A self-guided winery bike tour in Niagara-on-the-Lake means renting a bike in town and riding between cellar doors on your own schedule. The best route for it follows the Niagara Parkway: 14 flat kilometres along the river, three wineries, and a brewery in Old Town to finish.
The NOTL Ride
A free Siplo route, designed for the bike.
- Free
- 14 km
- 4 stops
- About 55 minutes of riding
- About 3 hours in all
- Spring to fall
- Inniskillin Wines. Right on the Niagara Parkway, with easy access from the Niagara Recreation Trail. This is Canada's first estate winery, and its icewine won at VinExpo in 1991. Eve's pick is the Vidal Icewine. There are bike locks at the front.
- Reif Estate Winery. The mid-ride stop: a family-run riverfront winery since 1982, with themed flights, blind tastings and a sensory wine garden. Eve's pick is the Grand Reserve Vidal Icewine.
- Riverview Cellars Estate Winery. A family estate on the Parkway with Italian-influenced reds and a Vidal Icewine. The river is right there.
- The Exchange Brewery. Back in Old Town, in the 1900 telephone exchange building. Barrel-aged sours are the calling card, and the kitchen is worth ordering from.
Start at Inniskillin, follow the trail south to Reif and Riverview, then ride back into town for the pint.
Ride it with the app
- Curated routes by a local curator, multi-stop and in an order that flows.
- Walk-in or booking? Most take walk-ins; the rest are flagged, so you're never turned away at the door.
- Live opening hours, so you never drive out to a locked cellar door.
- What to taste at each stop, plus the pairings and little insider tips.
- Tap Start and the day hands off to Apple or Google Maps.
- Four routes are free. Unlock one for $20, or every route for $59, yours forever.
Before you set off
The bike
Rent one in town and leave the car behind. Siplo doesn't rent bikes, so book with a local shop.
The tastings
You pay at each cellar door. Check opening hours in the app, and book ahead for a busy weekend.
The pours
Small tastings add up over four stops. Share a flight, drink water, and walk the bike if you've had more than you meant to.
Other Niagara wine routes you can cycle
Three more Siplo routes are marked bike-friendly.
Beamsville Classics
A first taste of the Bench: sparkling and Riesling, Gamay, lunch in a heritage manor, and a small-lot Riesling to finish.
Stone Road Classics
The big Niagara-on-the-Lake names on one easy stretch, from sparkling to icewine.
Wine, Beer & Spirits Sampler
A winery, a brewery and a distillery in one day.
Planning by car as well? See self-guided wine tours in Niagara-on-the-Lake or all 22 Niagara wine routes.
Common questions
- Can you do a self-guided winery bike tour in Niagara-on-the-Lake?
- Yes. The Niagara Parkway and the Niagara Recreation Trail beside it are flat, and several wineries sit right on the route. Rent a bike in town, pick three or four stops, and ride at your own pace.
- How far is the ride?
- The NOTL Ride is 14 km with 4 stops. Allow about three hours: roughly 55 minutes of riding and the rest for tastings.
- Is the route flat?
- Yes. It follows the river along the Niagara Recreation Trail, which is flat.
- Does Siplo rent bikes or book the tastings?
- No. You rent a bike from a shop in town and pay for tastings at each cellar door.
- When is the best time to cycle it?
- Spring through fall, ideally on a clear morning.
- How do the directions work on a bike?
- Switch the route to cycling in the app and tap Start. Siplo hands it to Google Maps for the ride, because Apple Maps doesn't offer cycling directions here.