Lake Ontario Tours and Tickets

There are plenty of ways to experience Lake Ontario. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• 1-Hour Toronto Harbour Tour With Live Narration

• Day-Trip From Toronto to Niagara Falls With Skip-the-Line Boat

• Toronto Islands Morning Bike Tour

• Toronto Ghost Tour: The Original Haunted Walk

• Toronto Islands Evening Bike Tour

There’s no cost just to visit Lake Ontario from Toronto, Niagara-on-the-Lake, or any of the other towns along its long lakeshore, in both Canada and the US. However, you may enjoy guided activities on and around the lake, especially from Toronto. Expect to pay around US$30 for a sightseeing boat tour from Toronto, US$60 for a brunch cruise, and around US$80–100 for a guided bike tour to the Toronto Islands in Lake Ontario.

Yes, Lake Ontario is definitely worth visiting while you're in Toronto or other towns around its perimeter. Admire the views from a cruise or from the observation deck of Toronto's CN Tower, visit the Toronto Islands for outdoor activities in the summer, or make a day trip from Toronto to beautiful Niagara-on-the-Lake—the lake referenced in the town's name being Lake Ontario.

Per one customer who booked the 1-Hour Toronto Harbour Tour With Live Narration, "Gorgeous views of Toronto! Very informative and relaxed cruise. Paco was our guide, and he was very engaging. Highly recommend!"

Lake Ontario is a large lake in Canada and the US, so there are many great places to enjoy lake views. One of Canada's best places for lake views is Humber Bay Park in Etobicoke, as you can see the Toronto skyline from across the water. On the US side, Rochester’s Ontario Beach Park is very pretty.

A Lake Ontario circle tour is a tour that encircles Lake Ontario, traveling along both the Canadian and the US parts of the lake. A circle tour is usually done independently and takes around two weeks. Typical itineraries usually visit Toronto, Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Rochester, the 1,000 Islands, Kingston, and many other places en route.

Yes, you can swim in Lake Ontario (when it’s not frozen in winter), and there are many beautiful swimming spots. It’s a vast lake with many cities, towns, parks, and beaches along its 712-mile (1,146-kilometer) shoreline, and some places are more suitable for swimming than others. Look out for signs advising about local conditions.

Yes, Lake Ontario is one of the Great Lakes. It’s the smallest of the five—after Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, and Lake Erie—and the 17th largest lake in the world by surface area. Lake Ontario is shared by Canada and the US, with the cities of Toronto and Rochester on the northern (Canadian) and southern (US) shores, respectively.

There are many interesting things about Lake Ontario. It was created by glacial shifting and melting at the end of the last Ice Age and is now home to salmon, trout, migratory birds, and birds of prey, including eagles. Because of its depth, Lake Ontario hardly ever freezes over completely, but it does freeze around the edges.

Over the centuries, many things have been lost and found in Lake Ontario. In 2008, a British warship considered the “Holy Grail” of Great Lakes shipwrecks was found. It sank in 1780, during the American Revolution, and was well-preserved by the cold water. Many other ships have been lost in the lake and rediscovered decades, or centuries later.

There are tons of things to do when you're done visiting Lake Ontario. According to travelers, these are some of the top attractions in Ontario:

• Niagara Falls, Ontario

• CN Tower

• Floral Clock

• Journey Behind the Falls

• Skylon Tower

View Viator's guide to all the best attractions in Ontario.