The Cheapest Way to Get Above Niagara Falls
Height changes what Niagara is. From the promenade you look at one waterfall at a time and never quite see the shape of the thing. From 775 feet up you get the whole river at once: the American Falls and the Horseshoe on either side of Goat Island, the gorge cutting north toward the Whirlpool, and on a clear day the Toronto skyline sitting on the horizon across Lake Ontario. It costs about the same as two coffees.
You go up the outside of the tower in a glass elevator, which takes under a minute and is a small event in itself. At the top there are two levels, one enclosed and one open to the air, and your ticket has no time limit on either. Stay ten minutes or stay an hour.
This is an admission ticket rather than a guided tour, so there is no group to keep up with and no fixed departure. Booking with us also unlocks the Niagara Fun Pack, a set of local savings sent before you travel.
What the Ticket Gets You
How the Visit Works
Allow thirty to forty-five minutes, though nothing stops you staying longer.
Turn Up With Your Phone
The tower stands on the hill above the Fallsview district, walkable from most Canadian-side hotels and with parking at the base. There is no fixed departure time to hit and no guide to meet. You present your mobile ticket at the entrance and go.
The Yellow Elevator on the Outside
The elevators run up the exterior of the tower in a glass car, so the view starts before you arrive. It takes under a minute and the falls drop away beneath you the whole way. If anyone in the group is uneasy with heights, this is the part to warn them about rather than the deck.
Indoors, Then Out Into the Air
The enclosed level runs the full circle with glass on every side, heated and out of the wind. Above it the open-air deck gives you the same view without a pane in front of your camera, which on a still day is worth the extra flight of steps. Both are included and you can move between them freely.
Back Down Into the Fallsview District
You come down into the middle of the Fallsview district with everything else within walking distance. The revolving dining room and the Summit Suite buffet are in the same tower if you want to eat, though they are booked separately from this ticket.
Included & Not Included
✓ Included
- Observation deck admission, 775 feet above the falls
- The exterior glass elevator ride, both directions
- Indoor and outdoor viewing levels
- Unlimited time on the deck, no exit deadline
- Niagara Fun Pack with exclusive local discounts
- All taxes and fees, nothing extra at the door
✕ Not Included
- The revolving dining room and the Summit Suite buffet, both booked separately
- Meals, drinks and souvenir photography
- Parking at the base of the tower
- A guide, this is an admission ticket rather than a tour
The tower stands on the hill above the Fallsview district on the Canadian side, walkable from most Ontario hotels. There is no fixed departure time, so you arrive when it suits you within opening hours. If you are staying on the American side, allow time to cross the Rainbow Bridge.
Before You Go
What Guests Say About the Tower
"We did this on the first evening and it was the best decision of the trip. Seeing both falls at once finally made sense of the geography, and then the lights came on while we were still up there."
"For what it costs this is the best value thing at Niagara, no contest. We had looked at the helicopter and could not justify it for a family of five. Twenty minutes up here gave us the same understanding of the place."
"It poured the entire afternoon and this was the one thing we could still do properly. The indoor level is heated and dry and you can see just as much. Saved the day, frankly."
"Go up outside rather than staying behind the glass, the photos are completely different. Also the lift on the outside of the building is a proper thrill, my daughter talked about that more than the falls."
Frequently Asked Questions
Entry to the observation deck, which means the ride up in the exterior glass elevator and unlimited time on both the indoor and outdoor levels once you are there. The revolving dining room and the Summit Suite buffet are run separately and are not part of this ticket, though diners get deck access included with a meal.
The deck sits 775 feet above the falls, and on a clear day the view reaches about 80 miles. You get both waterfalls at once with Goat Island between them, the gorge running north, and on the clearest days the Toronto skyline across Lake Ontario and Buffalo the other way.
Most people spend thirty to forty-five minutes up there, which is long enough to walk the full circle indoors, go out onto the open-air deck and take photographs without hurrying. There is no time limit on the ticket, so stay as long as you like.
That is arguably the best time to do it. From the ground you see one waterfall at a time. From the deck you see how the whole river system fits together, which reframes everything you have already walked past. It is also the cheapest way to get height at Niagara by a wide margin.
A helicopter gives you ten minutes of moving aerial view and costs several times more. The tower gives you a fixed view for as long as you want to stand there, in any weather, year-round, for the price of a couple of coffees. Different things, and plenty of people do both.
Yes, and it is one of the better places to watch it from. The falls are lit in rotating colour every night of the year and the deck gives you the whole spread at once, warm and indoors if the weather is poor. Evening hours vary by season, so check your confirmation.
Yes. The elevators and both observation levels are step-free, and there is accessible parking at the base. If you have specific requirements, tell us when you book and we will confirm the arrangements before you travel.
Not to visit the tower itself, which is in Niagara Falls, Ontario. If you are staying on the American side you will cross the Rainbow Bridge to reach it, so bring your passport in that case.
