As a professional tour guide in Niagara Falls, I met a lot of people who planned to stay in Niagara Falls for the weekend or even just one day!
One day is not enough to do the area justice, but if that's all you have, this Ultimate 1-Day Itinerary for will lead you to the absolute must-see attractions, showcase our local food and drink, recommend accommodations, and suggest some unique points of interest as well.
Come with me to feel the thunder of the Falls, find the best views, and know that you've had the best possible day in Niagara Falls!
❄️ Some recommendations in this guide will not be available in the winter, so check out my Niagara Falls Winter Wonderland Guide for those details.
🅿️ For details and guidance about parking in Niagara Falls (which is tricky), see my full Weekend in Niagara Falls Guide.
📞 You can also book a consultation call or get me to make a custom itinerary for your trip to Niagara Falls, or anywhere else in Ontario, Canada.
🇨🇦 I'm excited to help you find authentic Canadian experiences that you'll talk about for years to come!
I highly recommend arriving in Niagara Falls the day before you start exploring. It gives you time to settle in, a night to rest, and start your Niagara Falls journey fresh!
Plus, following this itinerary doesn't leave you with much extra time.
The Hilton is a very popular choice for staying in the heart of Niagara Falls. It is in a central location and is within walking distance to the Falls, restaurants and public transit. The hotel quality is superb and has some fantastic views of the Falls.
The Marriott Fallsview is also a great quality hotel in the heart of the tourism centre in Niagara Falls. Overlooking the Falls, this hotel has amazing views and is in walking distance of many great restaurants. It differs from the Marriott on the Falls in that Marriott Fallsview has an attached spa to elevate your stay with some self-care.
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8-9am: Start with Breakfast
If you love a hearty, American/Canadian breakfast, I suggest getting out of the tourist area and going to Phyl’s! You can take your car just 10 minutes down the road or take the WEGO bus system.
⚠️ Note: to use WEGO, you have to buy a day pass from a Niagara Parks welcome centre, but then you can use the busses all day.
If you just want a coffee, tea, or pastry for a light breakfast, I suggest heading straight to the first attraction where there is a café.
Phil’s is a classic no-frills, good food, family breakfast place on Lundy’s Lane in Niagara Falls. Breakfast and lunch is served until 2pm and you’ll find a good selection of classic North American breakfasts and lunch sandwiches.
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9-10am: Journey Behind the Falls
Let's start your Niagara Falls experience with a bucket-list attraction!
Journey Behind the Falls is located in the Table Rock Centre, which also includes the best gift shop in Niagara Falls, a café with pastries and light bites, and clean public toilet facilities.
I always recommend going here first, especially in the summer, as the lines will get ridiculously long in the late-morning and afternoon.
Journey Behind the Falls is where you will go down an elevator 125 feet into tunnels carved into the cliff under the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. One tunnel extends behind the curtain of water coming to 2 portholes where you can experience the falling water from behind. The other tunnel goes out to an observation deck to the side of the Horseshoe Falls. Here is an amazing spot to take pictures!
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10-11am: Walk along the Parkway
After getting some great pictures at the crest of the Horseshoe Falls in front of the Table Rock Centre, start walking downriver along the Parkway towards the next attraction.
Enjoy a leisurely walk through the lush park, with flowers everywhere and benches to rest on. The view of the Horseshoe and American Falls change as you walk so be sure to keep taking pictures!
11am-12pm: Niagara City Boat Cruise
This iconic boat ride has been known as The Maid of the Mist (which is what the American boats are still called), and the Hornblower. Now the Niagara City Cruises, this boat ride takes you past the American Falls and into the centre of the Horseshoe Falls and into the heart of the mist that it creates!
This is one of the oldest attractions in Niagara Falls, having started in 1885! This affordable, bucket-list attraction is one I highly recommend!
This epic boat ride last about 30 minutes and takes you into the heavy mist of the Horseshoe Falls. Plastic rain ponchos are provided, but I suggest wearing shoes you don't mind getting wet.
I recommend going to the bottom, front, right corner of the boat. It's normally less busy there and when the boat turns around, it turns to the left, so be on the right side of the boat to get the full view.
There is a place on the boat to get behind glass and out of the mist if it gets to be too much for you.
You can buy tickets there or book online.
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12-2pm: Lunch
From the boat ride, you can walk up Clifton Hill to find some decent chain restaurants, or head out of the tourism centre for some great local spots.
Kelseys Roadhouse is a bar and restaurant featuring American roadhouse classics like wings and burgers. The franchise started with 3 brothers from the Niagara Region who opened their first restaurant in Oakville, near Toronto.
I grew up going to Kelseys, it’s a solid choice for good, hearty Canadian/American food and drinks.
Doc Magilligan’s is an Irish pub and restaurant serving elegant, award-winning Irish pub grub and nice cocktails.
They have live music Thursday-Saturday and offer breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late night appetisers.
The actual bar itself was shipped over from Ireland, as well as all of the decor; artefacts saved from classic Irish pubs that were shutting down.
I love the vibe in here and the food is always amazing! Enjoy!
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2-2:30pm: See the Niagara Whirlpool
After lunch, take your car or the WEGO bus to the Whirlpool Aero Car or the WildPlay Adventure Course which both have free observation desks overlooking the Niagara Whirlpool.
Soak up the views of the only counter-clockwise whirlpool in North America and remember that the currents here are just as dangerous as Niagara Falls, if not more.
The Niagara Whirlpool is a natural phenomenon rivalling the majesty of the Niagara Falls themselves - it's just not as famous. The Whirlpool is created by a 90 degree turn in the Niagara River. This causes the current to swirl counter-clockwise before making the turn, which eroded the cliff and made a massive bay over time. The views from the Aero Car or by the Wildplay Adventure Course are spectacular and not to be missed!
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3-4pm: Butterfly Conservatory
It's time to head to the Butterfly Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. Carry on down the Parkway to the Botanical Gardens which has over 100 acres of curated gardens and trees for you to roam and admire for free.
Located in the heart of the Botanical Gardens is the Butterfly Conservatory. Rain or shine, this attraction showcases the delicate beauty of fluttering butterflies in a tropical paradise. For details, check out my article linked in the pin below.
The Butterfly Conservatory is a unique, dome-shaped greenhouse that houses around 2,000 butterflies of 40 different species. It is kept at 27 degrees celsius year round to provide the optimal living conditions for the butterflies and the beautiful display of tropical plants.
For all of the details about pricing, parking, location, accessibility, what to expect and see some of my pictures of the Conservatory, click the link to my free article on guidetoontario.com.
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4-5pm: Visit the Floral Clock
Driving or bussing a little further down the Parkway on the way to the Floral Clock, you will pass/go over the two active hydroelectric power generating stations: the Adam Beck Stations and across the river on the USA side, the Robert Moses Power Plant.
**The allotted time for this activity includes driving to the Floral clock, stopping to see the Power Stations and driving back to Niagara Falls.
You can stop and park to look at the power plants, but the view as you drive along is pretty good too.
These are the only remaining operating hydroelectric power generating stations in Niagara Falls, one on the Canadian side, one on the USA side of the river. The international boarder runs down the middle of the river.
These plants were built from the 1920's through to the 1960's and generate a huge proportion of electricity for the state of New York and the province of Ontario.
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Just after you pass the Adam Beck building, turn left into the second driveway (its a ONE-WAY driveway) and park by the Floral Clock.
The design on the clock is made of hundreds of plants and flowers that get changed out twice a year.
With the clock face measuring 40ft in diameter, thousands of short plants and flowers are planted to create unique patterns and designs twice per year. The Niagara Parks Floral Clock has become quite famous and is a super cool photo opportunity. It houses Westminster chimes that chime every 15minutes. During open hours, there are public washrooms and a small snack/gift shop located next to the clock.
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Bonus: Queenston Heights Park
If you have any extra time to kill, enjoy a stunning walk in Queenston Heights Park. The site of a historical battle from the War of 1812, the park has two memorials, lots of picnic and BBQ facilities, and a fantastic view from the top of the escarpment overlooking Niagara-on-the-Lake.
I love this park! It's got everything you could want! Lots of parking, picnic/BBQ facilities, an open field, shady trees, and an amazing view of the Niagara River from the top of the Niagara Escarpment.
It also happens to be an historic battlefield from the War of 1812. The Battle of Queenston Heights took place here between the Americans and British-Canadian forces. The British Major-General Isaac Brock died from the battle and the massive pillar monument in the Park is in his honour. There is another monument in the Park dedicated to the Haudenosaunee and other native allies who fought with the British-Canadians and is a really beautiful tribute.
The Park is also a terminal end of the Bruce Trail, a trail more than 890 km (550 mi) long through southern Ontario. You can start or end your adventure on this trail here!
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Dinner
My top recommendation for dinner in Niagara Falls is as close to the Falls as you can get: Table Rock House Restaurant.
You'll be heading back to where you started the day, but this time head up the escalators to the restaurant.
Here you will have the absolute best view of the Falls paired with superb food and drink with an emphasis placed on sourcing locally. This restaurant guarantees 50% of its food and 90% of its drinks are sourced from Ontario.
#1. The food is superb!
#2. You can't get any closer to the Niagara Falls.
#3. Locally sourced food and drink!
It doesn't get much better than this. To give you an idea of prices, entrées at lunch run about $30-40, dinner is about $40-60 or a prix fixe menu for $70 including starter, entree and desert.
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Have fun! I'm here if you need anything else...
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If you liked this itinerary but want more details about parking or getting around, please book a consultation call! I'll be so happy to answer all of your questions - I love being a guide!
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Hi there, my name is Pamela and I'm your Guide To Ontario.
✍️ Author of www.guidetoontario.com
📍 Ontario Travel Expert | Outdoors • Culture • Wellness
✈️ Personalized Trip Itineraries & Consultation Calls
🤐 My paid Travel Guides hold hidden gems and secret spots - Do you want the inside scoop?
I help local and visiting travellers uncover Ontario’s most authentic Canadian experiences, breathtaking nature, and rich heritage.
I am proud to be born and raised in rural Ontario and to have travelled all around this great Canadian province.
My love of travel has also lead me to live in England for 2 years and travel to many, many more countries, including South Africa, Egypt, and New Zealand.
I always want to bring my international friends home to Ontario with me to show them the best of Canada (in my opinion - no offence Rocky Mountains!).
I specialize in Ontario because I live here, grew up here, and know the best spots from Thunder Bay to Ottawa to Windsor. However, I would say my specialties are Muskoka and Niagara Falls.
In fact, I have been a professional Tour Guide in Niagara Falls.
I love being a guide and I want to help you have the best experience possible by tailoring your trip to your passions and interests. I'll help you find those unique experiences that will have you telling a great story for years to come!
