Niagara Peninsula
Niagara-on-the-Lake
Wineries, the Shaw Festival and a flat cycling road along the river, twenty minutes from the Falls.
- Best months
- January · May–June · September–October
A small Georgian town at the mouth of the Niagara River, ringed by vineyards and joined to Niagara Falls by a car-free riverside trail. Summer weekends fill with day-trippers from Toronto. Harvest in late September, May before the buses, and icewine picking in January are when it earns its reputation.
Things to do
Cycle the Niagara Parkway
The Niagara River Recreation Trail is flat and paved for 53 km; Niagara-on-the-Lake to the Falls is 20 km each way, past Queenston Heights and the whirlpool. Bike rentals and winery-hopping tours start in town.
Wineries within a bike ride
Peller, Stratus, Two Sisters, Konzelmann and Inniskillin are within a few kilometres of town; Ravine in St. Davids is a longer ride. Riesling, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc are the strengths; icewine is the signature.
The Shaw Festival
Around a dozen productions on three stages from early April to just before Christmas. Spring previews and the autumn run are cheaper and easier to book than July.
Icewine harvest
Grapes are picked at −8°C or colder, usually in December or January, often at night. The Niagara Icewine Festival runs over the second half of January, with a street tasting village on Queen Street.
Twenty Valley
Thirty minutes west, the Beamsville Bench and Jordan village have the smaller producers. The Niagara Grape & Wine Festival in St. Catharines runs through September, with the Montebello Park street party on the last weekend.
The Falls without the crowd
Go before 9 am or after dark, when the Table Rock viewpoint empties. In winter the mist freezes on the railings and the Winter Festival of Lights runs from mid-November into early January.
When to go
Late September to October
Harvest, the wine festival, and foliage along the parkway. Warm days, restaurants at full strength, and rooms easier to find than in July.
May and early June
Orchards and vines in blossom, the Shaw Festival opening, and the tour buses not yet running at full tilt.
January
Icewine festival, frozen Falls, and hotel rates well below summer. Some restaurants take a winter break; check before booking.
Summer weekends
Queen Street gridlock and full patios. If summer is unavoidable, come midweek.
How to get there
From Toronto
Ninety minutes by car on the QEW. GO and VIA trains reach Niagara Falls station; a taxi, a shuttle or, in summer, the WEGO bus covers the last 20 minutes to Niagara-on-the-Lake.
From the United States
Buffalo (BUF) is an hour away over the Peace, Rainbow or Queenston–Lewiston bridges. Bring a passport.
Car optional
Wineries near town are cyclable and tour companies run half-day loops. A car helps for Twenty Valley and the Bench.
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