Niagara Falls, Canada
Are you planning to go to Niagara Falls, Canada? Well, we have some tips for you! Tips that can help you save time and money on your vacation, something that is important to most travelers.
Things to do
1. Walk Down Niagara Parkway
The U.S. Falls
Once in Niagara Falls, the most important thing to do is to see the falls from as many different angles as possible. Simply walking up and down Niagara Parkway and seeing both the horseshoe falls and the U. S. Falls is a great way to spend an afternoon. Take your time and take loads of pictures.
2. Take the Hornblower Niagara Cruise
Ponchos Included on the Hornblower Niagara Cruise
The Hornblower Cruise is a great way to experience the power of the falls. You will get close enough to get wet and feel the strong spray from the falls. Please note that even with the poncho that they provide you will still get very wet especially your selves and pant legs, so don’t have anything important planned after this cruise as it will take your clothes 1-2 hours to dry.
3. See the falls at night
The city has put colored spotlights on the falls at night to light them up with a variety of colors. It’s another beautiful way to enjoy the falls.
4. Fireworks every evening during the summer
End the night with a bang by watching the fireworks show at 10 pm. The fireworks show only lasts 5 minutes so make sure not to be late or you will miss it.
Check out firework show schedule updates here!
5. Clifton Hill
Clifton Hill Skywheel
Clifton Hill is filled with family friendly fun. The most popular attraction is the Skywheel, which offers great views of the falls and the city. They also have 3-D rides, go-cart, arcades, miniature golf, and a variety of wax museum and fun houses. It’s definitely worth seeing.
6. Eat Poutine
Poutine is a uniquely Canadian creation consisting of french fries, gravy, and cheese curds. It sounds really weird, but it is amazingly delicious!
We ate Poutine at Smoke’s Poutine on Victoria Avenue and at a random Food court while on a tour. Both were delicious and we highly recommend you trying it for yourself.
Optional Things to Do
The Clifton Hill Fun Pass
Although checking out Clifton Hill is a must, the fun pass is optional. The fun pass is only a good deal if you do all of the attractions. We didn’t do all the attractions because of the long lines. Plus, some of the attractions like the wax museum are not worth doing. It was slightly amusing to make fun of the poorly done wax sculptures but other than that, you should not pay money to go there.
The Skylon Tower
The View from Skylon Tower
The Skylon Tower gives you a bird’s eye view of the falls that is very nice. However, if your hotel already has a view of the falls you can skip this tower. I highly recommend checking it out though if your hotel does not have a good view.
Accommodations
Accommodations can be quite pricey in Niagara Falls. We opted to get a more expensive Fallsview view room at the Marriott Fallsview Hotel.
Breakfast by the falls at Marriott Fallsview Hotel
It was such a luxury to wake up to the falls every morning, and go to sleep to the falls at night. You do play a premium price for this luxury, so if it’s not in your budget Booking.com has more budget friendly accommodations as well as the more expensive fallsview options.
Getting There
We arrived in Buffalo, New York airport and took a taxi across the border to Canada. We used Buffalo Airport Taxi because we wanted to get a flat rate, and didn’t want to risk the rate fluctuations of Lyft and Uber ride share services. Plus, many times Lyft and Uber drivers are not allowed to cross the Canadian border. It was around $75 to go to the Canadian side of the falls.
You can check out Buffalo Airport Taxi here. It’s about a 45 minute to an hour drive depending on traffic at the border. You will need your passport and a lot of patience. The traffic can be intense, especially on a holiday weekend, so allow plenty of time to cross the border.
We wish you a fantastic trip to Niagara Falls, Ontario. Let us know how it goes and your favorite parts in the comments below!
