4 h4,360 reviews
4 hNiagara Falls: Premium Tour, Boat & Journey Behind the Falls
★ 4.8 · 4,360 reviews
- Four hours, at Journey Behind the Falls
- Small group tour
- Most booked
- Free cancellation
$156$39.00 / hour
Check availability→ City Cruises
Niagara Falls city cruise: what Niagara City Cruises actually is
A Niagara Falls city cruise is not a tour of a city. It is the name of the boat that sails from the Canadian bank into the bowl of Horseshoe Falls: Niagara City Cruises, red ponchos, landing on the Niagara Parkway. The company used to be called Hornblower, which is why the same sailing shows up under two names across listings, hotel leaflets and reviews. Nothing about the boat changed with the name. This page covers what the sailing is, which packages on this site include it, what each one costs and how long it takes, plus the honest version of how the ticket works. Fares that carry it start at $85, and the fullest package is $156 for four hours with the boat, Skylon Tower and the tunnels behind the water.
The sailing, at a glance
- Our pick
- $156Niagara Falls: Premium Tour, Boat & Journey Behind the Falls — four hours, rated 4.8 across 4,360 reviews, with the sailing, Skylon Tower and the tunnels
- The best-rated package
- $104Two and a half hours with the boat, the tunnels and a guided walk, rated 4.9 across 328 reviews
- The lowest fare that carries it
- $85Ninety minutes: a small-group walk and the boat ride into the mist, rated 4.8 across 273 reviews
- The former name
- HornblowerSame landing, same route, same red ponchos. Listings on this site use both names
- Where it sails from
- Niagara ParkwayThe Canadian bank. The American boat, the Maid of the Mist, boards across the river in Niagara Falls, New York
- Usually sold with
- Journey Behind the FallsThe tunnels behind the wall of water, walked in yellow ponchos, are the standard pairing with the sailing
- Season
- April to NovemberSailings run roughly April through November; winter packages run without a boat
- Cancellation
- Free cancellationnamed on every listing on this site
Quick answer
The short answer. A Niagara Falls city cruise is the Canadian boat, formerly Hornblower, now Niagara City Cruises. The most complete package that includes it is $156: four hours with Skylon Tower and the tunnels, rated 4.8 across 4,360 reviews. The shortest is $85 at 90 minutes, and the best-rated is $104 at 4.9 across 328 reviews.
The name
Why a Niagara Falls city cruise has nothing to do with a city
The word city in a Niagara Falls city cruise is the company, not the itinerary. Niagara City Cruises operates the boat that leaves the Canadian bank, runs past the American Falls and holds position in the spray at the foot of Horseshoe Falls. It is the same sailing that older material calls Hornblower. If you have a booking that says one name and a sign at the landing that says the other, you are in the right place.
This trips people up in a specific way. Somebody searching for a city tour Niagara Falls expects a bus around the streets, and instead finds a boat. Somebody searching for the boat finds pages about the town. The listings on this site are unambiguous about which is which: when they say Niagara City Cruises or Hornblower, they mean the water.
Listings word it in their own ways. $263 calls it a City Cruises voyage to the falls. $156 and $135 name Niagara City Cruises outright. $85 still says Hornblower. A search for Niagara City Cruises boat tour Niagara Falls will return all of them, and all of them are describing one deck.
The boat that is genuinely different is the Maid of the Mist, which sails from the American bank in blue ponchos under a separate operator. Crossing between the two means crossing an international border, and a ticket for one is not valid for the other.
The packages
Every Niagara Falls city cruise package on this site
$156 — Premium Tour, Boat & Journey Behind the Falls. Four hours, rated 4.8 across 4,360 reviews. An award-winning small-group tour with the sailing, Skylon Tower and the tunnels, led by a local guide. It carries more feedback than anything else on this site, and it is our pick on this page.
$104 — Boat Ride, Journey Behind the Falls. Two and a half hours, rated 4.9 across 328 reviews, with local guides, the sailing, the tunnels and a guided walk. The highest score of any package here.
$135 — Skylon, Journey Behind the Falls & Boat Ride. Three and a half hours, rated 4.7 across 1,981 reviews. The same three pieces as the premium day, in a slightly shorter small-group version.
$127 — Boat, Journey Behind the Falls & Tower Tour. Four hours, rated 4.8 across 662 reviews. Read this one carefully: the operator says the cruise runs upon availability, which is wording worth checking against your date before you pay.
$263 — Helicopter Ride, City Cruise & Skylon Tower. Five to eight hours, rated 4.8 across 1,048 reviews, and the top pick of the whole site: a flight above the falls, a seasonal sailing and the tunnels in one day. The sailing is described as seasonal, so a winter booking is a flight and a tower rather than a deck.
Every trip, current fare
Every listing on this site, current fare
The packages that carry the Canadian sailing, and everything else for context. Cost per hour is plain division, and it is the fairest way to set a 90-minute walk beside an eight-hour day.
| Cruise | Length | Price | What is included | Cost per hour | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niagara Falls: Premium Tour, Boat & Journey Behind the FallsNiagara Falls: Premium Tour, Boat & Journey Behind the Falls | 4 h | $156 | Niagara City Cruises boat, Skylon Tower, the tunnels, a guide | $39.00 | 4.8 · 4,360 |
| Niagara Falls: Boat Trip & Journey Behind the Falls TourNiagara Falls: Boat Trip & Journey Behind the Falls Tour | 3 h | $96 | Boat ride if selected, guided walk, VIP tunnel access | $32.00 | 4.6 · 1,865 |
| Niagara Falls: Exclusive Priority Boat & Behind the FallsNiagara Falls: Exclusive Priority Boat & Behind the Falls | 3 h | $96 | Priority boarding lane, deck spots, 125 feet below the bedrock | $32.00 | 4.7 · 1,502 |
| Niagara Falls Canada: Boat Ride, Journey Behind the FallsNiagara Falls Canada: Boat Ride, Journey Behind the Falls | 2.5 h | $104 | Niagara City Cruises boat, the tunnels, a guided walk | $41.60 | 4.9 · 328 |
| Niagara Falls, Canada: Evening Fireworks CruiseNiagara Falls, Canada: Evening Fireworks Cruise | 40 min | $39 | Evening sailing, skyline views, illuminations, fireworks | $58.50 | 4.5 · 2,769 |
| Niagara Falls, ON: Jet Boat Tour on Niagara RiverNiagara Falls, ON: Jet Boat Tour on Niagara River | 45 min | $67 | A run through the class 5 rapids of the Niagara River | $89.33 | 4.8 · 1,297 |
| Niagara Falls Tour: Skylon, Journey Behind the Falls & Boat RideNiagara Falls Tour: Skylon, Journey Behind the Falls & Boat Ride | 3.5 h | $135 | Small-group walk, Skylon Tower, the tunnels, a boat ride | $38.57 | 4.7 · 1,981 |
| Niagara Falls: Boat, Journey Behind the Falls, & Tower TourNiagara Falls: Boat, Journey Behind the Falls, & Tower Tour | 4 h | $127 | Boat upon availability, the tunnels, Skylon Tower views | $31.75 | 4.8 · 662 |
| Walking Tour of Niagara Falls Canada and Hornblower BoatWalking Tour of Niagara Falls Canada and Hornblower Boat | 90 min | $85 | Small-group walk and a Hornblower boat ride into the mist | $56.67 | 4.8 · 273 |
| Niagara Falls, USA: Guided Tour and Maid of the Mist CruiseNiagara Falls, USA: Guided Tour and Maid of the Mist Cruise | 2 h | $57 | Guided sightseeing and admission to the Maid of the Mist | $28.50 | 4.5 · 793 |
| Niagara Falls USA Premium Tour with Cave of the Winds & BoatNiagara Falls USA Premium Tour with Cave of the Winds & Boat | 3 h | $139 | Maid of the Mist, Cave of the Winds, iconic viewpoints | $46.33 | 4.8 · 559 |
| Niagara Falls, USA: All Inclusive Maid Of Mist Boat TourNiagara Falls, USA: All Inclusive Maid Of Mist Boat Tour | 4.5 h | $139 | Maid of the Mist, Cave of the Winds, Observation Tower | $30.89 | 4.6 · 254 |
| Niagara Falls Canada: Premium Night Tour with Boat & DinnerNiagara Falls Canada: Premium Night Tour with Boat & Dinner | 4 h | $234 | Night views, a seasonal fireworks sailing, dinner, the tower | $58.50 | 4.5 · 177 |
| Niagara Falls: Helicopter Ride, City Cruise & Skylon TowerNiagara Falls: Helicopter Ride, City Cruise & Skylon Tower | 8 h | $263 | Helicopter ride, a seasonal City Cruises sailing, Skylon | $32.88 | 4.8 · 1,048 |
| Toronto: Niagara Falls, Boat Ride & Journey Behind the FallsToronto: Niagara Falls, Boat Ride & Journey Behind the Falls | 9 h | $118 | Toronto pick-up, skip-the-line boat, the tunnels | $13.11 | 4.8 · 2,086 |
| Niagara Falls: Private Day Tour with Boat & HelicopterNiagara Falls: Private Day Tour with Boat & Helicopter | 9 h | $310 | A private day from Toronto: boat, helicopter or lunch | $34.44 | 4.5 · 37 |
| Niagara Falls Canadian Side Helicopter & Boat Ride w/ BuffetNiagara Falls Canadian Side Helicopter & Boat Ride w/ Buffet | 5 h | $428 | Helicopter, a sailing, a guided tour, lunch at Skylon | $85.60 | 5.0 · 2 |
How the ticket works
Five things worth knowing before you buy a Niagara Falls city cruise
All five are printed on the listing before you pay. They are the whole of what a Niagara Falls city cruise booking depends on, and each one is a thing people ask about afterwards.
| What to check | Where it lives | Why it matters | If you skip it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether the sailing is includedor sold as an option | The inclusions | Some packages name the boat; at least one runs it upon availability | A day at the falls without the deck you booked for |
| Which bank you board onCanadian, not American | The meeting point | The blue-poncho boat is a different operator across the border | A crossing you had not planned on the morning |
| The date, against the seasonroughly April to November | The availability calendar | Winter packages run, the sailings do not | Tunnels and a tower when you wanted water |
| How long the package runs90 minutes to eight hours | The duration field | The sailing is short; what surrounds it decides your day | An evening you had promised to somebody else |
| What to wearwaterproofs, grippy shoes | The what to bring section | Ponchos are issued, but shoes and bags are yours | The single most common regret on the deck |
Book direct
Five packages built around the Canadian sailing
The fullest day first, then the best-rated, then two shorter versions, then the one that adds a flight. Every listing here has free cancellation.
Rated 4.9328 reviews
2.5 hNiagara Falls Canada: Boat Ride, Journey Behind the Falls
★ 4.9 · 328 reviews
- Two and a half hours, on a Niagara City Cruises boat
- Guided walking tour
- VIP discounts
- Free cancellation
$104$41.60 / hour
Check availability→ 
3.5 h1,981 reviews
3.5 hNiagara Falls Tour: Skylon, Journey Behind the Falls & Boat Ride
★ 4.7 · 1,981 reviews
- Three and a half hours, on a Niagara City Cruises boat
- Guided walking tour
- Skylon Tower ascent
- Free cancellation
$135$38.57 / hour
Check availability→ 
4 h662 reviews
4 hNiagara Falls: Boat, Journey Behind the Falls, & Tower Tour
★ 4.8 · 662 reviews
- Four hours, from the Skylon Tower
- Canadian side
- Journey Behind the Falls
- Free cancellation
$127$31.75 / hour
Check availability→ 
Our top pick1,048 reviews
8 hNiagara Falls: Helicopter Ride, City Cruise & Skylon Tower
★ 4.8 · 1,048 reviews
- 5 to 8 hours, above the falls
- Skylon Tower views
- Departs from Niagara Falls
- Free cancellation
$263$32.88 / hour
Check availability→ Before you book
Seven honest notes about the Canadian sailing
All of it comes from the listings on this site and from what the place is. Nothing here is a promise about your particular date.
- The boat is short; the package is the day
The sailing itself takes a fraction of any listing here. What you are really choosing between is what surrounds it: the tunnels, the tower, the guide, the walk.
- Buy the package, not the boarding pass
Every listing on this site sells a guided package. If all you want is a Niagara Falls city cruise ticket by itself, the operator sells those at the landing, and you give up the guide and the skip-the-line wording that comes with a package.
- Hornblower and City Cruises are the same deck
If two listings use different names, that is branding rather than a different sailing. Compare them on hours, inclusions and reviews instead.
- Read «upon availability» carefully
$127 says the cruise runs upon availability, and $263 describes it as seasonal. Those words are doing real work.
- The mist is the product
The deck is open and the boat sits in the spray below the horseshoe. Waterproofs help; nobody can promise you a dry crossing.
- Lines exist at busy hours
Priority boarding is sold as a named feature on one listing here, which tells you what the ordinary queue looks like in July.
- Getting here is your own booking
A Jersey City to Niagara Falls bus tour, or any long-distance coach, is a transport product from another operator. Book the falls day separately so a late arrival does not cost you the sailing.
Through the year
When a Niagara Falls city cruise is worth booking
Fares do not swing with the calendar. What changes is whether the boat is in the water, how long the line runs and how much daylight is left afterwards.
Dec – Mar
No sailings
The landing is closed for the season. Packages still run with the tunnels, the tower and the viewpoints in them.
Apr – Jun
Loudest water of the year
Meltwater fills the horseshoe and the spray is generous. Cool on deck in April, pleasant by June.
Jul – Aug
Peak weeks
Every package runs and every queue is at its longest. Worth booking well ahead and choosing an early departure.
Sep – Nov
The easiest weeks
Warm days, thinner crowds, sailings into November. The best combination of weather and quiet on this river.
The verdict
Which Niagara Falls city cruise package to book
For the fullest day, book $156. Four hours with the sailing, Skylon Tower and Journey Behind the Falls, rated 4.8 across 4,360 reviews. Our pick on this page.
For the best score, book $104. Two and a half hours with the boat, the tunnels and a guided walk, rated 4.9 across 328 reviews.
For the same pieces in a shorter day, book $135. Three and a half hours, rated 4.7 across 1,981 reviews, in a small group.
For the shortest version, book $85. Ninety minutes with a small-group walk and the boat ride into the mist, rated 4.8 across 273 reviews, and the lowest fare that carries this sailing.
And for the falls from the air as well, book $263. A helicopter ride, a seasonal sailing and Skylon Tower across five to eight hours, rated 4.8 across 1,048 reviews — the top pick of this site.
Looking for the old name? The same boat sailed as Hornblower, and several listings still call it that.
Read about the Hornblower name→Common questions
Common questions about Niagara City Cruises
Is a Niagara Falls city cruise a tour of the city?
No. City Cruises is the name of the boat operator on the Canadian bank. The sailing goes to the foot of Horseshoe Falls, not around the streets.
Is it the same boat as Hornblower?
Yes. The Canadian sailing was branded Hornblower and is now branded Niagara City Cruises: same landing on the Niagara Parkway, same route, same red ponchos.
Which packages include it?
$156, $104, $135, $85 and $263 all name the Canadian boat in their descriptions.
How do I buy Niagara Falls city cruise tickets?
On this site they come inside a guided package rather than on their own. The operator also sells boarding tickets at the landing, without the guide.
When does it sail?
Roughly April to November. Outside that window, packages run with the tunnels, the tower and the viewpoints instead.
Is it the Maid of the Mist?
No. That is the American boat, in blue ponchos, boarding in Niagara Falls, New York under a different operator.
Go deeper
More on boat cruises at Niagara Falls
All boat tours
Niagara Falls boat tour
Every boat at the falls, compared.
Canadian sideNiagara Falls boat tour, Canada side
The Horseshoe basin boat and what it costs.
From TorontoNiagara Falls tour from Toronto
The day trip, hour by hour, with the boat in it.
From New YorkNiagara Falls tour from New York
What a trip from NYC really involves.
HelicopterNiagara Falls helicopter tour
The falls from the air, and with a cruise.
