When researching a trip to Niagara Falls, you’ll notice there’s a fairly heated debate about whether the Canadian or American side is better. But during a trip to both sides in June, I found that each had its own advantages.
My husband and I researched the many experiences and attractions available in the area and chose to try out the most-loved ones. Here’s what I’d recommend doing around Niagara Falls.
Spoiler: most of them involve a poncho.
The cruises to the Falls are similar from either side.
When you go to Niagara Falls, one of the quintessential things to do is a boat ride that takes you up close to the Falls.
Although we used the Canadian company, Niagara City Cruises, you can do a similar experience called Maid of the Mist from the US side.
They’re both about 20-minute boat rides, and the only difference I could see was that the Canadian tour had red ponchos while the American one supplied blue ones.
What starts as a slow, scenic ride quickly turns into a frenzy of water and wind as you approach Horseshoe Falls. It’s chaotic, a ton of fun, and you’ll walk away with soaking wet shoes if you choose to stand on the upper deck.
On the Canadian side, we enjoyed spectacular views of the Falls.
Once on the Canadian side, we were treated to breathtaking views of all three waterfalls: American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and the iconic Horseshoe Falls.
Although two of the Falls are on the American side, observing from the Canadian side gave us a better view of all three.
I especially loved the Fallsview area, where you can stroll on a paved path along the cliff’s edge that’s flanked by a stone barrier on one side and curated grass lawns with statues, trees, and benches on the other.
There also seemed to be more to do in Canada.
Across the board, the Canadian side of Niagara Falls feels more urbanized. It has all kinds of restaurants, shops, and attractions close to the Falls, whereas I thought the New York side felt a little dated and lacking in options.
That said, the Canadian side, especially the Clifton Hill area, can feel a little too commercialized and borderline gimmicky with its chain restaurants and carnival-style signs that light up and spin .
I recommend walking along the Rainbow Bridge, which connects both sides of Niagara Falls.
If you have your passport with you, I highly recommend visiting both the American and Canadian sides of Niagara Falls, which are only separated by a quarter-mile-long structure known as the Rainbow Bridge.
Although you can drive across the bridge, I recommend walking. Not only was it exciting to go through the turnstile that said “entry to Canada,” but it was also a great vantage point to see the Falls.
It only costs $1 to cross on foot, and we waited a total of five minutes at customs. The long line of cars waiting to pass through customs, on the other hand, barely seemed to move as we walked by.
On the US side, it was fascinating to stand above the Falls.
Although Canada has the Fallsview area, the US has Niagara Falls State Park.
The park perches you at the top of the Falls, giving an incredibly unique perspective as you look down onto the cascading water. Here, you can really appreciate the sheer volume of water going over the three Falls: a combined 3,160 tons of water every second.
In the park, you can access overlooks to peer down each of the three waterfalls.
Niagara Falls State Park was a lovely escape from the crowds.
On the Canadian side, we found everyone was squeezed into a relatively narrow strip along the Fallsview Trail. Niagara Falls State Park, however, encompasses over 400 acres of land, which means the crowd naturally fanned out.
My husband and I were even able to have a picnic under a tree, and there wasn’t a soul around.
The waterfall overlooks were spread out from one another as well. Fewer people seemed to be making the walk to visit them, so they didn’t feel as congested as some of the vantage points on the Canadian side.
My favorite experience was on the American side.
While standing above the Falls is stunning and riding a boat close to them is fun, I wanted to get as close I safely could. Essentially, I wanted to stand under the Falls. And that’s what Cave of the Winds, situated in Niagara Falls State Park, offers.
Our experience kicked off by riding an elevator down 17 stories. At the bottom, we were given a poncho and told that we could explore as long as we wanted.
In front of us was a network of wooden boardwalks and decks that was built directly next to the bottom of Bridal Veil Falls. Walking around, it was difficult to even have a conversation above the roar of the water.
I was also shocked to discover that I had a hard time standing upright. The hurricane-level gusts and deluge of water coming from above were more powerful than I ever could’ve imagined.
I definitely recommend visiting both sides of the Falls.
At the end of the day, each side of Niagara Falls has extraordinary gems. And since they’re so close to each other, I suggest seeking out the best of both worlds rather than sticking to one side.
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