Travel bucket list idea:

Niagara Wine Region

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada
https://www.niagaraonthelake.com
Bucket List Experience

view of a vineyard with a low rise winery behind

Last updated: 06 February, 2024

The Niagara Peninsula is home to some of Canada’s oldest and most famous vineyards in what has become a world-class wine-producing region. It’s a landscape of rolling vineyards, charming wineries, and heart-stopping views of Lake Ontario – is just a short hop from Niagara Falls and easy to visit in a day trip, if not longer.

It primarily cultivates cool-climate grape varieties, such as Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Franc. These grapes thrive in the region’s moderate temperatures and mineral-rich soils, resulting in exceptional wines. Visitors can sample a wide range of wines, including crisp whites, elegant reds, and ice wines, known for their intense sweetness.

The charming towns of Niagara-on-the-Lake or St Catherines are the ideal bases for exploring it, touring the vineyards and, of course, tasting the wines.

Logistics

Price: Free

Minimum age: Any

Age suitable: 18+

When: All year around

Getting there & doing it

From Niagara Falls, take the Niagara Parkway south, a scenic route that runs along the Niagara River, until you reach the towns of Niagara-on-the-Lake (30 mins) or St. Catharines (20 mins), which serve as gateways to the region’s wineries. It’s fairly easy to visit independently if you have transport – if not, it’s best to sign up for one of the many organised tours from the Falls. It’s a comfortable and unhurried day trip.

The numerous vineyards, wine trails, and tasting rooms are well-signposted. There’s an excellent ‘wine trail’ website dedicated to the region on the US side of the border with a map of all of the best wineries. For the Canadian side, try Visit Niagara Canada‘s website. Plan on visiting no more than 4-5 wineries in a day.

When to do it

The best time to visit the Niagara wine region is during the spring and autumn seasons. In spring (April to June), the weather is mild, and the vineyards come alive with vibrant green foliage.

Autumn (September to October) offers picturesque landscapes with colourful foliage and grape harvest activities. These seasons also tend to have fewer crowds compared to the peak summer months.

Who to go with: organised tours

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Niagara Falls Day Tour from Toronto with Boat, Lunch& Winery Stop

Toronto

Viator

This full-day tour from Toronto to Niagara Falls includes a wine tasting, a visit to Niagara-on-the-Lake historic town, lunch overlooking the falls, and free time to explore Niagara Falls. Plus, you will get to ride the world-famous Hornblower boat ride, available from around May to November. During the winter season when Hornblower is closed, Journey Behind the Falls will be the alternative activity. Please note that the actual opening date and last day of the season are weather permitting. Sit back, relax, and let your guide show you the majesty of Niagara Falls!

Price CA$200

Min age 0

Rating 4.53 / 5 [994 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

Website >

Niagara Falls Day Tour from Toronto with Boat Ride & Winery Stop

Toronto

Viator

This full-day tour from Toronto to Niagara Falls includes a wine tasting, a visit to Niagara-on-the-Lake, a historic town, and free time to explore Niagara Falls. You will also get to ride the world-famous Hornblower boat ride, available from around May to November. During the winter season when Hornblower is closed, Journey Behind the Falls will be the alternative activity. Please note that the actual opening date and last day of the season are weather permitting. Sit back, relax, and let your guide show you the majesty of Niagara Falls!

Price CA$175

Min age 0

Rating 4.54 / 5 [230 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

Website >

Niagara Falls Day Tour from Toronto with Winery and Niagara on the lake stop

Toronto

Viator

This full-day tour from Toronto to Niagara Falls includes a wine tasting, free time to explore Niagara Falls and visit Niagara-on-the-Lake, which is a historic town. Sit back, relax, and let your guide show you the majesty of Niagara Falls!

Price CA$135

Min age 0

Rating 4.41 / 5 [163 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

Website >

Wine Tasting and Pairing Afternoon Tour

Ontario

Viator

This small group wine tour provides a social and lighthearted way to savor the best experiences offered in the Niagara Wine Tours Region. This Niagara wine tour visits smaller, more intimate wineries to create a more personalized experience. Enjoy a day tasting delicious wines with cheese and chocolate pairings, as well as the services of an experienced and entertaining tour guide.

Price CA$223

Min age 19

Rating 4.88 / 5 [106 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

Website >

Toronto Aerial Tour with Niagara Winery Tasting Tour with iflyTOTO

Toronto

Viator

The five hour event provides you an opportunity to experience the most spectacular views of the Toronto landscape in our Navajo aircraft as part of a small group and offers you a day excursion to some of Niagara's award winning wineries including a wine tasting tour. We offer free parking at the origin airport and cover all land transportation to and from Niagara Airport to the wineries.

Price CA$295

Min age 0

Rating 4.4 / 5 [50 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

Website >

SEE ALL RECOMMENDED TOURS & TICKETS

Destination guides

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

Niagara Falls

Ontario, Canada

View of falls from underneath at the side

Destination guide

There’s only one reason most people come to this Ontario city straddling the border of the United States and Canada, and that’s to see the remarkable Horseshoe Falls waterfall. Just outside the city is the Niagara Wine region, home to world-class vineyards – another compelling reason to visit.

More details >