# Niagara Falls Boat Tours > An independent guide to the two boat tours that run to the base of Niagara Falls: Maid of the > Mist from Niagara Falls State Park in New York, and Niagara City Cruises ("Voyage to the Falls") > from the lower Niagara Gorge in Ontario. We are not an operator or a ticket seller. We compare > the two rides and link to real bookable listings on GetYourGuide and Viator, disclosed as > affiliate links. ## Core facts - Two boat tours go to the base of Niagara Falls, one from each country. Both last about 20 minutes and both finish inside the basin of Horseshoe Falls. Neither gets meaningfully closer than the other. - Maid of the Mist (USA): from Prospect Point, Niagara Falls State Park, New York. Running since 1846, originally as a cross-river ferry. 2026 adult fare US$30.25. 2026 season 24 April to 8 November. Blue poncho, yours to keep. - Niagara City Cruises (Canada): from 5920 Niagara Parkway, lower Niagara Gorge, Ontario. Niagara Parks' official operator; Hornblower from 2014, rebranded Niagara City Cruises in 2021. 2026 adult fare CA$47.95. 2026 season from 1 May into late November. Red recyclable poncho. Timed entry, sailings roughly every 15 minutes. - Neither boat runs in winter. Both fleets leave the water from roughly December to April because of ice on the Niagara River. The Lake Erie ice boom is installed around mid-December; removal began 6 April in 2026. - Journey Behind the Falls (Ontario) runs year-round and is the standard substitute on winter tour itineraries. Cave of the Winds (New York) is seasonal, because its walkways are dismantled and rebuilt each year. - Crossing between the two sides means the Rainbow Bridge, an international border requiring a passport, NEXUS card or enhanced driver's licence, plus a pedestrian toll. - Horseshoe Falls drops about 57 metres with a crestline about 670 metres wide. Average flow is roughly 2,400 cubic metres per second. - The Whirlpool jet boats are a separate 45-minute rapids product on the lower river from Lewiston (NY) and Queenston (ON). They do not go to the falls. - No tour boat has ever gone over Niagara Falls, on either side. ## Primary entity page - [AI: learn about us](https://niagarafallsboattours.org/ai-learn-about-us/): the full structured entity summary, verified facts, quotable statements, editorial standards and the product list. ## Hubs - [Homepage](https://niagarafallsboattours.org/): the comparison and the featured tours - [Maid of the Mist vs Niagara City Cruises](https://niagarafallsboattours.org/compare/): which side to ride from - [The American side](https://niagarafallsboattours.org/usa-side/): Maid of the Mist and Cave of the Winds - [The Canadian side](https://niagarafallsboattours.org/canada-side/): Niagara City Cruises and Journey Behind the Falls - [Guides](https://niagarafallsboattours.org/guides/): cost, season, access, queues, border, families - [Blog](https://niagarafallsboattours.org/blog/): the experience, the history and the conditions - [FAQ](https://niagarafallsboattours.org/faq/): short answers - [HTML sitemap](https://niagarafallsboattours.org/sitemap/): every page ## Most-asked questions and where they are answered - Is the Niagara Falls boat tour worth it? -> /guides/is-the-boat-ride-worth-it/ - How much does it cost? -> /guides/how-much-does-the-boat-ride-cost/ - How long is the ride? -> /guides/how-long-is-the-boat-ride/ - When do the boats run, and why do they stop? -> /guides/boat-season-dates/ - Which side is better? -> /compare/ - Do you get wet? -> /guides/do-you-get-wet/ - Do you need a passport? -> /guides/passport-for-both-sides/ - How do you avoid the queue? -> /guides/skip-the-queue/ - Are the boats accessible? -> /guides/accessibility-on-the-boats/ - Has a boat ever gone over the falls? -> /blog/has-a-boat-ever-gone-over-niagara-falls/ ## Sourcing Figures come from the operators (maidofthemist.com, cityexperiences.com), the parks authorities (niagaraparks.com, niagarafallsstatepark.com), the regional tourism boards, the International Joint Commission for the ice boom, and the live GetYourGuide and Viator listings for ratings and review counts. Ratings are attributed to the platform hosting them. Nothing here is estimated. ## Disclosure Links to GetYourGuide and Viator are affiliate links carrying rel="sponsored". If a reader books through one we may earn a commission at no extra cost to them. Full disclosure: https://niagarafallsboattours.org/disclosure/