Three ways to tour Niagara wineries
However you like to travel, the region's built for it.
Drive
The classic. Set your own pace and sort a designated driver. Most cellar doors are a 10 to 20 minute hop apart.
Bike
The Niagara Parkway and recreation trail are flat and scenic. A few routes are a joy on two wheels, so leave the car in town. See the Niagara-on-the-Lake winery bike tour.
Walk
A few pockets cluster tight enough to stroll between tasting rooms, with no driver needed at all.
Planning a Niagara wine tour
Niagara has more than 85 wineries, breweries and distilleries across the Beamsville and Twenty Mile benches, Short Hills and Niagara-on-the-Lake. The hard part is knowing which are worth it, in what order, which take walk-ins (most do; a few need booking), and what's open today. New to the idea? Read how a self-guided wine tour works, step by step.
What Siplo does for you
- Pick a curated route, 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 to a locked cellar door.
- A curator's notes on what to taste at each stop, plus the insider tips.
- Tap Start and the day hands off to Apple or Google Maps.
- A few routes are free to try. Unlock one for $20, or every route for $59, yours forever.
Where to start
Four Siplo routes are free, and every stop is listed on the Niagara wine routes page: Stone Road Classics and The NOTL Ride in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Beamsville Classics on the Bench, and a St. Catharines beer crawl. For the town itself, see self-guided wine tours in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Common questions
- Can you do a Niagara wine tour without a tour bus?
- Yes, most people do. You go at your own pace, skip the fixed schedule, and stop where you want to, including the small, family-run cellar doors the big coach tours drive straight past.
- Can you bike a Niagara wine route?
- Yes. The Niagara Parkway and recreation trail are flat and scenic, and a few routes are built for two wheels. Rent in town and leave the car behind.
- Do Niagara wineries take walk-ins, or do you need reservations?
- Most welcome walk-ins. A few ask for a booking, mainly for seated tastings at weekends or at the bigger estates. Siplo flags which is which so you're never caught out.
- How many wineries can you visit in a day?
- Three or four is a relaxed, enjoyable day with tastings and the drives between. Siplo's half-day routes are built around that pace.
- When is the best time to visit Niagara wine country?
- Late spring through fall for patios and harvest; deep winter for icewine. Most wineries are open year-round.