Niagara Falls is relatively simple to reach. The time it takes to drive between the two cities depends primarily on how bad the traffic is in Toronto , but it takes around 1 hour and 30 minutes. Fortunately, the scenic route to Niagara Falls from Toronto to Niagara Falls is straightforward and beautiful. Take Queen Elizabeth Way south from Toronto and go for Hamilton. Continue on the same route until you reach Niagara Falls, then turn left onto ON-420/Niagara Veterans Memorial Highway East to enter the city’s central business district.
Although the distance between Toronto and Niagara Falls is short, there are a few sites you may stop at if you have the time. The Royal Botanical Gardens, a recognized national historic site, are located in Burlington, just over an hour from Toronto along the QEW. Next door, you may visit Hamilton’s Dundurn Castle or the Warplane Heritage Museum. It takes only a short drive, rail, or bus ride from Toronto to Niagara Falls, located about 80 miles away. Here are a few picturesque locations to look forward to on this road trip.
Niagara falls
Table Of Contents
Niagara Falls is one of Torontonians’ favorite vacation destinations. It’s the ideal location for relaxation, with views of one of the most magnificent waterfalls in the world, a growing wine culture, and charming B&Bs in Niagara on the Lake. There are many ways to go from Toronto to Niagara Falls, but the routes might be challenging. You can quickly board the Maid of the Mist thanks to the most significant transit choices we’ve gathered.
The Niagara Parkway is a quick but effective route that gets you from the Falls to Niagara-on-the-Lake in about 30 minutes. This picturesque route, which follows the Niagara River, has wineries, parks, historical buildings, other exciting attractions, and wayside stands where you can get some food. Even better, each drive will be a bit unique because the scenery changes with the seasons. Enjoy the riverside trees’ blossoms in the spring, their colorful leaves as they start to fall off in the fall, and the Winter Festival of Lights in the winter.
Downtown Toronto to Newmarket
Before reaching Newmarket, you’ll leave from downtown and travel quickly down Yonge Street through the neighborhoods of Richmond Hill, North York, and other places. It is debatable if Yonge Street is the world’s longest road, but regardless, it passes through various attractions and is an impressive 83 kilometers long. You’ll find a variety of activities to keep you occupied for the afternoon here. Drink some wine at Holland Marsh Winery, spend the day in the sun at Newmarket Riverwalk Commons, or learn about the past at Elman W. Campbell Museum.
The waterfall capital of the world
You can reach Hamilton, Ontario, the City of Waterfalls, after a one-hour drive from Toronto. Although it initially appears to be industrial, once you enter the natural environment, you’ll find over 100 waterfalls. There are parks and hiking paths throughout the area that let you witness the thunderous beauty of many falls. The Bruce Trail Conservancy is where most of them are, so go there if you want to see as many as possible. After a hike, return to Toronto for dinner.
There are numerous methods to reach Niagara Falls. You can travel by bus, private vehicle, train, or touring.
Niagara Falls from Toronto by car
Traveling from Toronto to Niagara Falls in your car offers the most flexibility. You can easily visit attractions far from the falls and leave and return whenever you like. Get on the upper Gardiner Expressway and travel towards Niagara Falls in the west. At the Highway 427 Interchange, the road’s name changes, although continuing straight is all that is necessary. The Burlington Skyway at the far western end of Lake Ontario is one of the trip’s highlights. Be sure to take in the views to your left as you ascend this impressive bridge, looking back toward Toronto. You’ll be able to view the downtown towers on a clear day. The Hamilton Steelworks, with its recognizable roaring smoke and flames, is to your right.
Touring
The easiest way to see Niagara Falls if you don’t have transportation and are staying in Toronto is to take a tour. You must arrive on time for your hotel pick-up because all the logistics, parking, admission fees, and meals have been planned for and taken care of.
The Luxury Small-Group Niagara Falls Day Trip from Toronto with Cruise is one of the most incredible trips and requires 12 people only for the optimal experience. The tour lasts a whole day, between nine and ten hours. Your time includes a wet and fantastic journey on the Niagara City Cruise ship (formerly Horn Blaster Cruises) to the base of the falls while you are in town. The observation platform at Table Rock is less than two meters from where the water tumbles over the cliff and into the chasm below, so you can also witness the falls from the top.
Niagara Falls from Toronto by bus
The cheapest method to get from Toronto to Niagara Falls is by bus. Every day, the MegaBus departs once in the morning and once in the evening. This route is around 40 minutes faster and more direct than the one that involves taking a train and a bus, but it costs about the same. At 610 Bay Street, the downtown coach terminal is where the MegaBus departs from.
The four-kilometer walk from the Niagara Falls bus stop to the falls themselves is the sole drawback of the bus option. On the plus side, if you don’t mind getting a little exercise, you may walk along pleasant paved paths that parallel the picturesque Niagara Gorge—feeling unmotivated to walk? There aren’t many effective city transport connections to the falls. Take a taxi or a ride-sharing service for a brief journey.
Niagara Falls from Toronto by Train
Taking one of the trains out of the city is one of the most pleasurable and tranquil ways to travel to Niagara Falls. The two suppliers with daily departures from Toronto, the GO Train (seasonal) and the ViaRail Train, are housed in Toronto’s Union Station. When the Niagara train isn’t running, you can get to Niagara by taking the daily Lakeshore West GO Train to Burlington and then transferring to GO Bus Route 12. You will drop off across the Niagara Falls Train Station at the Niagara Falls Bus Terminal. You can buy a rail ticket at the station, pick up a Presto Pass and top off your card at a nearby Shoppers Drug Mart or train and subway kiosks. Before boarding the train, tap your card at the station.
Conclusion
Because of their proximity, Toronto and Niagara Falls share much of the same weather. The waterfalls seldom completely freeze, although, at freezing temperatures, ice blocks a large portion of the flow. Even though the summers in Niagara Falls can be sweltering, many tourists still come to cool off in the cold mist. While winter visitors offer a unique opportunity to witness the icicles that develop around the falls when temperatures dip below freezing, autumn is also an excellent time to view the surrounding flora. It is indeed worth traveling this scenic route.