Niagara Falls, one of the biggest wonders of the world, and no other waterfall like it! Made up of Bridal Veil Falls, Horseshoe Falls, and American Falls, an average of 2,400,000 to 3,150,000 gallons of water falls per minute! It’s impressive to see with your own eyes!
Here, I’ve put together a guide on everything you need to know when visiting Niagara Falls. How to visit both sides, where to stay without paying over the odds, and what to do when you only have day spare!
Getting To Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls lies on the border between the USA and Canada. If you are flying internationally, you can either fly into Toronto in Canada or Buffalo in the USA. From Toronto, you can either pick up a car, or use public transport. If you fly into Buffalo, you will need a car.
We flew into Toronto and picked up a hired car. The drive from Toronto to Niagara Falls is pretty straightforward, taking just over an hour. From Buffalo to Niagara Falls, it’s shorter, taking just 3o minutes. However, we found flying from the UK, it was cheaper to fly into Toronto than Buffalo.
Best Time To Go
We visited end of March, which is classed as out of season. As it was out of season, a lot of the ‘touristy things’ were still closed for the season, including the boat trips. However, this didn’t bother us too much! We felt we saw enough of Niagara Falls on foot. Plus we liked the fact it was pretty quiet!
Depending on what you want to do, depends on what time of year to go. It’s quieter and cheaper out of season, but it’s colder, and a lot of the tourist attractions are closed. If you go in season, it be warmer, and everything will be open. However, expect to pay more for your hotel and it will be busier.
Where To Stay
Niagara Falls can be pricy! Especially if you want a hotel with a falls view! My number one recommendation, if you have car, look for a hotel within walking distance to the falls. Car parks are pricy at Niagara Falls, so you want a hotel you can park your car and leave it there! Also look for one with breakfast as eating out is expensive!
Not sure which side of the border to stay on? Personally, I would recommend the Canadian side over the USA side, as there is more going on. On the Canadian side you have a bigger choice of hotels, eating places, and the famous Clifton Hill which is full of entertainment. On the USA side, it’s a lot quieter! There are hotels and eating places, but not as many. The USA side is more about enjoying the State Park during the daytime.
Here is where we stayed on the Canadian side: https://www.expedia.co.uk/Niagara-Falls-Hotels-Country-Inn-Suites-By-Radisson
Crossing The Border
Rainbow Bridge connects the Canadian side to the USA side of Niagara. A bridge that not only allows you to cross the two countries but also, provides stunning views of Niagara Falls!
Crossing the border from Canada to the USA and vice versa is pretty simple. However, there are a few things to know before they attempt to do so:
- Make sure you have your passport!
- You will need a valid ESTA before entering either country.
- To get your passport stamped entering the USA side, we paid a small fee. Not sure if this is optional or not?
- To cross Rainbow Bridge, it will cost you $1 (Canadian or USA) for pedestrians, or $5 USD or $6.50 CAD per vehicle. You only pay one way! If you are crossing on foot, you will need coins for the machine. At the time we visited, in 2024, you could not pay by card!
- During busy times, expect long delays when crossing the bridge in a vehicle. If you visit out of season, as we did in March, there was barely a queue!
The Canadian Side of Niagara Falls
The Canadian Side of Niagara Falls is definitely the most touristy side of the falls! It’s the place you will find the famous Clifton Hill, Skylon Tower, and all the big chain restaurants. But it’s also the side that offers you some of the best views of Niagara Falls as one! It’s also a great side to be at in the evening, watching the falls become lit up with lights. In the summer months, they even put on a firework display!
Here are some of the things you can do on the Canadian side of the falls:
- Head up the Skylon Tower and enjoy a meal in the rotating restaurant.
- Enjoy the illumination show of the falls, every night after dark.
- During the summer months lookout for a beautiful firework display over the falls.
- Have fun in all the amusements/rides/Skywheel along Clifton Hill.
- Enjoy a meal at the famous Hard Rock Cafe.
- Take a ride on the Falls Incline Railway.
- Head up close to the falls with the Journey Behind the Falls.
- Head on the Hornblower, and feel the force of Horseshoe Falls. It’s the same kind of boat trip as the Maid of the Mist, but just a different company on the Canadian side.
- Looking for a thrill? Hop on the Wildplay zipline.
- After another thrill? Check out the Whirlpool Jetboat Tours. The famous Whirlpool at Niagara is home to some of the strongest rapids in the world!
- Interested in learning about the power they create from the falls? Head over to Niagara Parks Power Station and Tunnel Tour.
Depending on what month of the year you visit, depends on what will actually be open. To find out updated information on what is open when you visit, please head over to this website: https://www.niagarafallslive.com/now_open_in_niagara_falls.htm
The USA Side of Niagara Falls
The USA side of Niagara Falls is home to the Niagara Falls State Park. A lovely little park, that takes you up close to each of the three falls that make up Niagara Falls. It allows you to really feel the power of the falls! It’s incredible!
But of course it’s not just a park, there are also plenty of ‘touisty’ things you can do too! Here are just some of the things the USA side of Niagara Falls has to offer:
- Take a walk around Niagara Falls State Park and Goat’s Island.
- If the viewpoints around the State Park are not enough, you can get even closer by heading down to the Cave of the Winds. This allows you to feel the full force of Horseshoe Falls, the largest of the three falls.
- Want to head onto the water, hop onto the Maid of the Mist. It’s the same kind of boat trip as Hornblower, but just a different company on the USA side.
- Hike the Niagara Gorge Trail. It takes about an hour to walk out and back. The route leads you up to the whirlpool that is home to some of the strongest rapids in the world!
- Hop on the Niagara Scenic Trolley bus.
Depending on what month of the year you visit, depends on what will actually be open. To find out updated information on what is open when you visit, please head over to this website: https://www.niagarafallslive.com/now_open_in_niagara_falls.htm
When You Only Have One Day At Niagara Falls
If you only have a day at Niagara Falls, of course you won’t have time to do everything, but that’s ok! Personally, I don’t believe you need to be spending all your pennies ticking off each and every one of the tourist attractions. To be honest, you don’t need to spend much at all! My favourite way to enjoy Niagara Falls, is just by walking to all the different viewpoints.
Here is how I recommend you spend your day at Niagara Falls:
In the morning, head across Rainbow Bridge by foot (if staying on the Canadian side), and take a walk around Niagara Falls State Park/Goat’s Island.
In the afternoon, head back over Rainbow Bridge by foot, to the Canadian side, and walk along the river edge, viewing the falls from a different perspective.
In the evening, head for some food along Clifton Hill, and soak up the atmosphere.
After tea, head back over to the viewing areas of Niagara Falls, still on the Canadian side, and enjoy the illumination show. If you are visiting during the summer months, you may also be lucky enough to enjoy the fireworks over Niagara Falls too.
Hope you’ve found this guide helpful! Please just remember, you don’t need to tick off every single tourist attraction Niagara Falls has to offer, nor do you need to spend two or three days here. After just one day of viewing the different viewpoints of Niagara Falls, I felt very content. I felt I had seen enough of Niagara Falls, and was ready to move on and explore somewhere new!
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Further Reading
Other guides you may like:
Buffalo – What Buffalo Has To Offer
Chicago – 48 Hours in Chicago
Grand Canyon – Hiking Grand Canyon’s Bright Angel Trail
My book, How I Tamed the Wolf, Living with Lupus is available on Amazon via this link:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09M73X2JQ/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MWAF58981F0VVMNRV1WN
