If the luxury of truly personalized travel feels beyond your vacation budget, it’s time to set your sights on a new destination! Niagara’s diverse range of unique communities, food and beverage options, and unique arts experiences makes it surprisingly easy to create a getaway built around all the things that make your heart sing! Follow these 4 steps to create a Niagara escape that reflects your signature travel style.
Whether your ideal vacation backdrop is big-city excitement, history and charm, rolling vineyard views, quaint beachtown bliss, or a custom blend of all those things, Niagara is home to a wide assortment of communities, each offering something unique.
In addition to the stunning scenery of its world-famous Falls and all the related attractions, Niagara Falls offers visitors the excitement of Clifton Hill, Canada’s largest casino, and a stand-out live entertainment scene attracting top-notch talent, including The Black Keys, David Lee Roth, Alison Krauss, Flo Rida, Seth Meyers, and Jerry Seinfeld in the months ahead.
For those seeking a more tranquil travel destination, Niagara-on-the-Lake boasts historic architecture, quaint shops, excellent dining, and the acclaimed Shaw Festival, all just a few minutes away from peaceful vineyards and fruit orchards.
While St. Catharines may be known as “the Garden City,” its red-hot culinary scene has put it on the radar of in-the-know foodies seeking an urban scene with standout dining options. Between meals, explorers can cycle or stroll along the Welland Canal, hike the Bruce Trail, catch a show at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, or bask in the sun at Lakeside Park or Sunset Beach.
Rural relaxation is always on the menu in the Niagara Benchlands, a collection of smaller communities on the west side of Niagara known for its tender fruit and grape farms, dozens of wineries, serene Niagara Escarpment waterfalls, and an incredible farm-to-table scene made up of stellar roadside markets and buzzed-about dining options, like the MICHELIN-starred Restaurant Pearl Morissette.
Set on the shores of Lake Erie, Niagara’s South Coast is the region’s waterfront playground, boasting friendly lakeside towns, gorgeous sandy beaches, and some of the region’s most popular options for outdoor pursuits, like fishing, golf, and cycling.
Stellar food and beverage experiences are always on the menu in Niagara. With over 100 wineries, two dozen craft breweries and cideries, and hundreds of restaurants to choose from, tailoring the food and drinks you choose to your specific preferences is a breeze. To make things even easier, many wineries, craft beverage producers, and restaurants offer tasting flights and menus, allowing guests to sip and sample a broader range of their products during their visit. Winery collectives, such as Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Benchlands Wineries, and Niagara Grape & Wine Festival, regularly offer passport programs showcasing unique wine and food pairings at a variety of local wineries. Food- and wine-focused events, like Niagara Grape & Wine’s Tailgate Party and Brunch By The Lake, Graze The Bench, and Fallsview Casino’s June Food and Drink Fest, are another best bet for finding favourite new Niagara flavours.
Not everyone hears ‘the call of the mall’ when they’re travelling. Those who prefer unique boutiques will absolutely want to make time to shop and stroll the streets of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Jordan Village, Ridgeway, and Port Colborne. Vintage treasure seekers will have a blast sourcing finds in favourite St. Catharines spots, like Roly Poly Records & Vintage, Pink Bubblegum Vintage, and vs. Resell. Green thumbs will be wowed by the offerings at popular Niagara garden retailers, like Vineland’s The Watering Can, Stevensville Garden Gallery, and Fonthill’s Rice Road Greenhouses and Garden Centre. Appealing designer deals are always in stock at Outlet Collection at Niagara in Niagara-on-the-Lake and Canada One Outlets in Niagara Falls. Lovers of carefully crafted, Canadian-made treasures will want to time their trip to coincide with the annual spring Handmade Market at 13th Street Winery in June.
Culture seekers whose travels aren’t complete until they’ve enjoyed some live music, theatre, or art will find plenty of options to satisfy their souls during their time in Niagara. Check the events calendars at can’t-miss live music venues, including OLG Stage, Avalon Theatre, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, The Sanctuary Centre for the Arts, and Warehouse Concert Hall, to time your trip around an upcoming show. Niagara’s theatre season kicks into high gear in the spring, with a fresh slate of shows at the world-renowned Shaw Festival, as well as the Lighthouse Festival in Port Colborne’s historic Roselawn Theatre and The Foster Festival. In addition to visiting local galleries, including RiverBrink Art Museum, Niagara Pumphouse Arts Centre, and Rookley’s Canadian Art, The Niagara-on-the-Lake Studio Tour, on June 6 and 7, offers visitors a chance to step into the workspaces of over a dozen local artisans and see their work firsthand.
Find the attractions, wineries, craft breweries, restaurants, historic sites, outdoor activities, and live entertainment options that are a perfect fit for your next Niagara getaway. Be sure to check out @visit_niagara on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for additional trip inspiration and to learn about upcoming events. Top it all off with an amazing place to stay for an unforgettable Niagara adventure.
A. May to early June and September to October.
Wine tastings, scenic drives along the Niagara Parkway, garden visits to the Niagara Botanical Gardens and theatre performances at The Shaw Festival.
There are 100+ wineries to visit in Niagara, known for their Icewine and cool-climate varieties.
Popular locations include Fort George National Historic Site and Niagara Falls History Museum.
There are a variety of historic inns and B&B’s in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
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