Once inside the Skylon Tower you will ascend 520 ft. in a glass elevator to the observation deck where you will be treated to an incredible, birds-eye view of all three Niagara Falls (Bridal Veil Falls, Horseshoe Falls, and the American Falls), as well as the Niagara River and surrounding area. You will have descend 125 ft (approx. 40m) to explore cave-like tunnels behind the Falls at Journey Behind the Falls. This experience is a treat for the senses as you’ll be able to not only hear the falls but feel them as well. Then take the Niagara City Cruises boat cruise for an up-close look at the falls (seasonal: May to December), at which point your tour will come to a close and you and your guide will part ways. On your cruise, you will sail around the Niagara gorge and get as close as possible to the Falls. In winter and spring months, the cruise is replaced with Niagara Takes Flight.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your experience begins at the iconic Skylon Tower. After meeting your guide, ascend 775 feet in a glass elevator to the observation deck where you’ll enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of Niagara Falls, the Niagara River, and the surrounding region. Your guide will point out Horseshoe Falls, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls while sharing fascinating stories about the formation of the falls and the history of tourism in Niagara.
As you make your way through the Fallsview district, you will pass Fallsview Casino Resort, one of the largest entertainment complexes in Canada. Overlooking the Niagara Falls skyline, the resort features luxury hotels, restaurants, theaters, and gaming floors. Your guide will share how this area developed into Niagara Falls’ premier tourism and entertainment hub.
Ride the Falls Incline Railway down the Niagara escarpment toward Table Rock and the brink of Horseshoe Falls. This scenic funicular ride provides incredible views of the Niagara River and the surrounding parklands while transporting visitors directly to the falls area.
From Table Rock, your guide leads the group along the Niagara Parkway toward the Niagara City Cruises dock. The Niagara Parkway follows the Niagara River and was once described as “the prettiest Sunday drive in the world.”
Located directly beside the brink of Horseshoe Falls, Table Rock is one of the closest viewpoints to the waterfall and a historic gathering place for visitors to Niagara Falls.
Your experience concludes with Niagara’s most famous attraction, the Niagara City Cruises boat ride. Sail through the Niagara Gorge and get as close as possible to the American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and the powerful Horseshoe Falls. Ponchos are provided as you experience the incredible mist and thunder of the waterfalls up close.
As you continue along the Niagara Parkway toward the boat dock, you will pass the historic Niagara Parks Power Station. Once the largest hydroelectric generating station on the Niagara River, this massive industrial landmark helped power cities across Ontario for more than a century.
Descend 125 feet through tunnels carved into the bedrock to experience the incredible power of the Horseshoe Falls from behind the waterfall itself. Step onto the outdoor observation deck where you’ll feel the thunderous vibration of the water crashing into the Niagara Gorge below.
Enjoy a walk through the beautifully landscaped Queen Victoria Park, known for its gardens, walking paths, and unobstructed views of the waterfalls.
Along the way, you’ll stop for stunning viewpoints overlooking Horseshoe Falls, the largest and most powerful of the three waterfalls that make up Niagara Falls.
As you walk along the Niagara Parkway, enjoy stunning views of the American Falls. Located between Goat Island and Luna Island, this powerful waterfall drops more than 100 feet into the Niagara Gorge. Your guide will point out the unique rock formations at the base of the falls and explain how erosion has shaped this iconic section of Niagara Falls over thousands of years.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Kindly note: Niagara Takes Flight is not accessible to infants or children under 100 cm.
Reviews(602)
Shariq was great! Got us everywhere we needed to go on time without feeling rushed. You also get to skip the line at certain attractions which is always a plus.
Great experience. Worth it as you get a great knowledgeable tour guide who will pace you through the different attractions/viewpoints of the falls. You also will be able to skip the line in certain spots by having a tour guide bring you through. Well worth it and great way to view Niagara!
Overall, I really loved this tour. The guide was super friendly and knowledgeable, and went at an excellent pace. It included all of the major highlights. The guide was extremely helpful in guiding me where to stand on the boat ride as well as what to do after the tour for both lunch and additional attractions. I would highly recommend this tour.
We loved getting to see the falls from so many different angles! The boat ride was our favorite! We really enjoyed Parminder, too!
Our tour guide was very friendly and informative. The tour is definitely the way to go if wanting to see multiple sites. The tickets are included so no waiting in the ticket line. The lines were long for the events but moved at a constant rate. The only negative thing I can say is that the meet up coordination was confusing. The tour guide did not do the event with the group and it was never clear where we were to meet up with him when we were done with that activity. Other than that, it was well worth it and we would do it at.
Great way to enjoy Canada side main attractions, swift & easy. Guide made everything easy & informational
The tour hit all the highlights of Niagara Falls and was well done. Parminder was an excellent guide and very knowledgeable. The amount of walking was manageable, but there should have been more stops where we could sit down as we were essentially on our feet for three hours straight.
It was a little confusing to meet up with our guide as we never received a text message. But once we connected with Ryan he was a great guide, knowledgeable about the area and was able to answer all the questions before we even could ask. He told us not just about the falls but other history about the area. Having a small group was perfect felt like we had personal guide.
We booked this tour for a group of 10 people, covering the boat cruise, Skylon Tower, Journey Behind the Falls, and the incline railway. While the attractions themselves were incredible, the actual tour package was a major letdown financially and logistically. If you do the math, booking the tickets for these exact attractions directly on your own costs about $43 less per person. Because there were 10 of us, we paid a $430 premium just to be on this tour. For that kind of extra cash, you expect a premium experience, but we didn’t get one. Our tour guide essentially just acted as a ticket dispenser. We received zero history, no background stories of the area, and no real guiding—just some basic, small advice about the schedule of events. Worse yet, being on the tour makes you completely time-bound. You are rushed from one spot to the next with absolutely no room to explore. For example, right after the boat cruise, there is a fantastic hangout section with food and live music. We would have loved to sit down, eat, and enjoy the vibe, but we had to hustle to the next check-in. If you are a solo traveler or a couple who desperately wants someone else to buy the tickets for you, maybe the convenience is worth it. But if you have a group, save your money. Buy the tickets yourself online, move at your own pace, enjoy the parks, and use that extra cash for a great meal instead!
It was an informative walking tour with beautiful views of Niagra falls. It started with views from the Skylon tower, then to the journey behind the falls, and finished with a boat ride up to the falls! We had a great tour guide who was with us, answered questions, and lead us to all our attractions. Be prepared to walk a lot and get wet!
