3 Days in Toronto — Niagara Falls with Teens

We recently traveled to Niagara Falls and Toronto with our teens (age 13 and 15). From New Jersey we flew into Rochester, NY and started our adventure there. We arrived in Rochester, NY (ROC) by 10am and picked up our rental car. Tip: Be sure to ask for a border crossing card at the the rental car desk.

Our first stop of the day was to Six Flags Darien Lakes to get our adrenaline pumping with some rollercoasters. After a few hours we decided to get on our way to our next stop, Buffalo NY, to of course try some Buffalo Wings. We stopped at Gabriel's Gate for some food as Bon Appetite awarded them with the title of the best wings in Buffalo and they were right, they were delicious. We also loved their French onion soup and chili cheese fries.

After a late lunch we drove to Niagara Falls, Ontario. Tip: Don’t forget your passports as you will be crossing into Canada and back.

We checked into our hotel, the Embassy Suites, which has a perfect view of the falls (when you book a falls view room) and easy access to the incline railway which brings you directly to the Table Rock Welcome Center which begins the walking path along the falls.

Also within walking distance is Clifton Hill which has been nicknamed the “Las Vegas of Canada.” Its an area filled with boardwalk like attractions such as mini golf, go karts, bowling, a wax museum, arcades, restaurants, The Sky Wheel (ferris wheel overlooking the falls) and much more. It was great to walk around the area and grab some food before heading back down the street to the falls for the fi reworks and light show which happens every night at 10:00pm. For a different view you can book a night boat tour on the Hornblower to watch the show from the falls. If you are looking for a more upscale dining experience then be sure to make a reservation at a restaurant over looking the falls at either the Skylon Tower (revolving), Queen Victoria Place, The Keg at the Embassy Suites, Massimo’s, Watermark and many more.

From the fireworks show we went back through the Table Rock Welcome Center, up the incline railway, over the lock bridge and headed back into the Embassy Suites for a good night sleep.

We woke up early, ate breakfast at the hotel and headed straight out to Toronto which is about a 2-hour drive. Once we checked into the hotel, Hilton Downtown, we were able to walk to all of the days activities. Our first stop was the Hockey Hall of Fame where we got to take our picture with the Stanley Cup! Tip: Right outside the Hall of Fame was a food court were we grabbed a quick lunch.

Next we walked to Ripley’s Aquarium which is in a busy area in downtown Toronto where you’ll also find the Rodgers Center (Blue Jays Stadium), Scotia Bank Arena (Raptors), and the CN Tower. The Blue Jays weren't in town that day so we decide to visit the aquarium instead. We also decided to save the CN tower for the night view. From there we headed back near our hotel to Queens St, which is an area of hip shops and cafe’s. We stopped at OD TO, a sneaker store filled with all of the latest trends.

After a quick walk back to the Hilton, we got ready for dinner. That night we enjoyed a delicious steak dinner the The Keg at the Mansion which we drove to (free parking). The Keg is a local steakhouse chain. Tip: There is a Keg Restaurant right around the corner from the hotel, but we preferred the atmosphere of the mansion. From there we drove to the CN Tower for our 9pm ride to the top. The views at night were spectacular and it much less crowded than the daytime. Tip: Be sure to purchase your ticket time in advance. If you want to combine dinner and a view, they have a restaurant, called 360, at the top of the tower which includes your admission to the viewing level. Tip: Take advantage of all of the activities that the Canadian side of the falls has to offer and walk along the path and go for a family Zip Line ride next to the falls before you leave for Toronto. Looking for a beautiful spot for lunch before heading to/from Toronto, enjoy the Queen Victoria Place Restaurant and request a table outside (they take reservations).

This was another early morning with a quick breakfast before heading back out to Niagara Falls. I recommend that you leave Toronto around 9-10am to make sure that you are able to stop at the beautiful winery town of Niagara On the Lake before heading to the NY side of the falls.

Niagara-on-the-Lake is a charming town located in Ontario, Canada, situated at the point where Lake Ontario flows into the Niagara River. The town is famous for its picturesque scenery, historical sites, and thriving theater scene. It is often referred to as the "loveliest town in Canada" and for good reason. Be sure to grab a bite to eat, an ice cream cone at Cows and walk over to the lake for some spectacular views.

On the way out of town we stopped at Inniskillin Winery for a tasting. You can also grab a bite to eat at their patio restaurant. Be sure to try their Icewine which the Niagara area wineries are famous for. There are many beautiful wineries in the area but this one had a great outdoor area for the kids to walk around. Tip: Pick up some local peaches at a farm stand in the area.

Since we hit all of the attractions on the Canadian side of the falls before Toronto, we stopped on the NY side on the way back to break up the ride back to Rochester. Park in Niagara Falls State Park and take the The Maid of the Mist (boat on the NY side - yes you will get wet). It was much less crowed then the Hornblower on the Canadian side. You can park on either side of the falls and walk over the Rainbow Bridge which connects the two sides of the falls crossing the border in the middle of the bridge. While on the NY side check out Luna Island, Goat Island, Terrapin Point, Cave of the Winds for some more great views.
From here, Rochester was a 1.5 hour drive. Tip: We booked the 8:30am flight (they have a 6:00am one too) out of Newark and the last flight home (6:30pm) from Rochester to make the most of your 3-day adventure.