Booking choice: The Canadian side tour with the Maid of the Mist, from $165 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
Search for a Niagara Falls boat ride from the Canadian side and the Maid of the Mist comes up first. It is a reasonable assumption that you can board it in Canada: the Horseshoe Falls is mostly Canadian, and the boat sails right into it.
You cannot. The Maid of the Mist boards only in Niagara Falls State Park, New York. This guide explains what that means for a Canadian side tour, and what the Canadian side offers instead.
The quick answer
The Maid of the Mist departs only from the US side, in Niagara Falls State Park, New York. Canadian side tours that include it drive you over the Rainbow Bridge into the US for the boat and back, so everyone needs a passport or equivalent document and, for Visa Waiver visitors, an ESTA. The Canadian side's own boat is Niagara City Cruises, which sails into the same Horseshoe Falls basin with no border crossing.
Can you take the Maid of the Mist from the Canadian side?
No. The Maid of the Mist boards only at its dock below the Observation Tower in Niagara Falls State Park, New York, and the operator states there is no Canadian departure.
From the Canadian bank you can watch the blue-poncho boats come and go, but to ride one you have to be in the US. Walk or drive across the Rainbow Bridge, or book a tour that does the crossing for you.
Want the Maid of the Mist and the Canadian views in one day? The tour handles the bridge, the tickets and the pickup.
Check dates for the Canadian side tour with the Maid of the MistHow does a Canadian side tour include the Maid of the Mist?
It crosses the border: the guide drives your group over the Rainbow Bridge to the US dock, you ride the boat, and you come back into Canada for the rest of the day.
The Over the Falls tour picks up from any address in Niagara Falls, Ontario or New York, then combines the Skylon Tower, Table Rock, Queen Victoria Park and the gorge with the boat. Admission fees and bridge tolls are in the price. The operator itself notes that few Canadian side tours include the Maid of the Mist, precisely because it departs from the American side.
Do you need a passport?
Yes. Because the tour enters the US and then returns to Canada, every traveler needs documents accepted at both borders.
For most visitors that means a passport. Visa Waiver travelers (most of Europe, the UK, Australia and others) also need an approved ESTA to enter the US by land. Canadian citizens do not need an ESTA. See the border guide for the full list.
What is the Canadian side's own boat?
Niagara City Cruises, the official boat operator for Niagara Parks, which sails from the gorge below Clifton Hill into the same Horseshoe Falls basin.
It has operated on the Canadian side since 2014, first under the Hornblower name, and hands out red ponchos. Its season usually runs from spring to December, and the opening date moves with the ice on Lake Erie, so check the operator. On the water the two boats offer a very similar ride; see the two boats compared.
Rather not cross the border? This half day stays in Canada with the Canadian boat, Journey Behind the Falls and the Skylon Tower.
Explore the Canada-only half dayWhen does the Maid of the Mist run?
In 2026 the Maid of the Mist sails from April 24 to November 8, with hours from 9 AM that stretch to 8 PM in summer.
Outside the season the Over the Falls tours swap the boat for Journey Behind the Falls, the tunnels behind the Horseshoe Falls, which is open every day of the year. Ice and high wind can also stop the boats on shoulder-season days.
What does the Maid of the Mist cost if you go yourself?
US$30.25 per adult and US$19.75 for children 6 to 12 in 2026; children 5 and under ride free with a paying adult.
The price includes the elevator down to the dock, the observation deck and a souvenir poncho. Boats leave about every 15 minutes, first come, first served. The tour costs more because it adds the pickup, the bridge, the Skylon Tower, the other stops and a guide.
| Ticket | Adult | Child | Free |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maid of the Mist (USD) | $30.25 | $19.75 (6 to 12) | 5 and under |
| Journey Behind the Falls (CAD) | $33.00 | $21.50 (3 to 12) | 2 and under |
| Skylon Tower deck (CAD) | $18.00 | $9.00 (4 to 12) | Under 4 |
Is the Maid of the Mist worth crossing the border for?
If you already have the documents and want the classic boat, yes. If anyone in your group would need a visa or an ESTA just for the boat, the Canadian boat gives you the same mist.
The real argument for the crossing tour is the US side itself: views of the American Falls from Prospect Point and, on the bigger both-sides tour, the Cave of the Winds. One guest this season reports a guide skipping the bridge to avoid traffic and using the Canadian boat instead, and found it equally good.
Going for both countries? Check your date for the Canadian side tour with the Maid of the Mist.
Check dates for the Canadian side tour with the Maid of the MistFrequently asked questions
Does the Maid of the Mist leave from Canada?
No. It leaves only from Niagara Falls State Park in New York. The Canadian side boat is Niagara City Cruises.
Is the Maid of the Mist the same as Niagara City Cruises?
No. They are different companies on opposite banks, but both sail into the Horseshoe Falls basin for about 20 minutes.
Can I walk from Canada to the Maid of the Mist?
Yes, across the Rainbow Bridge, as long as you have documents to enter the US and to return to Canada. A small pedestrian toll applies.
What replaces the Maid of the Mist in winter?
On the Over the Falls tours, Journey Behind the Falls, which is open all year.
Ready to book
Choose your tour
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Canadian Side Tour & Maid of the Mist
- Maid of the Mist boat ride (late April to early November, weather permitting)
- Journey Behind the Falls instead when the boat is not running
- Skylon Tower observation deck, with a return pass
Canada Only: Behind the Falls, Skylon & Boat
- Niagara City Cruises boat (May to December); a virtual flight ride replaces it in winter
- Journey Behind the Falls, skip the ticket line
- Skylon Tower, skip the ticket line
Both Sides in One Day: USA & Canada
- Maid of the Mist (late April to November) or Journey Behind the Falls
- Cave of the Winds and Hurricane Deck (mid-May to early November) or the Cave Gorge Trip
- Skylon Tower with a free return pass
