The Only Thing at Niagara That Is Genuinely a Ride
Every other boat at Niagara is a sightseeing cruise that happens to get you wet. This is not that. A jet boat runs upriver from Niagara-on-the-Lake into the gorge and straight through the standing waves at Devil's Hole, which are Class 5 whitewater, in a boat with no roof and no windscreen. Forty-five minutes at speed, and everyone on board is soaked to the skin inside the first two minutes.
Read this before you book: the jet boats do not go to Niagara Falls. They cannot. The Whirlpool and the falls are separated by a stretch of Class 6 rapids that is unnavigable and illegal to run, so no jet boat on either side of the river reaches the waterfalls. What you get instead is the gorge itself, the rapids and the Whirlpool, which is a completely different and far more physical experience. See the falls on another day.
This is the open-top boat, so there is a minimum age of 13 and it is enforced at the dock. If you are travelling with younger children, the covered Jet Dome runs the same route behind glass. Booking with us also unlocks the Niagara Fun Pack, a set of local savings sent before you travel.
What You Are Actually Booking
How the Trip Runs
Around two hours end to end, of which 45 minutes are on the water.
Kit Up and Leave Your Things Behind
You check in at the dock on the Canadian side and are issued splash gear and a life jacket. Everything that objects to water goes into secure storage, and that means your phone as well. The crew are serious about this because they have seen what the gorge does to a pocket.
Into the Gorge
The boat heads upstream from Niagara-on-the-Lake with the gorge walls closing in on both sides. This is the calm section, where you get a sense of the scale of the place from water level and the guide explains what is about to happen to you. The water changes colour before it changes behaviour.
Devil's Hole, Class 5
The standing waves at Devil's Hole are large enough that the boat rides up and over rather than through, and the water comes down across everybody on board. There is no dry seat and no sheltered corner. People scream, then laugh, then stop being able to see for a moment. It is the reason the boat exists.
Turn at the Whirlpool, Then Back
The boat reaches the Whirlpool, where the river hits the gorge wall and rotates back on itself, and this is as far upstream as anyone is allowed to go. Beyond it the Class 6 water is unnavigable. You turn here and run back down to the dock, where there are changing rooms and you will want them.
Included & Not Included
✓ Included
- 45 minutes on the water in the open-top jet boat
- The Class 5 rapids at Devil's Hole and the Niagara Whirlpool
- Splash gear and life jacket
- Secure storage for your belongings at the dock
- Changing rooms for afterwards
- Niagara Fun Pack with exclusive local discounts
✕ Not Included
- Any view of Niagara Falls, the route is downstream and cannot reach them
- Passengers under 13, who need the covered Jet Dome instead
- A change of clothes and a towel, both of which you must bring
- Meals, drinks and hotel pickup
Jet boats leave from the Canadian side, with departures at Niagara-on-the-Lake and Niagara Falls, Ontario. This is a separate trip out from the falls district rather than something you fit between viewpoints, so allow travel time both ways plus time to change. Your exact dock and check-in time are confirmed instantly with your booking.
Before You Go
What Guests Say About This Trip
"Best 45 minutes of the trip and it is not close. The Maid of the Mist is lovely but this is an actual ride. Went through the big wave at Devil's Hole and could not see or breathe for about three seconds."
"Read the part about not seeing the falls properly, because we nearly did not. Once we understood it is a rapids trip rather than a falls trip we loved it. Two completely different things and worth doing both."
"They turned my eleven-year-old away and I had only myself to blame, the age limit is stated clearly. We moved him onto the covered boat with his mother and I went on the open one. Everyone got what they wanted in the end."
"Take the change of clothes seriously, and I mean everything. We went in late September and the wind on the way back was brutal in wet clothing. Absolutely thrilling though, and the gorge from the water is spectacular."
Frequently Asked Questions
No, and this is the single most important thing to understand before booking. Jet boats run downstream of the falls, upriver from Niagara-on-the-Lake into the gorge, through the rapids at Devil's Hole and up to the Whirlpool. The Whirlpool and the falls are separated by a stretch of Class 6 rapids that cannot legally or safely be navigated, so no jet boat on either side of the river reaches the falls. Book this for the rapids, and see the falls separately.
The open-top Wet Jet carries passengers aged 13 and over, with a minimum weight of around 100 pounds and a height requirement for the seats. It is genuinely enforced at the dock, so do not book it for younger children. The covered Jet Dome has a lower age limit if you are travelling as a family. Exact requirements are confirmed with your booking.
Completely. There is no roof, no windscreen and no dry seat on this boat. The rapids come over the bow in volume and everybody on board is soaked through within the first few minutes. Splash gear is provided and it slows the water down rather than stopping it. Assume every layer you are wearing gets wet.
The same route on the same river. The Wet Jet is open-topped and you get drenched, which is the point. The Jet Dome is enclosed behind glass so you stay dry, takes younger passengers, and is the sensible choice in cool weather or if anyone in the group would rather watch than swim. This page is the open boat.
From the Canadian side, with departures at Niagara-on-the-Lake and Niagara Falls, Ontario. Allow time to reach the dock and to change afterwards. Your exact departure point and check-in time are confirmed instantly with your booking.
About 45 minutes on the water, and closer to two hours by the time you have checked in, been briefed, kitted out and changed back into dry clothes afterwards. The time on the river is short because it is spent almost entirely at speed.
No. It is a seasonal operation, running roughly May to October, and it stops for the winter when ice takes the river. Individual departures can also be held or cancelled for river conditions and weather, in which case you are rebooked or refunded.
A complete change of clothes, including underwear, and a towel. Wear something that does not mind being soaked, with shoes that stay on your feet. Leave your phone, wallet and anything else that dislikes water in the secure storage at the dock rather than finding out the hard way.
