#HeartsOfMineTravels to… Niagara Falls! – My adventure between two countries
Niagara’s Falls truly are a natural wonder!
All trembling, I reached the Falls of Niagara, and oh, what a scene! My blood shudders still, although I am not a coward, at the grandeur of the Creator’s power; and I gazed motionless on this new display of the irresistible force of one of His elements.
It’s not easy to describe the beauty of the falls but John James Audubon (ornithologist, naturalist, and painter) does it magnificently.
I’ve been awed by waterfalls before, when I visited Croatia’s Krka National Park, so I had very high expectations!
They were definitely met.
I’ve wanted to visit both Niagara Falls and NYC for a long time and finally that wish came true this summer^_^
When travelling long distance I always do my research and plan ahead to make the most of the time and money I have.
August is usually the month for my long vacations because it’s easier for me and the majority of my friends to take more days off and enjoy a longer trip.
Unfortunately July and August are also the most popular months for summer vacations hence I’m used to crowds everywhere.
I always bring with me a solid plan, loads of patience…
…and some attitude too!
Here I’ll share all about my Niagara Falls Adventure while future posts will be dedicated to my New York’s escapades ^_^
Working on the “solid plan” is the first step of the journey for me.
It’s the part where I end up discovering so many useful things that always make my vacation a better one.
So…let’s begin!
How many days do I need to experience Niagara Falls the way I want?
I wanted to explore both the canadian and the american sides hence I new that all the offers online, about a one day trip from New York (or Toronto for those who plan to visit from Canada), were not for me.
Looking at the maps and attractions on the american and the canadian official sites, I knew I would need at least 3/4 days to do all I wanted to do and travel back and forth from New York (without rushing or stressing too much).
Canadian side vs american side – How did I choose my accommodations?
I looked up online and read tons of blog articles /watched a lot of travel vlogs and most of them said the same thing:
The Canadian side is “the better side”.
Now that I’ve visited both, I can say with certainty that’s not true.
Everything depends on the kind of experience you’re looking forward to AND on the kind of budget available.
View of the falls from #NiagaraFallsStatePark #NiagaraFalls #USA#HeartsOfMineTravels pic.twitter.com/0HuWfoxl6G
— Miss Rail @Hearts of Mine (@Hearts0fMine) 30 settembre 2018
Offers cheaper accommodations and the falls can be experienced immersed in the beauty of Niagara Falls State Park.
Lots of outdoor activities, restaurants, wineries, guided tours great attractions and packages including the main attractions in one pass.
The negative?
If you don’t have a car there’s not much choice when it comes to accomodation.
Most of those choices in entertainment (excluded those in the Niagara Falls State Park reachable with the Scenic Trolley) cannot be reached with public trasportation.
I saw some cute and affordable hotels in Buffalo (only 30 minutes away) BUT I did not plan to rent a car.
Public trasportations from Buffalo was an option (1 hour to get to Niagara Falls) but, since I wanted to see the Niagara Falls light show…
#NiagaraFalls at night: Beautiful Lights Show!
Watched from #NiagaraFallsStatePark #HeartsOfMineTravels pic.twitter.com/5SnwznwMMp— Miss Rail @Hearts of Mine (@Hearts0fMine) 30 settembre 2018
..and the fireworks at night…
#NiagaraFalls at night: Fireworks Show!
Watched from #NiagaraFallsStatePark #HeartsOfMineTravels pic.twitter.com/2ffATmiETh— Miss Rail @Hearts of Mine (@Hearts0fMine) 30 settembre 2018
…I wasn’t super happy at the thought of traveling late on public trasportation.
View of the falls from #NiagaraPkwy#NiagaraFalls #Canada#HeartsOfMineTravels pic.twitter.com/s0qPJB4Tyd
— Miss Rail @Hearts of Mine (@Hearts0fMine) 30 settembre 2018
Offers more expensive accomodations and the falls can be experienced in a colorful location rich with every form of entertainment you can possibly think of AT WALKING DISTANCE.
Clifton Hill is kind of a mini Las Vegas.
The best nightlife, plenty of outdoor recreation, lots of wineries, themeparks and indoor waterparks, packages including the main attractions in one pass.
The negative?
If experiencing the falls, and the beautiful nature that surrounds them, is the reason why you want to visit… the extra entertainment becomes just a distraction.
It also means more expenses expecially because most of the shops, restaurants and hotels apply additional taxes for tourists.
Here there’s a video about those taxes:
Unfortunately I saw the video after I had already payed for my accommodation 5 months in advance but I hope that, knowing you can ask to remove the “tourists tax”, might help someone else out there 🙂
▶▶ Obviously if you’re looking for the cheapest accomodation possible and you’re travelling with a car there’s always the airbnb option ^_^
CROSSING THE BORDER:
Crossing between the two “Niagara Falls” areas is easy because there are 4 border-crossings bridges.
Usually all you need is your passport but you can find more info on the Canada Border Services Agency site.
My walk across the Rainbow Bridge!#NiagaraFalls #HeartsOfMineTravels pic.twitter.com/zo957ARE8J
— Miss Rail @Hearts of Mine (@Hearts0fMine) 30 settembre 2018
Walking across the border is, in my experience, faster than crossing by car, expecially if you want to cross the Rainbow Bridge.
Also… walking you’ll be able to take your time enjoying the spectacular view 😎
▶▶If you decide to cross on foot, you’ll need a dollar in quarter dollar coins per person in order to pass the turnstile!
Exchange machines are available but I tried using two and they were both out of service for the day😩
Fortunately a fellow tourist helped me out and changed my dollar bill😁
My Accommodation:
Since I did’t want to rent a car I ended up choosing the Travelodge Niagara Falls Hotel by The Falls on the canadian side, the cheapest accommodation I could find that had fairly good reviews and free wi-fi.
The hotel is at walking distance from all the things I wanted to do and from the Rainbow Bridge (hence from the american side).
If you’re looking for a room with a beautiful view of the falls you’ll not find it here, hotels with panoramic views are in a completely different price range😅
Travelodge by the Falls offers nice rooms with either a king-sized or queen-sized beds, a chair, in some cases a sofa, a big TV, a mini-fridge, a coffee maker, and a microwave.
The only thing I had trouble with was the tub/shower… I seriously risked to slide and fall because the space was limited and there wasn’t an anti-slip mat! 😥
The hotel also offered a little indoor pool and a sauna (but I wasn’t interested in trying either) and parking space (NOT FREE).
I noticed parking is quite expensive all around the area!
Hotel employees were nice and friendly and I have no major complaints about my stay.
I just wanted a safe and clean place at walking distance from the falls and, overall, this accommodation worked out beautifully.
What kind of activities do I want to do on the Canadian Side?
Me and my friends wanted to celebrate the beginning of our vacation with a special dinner so we decided to try one of The Skylon Tower‘s restaurants.
There are 2 options available:
– The Revolving Dining Room
– The Summit Suite Buffet
Booking beforehand is strongly recommended, lots of tourists every day in every season!
Both include a visit to the Observation Deck (360° view of the falls and the city below) that can also be visited directly (with no dinner) purchasing one of the tickets available on the official website or on location.
My evening on the #SkylonTower : Dinner at the Summit Suite Buffet and visit to the Observation Deck😁#NiagaraFalls #NiagaraFallsCanada #HeartsOfMineTravels pic.twitter.com/jHtvegOKw9
— Miss Rail @Hearts of Mine (@Hearts0fMine) 30 settembre 2018
Reviews of the 2 dining experiences aren’t glowing but I wanted to see it for myself hence I chose the least expensive of the two (Summit Suite Buffet) and booked 2 weeks in advance.
I enjoyed the “dining looking at the falls” experience even if my table wasn’t close to the window but… all the unhappy reviews about the food were quite true!!
There were lots of options available, I tasted a little bit of everything but nothing stood out positively.
DEFINITELY DO NOT DINE HERE JUST FOR THE FOOD OR YOU’LL PROBABLY BE DISAPPOINTED.
The following day I was eager to explore the Canadian side!
There are 3 packages available on the official site, the most popular is the Adventure Pass Classic including:
– Hornblower Niagara Cruise
– Journey Behind the Falls
– White Water Walk
– Niagara’s Fury
– Bonus Coupons
– WEGO transportation (48-Hour Pass)
A pass can often help saving up money but ONLY if you are interested in doing the majority of the attractions listed.
I did my research beforehand and, on that list, the only 2 things that might have interested me were The Hornblower Niagara Cruise and the WEGO transportation.
✶ Journey Behind the Falls is a walk into a tunnel with a few open windows “behind the falls” and a beautiful terrace beside them.
Video:
I wasn’t interested though.
The terrace at the end of the “journey” looks beautiful but on the American side the “Cave of the Winds” attraction offers a closer and more exciting approach to the falls hence… no reason for me to throw 20$ on this.
✶ The White Water Walk brings people at the river’s edge walking on a quarter mile of riverside boardwalk with viewing platforms inbetween. I decided to skip it because on the american side you can walk along the Niagara river for free. It isn’t exactly the same thing but, again, I didn’t want to throw money away since there’s lots to do in Niagara Falls and everything is expensive.
✶ Niagara’s Fury is a family-friendly experience I wasn’t interested in because I’ve seen 360° movie screens before and, here, the main attraction is having water sprayed on you and “wind” for the 4D effect of the “Niagara’s fury”.
Why should I pay to experience the fake Niagara Falls if I can experience the real thing doing the “Cave of the Winds” attraction?
No reason for me but it might be super fan if you have kids along under the age of 10.
✶ The WEGO transportation (48-Hour Pass costs $12.50 canadian dollars, 24-Hour Pass costs $8) is the cheapest way to move around comfortably from Table Rock Centre to Queenston Heights Park and reach beautiful locations such as the the Niagara Glen or the Dufferin Islands.
✶ The Bonus Coupons including restaurants discounts that didn’t interest me.
Buying the 65$ (canadian dollars) Adventure Pass Classic clearly wasn’t the right option for me.
I also considered the Adventure Pass Plus because, even if it’s more expensive, includes access to the 4 “heritage sites” and the shuttle to Niagara-on-the-Lake (a pretty canadian small town with nice views) .
I had less than 2 days on the canadian side though and I didn’t want to “waste” time away from the main reason why I was in Niagara Falls: the Falls.
The Canadian side has plenty of entertaing “distractions”!!
Many might argue that’s a good thing but, to me, it just doesn’t feel right to have nature’s beauty shadowed by shiny and loud businesses everywhere.
I didn’t spend much time in Clifton Hill.
I tasted my first fudge and iced cheese cake on a stick at the Fudge Factory, ate a quick bite in passing and bought a crazy expensive magnet as a souvenir.
Here I found a video that gives you an idea of what to expect.
In my opinion the mini-Las Vegas just feels out of place beside the falls and that’s the main reason why I ended up enjoying the american side more.
It’s true though that the canadian side has more entertainments to offer, unique attractions like the breathtaking MistRider Zipline above the Horseshoe Falls, and beautiful landscapes in locations such as the Niagara Glen or the Dufferin Islands.
What kind of activities do I want to do on the American Side?
On the american side is available the 46$ Discovery Pass which includes:
– Maid of the Mist cruise
– Cave of the Winds
– Adventure Theater
– Acquarium of Niagara
– Discovery Centre and Hiking Trails
– Scenic Trolley
– Bonus Coupons
Like the Adventure Pass, this one doesn’t help you save money if you aren’t interested in most of the attractions included.
In my case, I spent about 6 dollars more buying the pass because I had planned to do only the Cruise, the Cave of the Winds and the Scenic Trolley tickets.
I ended up purchasing the Discovery Pass because I wanted to share the experience with an american friend that had lost her passport the day before and couldn’t cross the border…looong story ^_^’
I’m happy I did it though because the day was too hot and humid to try hiking the trails hence we visited both the aquarium and the Adventure Theater instead.
I’m usually not a big fun of air-conditioned rooms but, given the circumstances, I loved the cold!
✶ The Maid of the Mist takes visitors in blue ponchos close to the falls! Adult ticket costs 19.25$.
I had a great time but I had to wait more than 1 hour in line to enter the boat…crazy crowds!
And I saw even crazier crowds for the Hornblower!!
✶ The Cave of the Winds is absolutely THE BEST ATTRACTION (considering both american and canadian sides) in my opinion. As an added bonus there’s no waiting in line because you choose a specific time to do it when you purchase the ticket!
▶▶ I suggest doing “Cave of the Winds” first because they’ll give you shoes to avoid ruining your own (you’ll get wet from head to toes!!) while in “Maid of the Mist” they do not. I kept the shoes and used them later for the Maid of the Mist.
Experiencing the power of the falls first-hand was AWESOME. Adult ticket costs 19$.
✶ The Adventure Theater shows a 30 minute long video about the falls’ history and myths.
I truly enjoyed it, especially Lelawala’s story.
I have to say though that the 12$ single ticket price is kind of expensive for what you actually get.
The 30 min “movie” feels a bit dated, the screen is far from being IMAX quality and there are no 3D/4D effects.
Definitely worth it only if you’ve purchased a Discovery Pass because, while you enjoy history and legends surrounding the falls, you can relax on comfortable seats in an air-conditioned environment (awesome when is super-hot outside and you’ve been standing up from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. like I did!!)
✶ The Acquarium of Niagara
Awesome for kids even if very VERY small. It was nice looking around but I’ve visited Baltimore National Acquarium, Copenhagen’s Den Blå Planet and Genoa’s Acquarium so… little ones cannot compete. Adult ticket price is 14.95$ and, going back, I would just skip it.
✶ The Discovery Centre might be useful for those who want more informations and wish to book a guided tour for the day.
Watching the History Channel-like documentary showed inside one of the rooms is an extremely underwhelming experience because there’s a movie projector in the middle of the room like a school’s video projection with uncomfortable seats cramming the room.
I definitely do not recommend to waste your time watching the documentary.
There are interactive exhibits and you can book a tour of the ruins of the first hydroelectric power station (you can also visit it on your own for free).
Guided Niagara Gorge hiking tours are also available but the trails can be explored for free without a guide.
I really wanted to do some hiking because when I researched the trails months before my vacation I saw lots of videos, like the one below, showing the beautiful scenery:
Unfortunately when I went, the weather was very hot and SUPER humid and even thinking of adventuring on a these trails felt more like torture than fun 🙁
If you enjoy hiking, and the weather is not an issue, these trails are definitely a MUST and it’s a free activity!
✶ The Scenic Trolley is useful to cover the great distances between attractions and the Discovery Pass offers unlimited rides on it. Definitely worth the 3$ ticket if you don’t have the Pass and you plan to move around the Niagara Falls State Park all day!
✶ The Bonus Coupons are a “plus” and I had no use for the discounts available because I didn’t have a car to reach those attractions (I also wasn’t particularly interested in them anyway)
The Niagara Cruises: HORNBLOWER or MAID OF THE MIST?
From 1848 to 2013 the cruises that take tourists close to the falls were operated only by The Maid of the Mist company on both sides until the Canadian government awarded the contract to the Hornblower company.
There’s no difference in the actual tour, both navigate the same route and both are wheelchair accessible.
The only differences are:
– The starting point ( american vs canadian side of the falls)
– The boats (the Hornblower offers seating and enclosed viewing areas on the lower deck for those who don’t want to get wet while the in the Maid of the Mist does not, you stand up for the duration of the ride)
– The hours of operation and tours option (Maid of the Mist does not operate after dark while the Hornblower has different priced evening and night cruises to enjoy Fireworks and Illumination from the boat)
– The ponchos (Blue on Maid of the Mist, Red on Hornblower)
More about my Niagara Falls Experience:
My international flight landed in New York so I had to reach the falls from there and, since I didn’t want to waste a lot of time on the road, I decided to book a Delta JFK-BUF (+return) flight and I payed 195$ for the combined tickets (booked about 2.5 months from departure).
It’s a bit cheaper to take the bus ( 60-70$ one way ticket with Greyhound) but it’s a 8 hours drive.
My return flight from Buffalo was cancelled due to rough weather and I had to travel by bus to get to NYC… it wasn’t comfortable.
I left from Buffalo with my friends around 11 p.m. and traveled all night sleeping very poorly on the bus.
We arrived early morning but we lost most of our first day in NYC because we were all exhausted!
From Buffalo Airport to Niagara Falls you’ll have to take a TAXI (~85$) or the airport’s shuttle service (36$ per person)
From Buffalo (if you travel with the bus) you can take the NTFA-metro but it all depends on the location of your accommodations.
If you want to explore the wineries and the 1000 Islands region you’ll need to rent a car because there’s no public transportation to get there.
I spent a beautiful evening and two full days enjoying the falls.
It was the perfect amount of time to do all the things I wanted to do in the area without a car.
I only have one tiny regret: not hiking at least one of the trails along the Niagara River.
The attraction I loved most was “Cave of the Winds” on the american side and Niagara Falls State Park is beautiful.
I kept thinking how sweet it would be to spend some time, in spring, reading a book laying on the green grass with the falls Niagara River right in front of me…
😍
The falls are beautiful in every season, even in winter!
The following video I found on youtube shows as much:
If you visit in winter do not miss the Dufferin Islands’ festival of lights.
Maybe I’ll have the chance to go back and also visit Toronto and the beautiful 1000 Islands region…who knows! ^_^
There are so many amazing places to see on this beautiful planet we inhabit!
