Niagara Falls is arguably one of the top 10 tourist destinations in Canada. It certainly tops our family bucket list and we were excited to cross it off!
Before I dive into all the fun things we did, how about a quick geography lesson first?
Niagara Falls is actually a group of three waterfalls spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. Due to its interesting location, the nearest city on either side of the border is aptly named Niagara Falls, and these two cities are connected by the international Rainbow Bridge border crossing.
Often cited as the world’s “eighth wonder”, Niagara Falls started forming around 12,000 years ago from glacier activity. The tallest and most impressive of the three waterfalls is Horseshoe Falls, which straddles the international border of the two countries. The smaller American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls lie within the United States.
While Niagara Falls is not considered tall, it is the widest waterfall in Canada measuring 3,950 feet (or 1,204 metres) if all three of its waterfall widths are combined. It is however, the world’s fastest moving waterfall with an impressive average flow rate of 85,000 cubic feet per second.
Now let’s get to the fun stuff!
Clifton Hill
Clifton Hill, nicknamed the Street of Fun, is Niagara Falls’ entertainment scene! This world famous promenade has everything—gift shops, restaurants, hotels, wax museums, haunted houses, video arcades, and a bunch of other themed attractions. It is also home to Canada’s largest miniature golf course, one of Canada’s largest observation wheel, and a multi-level go-kart track.
Some of the attractions operate seasonally so we missed out on the dinosaur adventure golf and speedway, two activities we were most looking forward to. Poor timing on my part.
Niagara SkyWheel
The Niagara SkyWheel is one of Clifton Hill’s main attraction and one of Canada’s largest observation wheel, soaring at 175 feet above Niagara Falls. We chose for an evening ride so that we could enjoy the nightly Falls Illumination light show from up above.
Travel Tip #1: Head over to Niagara Falls Tourism to download the latest coupons, discounts and special offers to some of the attractions listed above and others!
Skylon Tower
Skylon Tower is a 520 feet (160 metres) high observation tower and revolving restaurant located next to the Niagara Falls. It is the first tower in Canada to feature the outside-mounted "Yellow Bug" elevators—these such elevators operate with a guide rail on the backside only, giving passengers views of the falls through the glass-enclosed front during the 52-second ride to the top. It is a definite must for the best views of all three waterfalls, the entire Niagara Falls region and on really clear days, the Toronto skyline.
Since admission to the Ride to the Top and Observation Decks is free with dining, we decided on lunch at the Revolving Dining Room restaurant. This restaurant is located at the top of the tower and silently rotates 360 degrees every hour.
Yes, it was an expensive lunch but well worth it. The dining experience was unforgettable from the attentive personal service to the delicious food and incredible views. Let’s not forget that we saved $54 on the Ride to the Top tickets, which would have only gotten us an elevator ride.
Travel Tip #2: If you are put off by the prices on the dinner menu, consider lunch instead as that menu is considerably less expensive. Or you may want to consider the early dinner seating at 4:30PM and 5:00PM which features a three-course set dinner for $49 per adult.
After lunch, we made our way to the Observations Decks to admire the panoramic view at 775 feet above the Niagara Falls gorge. Visitors can choose to enjoy the view from inside or step outdoors to hear the falls. We stepped outside for maybe 30 seconds before the bone-chilling wind drove us back indoors.
Table Rock Welcome Centre
The Table Rock Welcome Centre is a retail and multi-level observation complex located right next to Horseshoe Falls. It is one thing to marvel at the beauty of falls from above and another to stand next to the falls, watching and listening to the thunderous sound of water crashing down to the base below!
If you only have time for one attraction, the Table Rock Welcome Centre is it!
Niagara-on-the-Lake
Twenty minutes north of Niagara Falls the city, is Niagara-on-the-Lake, a quaint 19th century Victorian era town situated along the shores of Lake Ontario and well known for its vineyards. In fact, the Niagara Region produces over 80% of Canada’s ice wine, with the majority of it sourced by wineries in Niagara-on-the-Lake!
While I had planned for a stop at Niagara-on-the-Lake, we had to sadly skip it due to lack of time.
Other Attractions
There is no shortage of things to do at Niagara Falls for everyone, young and old. We would have loved to fit in a few more activities if we had an extra day and the weather wasn’t so miserable, namely Journey Behind the Falls, Fallsview Indoor Waterpark and Fallsview Casino. Not to mention the seasonal activities that weren’t available during the winter months.
This only means that we will have to make a return trip to Niagara Falls!
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