Staff Pick

Road Trip Toronto to Niagara-on-the-Lake – Wine Country

Toronto Niagara-on-the-Lake
130
km
1h30
drive
All seasons
season

The Itinerary

Niagara-on-the-Lake sits where the Niagara River empties into Lake Ontario, and it is routinely called one of the prettiest towns in Canada. The old town was rebuilt after being burned in the War of 1812, which is why its core reads as a single consistent streetscape of 19th-century brick and clapboard rather than a patchwork. Queen Street carries the hanging flower baskets, the heritage hotels and the shopfronts; the surrounding plain carries more than thirty wineries.

From Toronto the drive is about 130 km on the QEW, exiting at St. Catharines and dropping north through the vineyards on the Niagara Stone Road. This is the heart of Ontario icewine country, and the leading estates are clustered close together: Inniskillin, which did more than anyone to establish Canadian icewine internationally, along with Peller Estates, Jackson-Triggs and Two Sisters. Most run tastings and tours daily, and several have restaurants looking out over the vines.

The Shaw Festival, running roughly April to October, is the other reason people come. Founded in 1962 and built around the work of George Bernard Shaw and his contemporaries, it stages a full season across several theatres, and tickets for popular titles move early. Fort George sits at the edge of town, and the Niagara River Recreation Trail runs south along the parkway for cyclists. Niagara Falls is only twenty minutes away, so the two pair naturally into a single weekend. Book accommodation well ahead between June and September.

Points of Interest

  • ✦
    Inniskillin Wines
    A global pioneer of Canadian icewine, with tastings and tours.
  • ✦
    Shaw Festival
    George Bernard Shaw theatre festival, April to October.
  • ✦
    Historic Queen Street
    Shops, heritage hotels and Victorian charm.
  • ✦
    Niagara River Recreation Trail
    A 56 km cycling path running all the way to Fort Erie.

Fishing Spots Along the Route

🎣
Ashbridges Bay
Lake
🎣
Bell's Lake
Lake
🎣
Bertie Bay
Lake
🎣
Blockhouse Bay
Lake
🎣
Bond Lake
Lake
🎣
Cedar Bay
Lake
🎣
Claireville Reservoir
Reservoir
🎣
Dils Lake
Lake

Protected areas along the route

🌿
SHORT HILLS PROVINCIAL PARK (NATURAL ENVIRONMENT CLASS)
Provincial Park
🌿
WAINFLEET BOG CONSERVATION RESERVE
Conservation Reserve
🌿
Bronte Creek Provincial Park Deletion
Public lands
🌿
BRONTE CREEK PROVINCIAL PARK (RECREATIONAL CLASS)
Provincial Park
🌿
Bronte Creek Provincial Park Addition
Recommended Provincial Park
🌿
ROCK POINT PROVINCIAL PARK (RECREATIONAL CLASS)
Provincial Park
🌿
JAMES N. ALLAN PROVINCIAL PARK (RECREATIONAL CLASS)
Provincial Park
🌿
HOLLAND LANDING PRAIRIE PROVINCIAL PARK (NATURE RESERVE CLASS)
Provincial Park
🌿
DARLINGTON PROVINCIAL PARK (RECREATIONAL CLASS)
Provincial Park
🌿
FORKS OF THE CREDIT PROVINCIAL PARK (NATURAL ENVIRONMENT CLASS)
Provincial Park
🌿
Aurora District Crown Lands
General Use Area
🌿
Alton Grange
General Use Area

Take this route offline

Cell coverage thins out fast once you leave Toronto. Export the map as a geo-referenced PDF before you go and open it in BorealMaps — your GPS position shows on the map with no signal at all.

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Practical info
  • Departure Toronto
  • Destination Niagara-on-the-Lake
  • Distance 130 km
  • Duration 1h30
  • Category Medium (100–250 km)
  • Best season All seasons
Themes
vineyard wine Winery heritage gastronomy Couple Weekend

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