How to Get to Niagara Falls From Toronto by Bus, Train, Uber or Tour

For those just stumbling on our page, we are a Niagara Falls tour operator from Toronto. I wanted to put together this travel guide, which was actually inspired by a bad review that our tour company received on TripAdvisor a few days ago. The review was posted by a lovely young lady that we took on our trip to Niagara Falls. She was a solo traveller and found the cost of the tour (approx. $100 CAD at the time) to be too high, and suggested that others should take an Uber to Niagara Falls instead. Now the cost of an Uber ride to Niagara Falls from Toronto is actually significantly times higher than the cost of our tour… But this review got me thinking. There aren’t any good guides on the internet on how to get to Niagara Falls from Toronto. Whether you’re like me and like to study every aspect of your travels before making a booking, or if you’re the type to just find something and book it – I hope this guide will make the choice easy for you.

 

This guide is for the 4 best ways to get to Niagara Falls from Toronto via bus, train, Uber or tour. To make things easy for you and summarize my research, here is what I found. If you are a solo traveller or in a group and are looking for a 1-day trip to Niagara Falls, that covers the most iconic attractions and makes things easy, our Niagara Falls tour from Toronto is the best and cheapest transportation option for you (unless you already have your own car to drive). If you are looking for a multi-day trip, you have two options. First is that you can book with us for the 1-day trip and stay in Niagara Falls after the tour, and then take the bus back with Megabus. The second option is that you can book your trip entirely with a bus if you want to skip our tour and just plan your own itinerary.

See below for a summary of my research with screenshots of all the options… But keep in mind, my recommendation is to take our tour, the Megabus, or a mix of both. Good luck and feel free to email us if you have any questions!

Taking a bus from Toronto to Niagara Falls

Taking a bus with Megabus to Niagara Falls from Toronto is a great idea if you’re planning a multi-day trip, or if you’re planning to do a Niagara falls tour with us and then want to stay a few days extra and have an affordable and easy ride back to Toronto. If you’re looking to experience Niagara Falls in 1-day, joining our tour is still the best option given the negligible price difference. But if you want to go on your own with your own itinerary, this is a good option to look into.

How much does it cost to take a bus from Toronto to Niagara Falls?

A bus ticket to Niagara Falls and back will cost you about $30 each way, once the booking and seat fees are added to their posted rates. You’ll be looking at $60 in total. This is slightly cheaper than our tour, but you will end up spending much more money in Niagara Falls for other transit/Ubers. For example, taking an Uber from the bus station and to other locations in the Niagara region like the Niagara Whirlpool, floral clock or Queenston Heights Park will run up a significant tab.

When does it make sense to take a bus from Toronto to Niagara Falls?

If you want to see Niagara Falls in 1-day, including the main attractions and landmarks, it will still be a lot more cost-efficient and easier to book our Niagara Falls tour. Taking the bus with Megabus to Niagara Falls will be the best option for you if you are planning a multi-day trip. It is also a good idea if you want to join our 1-day Niagara Falls tour, and then extend your trip – you’ll be able to book a ride back to Toronto on your own for $30. This is our recommended option if you plan to take our Niagara Falls 1-day tour and then stay in Niagara Falls for multiple days after. 

The drawback of taking the bus is that you’ll miss out on the tour guide’s knowledge, and will need to do a lot more work to plan your trip. That’s why this option becomes better for multi-day trips, as opposed to a tour which is the best option for a 1-day trip.

Taking the GO Train from Toronto to Niagara Falls

Another way to get to the falls from Toronto is to take a GO Train. Honestly, this is a pretty lousy option unless you’re on a budget. The GO Train has several trains operating each day to Niagara Falls and back to Toronto, but the trip will take about 3 hours long and involves a transfer in the middle. The GO Train is currently the only public transit option from Toronto to Niagara Falls. Note that VIA Rail does not currently operate this route.

How much does it cost to take the GO Train to Niagara Falls from Toronto?

The GO Train will cost $21.15 per ticket each way, so you’ll be looking at a cost of $42.30 CAD. In addition to the ticket costs, you’ll also end up spending more money on buses or Ubers in Niagara Falls, especially to and from the GO terminal in Niagara Falls. You’ll end up spending around the same cost as our Niagara Falls tour (which costs approx. $100 CAD), and more money if you plan to Uber to other locations in the Niagara region that we include in our itinerary such as the Niagara Whirlpool.

When does it make sense to take the GO Train to Niagara Falls from Toronto?

The GO Train would be a good option if you want to stay in Niagara Falls for multiple days and are travelling on a budget. But in pretty much every case you will be better off taking either our tour or booking a bus ticket with Megabus.

Taking an Uber or Lyft from Toronto to Niagara Falls

Taking a ridesharing app like Uber or Lyft to Niagara Falls from Toronto is very expensive, and you aren’t guaranteed to always find a ride. Uber and Lyft would actually be a good option in certain circumstances which I’ll address below. You could also consider ordering a traditional taxi, but the rate will cost closer to $300 each way with a normal taxi.

How much does it cost to take an Uber or Lyft to Niagara Falls from Toronto?

A trip to Niagara Fallas from Toronto with an Uber, Lyft or even a taxi will run you about $600+. Expect to pay anywhere from $160 to $240 each way, before tipping. In addition to paying for your rides there and back, you’ll also likely need to spend another $100 to $200+ travelling across Niagara Falls. If you plan to stay in the main area where the boat ride, Journey Behind the Falls, Clifton Hill, etc. are then you won’t need to worry about that. But if you plan on going to the Niagara Whirlpool, Niagara-on-the-Lake, a winery, or pretty much anywhere else iconic in the Niagara Region, except for the travel costs to add up. The transit system isn’t very developed in Niagara Falls so expect to Uber when you’re there if you plan to see anything outside of the core touristy area. Here is an example of what an Uber trip there and back would look like in a standard 4 person UberX.

And here is an example of what it looks like with Lyft. Notice the lack of drivers for a return trip. There is a risk that you might not be able to find a driver on the way back, especially one willing to drive to Toronto. In this case, you might be able to grab a ride on the GO Train instead.

So to summarize the option of taking an Uber, Lyft or even a taxi – it’s going to be very expensive, around $600+ for a round-trip visit to Niagara Falls and the surrounding area, for up to 4 people in a standard UberX type vehicle.

When does it make sense to take an Uber or Lyft to Niagara Falls from Toronto?

This would be a good option in a few circumstances. If you’re planning a multi-day trip to Niagara Falls and don’t have a car rental, this could be a good way means of travel, especially if you are a group of 4, so you can divide the costs. The drawback of this is that it’s not very reliable (in terms of finding a driver willing to go this far) and it is much more expensive than the cost a tour operator like us would charge. This could also be a good option if you plan to take our tour to Niagara Falls, and then stay for a few extra days. You can then take an Uber/Lyft back to Toronto.

Taking a tour to Niagara Falls from Toronto

Queen Tour Niagara Falls Tours is a tour operator from Toronto. We have been in business since 1994. We take thousands of guests from Toronto to the falls every year. Our tour guides are all licensed by the Niagara Parks Commission. We use vans and minibuses with a max capacity of 24 seats for the tour group (which is much more comfortable than the large coach bus tours others operate). We also offer pick-up from hotels and landmarks across Downtown Toronto and Mississauga. Based on our extensive research, this is the best value for a 1-day trip to Niagara Falls. When you consider all transportation costs, timing, and ease, we are proud to say that in our opinion, none of the above options beat our tour. You can find our full Niagara Falls tour itinerary here.

Guests looking to book a multi-day trip to the falls might be better off doing a mix of our tour and a Megabus ticket or just fully going with Megabus to plan their own multi-day itinerary.

How much does a tour to Niagara Falls from Toronto cost?

A tour from Toronto to Niagara Falls with us will cost about $100 per person, which includes transportation, the tour guide, and also several other iconic attractions in the Niagara region which will be difficult to reach without an organized tour.

When does it make sense to take a tour to Niagara Falls from Toronto?

This will be the best option for guests looking for a 1-day trip to Niagara Falls. Niagara Falls isn’t that big and most people don’t need to spend multiple days in Niagara Falls and can cover the most important attractions in 1 day. But for those looking to extend their trip, perhaps to have a romantic night by the falls or to go to the casino, they can book a 1-way or 2-way ticket with Megabus. Taking a tour to Niagara Falls is especially a good idea if you have a limited amount of time, like 3 days in Toronto.

Our recommendation: how to get to Niagara Falls from Toronto

I hope that this guide was helpful for you in planning your travels! You should review all the options to see what works best for you. Based on the search above, my recommendation is that you will have a much better and more cost-effective trip with either our tour or a bus ticket with Megabus. If you just want to plan a 1-day trip and see the major landmarks and attractions in Niagara Falls, book with us. If you want to visit for multiple days, either book with us to go there and then return with a bus, or just book a bus ticket both ways. If you have any questions, feel free to send us an email. And, take advantage of our other guides – like for date ideas in Toronto and things to do in Toronto in the winter.