Booking choice: The Canadian side tour with the Maid of the Mist, from $165 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
The Maid of the Mist is the original, sailing from the US side since the 1840s. Niagara City Cruises took over the Canadian side in 2014. Both boats sail the same stretch of river and push into the same white-out below the Horseshoe Falls.
So the choice is less about the boat than about your base, your documents and the rest of your day.
The quick answer
Pick the Maid of the Mist if you are on the US side or already crossing the border: it sails from Niagara Falls State Park, New York, for US$30.25 per adult in 2026. Pick Niagara City Cruises if you are in Canada and do not want to cross: it sails from below Clifton Hill in Ontario. Both rides last about 20 minutes and both give you a poncho.
How do the two boats compare side by side?
Same river, same falls, same mist; different dock, different country and different poncho colour.
| Maid of the Mist | Niagara City Cruises | |
|---|---|---|
| Departs from | Niagara Falls State Park, New York | Niagara Gorge below Clifton Hill, Ontario |
| Passport needed? | Only if you come from Canada | Only if you come from the US |
| 2026 season | April 24 to November 8 | May to December per tour listings; opening varies with ice |
| Adult price | US$30.25 | Canadian dollars, check the operator |
| Ride | About 20 minutes | About 20 minutes |
| Poncho | Blue, free | Red, free |
| Tours here | Canadian side tour | Canada-only half day |
Want the Maid of the Mist without planning the bridge yourself? The Canadian side tour handles it.
Check dates for the Canadian side tour with the Maid of the MistWhich boat gets closer to the falls?
Neither has a real edge: both sail past the American Falls and into the basin of the Horseshoe Falls, as close as the mist allows.
The Maid of the Mist approaches the Horseshoe Falls with the falls around three sides of the boat, by its own description. Riders of both boats describe the same thing: thunder, wind and a soaking.
Which boat is cheaper?
Bought directly, the two are in the same range; the Maid of the Mist is US$30.25 per adult in 2026, and the Canadian boat prices in Canadian dollars.
Through a tour, the cheapest Canadian boat option here is the guided walk from $71, while the Maid of the Mist comes with the US side tour from $125 or the Canadian side tour from $165.
Which is better if you are staying in Canada?
Niagara City Cruises: it leaves a short walk from Clifton Hill and the hotels, with no border.
Add Journey Behind the Falls at Table Rock and the Skylon Tower and you have the Canadian side's three big experiences in half a day.
All three Canadian icons in one half day: the boat, Journey Behind the Falls and the Skylon Tower.
Explore the Canada-only half dayWhich is better if you are staying in the US?
The Maid of the Mist: it is inside Niagara Falls State Park, next to the American Falls, and you need no passport if you start and finish in the US.
The American side tour pairs it with the Cave of the Winds and Goat Island.
Can you do both boats?
You can, but it is the same ride twice. Most people do one boat and spend the time on Journey Behind the Falls or the Cave of the Winds instead.
Those two are the real difference between the banks: one takes you behind the Horseshoe Falls, the other to the foot of the Bridal Veil Falls.
What is the verdict?
Choose by base and documents, not by boat.
- In Canada, no US documents: Niagara City Cruises.
- In Canada, passport ready, want both countries: the Canadian side tour with the Maid of the Mist.
- In the US: the Maid of the Mist.
- One day, see everything: the both-sides tour.
- Late season: check dates, because the Maid of the Mist stops on November 8.
Made up your mind? Check your date before planning the rest of the trip.
Check dates for the Canadian side tour with the Maid of the MistFrequently asked questions
Is Maid of the Mist better than Niagara City Cruises?
Not on the water: both offer a similar 20-minute ride into the Horseshoe basin. Choose the one on your side of the border.
Which boat has blue ponchos?
The Maid of the Mist. Niagara City Cruises uses red ponchos.
Was Niagara City Cruises called Hornblower?
Yes. It operated as Hornblower Niagara Cruises before taking the Niagara City Cruises name.
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
Guided Walk with the Niagara City Cruises Boat
The Canadian boat with a guide, for the lowest price
