Niagara Falls Day Trips to Wine Country and Buffalo
Niagara Falls makes a convenient base for day trips because wine country, two historic forts, a major art city and Toronto are all within two hours. Here is how far each one is and what a visit involves.
| Destination | Country | Distance | Drive time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Niagara-on-the-Lake | Canada | 20 km | about 25 minutes |
| Old Fort Niagara, Youngstown | USA | 25 km | about 20 minutes |
| Buffalo | USA | 32 km | about 30 minutes |
| Toronto | Canada | 130 km | 1.5 to 2 hours |
Trips that start in one country and end in the other mean a border crossing, so carry a passport and check CBP and IRCC rules for your nationality. Summer weekend queues can run 45 to 60 minutes.
Niagara-on-the-Lake and the wine route
Plan half a day or a full day. Upper Canada’s first capital, from 1792, keeps preserved 19th century streets, boutique shops, cast-iron lamps and horse-drawn carriages. Fort George National Historic Site, at 51 Queen’s Parade, was a British base in the War of 1812 and offers cannon demonstrations and fife and drum music. Adult entry is about $13.25 CAD.
The Niagara Peninsula is Canada’s best known wine region and the home of icewine, made from grapes harvested frozen at minus 8 degrees C or colder. Inniskillin pioneered the style in Canada and charges about $25 to $40 CAD for tastings. Peller Estates serves icewine in a sub-zero ice room where guests borrow parkas. Two Sisters and Stratus are known for red wines. The Shaw Festival runs plays from April to December, at roughly $40 to $140 CAD a seat.
Old Fort Niagara
Allow half a day. The fort stands where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario. Its French Castle was built in 1726 and is the oldest surviving building in the Great Lakes basin. Guests can watch cannon firings and living history shows, see the powder magazine and look toward Toronto on a clear day. Entry is about $20 USD for adults and $13 USD for ages 6 to 12, daily from 9:00 to 17:00.
Buffalo
Give Buffalo a full day. Pair the Frank Lloyd Wright Martin House (125 Jewett Parkway, tours about $25 to $45 USD) with the Buffalo AKG Art Museum (1285 Elmwood Avenue, about $18 USD). For lunch, try wings at the Anchor Bar on Main Street, where they were invented in 1964, or at Gabriel’s Gate in Allentown, where a plate runs about $18 to $24 USD.
Toronto
Toronto fills a full day. You can drive, or take the weekend GO Transit train from Niagara Falls station to Union Station for about $25 to $30 CAD return. Highlights include the CN Tower, the Royal Ontario Museum, St. Lawrence Market and the Distillery District.
Tips
- Pick one trip per day. Combining Buffalo and Old Fort Niagara in one outing works, since both are in New York.
- Arrange a driver or a tour for wine tastings.
Read more: Multi-day trips in Niagara Falls shows these trips inside a longer stay.
Official sites and booking
See Old Fort Niagara and the Buffalo AKG Art Museum for hours. Region tours can be compared on Viator .