The gorgeous little town Niagara-On-The-Lake is loaded with charm and date ideas from wineries in the popular Ontario wine country, to shops and local businesses along the main street in town, to historic Forts and a view of the U.S.A; there’s no shortage of things to do for a day or weekend!
From our files on the prettiest places in Canada, we are here to tell you about all the things to see and do in this Hallmark-movie town near Niagara Falls.
Explore the historic town
Steeped in history, the main area of Niagara-On-The-Lake will win your heart with well-preserved 19th-century buildings that are painted in bright colours. It’s easy to walk around the town (and not too far from one end to the other!) and see the Memorial Clock Tower, Old Court House, vintage hotels (some rumoured to be haunted), and St Vincent de Paul Church.
On Queen Street, you can book a ticket to the theatre, find nice restaurants and bakeries, enjoy an ice cream cone at the iconic Cows creamery, and shop for unique finds. The pretty picture is made complete as you notice a horse and carriage go by.
Dine at The Epicurean
This whole area of Ontario is known for being wine country and for producing excellent produce. The Epicurean brings it all together with thoughtfully presented dishes cafe-style in the daytime and fancier French-Mediterranean dishes in the evening.
This will be a meal to remember!
Located at: 84 Queen St, NOTL
Soak in a hot spring pool
A stay at Pillar and Post Hotel comes with time soaking in the indoor or outdoor spa with a blissfully luxurious hot spring pool. This five-star resort has an amazing reputation with excellent service, delicious cuisine, divine decor, and many activities to enjoy.
It is an indulging time from the moment you check in, although we were all in from the first mention of the hot spring spa.
Located at: 48 John Street West, NOTL
Sit in the cutest gazebo
… and play the datenight game?
In Queens Royal Park, you will find this quaint gazebo where you can sit and gaze out at the water. On a clear day, you can see the Old Fort Niagara in America on the other side of the river. Take a picnic or some drinks, snap some photos, and enjoy the views before taking a walk around the park.
Located at: 84 King St #66, NOTL
Say cheers at Peller Estates Winery And Restaurant
You could have a really long date wandering the beautiful grounds, seeing the underground barrel cellar, sampling wine and dining in style at the restaurant with outstanding farm-to-table dishes. But the coolest experience at Peller Estates Winery and Restaurant is the igloo-style lounge.
The 10Below Icewine Lounge is where you can taste Peller’s liquid gold. The ice space is kept at 10º below zero to harvest the Icewine grapes, so bring warm clothing or cuddle to keep warm. This may seem like a winter date idea, but you can do this experience year-round!
Located at: 290 John St E
Take a romantic horse-drawn carriage ride
What could be more dreamy than riding around Niagara-on-the-Lake in a horse-drawn carriage? You will feel like you’ve stepped back in time or even like royalty as you wave to the people on the street.
Look for the Prince of Wales Hotel for Sentinel Carriages or book online to ensure you don’t miss out.
Of course, you can go to Niagara Falls- and it might be how you discovered Niagara-On-The-Lake in the first place. To get to the Falls only takes about 25 more minutes from Niagara-On-The-Lake (and there’s even more wineries closer to that area).
Both places are wonderful, but when you combine seeing the huge waterfalls with some of the unique experiences in Niagara-On-The-Lake, you’ll have a date to remember.
