3 Best Tours to Niagara Falls From New York

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Niagara Falls is one of the most exquisite natural wonders in North America, and a Niagara Falls tour from New York is a smart option if you’re visiting the Big Apple or you live nearby.

If you’ve never been to Niagara Falls, an organized tour will help you make the most of your time and ensure you see all the top attractions. Not only that, but you won’t have to worry about transportation or planning your itinerary. Besides, you can find several incredible tours to Niagara Falls from New York City, so I’m sure there’s an option that suits your needs.

3 Best Tours to Niagara Falls From New York

While Niagara Falls is one of the best day trips from NYC, I recommend staying overnight if you can. This way, you’ll have enough time to explore both the American and Canadian sides of the falls, which are both worth seeing.

In this guide, I’ll share the 3 best bus tours from New York to Niagara Falls, from one-day trips to multi-day tours. Also, before we start, I suggest you read our ultimate guide to Niagara Falls so you know what to expect during your visit.

Best tours to Niagara Falls from New York

There are different options to choose from depending on your schedule and what you want to see during your trip. In this guide, I’ll share the best tours to Niagara Falls from New York for 1, 2, and 3 days.

• 1-day bus tour to Niagara Falls
• 2-day trip to Niagara Falls
• 3-day Niagara Falls, Toronto & Thousand Islands tour

The ultimate 1-day bus tour from New York to Niagara Falls

First, if you’re short on time, you can maximize your time with a 1-day trip to Niagara Falls from New York. I recommend this day tour, which departs from Time Square early in the morning and takes you to the U.S.-Canada border.

During the trip, you’ll learn about the geological history of the falls, as well as its significance in popular culture. Also, bring your camera because you’ll get amazing views of the falls from several lookout points in Niagara Falls State Park.

The ultimate 1-day bus tour from New York to Niagara Falls

If you take the tour between November and April, you’ll visit Goat Island and the famous Terrapin Point lookout. Those who travel between May and October will ride the Maid of the Mist boat at the base of the falls.

No matter when you go, you’ll witness the majestic beauty of the American, Bridal Veil, and Horseshoe Falls before returning to NYC late at night. Without a doubt, it’s the best bus tour from New York to Niagara Falls if you only have one day to explore.

• Highlights: American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, Horseshoe Falls, Goat Island, Maid of the Mist
• Duration: 19-20 hours
• Price from: $199

The best 2-day tour from New York to Niagara Falls

Ideally, you’ll spend more than a day here, and I recommend a multi-day trip like this 2-day tour, which goes from NYC to Niagara Falls, Canada in a comfortable bus. Along the way, you’ll travel through upstate New York and the Finger Lakes region, stopping at Watkins Glen State Park, one of the best things to do in New York state.

Once you arrive at Niagara Falls, you’ll explore the American side of the falls, including Goat Island, Sister Island, and the iconic viewpoints. As an added perk, you’ll get to see the falls lit up at night in a rainbow of colors.

The best 2-day tour from New York to Niagara Falls

Then, spend the night in a cozy hotel room and enjoy complimentary breakfast the next morning before experiencing the falls from the Canadian side. Depending on when you take this overnight trip to Niagara Falls from New York, you’ll ride the Maid of the Mist or walk through the Cave of the Winds and see the Power Vista Hydro-Electric Station. Either way, you’ll get an up-close view of the rushing waters.

After a few hours of adventuring, you’ll head to Manhattan, with a stop on the way at the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets, one of the best outlets near NYC, where you can go shopping or grab a bite to eat and stretch your legs.

• Highlights: Maid of the Mist, Queen Victoria Park, Goat Island, Sister Island, Cave of the Winds, outlet shopping
• Duration: 2 days
• Price from: $365

The best 3-day trip to Niagara Falls from NYC

Niagara Falls makes for one of the best road trips from NYC, which is why I recommend two or three days to see it all. A 3-day trip to Niagara Falls from New York is the perfect amount of time to discover everything on the American and Canadian sides and other nearby attractions.

I recommend this 3-day tour, which departs from NYC and makes a pit stop at Watkins Glen State Park, where you’ll take a walk through the canyon and see the beautiful waterfalls. Then, continue your bus ride past Seneca Lake and through the Finger Lakes region to Niagara Falls, New York.

The best 3-day trip to Niagara Falls from NYC

At Niagara Falls State Park, you’ll take an afternoon tour of the American side, including Goat Island, Luna Island, and the Maid of the Mist, where you’ll feel the thunderous falls caressing your face. After getting some nighttime views of the illuminated waterfalls, spend the night in a comfy accommodation.

Day 2 of this New York tour to Niagara Falls begins with a tour of the Canadian side, where you’ll get lovely views of Horseshoe Falls. You’ll also visit Niagara-on-the-Lake, a cute town along the Niagara River.

Then, stop in Toronto, Canada to see the most popular attractions like HTO Park, the CN Tower, Brookfield Place, and the Distillery Historic District. The day ends at your hotel along the St. Lawrence River, where you’ll see the Thousand Islands, which is actually about 1,860 islands of varying sizes.

The best 3-day trip to Niagara Falls from NYC

In the morning, take a boat ride along the river and see the most popular islands and Boldt Castle. After the cruise, you’ll head back to Manhattan, stopping at the Woodbury Common Premium Outlet along the way for a meal and some free time to shop.

• Highlights: American and Canadian sides of Niagara Falls, Maid of the Mist, Goat Island, Toronto, Thousand Islands, outlet shopping
• Duration: 3 days
• Price from: $460

Price of tours to Niagara Falls from NYC

In this chart, you can compare the prices of these different Niagara Falls tours from New York and see which points of interest you’ll visit on each trip.

FAQs – Niagara Falls tours from New York

Here are the most popular questions about touring Niagara Falls from New York to clear up any other concerns you may have.

I hope you found a tour to Niagara Falls from New York that you’d like to take, and that you learned more about this impressive natural wonder. As you can see, there is a lot to see here, so check out our visitor’s guide to Niagara Falls for more information.

Of course, if you still have questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to leave me a comment below so I can help you out. With that, I wish you a fantastic trip to Niagara Falls!