Go wild: From hiking, biking and canoeing, to the unforgettable Falls, embrace adventure and nature in Ontario

Niagara Falls needs little introduction, but there’s much more to the waterways of Ontario beyond the iconic Horseshoe Falls.

So you can plan the ultimate escape, Canadian Affair is the ideal one-stop travel shop for a bespoke itinerary around the province, taking in adventure and nature, tailored to your personal travel tick-list.

Here, we round up some of the highlights of going wild in Ontario…

Explore Niagara Falls and Niagara Parks

Spanning the border between Ontario and New York, Niagara Falls thunderously spills the Niagara River into Lake Ontario. The iconic Horseshoe Falls is the centrepoint for most trips here, but the Falls and surrounding Niagara Parks have a lot more to offer.

You can check out the Falls from above on a helicopter tour, Zipline to the Falls or the Whirlpool Aero Car – suspended 200 ft above the water, this option focuses on the whirlpools and whitewater rapids. There’s the Whirlpool Adventure Course, where, as well as ziplining, you’ll walk across tightropes, climb up cargo nets, fly through the air on rope swings, leap onto swinging logs, and balance on wobbly bridges. Or White Water Walk – a self-guided boardwalk alongside Niagara River’s Class 6 whitewater rapids – for a different experience of these powerful waters, as well as the more traditional Niagara Cruises.

Journey Behind the Falls, based to the west of Horseshoe Falls, provides a unique viewpoint of the watery wonder as well as a deep dive into its geographical evolution. Or for surrounding nature, there’s the Butterfly Conservatory and a mix of hiking trails around the parks.

To relax after your Falls experience, Niagara-on-the Lake is a great spot for a culinary tour at the end of a day or sampling some of the local wineries’ produce. And keep an eye out for the Flying Theatre Experience too, set to open in 2025, which promises to unveil Niagara from a completely new perspective.

Paddle on a canoe route

There’s a tapestry of 2,600 miles of waterways weaving across Canada from coast to coast and the connection with the canoe runs particularly deep in Ontario. First Nations people used the canoe as the original mode of water transport some 20,000 years ago to trade, hunt and ship.

There’s a mix of lakes, rivers and bays for canoeing across the province, from beginner level to…