Are you planning a 1 day Niagara Falls itinerary and need some ideas? We planned an awesome Niagara Falls Canada day trip that included the best attractions to see the falls from a boat, from above, and from behind. In this post I share everything you need to plan a day trip to Niagara Falls Canada.
Niagara Falls is one of the most popular places to visit in the world, hosting over 20 million visitors a year at the Canadian and American side. As a Rochester local we are a short 90 minute drive away and wanted to plan a day trip to the Canadian side.
We had done a 2-night visit to Niagara Falls that included an overnight and both sides of the falls, but were really excited to experience Niagara Falls Canada during the summer months.
We were also short on time and had to plan a one day trip. With that in mind I started brainstorming attractions I wanted to include and then planned out our day with what I thought we could accomplish.
It was an ambitious day and we did have a few hiccups but overall our day trip to Niagara Falls was a success.
1 Day Niagara Falls Itinerary
Below is a quick look at our itinerary. Overall we did 6 attractions. I would have liked to do a 7th but we ran out of time during our day. I share more in my full breakdown below.
- 7:00am-Started drive to Niagara Falls
- 8:45: Arrived at Flying Saucer Restaurant
- 10:00am-1:00pm: Niagara Takes Flight, Journey Behind the Falls, Lunch at Table Rock Cafe
- 1:00pm-2:00pm: Niagara City Cruise
- 2:00pm-4:30pm: Butterfly Conservatory
- 4:30pm-6:30pm: Clifton Hill, Dinner at Boston Pizza
- 6:30pm-7:30pm: Niagara Park Power Station & The Tunnel
- 7:30pm: Departed Niagara Falls to drive home to Rochester, NY
Cost of Attractions/Parking Info
If you are planning on doing multiple attractions your best option is to purchase as a bundle. We had the Adventure Pass Plus ($109 CAD) that included 10 different attractions as well as access to the WEGO Bus that takes you to and from all attractions.
For our itinerary we parked at Falls Parking Lot A (6635 Niagara Parkway). It costs $30.00+ and was the best place to park if you are using the WEGO shuttle service.
If you are not using the shuttle and want to drive you will end up paying a lot for parking because it is very limited in the Niagara Falls/Clifton Hill area. I’ll go into more details as I share about our day below.
Niagara Falls Canada Day Trip
We left our house in Rochester and started the 1 hour and 45 minute drive to our first stop on the list: Flying Saucer Restaurant. We arrived around 9:00am and had about a 15 minute wait.
The restaurant and menu is alien themed. The breakfast was fine, nothing that blew us a way but was a fun place to start our day.
Be sure to arrive before 9:00am if you want to have a short wait. You need to be done with breakfast before 10:00am for this itinerary to be successful. If the wait would have been longer we would have skipped breakfast, pack snacks/breakfast bars as back up.
After the Flying Saucer Restaurant we drove (about 10 minutes) to the parking lot at the Niagara Parks Power Station. This is where we parked and stayed for the duration of our day. We used the WEGO bus pass to get to all of our attractions.
Table Rock Centre
Our morning was spent at Table Rock Centre, parking lot was across the street. Here you will find Niagara Takes Flight, Journey Behind the Falls, and our lunch spot: Table Rock Cafe.
Niagara Takes Flight is the newest attraction that opened in late August 2025. It is a ride much like Soarin’ at Walt Disney World that takes guests on an adventure above Niagara Falls. It highlights the culture and natural wonder of Niagara Falls and is a fantastic attraction.
Niagara Takes Flight is included in the Adventure Pass but sells out very quickly. Guests can only make time reservations upon arrival, for this reason I suggest arriving as early as possible to pick your time.
After Niagara Takes Flight we went to Journey Behind the Falls. Here guests are given a poncho and wait in a queue to board an elevator down to the tunnels behind the falls.
The views are incredible and it was a really neat experience. We spent about 45 minutes doing this from start to finish, with about 15-20 minutes in the actual experience.
When planning your visit be sure to consider crowd levels. We visited on a holiday weekend and it was very busy. Mid-week is the best time to visit.
After Journey Behind the Falls we did a quick casual meal at the Table Rock Cafe, it was extremely busy in this area and not easy to find seating. The food was good and they had pizza, sushi, chicken nuggets, and fish fry options.
It is the best option if you don’t plan on driving somewhere. We chose it because of the convenience to our itinerary, we just didn’t have time to leave and come back.
Niagara City Cruises
We exited Table Rock Centre and got on the WEGO bus to the Niagara City Cruises stop. When you receive your Adventure Pass you will scan it to get on the bus.
Niagara City Cruises is a 20 minute boat ride that takes you in front of the falls. Guests receive ponchos for this attraction and the mist and wind of the falls will get you wet. The bottom of my jeans were drenched, but thankfully dried quickly.
Be sure to have your tickets ready as you enter and walk the queue. Once you get to the bottom of the elevator to board the boat they will scan your ticket.
Itinerary Change-White Water Walk
Next up on our itinerary was supposed to be the White Water Walk but we ended up skipping it and headed directly to the Butterfly Conservatory.
This was a bit of a bummer because I was looking forward to walking along the rapids but the next 2 stops for the WEGO bus were closed, which meant we walked a mile up and down hills, and none of us were up for going for a walk.
The WEGO bus was fairly consistent except for this part of our day, not sure why 2 stops in a row were closed, but it took up more time than we had liked and had to pivot our plans a little.
Butterfly Conservatory
When we arrived at the Butterfly Conservatory we needed a little afternoon treat and headed to The Garden Cafe for ice cream. This was one of my favorite parts of the day when we walked around the outdoor gardens and ate our ice cream.
It was quiet and peaceful, away from the crowds, and just what we needed to recharge for the rest of the day.
The Butterfly Conservatory is an indoor garden with many species of Butterfly’s. If you stay still often they will land on you and it really can be a nice place to walk around. During our visit the crowds did make it a bit tougher to navigate but if you are interested in these types of places it is really a good one.
Clifton Hill
It was around 4:30pm when we arrived back to Clifton Hill for dinner. We ate at Boston Pizza for dinner and then walked around a bit.
We didn’t do any of the attractions on Clifton Hill, and there are many, from mini-golf and a giant sky wheel to haunted houses and wax museums-there is a lot to do. We decided to save these for another visit.
Niagara Parks Power Station
This is a one floor museum that highlights the history of how Niagara Falls provided power throughout the years. Niagara Parks Power Station is also home to The Tunnel which is an underground path that takes guests to the base of Niagara Falls.
We visited during the evening hours and this provides different light effects in the tunnel. The Tunnel was one of my favorite attractions because it was really peaceful walking through the lighted tunnel and then ending with a spectacular view of the falls.
Final Thoughts
When we started to plan this trip I was a bit worried by how many things we planned. It was going to be a jam packed day, and it was, but we were able to balance it a bit with the walk through the garden and ending at The Tunnel.
If I was to plan this again I would try to do the same day but on a weekday, it would have given us more time to do attractions and less time waiting in lines.
Due to our schedule, weekends are really the only time we have as a family of five to do things together, if your family schedule is similar I would still plan the day trip.
The best part about this Niagara Falls itinerary is you can do as little or as much as you’d like. If you don’t have a full day you can pick one or two attractions that interest you and plan a great half day out.
When deciding what attractions are the best we thought the Niagara City Cruise was a really fun experience. I also enjoyed Niagara Take Flight and The Tunnel (evening) experience.
I would recommend those three if you are limited on time. Be sure to book as a bundle to stretch your dollar during your visit.
It was so much fun to get away for the day and spend time together. We are lucky to be so close to Niagara Falls and I was happy we finally had time to take advantage of it.
Thank you to Niagara Falls Tourism for providing media tickets for our visit. All opinions are my own.
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Leah has been traveling with her family of 5 since 2012 and sharing her expertise on planning family vacations and visiting theme parks since 2016. Leah has been featured in Visit Rochester, Undercover Tourist, and Home Publications. She has worked with brands like Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, Hersheypark, Toyota, and various Tourism boards and destinations. Leah creates family travel itineraries based on real trip experiences with her family. Her guides and tips help others plan great family vacations. Learn more about Leah and Five for the Road.