Thousand Islands
Thousand Islands
4.5
About
Located along the border between northern New York and southeastern Ontario, Thousand Islands is a group of over 1,800 islands. It's home to picturesque archipelagos, world-class wineries, and stunning scenery. You can camp under the stars, book a cozy motel, a beautiful riverside villa, or a full-service hotel to stay the night—there's something for everyone. Don't miss visiting the 120-room Boldt Castle on Heart Island. You might also want to hop on a narrated boat tour that departs from several communities along each border, taking you between islands and past castles and historic lighthouses. – Tripadvisor
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles554 reviews
Excellent
423
Very good
108
Average
13
Poor
5
Terrible
5

David G
East Springfield, NY3 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Couples
Cute town to visit but not much there. Most restaurants were closed. beautiful area to stop by briefly. We were on way back from Toronto. There were no tours available when we got there on a sunday afternoon. which was strange that this is considered a tourist town Don't plan an entire weekend here.
Written November 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

reise3
1,090 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Family
The 1000 Islands region is an absolutely gorgeous area of the river. It’s dotted with pretty islands & an eclectic mix of charming little cottages, massive summer homes, Boldt Castle, & more. Enjoy a laidback getaway with scenic cruising, recreation on the water, wineries, etc. Plan ahead for where to stay. There are some resorts, campgrounds, & appealing Airbnbs with river views & access.
Written September 2, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

brian k
Lake Placid, NY61 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Couples
Alexandria Bay is a great place. WE love less than three hours away and never went before; we will go again soon. We took a dozen photos on our weekend trip and everyone had water and boats in it.
Written July 30, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

shifra w
toronto4,575 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023
Our original plans were to go kayaking in the Thousand Islands in the morning and visit Boldt Castle in the afternoon.
The weather report had been promising, but changed suddenly just before we left to rainy, with poor air quality from the Canadian wildfires.
Since we already had hotel reservations in Kingston, Ontario, to be able to get to Gananoque for an 8:30 kayak session on a Monday morning, we started out from Toronto Sunday afternoon for the three hour drive; there is a lot of construction on the roads and we were tied up in Toronto traffic almost three quarters of an hour.
We had not actually made the kayak reservations, so when we got to Kingston and read the weather reports, we decided not to get up at the break of dawn and instead to eat a leisurely breakfast and cross the American border and take the Uncle Sam's two hour tour of the Thousand Islands, which has a stop at Boldt Castle.
One cannot drive to Boldt Castle. It is only accessible by boat.
Uncle Sam's Boat Tours is headquartered in Alexandria Bay, New York.
It costs $12 for the shuttle to Boldt Castle, which leaves every half hour, or just about double that to add on the two hour boat tour. Parking is free in the Uncle Sam's lot.
The Thousand Island tour is very informative and takes you to both the American and Canadian sides of the Thousand Islands.
Still, seeing the Thousand Islands from a guided kayak tour is more exciting.
We hope to come back in better weather.
Written July 7, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sierra
Atco, NJ2 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022
My husband and I went to Thousand Islands for a fall getaway on October 17th. The area is beautiful and we stayed at the Riveredge Resort, Alexandria Bay, which was also very nice. The room was great and the view overlooking Boldt Castle was wonderful. However, much to our disappointment, in researching the trip and attractions and restaurants, we did not see anything that mentioned that after Columbus Day nearly every attraction and restaurant close for the season. We were so disappointed to learn we were not able to visit Boldt Castel, even though we could see if from our room, because of the closure. The Uncle Sam Boat Tours was still running under a much reduced schedule. We were able to do the 2 hour tour which was very nice and I would recommend. The fact that most of the restaurants in the town of Alexandria Bay were closed was also a disappointment. I think this should be noted so that people realize that going after Columbus Day is not really worth the trip. One person said I should have researched better, however, I explained that I would be standing in front of a restaurant that on their website still stated OPEN but was closed for the season. Just wish the websites were updated with the information of everything being limited after Columbus Day. I would have rated this trip higher except for the limited availability of the attractions.
Written January 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Michelle D
Mechanicville, New York, United States36 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2022
We spent a Thurs-Sun long weekend. Brought our own boat and spent much of our time on the water. Stayed in Alexandria Bay but went abt. 10 miles in either direction, down to Clayton and up as far as Singer Castle. So much to see and do! If you have a boat, definitely bring it. Even without it, there's shops and restaurants and events. We were just off the summer season so it was less busy (we live neat Lake George, NY and know what "the season" s like!) but still very lively.
Written September 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Carol Ann J
Germantown, NY1,783 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
Thousand Islands is a beautiful area on the St. Lawrence Seaway. There is so much to see, and the area is very relaxing. One may take a boat tour, charter a boat, or bring their own boat to explore the islands and river. There are so many gorgeous homes on both Canadian and U.S. sides of the seaway. One could spend hours or days out on the river.
Written August 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lee L
Valhalla, NY1,920 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022
Spent a couple of days here before heading to the Finger lakes. Did a boat tour, visited Boldt Castle and hit the Sacket Harbor Battlefield. All in all an enjoyable two days.
Written August 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

2802Travelers
Denville, NJ36 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022
always enjoy a stay in 1000, went to a concert at the pavillion, so good, Ferguson and Rogers Band. had a great time, they are so talented and so patriotic, fun night, alot of fun
Written July 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ethel B
Los Angeles, CA8 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2021
The four circle rating pertains to the 1000 Islands themselves. 1000 Islands Scenic Tours was exceptional, ••••• + Aside from water sports, which, after summer ends, also end, there isn't much more to do.

So happy that my husband decided to book a private boat tour of the 1000 Islands in Alexandria Bay, NY. The bay is part of the St. Lawrence River between Canada and the US.

Ed Peters is the Captain who picked us up in his pontoon boat. He was extremely knowledgeable about both the history of the islands and the history of those old mansions that still remain. I say still remain because during the 100+ years since the mansions were built they have been passed down to family members. But the taxes and cost of upkeep of the mansions caused many of the descendants to abandon the mansions which were eventually torn down.

One word of advice, bring a form of ID with you. I left my ID back at the hotel. I didn't that we would be crossing the border and entering Canadian waters. Before we knew it we had the RCMP border patrol pulling up to the boat. They were really nice and were content to take our husbands' ID's to run a check.

I highly recommend Capt. Peters' tour.

Written September 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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THOUSAND ISLANDS: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Thousand Islands