Research the different rates available for adults, children and groups. Check the Maid of the Mist website for up-to-date prices, or call (905) 358-5781 (Canadian side) or (716) 284-8897 (American side).
Plan to ride in the months of late April/May through October 24. The opening date will depend on ice conditions in the Niagara River, so confirm your plans with the Maid of the Mist office before you travel in the spring.
Realize that the Maid of the Mist departs every 15 minutes or half-hour, depending on the time of year. Reservations are not available. Rides generally begin sometime between 9:00 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. and continue throughout the day to at least 4:45 p.m. From June to August, you can ride as late as 7:45 p.m.
Get to the ticket window in time. The window closes 15 minutes before the last departure of the day.
Find the boat docks located a quarter-mile from the Rainbow Bridge. Note that both boat docks are handicap-accessible.
Board the boats on the American side at the entrance to the New York State Falls Observation Tower. Board on the Canadian side at the Maid of the Mist Landing at the bottom of Clifton Hill.
Don't be surprised when you are handed a souvenir raincoat, because you'll need it as the Maid steams past the American Falls and into the basin of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls.
