When we were planning our epic honeymoon In Canada, one of the locations we selected as a “must visit” was Niagara Falls. It was relatively close to Toronto (around a 90 minute drive) and naturally, we wanted to see one of the wonders of the world. During the first two weeks of our Canada trip, we were told several times to avoid Niagara Falls and head to Niagara on the lakes. Whilst I think it’s worth visiting the falls, I would suggest a packed out day trip and then exploring other parts of the area.
Where to stay…
Now, as Niagara is a huge tourist spot there’s plenty of choices, we stayed at Marriott On The Falls. The room was vast and comfortable with a cracking view of the falls. Plus, it was only a 10-minute walk from all the main attractions.
Where to eat…
For a meal with a view, I recommend the Skylon Tower – Whilst it’s just a buffet, the view was excellent and the desserts were really good. You must try the cookie dough cheesecake, I’m still thinking about it now. On our first night, we zipped into Zappi’s Pizza and Pasta, it might be low key dining but the pizza was absolutely delicious. We were told by numerous sources to avoid iHop, so despite my love of pancakes, we swerved away from there. For a complete change, we tired our first ever Sports Bar which was Shoeless Joe’s Sports Grill, the food was delicious and the service was excellent.
Finally, it’s a complete tourist trap, but you need to nip to Margaritaville, for incredibly strong Margaritas, just because…
Visiting “The Falls”…
What most folks don’t actually know is this:
Niagara is made up of three separate waterfalls: Horseshoe Falls (or Canadian Falls), American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls.
When planning our trip we decided to buy a package which would enable us to see behind the falls. Eat lunch at Skylon Tower, take a helicopter ride over the falls and get soaked on a boat trip around the falls. You can find all the tour options here
My favorite part’s where – Exploring the tunnels behind the falls, the tour enabled me to stand right behind the waterfall and experience it’s’ true drama. Luckily the tour wasn’t rushed, so we had plenty of time to explore, read the information and take plenty of pictures.
Also, the helicopter ride was amazing, although the 15-minute tour flew by (pardon the pun!) being able to see everything from above was incredible. The helicopters are extremely quiet, meaning it’s easy to listen to the audio guide whilst on the ride and take everything in.
Whilst I enjoyed the boat ride, I found it a little underwhelming. Primarily due to the fact I’d already seen the Falls up close on the tour of the tunnels behind. The boat was crowded and even though its great fun, prepare to get soaked.
I wouldn’t spend too much time on the main strip…
It’s very touristy, with eyesores such as a rollercoaster on top of Burger King and various arcades and similar. Of course, it’s worth strolling through to say that at the very least you’ve seen it. Could I suggest dropping in The Fudge Factory for some fudge or chocolate-covered cheesecake? Or to grab some taffy?
I’m so pleased that we took the time to visit Niagra and whilst I wouldn’t rush to return. It was one of those bucket list locations that I’m thankful for experiencing.
Katie x
