Toronto → Niagara Falls
A classic day trip through Ontario wine country.
Short, sweet and endlessly doable, this is the classic day trip from Toronto. Leave the city via the QEW, detour through Niagara-on-the-Lake's wine country, and arrive at the falls before lunch. It's the most-visited route in Canada and rewards an early start to beat the tour buses at the brink.
Flying in? This route starts in Toronto — pick up wheels at the airport.
Rent a Car in TorontoBest Time to Drive
May–October; the falls flow year-round but summer is brightest.
How Many Days
1 day, or 2 with a winery overnight.
Where to Stay
Fallsview for the cascade view, or Niagara-on-the-Lake for vineyards.
Drive this route
A rental car, stops to sleep and roadside cover.
The route, stop by stop
- 1
Hamilton waterfalls
70 kmQuick stop at Webster's or Tews Falls in the Niagara Escarpment.
- 2
Niagara-on-the-Lake
110 kmIcewine tastings and a leafy historic main street.
Icewine tastings cluster on Queen Street — many tours bundle transport from Toronto.
- 3
Niagara Parkway
125 kmSir Winston Churchill called it 'the prettiest Sunday afternoon drive in the world.'
- 4
Niagara Falls
130 kmHornblower cruise, Journey Behind the Falls and Skylon Tower.
The Hornblower cruise runs May–October; fallsview rooms command the premium view.
