Niagara Falls!

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You too will fall in love with the Falls

My most recent travels have taken me across the pond to visit the captivating country of Canada. While in such an amazing place I had to visit one of the most famous spots in North America, if not the world.

In this article I’m going to give you tips and recommendations to maximise your trip to the majestic marvel that is Niagara Falls.

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The Niagara Falls is actually made up of three waterfalls; the American Falls, the Bridal Veil Falls and the Horseshoe Falls. The Horseshoe Falls probably being the most famous, and the picture you most associate with the North American wonder. It is also the largest of the three, with the Bridal Veil Falls being the smallest. The three waterfalls combined produce the highest flow rate of any waterfall on earth, making it a must see marvel of our incredible planet.

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My absolute #1 recommendation… no, requirement, when seeing the falls is to see it from the Canadian side rather than the US side. The view from the US is literally on top of the falls. You really can’t get a great view of it. Also, the attractions and trips are run from the Canadian side of The falls

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My visit to the falls was during the month of January. Even though Ontario did not have the snow fall of my previous destination in Nova Scotia, it was still pushing -15°c with wind chill. Maybe not the usual weather one would expect to visit a waterfall, but still 110% worth it!

The wind and freezing cold did have its advantages. The crowds were at their smallest this time of year, allowing for completely unobstructed views of the incredible wonder that is the worlds most powerful waterfall.

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Unfortunately, during the winter months, attractions such as the ‘Maid Of The Mist’ and the Zipwire are both closed due to weather conditions. Well, let’s face it, at -15°c would you really want to be on a boat in the mist of freezing water at the foot of a roaring waterfall? Or flying through the ice cold air towards the freezing waters mist? There is the Sky Wheel just off Falls Avenue where you can get a great view of the falls…but it is a little costly.

The is also a restaurant that boasts maybe the best aerial views other than a chopper ride. However, this isn’t the same experience as being up close and personal and hear the roar of the rapid waterways.

There is the main ‘Niagara Falls Visitor Centre’ with information, interactive cinema experiences on how the falls are created and a restaurant. It’s also free WiFi and a place to warm up if your not heading to The Falls in the warmer weather.

Not Just The Pretty Falls

There is more to do in Niagara than I anticipated. ‘Falls Avenue’ is a tourist trap of the weird and the wonderful. From Guinness World Records Museum to Haunted Amusements; Ripleys Believe It Or Not to an array of Wax Work Celebrity Museums. There is also; an indoor water park, bars and restaurants as well as Go Karting, Niagara Sky Wheel and of course a Tim Hortons 😂.

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Getting To Niagara Falls

There are a number of ways to get the Niagara and see the falls. Niagara is also extremely accessible from a various amount of places and doesn’t take forever to get to.

I personally flew into Hamilton, Ontario and hired a car from Enterprise Rent-a-car. There are some really reasonable prices for rentals so I would really advise having a look into a self drive. What’s better than the open road, no schedule to keep to and a good playlist?!

From Hamilton, it was just a 50 minute drive to Niagara Falls. Driving from Toronto would take around 1 hour 45. If your coming from the US side, Buffalo is around 1 hour 15 or even flying into Niagara Falls International Airport.

Some advice I would give if driving into Niagara is check the parking. Parking at the official Niagara Falls car park will set you back $15. Parking on the front will set you back $5 every 30 minutes. However, I did find a car park $5 for 8 hours. Head up ‘Falls Avenue’ and take a right at the first cross roads. 100/150 yards on the left hand side and voilà!

To Stay Or Not To Stay…

One question I was asked via followers on my Instagram account was ‘should I stay in Niagara’. Some were looking to go for several days. Others for a weekend. I think this really depends on the time of year. Summer is much busier and much more crowded than winter obviously. So summer months, you may not get a chance to see everything that Niagara has to offer. One night for me would be more than enough, as it is a tourist trap as you would expect. There are Airbnb everywhere around the Niagara area at very reasonable prices! Here is a link to get £50 off your first Airbnb booking

Niagara Falls is an amazing must see destination. I would warn you to try not to get caught up too much in the tourist traps, as your day may become VERY expensive. 100% recommended visiting this natural beauty, but don’t let it be your soul purpose of visiting Ontario. Personally speaking I would say to get yourself a car and see Toronto while you are so close. It really is an amazing city with so much to offer!

Oh and for the love of god… get yourself a souvenir that screams out, “I WENT TO NIAGARA FALLS…”. 😂

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