Visit Niagara Falls on a Day Trip From Toronto

Niagara Falls, Ontario is one of the must-see attractions when visiting Toronto – and UP Express and GO Transit can get you there! Niagara Falls offers plenty of free activities and admission-based sites, and here are some must-visit attractions to check out and things to do in Niagara Falls on a day trip from Toronto.

How To Get To Niagara Falls From Toronto

It’s easy to get from Toronto to Niagara Falls! UP Express can help you get there with smooth connections from Toronto Pearson International Airport to UP Express Union Station and onward. Visitors arriving at the airport can take the UP Express to Union Station and easily hop on a GO Transit Niagara-bound bus with service running daily, or the train during the weekends and holidays. No PRESTO card? No problem! Visitors can use PRESTO contactless to pay for their UP Express fare via contactless credit card or mobile wallet on phone or watch. Simply tap your PRESTO payment source to travel on UP Express from Pearson station, and transfer to GO Transit at Union Station to continue your journey to Niagara. PRESTO card users can tap to pay for their GO Transit Niagara fare, or purchase a $10 single-day weekend pass or $15 weekend pass online for unlimited travel all-day on weekends and holidays.

Leave The Car Behind With GO & WEGO

Once you’re in Niagara Falls, there’s no need for a car to get around this fun-filled city. The WEGO Niagara Parkway tourist transit shuttle offers a direct connection from the Niagara Falls GO Bus and train terminal to the biggest tourist attractions, hotels, restaurants, and shopping in the Falls. Get a GO and WEGO weekend combo ticket starting at just $25 which includes your round-trip GO train ride from Union Station to Niagara Falls on weekends and holidays, plus a two-day hop-on, hop-off WEGO bus service. Rides are unlimited across WEGO’s three bus routes allowing you to explore the region at your own pace.

Niagara Falls’ Natural Wonders

Marvel at the thundering water of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls from the lookout viewpoint at Table Rock Centre right on the water’s edge. Feel the power of the Niagara River from Niagara Parks’ Journey Behind The Falls that takes you deep underground to put you right behind the waterfall or embrace the mist from a Hornblower Niagara City Cruise boat tour in the swirling waters right at the bottom of the Horseshoe Falls. After a full day of fun, Niagara Falls at night is something to behold! At dusk, this natural wonder once again transforms when colourful lights illuminate the waterfalls year-round.

Get Your Fun On

Clifton Hill has something for the whole family with indoor fun houses, wacky museums like Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! museum, arcades, haunted houses, Dinosaur Adventure miniature golf, Niagara Speedway go-karts, restaurants, and more. Check out the stunning 360-degree panoramic view of the Horseshoe Falls and American Falls from the Niagara SkyWheel’s climate-controlled gondolas. Meanwhile, grown-ups looking for a bit of Las Vegas-style fun can find it at one of Niagara Falls’ two casinos. Casino Niagara and Fallsview Casino Resort invite you to try your luck at one of their many table games and slot machines or enjoy a meal and shopping along the casino concourses.

Take a Hike

Bring your walking shoes because Niagara Falls has plenty of green space and trails to explore! The Niagara Glen boasts a series of free hiking trails down the tree-lined escarpment close to the edge of the roaring Niagara River. Upriver from the Falls is the peaceful and popular park Dufferin Islands featuring 10 acres of secluded walking trails across several small islands connected by footbridges. You’ll want to keep your camera handy during a gentle stroll along the Niagara Parkway from the brink of the Horseshoe Falls to Clifton Hill which offers mist-filled views of the Niagara River, the Rainbow Bridge to the U.S. and the American and Bridal Veil Falls across the gorge in Niagara Falls State Park.

For The Adventure Seekers

Get your adrenaline pumping with a ride on Niagara’s Fury, a high-speed boat through the Niagara whirlpool rapids or check out the waves from land on the Niagara Whitewater Walk boardwalk that runs along the rapids. Put any fears of heights aside and get a bird’s eye view of the whirlpool rapids from the historic Niagara Whirlpool Aero Car which has been thrilling visitors with rides across the whirlpool and Niagara Gorge since 1916. The truly daring can give the Zipline to the Falls a go, soaring 670 metres down past the American Falls to an observation deck at the base of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls.

Niagara For Nature Lovers

Visitors of all ages go wild for the Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory, an indoor tropical oasis with over 2,000 free-flying butterflies that take flight as you wander through lush winding pathways on a self-guided tour. Nearby, the free Niagara Botanical Gardens has been attracting tourists since 1936 who come to take in the beautifully-maintained garden and the world-famous rose garden featuring over 2,400 roses. Be sure to check out the famous Floral Clock created with 16,000 plants, just north of the gardens along the picturesque Niagara Parkway.

Remember to check GO Bus and GO Train schedules to coordinate with the UP Express timetable when planning your day tip to Niagara Falls and return trip to Toronto or the airport. The GO Train service from Union Station to Niagara Falls GO (VIA Station) now operates year-round! Transportation connections from Union Station to the GO Bus via Burlington GO Station and onward to Niagara Falls operate on weekdays and weekends year-round. Connections to UP Express to return to Toronto Pearson International Airport can be made via UP Express Union Station.