Journey Behind the Falls
Journey Behind the Falls
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- Lovetotravelfamily4Chicago, Illinois531 contributionsI would suggest just doing the boat tour, this line isn’t worth it for what you see.This is a hard review to give. The line is very long and I’m not sure it is any better than the boat trip that comes up to the falls. The two tunnels that you go look at when you are down there are somewhat pointless, all you see is water? I would probably just do the boat tour.Visited May 2023Traveled with familyWritten May 28, 2023
- beachnrun41 contributionsFun to see the falls from a different view!Seeing the falls from this perspective was amazing. The people working the attraction were friendly and informative. We went over Memorial Day weekend, and the line was extremely long. We pre-purchased our tickets for a 2pm times slot. We got on the line at 1:40 pm and entered the attraction at 2:50 pm. I hope that the lengthy wait time is not the norm, and that the crowd and long line was because it was a holiday weekend in the U.S. Once in the attraction, there were more lines in order to see the lookout points from inside, prior to the end where you are out on a deck. You are permitted to skip those lookouts and go straight to the deck area. We looked at both, but if the lines are long, I recommend checking one out and skipping the other, as I think they are similar. I don't mean to dissuade anyone from doing this experience, because it was interesting, but be careful about timing reservations for dinner, or another activity following this one, especially on weekends and other busy times.Visited May 2023Written May 30, 2023
- Reeni01Washington DC, District of Columbia140 contributionsWorth It!They provide a poncho, so don't worry. I would recommend skipping the long lines in the tunnels and go straight to the observatory. The tunnels are ... listen! You take a picture with water few feet behind you. Really? Don't waste your time. The jewel is the observation because you get the full view of the falls and its where the real fun is!Visited June 2023Written June 2, 2023
- beeskneesmom53 contributionsGreat to see, bring ear plugsBit short, not a ton of information but still neat! Expect to wait in a dark tank tunnel with shrieking teens who have discovered it echos and just acknowledge you’ve entered the 1st circle of hell for 30 minutes. But once you get to the falls, it’s amazing. You can hear and feel the power. Even with the noise I’d go again.Visited June 2023Traveled with familyWritten June 17, 2023
- hotelwatch127Newington, Connecticut60 contributionsCaution.It was ok. We waited in a long line to get to what we thought was the main spot. We ended up in the tunnel, which at the end only allowed you to take a pic from inside the tunnel. Not at all worth the wait. The best place is the observation deck. Don't bother with the tunnel.Visited June 2023Traveled with familyWritten June 20, 2023
- Ashtb03166 contributionsNot a must seeThis was a little disappointing. No tour guide. You literally take an elevator down, walk through a tunnel where one view is out like a window to “see behind the falls.” Then the other view is to take a picture of the waterfalls which you can do from the side of the road. If you are on the fence of doing this tour or not I would say skip it and spend the money elsewhere.Visited June 2023Traveled with familyWritten June 22, 2023
- Rene N4 contributionsJourney behind the FallsIt was great to get that close to the falls but there were multiple tunnels and no real direction by anyone. Found lines that we had no idea where they went. Found out we could see the same thing standing in one line instead of waisting time waiting in all of them. For issues with time, go stand in one line to see the water flowing down then goto the area where it opens up. That’s where the fun really is. That’s where you get wet and enjoy what you see.Visited June 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten June 23, 2023
- A M12 contributionsIt was ok but nowhere near as good as cave of the winds.So it was a thing to do but if you have the ability to cross the border and go to cave of the winds it is much more fun and wet. Journey behind the falls is basically one long tunnel with 2 windows. You may have to wait in line to look out the windows. The best part is the platform you can walk out onto and stand in the spray from the horseshoe falls. You will get wet if you go to the right of the platform but not so much if you stay to the left. All in I took about 20 minutes. Mostly waiting for the windows or the elevator. Going to the bottom of the falls is a must but again if you have the choice, choose the cave of the winds. If you can’t cross the border do journey behind it’s still cool to be at the bottom.Visited June 2023Traveled with familyWritten June 27, 2023
- PSimms712 contributionsNice viewsNice visit to the bottom of the falls and a look behind the falls. Only takes about 30 minutes total. But the wait in line for the elevator down and back up took much longer. It was pretty crowded.Visited June 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten June 28, 2023
- Stacy TMemphis, Tennessee4 contributionsToo much wait time for too little payoff.Lines for entry to the experience were long, winding, and tedious. For what you get to experience, it wasn't worth our time. You get a good view from the "deck" but the trek down the "tunnels" was a waste of time. You see nothing but mist and you are restricted by a barrier 20ft a way from the water. We were underwhelmed and wished we hadn't gone through the motions.Visited July 2023Traveled with familyWritten July 2, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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bk19
Toronto, Canada174 contributions
Dec 2021
Went with the family recently and was a little underwhelmed. As the temps were cold in Dec, they closed the lower observation deck access and only allowed from the smaller observation deck on top level.
The higher observation deck needs a little reno as the concrete walls seems to be in rough shape. I understand that the constant water from the falls can make it hard to stay dry.
The behind the falls part had 2 small tunnels....to show the water. It was not busy when we went in DEC, but could imagine the line ups in small tunnel in summer or when Covid restrictions are lifted fully.
While, the view gave a little different perspective of the falls in terms of photo ops, not sure I would wait and pay the $fees charged when the Covid restrictions are eventually lifted
The higher observation deck needs a little reno as the concrete walls seems to be in rough shape. I understand that the constant water from the falls can make it hard to stay dry.
The behind the falls part had 2 small tunnels....to show the water. It was not busy when we went in DEC, but could imagine the line ups in small tunnel in summer or when Covid restrictions are lifted fully.
While, the view gave a little different perspective of the falls in terms of photo ops, not sure I would wait and pay the $fees charged when the Covid restrictions are eventually lifted
Written December 23, 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.
Jason G
67 contributions
Aug 2022
Even though we purchased tickets online for Journey Behind the Falls, we still had to wait in the long ticket line to have the barcode on our email scanned and exchanged for paper tickets.
Elevators then took us 185 feet down to the tunnels behind Niagara Falls. The tunnels were hot and humid and packed with people. We stood in line for about 45 minutes before we saw the first "window" behind the falls. It was OK. There were more observations further down the tunnel, but we just didn't want to wait in line any longer.
In my opinion, the best part of the Journey Behind the Falls experience was the observation deck yards away from the waterfall. We got some beautiful photos.
If you can only choose Journey Behind the Falls or the Niagara City Cruise, definitely choose the cruise. Given how crowded Journey Behind the Falls was on a Wednesday morning, I think our experience would have been even worse on a summer weekend when it must be packed shoulder to shoulder.
Elevators then took us 185 feet down to the tunnels behind Niagara Falls. The tunnels were hot and humid and packed with people. We stood in line for about 45 minutes before we saw the first "window" behind the falls. It was OK. There were more observations further down the tunnel, but we just didn't want to wait in line any longer.
In my opinion, the best part of the Journey Behind the Falls experience was the observation deck yards away from the waterfall. We got some beautiful photos.
If you can only choose Journey Behind the Falls or the Niagara City Cruise, definitely choose the cruise. Given how crowded Journey Behind the Falls was on a Wednesday morning, I think our experience would have been even worse on a summer weekend when it must be packed shoulder to shoulder.
Written August 31, 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.
Karri D
Fort Wayne, IN28 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
I would suggest just doing Maid of the Mist instead. We went at 1:00 pm on a Wednesday. Parking was very difficult to find and we ended up in an overflow lot (which was still $30) and had to walk a good 15 minutes to get to the building. I don’t mind walking for a good experience, but overall we spent almost 2 hours walking to and waiting in line for about 10 total minutes of viewing the attraction. Unfortunately you can’t actually see anything from the portals behind the falls, it’s just a wall of flowing water at the end of a long tunnel. The line took forever because everyone was just taking pictures at the front of the line. The observation deck was cool as it is very close to the falls, but overall we didn’t think it was worth $24 pp plus $30 parking and 2 hours of mostly waiting in line.
Written August 10, 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.
Backpacker59
Crawley, UK123 contributions
Jun 2022
We were given the Journey Behind the Falls as a substitute for the Hornblower boat right that they just decided not to run. I was excited to get up close to the falls but this was super underwhelming and disappointing. There are two little holes/caves behind the falls you can walk up to. The water rushes past in front of these holes but you can't see anything and you can't get that close. There are huge queues and crowds trying to get a picture. There is an outside area you can go out on to take pictures. This is where you get wet from the spray of the falls. This part is much cooler, but it still very crowded and you'll only spend a few minutes there getting a photo. Overall it's absolutely not worth the money, there is little to see, you spend very little time actually enjoying it and a lot of time queueing to get the lift up/down. I got much better pictures of the falls from the road.
Written June 13, 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.
Michelle S
3 contributions
Dec 2020
Went December 2020 on a Friday, the place was empty and it was really cool to have a tourist destination all to ourselves. I think we only saw one other group in the tunnels behind the falls. The experience was neat, I do think it's a must-see if you're going to Niagra Falls, but I have one major issue with the experience. They take a souvenir photo and offer to sell it to you for $40 (which is outrageous, but whatever, the photo and price don't bother me) it's the fact that they PRINT the photos (x2 large photos) just to show them to you and then they just toss them out if you decline to buy them. That strikes me as incredibly wasteful and left me feeling disappointed in an otherwise great experience. So gross and wasteful, they could easily be shown on a screen, or if you're going to go through the trouble of printing them they should just give them to you as a souvenir.
Written December 11, 2020
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.
CraigandBeckie
Walden, NY12 contributions
Jan 2020
This tour was one of the highlights of our visit. The pure power of the falls is experienced from behind the curtain of water. It is unbelievable. A must see. The sound is so full of power. I would love to visit each season to see the different types of beauty offered.
Written January 4, 2020
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.
peter d
Toronto, Canada1,432 contributions
Feb 2020
The view from the observation plaza is fabulous. In winter the outside deck is closed - but you still get great views from the building with open windows. Be prepared to get splashed at times with water from the falls - but it was a lot of fun and the photos taken there are outstanding
Written February 16, 2020
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.
70acl
Gatineau, Canada28 contributions
Mar 2022 • Family
I liked being able to go near the falls, and get an idea of the power of the water from the portal. The views were great but we got quite wet (apparently it doesn’t happen often in winter...). However, it is a short visit and it can get really crowded really fast. We visited in low season, one of the portal was shut with ice, and we had to wait for quite a while to get a good view from the second portal, because some people took selfies with tripod for a remarkable amount of time, so the crowd built up. The tunnels are unremarkable.
Written March 5, 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.
Jayne F
Newcastle upon Tyne, UK584 contributions
Feb 2020 • Friends
Wow you really must do this it was amazing there is also the opportunity to upgrade the pass for take in lots of the other experiences at a really good price. I’m pleased we visited low season because the tunnels did not feel over crowded and the observation points we great for extra photo opportunities. It was very noisy and you could feel the vibrations which added to the whole experience.
Written February 18, 2020
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.
okop
canada577 contributions
Sep 2022
During our 4 days here the weather was a little gloomy and rainy...prior to arriving this is one attraction I wanted to do. We noticed the boat on the falls just packed with people and getting drenched, yet when we did this tour we were literally right beside the falls with a great view and barely got wet at all.
Everything here is expensive and they take advantage of the tourists.... If I recall this cost us $50.00 + for the two of us. We just got in an elevator and then walked a little by ourselves to the tunnels and then the viewing area. It was interesting to read some of the stuff on the walls and be behind the falls. The sounds are incredible with the power of the water so I was happy we did plus the viewing areas are super close to the falls to take some time down there.
I would recommend this tour especially if your visiting for this reason...most other tours did not interest us and we were happy with just this one.
Everything here is expensive and they take advantage of the tourists.... If I recall this cost us $50.00 + for the two of us. We just got in an elevator and then walked a little by ourselves to the tunnels and then the viewing area. It was interesting to read some of the stuff on the walls and be behind the falls. The sounds are incredible with the power of the water so I was happy we did plus the viewing areas are super close to the falls to take some time down there.
I would recommend this tour especially if your visiting for this reason...most other tours did not interest us and we were happy with just this one.
Written September 18, 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.
NolaGirl_SoRene
Gretna, LA44 contributions
Has this tour been effected. By the air quality? I’m due to travel in a week and half.
WildCanadian
Ottawa, Canada182 contributions
As of today, the air quality is at 3 ("low risk"). I don't think the venue itself is a problem. It's the long lineups upstairs for tickets and downstairs for the elevator. If we're talking 10+ ("extreme") like early last week, then I might be concerned. Just bring along an N95 mask and keep a eye on Environment Canada, just in case things go smoky again.
Jan B
Peterborough, UK39 contributions
My mum is 83 and not great at walking long distances. Can we hire a wheelchair? How long is the walk? Are there seats to rest on?
Ashish D
Kolkata (Calcutta), India798 contributions
I did not see one using wheelchair. You may have to enquire at the counter. The walk is not very difficult and hence does not have any place to sit on the way. You csn view the amazing fall from the upper deck and avoid going to the lower deck, which requires you to climb down some steps.
Should I pre purchase my tickets for Journey Behind The Falls to avoid the ticket line and get right in line for when it opens at 10 am?
WildCanadian
Ottawa, Canada182 contributions
I'm of the opinion that the more venues for which you can pre-purchase tickets, the better. Most places during the high season are crowded and I suspect that people start lining up somewhat before the open. Pre-purchasing means you can skip about 50% of the wait time. The only real downsides to pre-purchasing is that you can't do things on the spur of the moment and if it's a weather dependent thing (like the helo ride), then the weather may not co-operate...
X246L
Asia40 contributions
Is there any luggage storage option at the reception or around?
Traveler # 316
Moore, OK43 contributions
We didn't see any. We just left our luggage at the motel. They held it even after we checked out.
BLMerce
Kensington, MD908 contributions
Is there parking in this area
witcheshouse
Wellington, UK361 contributions
Yes there is a large car park
Flutegarden
Collegeville, PA204 contributions
If you arrive right at opening is there a wait?
dena f
California305 contributions
Preparing to be there right at opening should be little to no wait. Enjoy it!
Havimom
Franklin, WI140 contributions
If we are buying the pass that lets us go on the hornblower cruise and also do journey behind the falls, which should we go to first? Also are they at the same location? Or do we have to take a bus back-and-forth between the two?
J. Antonio PA
Lopez Mateos, Mexico1,334 contributions
First do the boat. The falls have a lengthy line and usually a time assigned.
Both attractions are about 1km apart from each other. I recommended walk and enjoy the view.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Journey Behind the Falls
- According to Tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience Journey Behind the Falls:
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