Boat tours at Niagara Falls
The best Niagara City Cruises boat tours
The Voyage to the Falls boat, the fireworks cruise and guided combos with Journey Behind the Falls. Here is what each one includes, with honest advice on what the boat costs on its own, when it runs and how wet you will get.
See our 5 picks
Niagara City Cruises runs the boat to the foot of the Horseshoe Falls. The ride takes 20 minutes and costs CA$47.95 for adults, plus tax, on its own site. Our top pick adds a guide and Journey Behind the Falls: a 3-hour walking tour from €86. Boats sail from April to November. Everyone gets a free poncho, but you will still get wet.
Our picks: Niagara City Cruises boat tours
Four guided combos with the boat and Journey Behind the Falls, and the evening fireworks cruise. Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide.
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from €86 per person Our top pick 3 hours 4.6 (1,941) reviews on GetYourGuide
Boat trip and Journey Behind the Falls, guided walk
A guided walk with a Journey Behind the Falls ticket, a poncho and a boat ticket if your option has one. A night option adds the fireworks cruise. You walk about 2 km, outdoors in any weather. The meeting point depends on the option. Not for wheelchairs.
Best for First-timers who want both water sights with a guide
Check availability: Boat trip and Journey Behind the Falls, guided walk on GetYourGuide -
from €35 per person 40 minutes 4.5 (2,813) reviews on GetYourGuide
Evening fireworks cruise
Run by Niagara City Cruises from 5920 Niagara Parkway. You sail in light mist to the lit falls, then watch fireworks from the water. The cruise runs rain or shine, but the fireworks depend on the weather. The fireworks run only in season: in 2026, from 15 May to 12 October.
Best for Couples and an evening out
Check availability: Evening fireworks cruise on GetYourGuide -
from €86 per person 3 hours 4.7 (1,518) reviews on GetYourGuide
Priority boat and Journey Behind the Falls
A guided tour with a boat ticket and Journey Behind the Falls. Some options add a priority boarding lane and first-on access. You meet at 6075 Niagara Parkway. Not for wheelchairs or strollers.
Best for Visitors who hate queues
Check availability: Priority boat and Journey Behind the Falls on GetYourGuide -
from €93 per person 2 h 30 min 4.8 (339) reviews on GetYourGuide
Boat ride and Journey Behind the Falls, early start
A guided walk with both tickets and ponchos included. The 8:30 a.m. tour does Journey Behind the Falls first. You meet at 5146 Murray Street. In extreme weather it may be moved or cancelled, with a full refund.
Best for Early risers
Check availability: Boat ride and Journey Behind the Falls, early start on GetYourGuide -
from €25 per person 30 min to 7 hours 4.0 (702) reviews on GetYourGuide
Boat, Journey and tower: pick your options
Choose from 8 options. The cheapest is the Skylon Tower deck only; the boat and Journey Behind the Falls are add-ons. You meet inside the Skylon Tower.
Best for Visitors on a budget who pick the parts
Check availability: Boat, Journey and tower: pick your options on GetYourGuide
Niagara City Cruises boat tours side by side
| Tour | From | Duration | What it covers | Who it suits | Why we picked it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boat trip and Journey Behind the Falls, guided walk | €86 per person | 3 hours | Boat (if chosen), Journey | First-timers who want both water sights with a guide | Rated 4.6 from 1,941 reviews, with both sights and a guide. |
| Evening fireworks cruise | €35 per person | 40 minutes | Night boat, fireworks in season | Couples and an evening out | The most-reviewed pick: 4.5 from 2,813 reviews. |
| Priority boat and Journey Behind the Falls | €86 per person | 3 hours | Boat with priority option, Journey | Visitors who hate queues | Rated 4.7 from 1,518 reviews. The only pick with a priority lane option. |
| Boat ride and Journey Behind the Falls, early start | €93 per person | 2 h 30 min | Boat, Journey | Early risers | The highest rating here: 4.8 from 339 reviews. |
| Boat, Journey and tower: pick your options | €25 per person | 30 min to 7 hours | Boat as an add-on | Visitors on a budget who pick the parts | From €25 for the cheapest option, but the boat costs extra. Rated 4.0 from 702 reviews. |
Boat trip and Journey Behind the Falls, guided walk
€86 per person3 hours 4.6 (1,941)
Details
- What it covers
- Boat (if chosen), Journey
- Who it suits
- First-timers who want both water sights with a guide
- Why we picked it
- Rated 4.6 from 1,941 reviews, with both sights and a guide.
€35 per person40 minutes 4.5 (2,813)
Details
- What it covers
- Night boat, fireworks in season
- Who it suits
- Couples and an evening out
- Why we picked it
- The most-reviewed pick: 4.5 from 2,813 reviews.
Priority boat and Journey Behind the Falls
€86 per person3 hours 4.7 (1,518)
Details
- What it covers
- Boat with priority option, Journey
- Who it suits
- Visitors who hate queues
- Why we picked it
- Rated 4.7 from 1,518 reviews. The only pick with a priority lane option.
Boat ride and Journey Behind the Falls, early start
€93 per person2 h 30 min 4.8 (339)
Details
- What it covers
- Boat, Journey
- Who it suits
- Early risers
- Why we picked it
- The highest rating here: 4.8 from 339 reviews.
Boat, Journey and tower: pick your options
€25 per person30 min to 7 hours 4.0 (702)
Details
- What it covers
- Boat as an add-on
- Who it suits
- Visitors on a budget who pick the parts
- Why we picked it
- From €25 for the cheapest option, but the boat costs extra. Rated 4.0 from 702 reviews.
- None of the five includes hotel pickup. Each starts at a meeting point in Niagara Falls.
- All 5 offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
- Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide. Prices are "from" prices in euros and can change; the booking page shows the live price.
Niagara City Cruises tickets: on its own or in a combo
Buy the plain ticket from the operator if you only want the boat. Book a combo if you also want Journey Behind the Falls and a guide.
The operator calls itself the official boat tour for Niagara Parks. These prices are before Ontario's 13% HST. Everyone needs a ticket to board, babies too.
- Adult (13+)
- CA$47.95
- Child (3–12)
- CA$32.95
- Age 2 and under
- Free
Hornblower Niagara Falls tickets: the same boat
Niagara City Cruises is the former Hornblower Niagara Cruises. A local radio story reported the new name; we found no operator page that says it. Some tour listings still use the Hornblower name for this boat.
Niagara Falls boat tour: what to expect on board
Expect 20 minutes on the water and a lot of mist. Before sunset, the boat sails into the heart of the Horseshoe Falls. After sunset, it stays at the outer edge, in light mist, with the falls lit up.
Each guest gets a free recyclable poncho just before boarding. The operator still says to wear a jacket and waterproof shoes. Commentary is in English, and the boat is wheelchair accessible.
The boat tour on the Canada side: where you board
You enter at the Main Ticket Plaza, 5920 Niagara Parkway, next to the zipline tower. From there you go down to the Lower Landing in the gorge. There is no parking on site. Plan about an hour in all.
After the boat, many visitors go up the Skylon Tower to see the same falls from above.
Maid of the Mist tickets in Canada?
No. Maid of the Mist boards only from Niagara Falls, New York, on the US side. From the Canadian side, the boat to the falls is Niagara City Cruises.
When the boat runs
The boat runs from April to November. Peak season is June to Labour Day. December sailings depend on the weather. We found no official winter dates.
Boats leave all through the day and evening, with no fixed timetable. Tours run rain or shine, but severe weather can cancel them.
When the boat is closed, day-tour listings swap it for something else, such as the Power Station, Niagara Takes Flight or the Skylon Tower.
Coming without a tour? The Toronto–Niagara Falls train runs every day. Then the WEGO Green Line bus takes you from the station to Table Rock Centre.
Tips for the Niagara boat
Get a ticket for babies
Everyone needs a ticket to board, infants too. Infant tickets are free.
Book ahead in peak season
Peak season runs from June to Labour Day, so book ahead then.
Dress for the mist
The poncho helps, but wear a jacket and waterproof shoes.
Check your meeting point
The picks start in different places: Murray Street, Niagara Parkway or inside the Skylon Tower. All five have free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Niagara City Cruises: questions and answers
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More Niagara boat tours, live
More options with live prices and availability, straight from GetYourGuide.
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