As someone who loves checking iconic landmarks off my travel bucket list, I’ve always wanted to visit Niagara Falls. Seeing a natural wonder of roaring water, endless mist, and constant rainbows sounded impressive.
So, last March, my boyfriend and I decided to take a road trip to see if the famous landmark lived up to the hype. We’d heard the Canadian side offers the best views of Horseshoe Falls, so we booked three nights there, planning to explore the Falls and the surrounding town.
By the end of the trip, though, we found ourselves cutting it short and taking the train to Toronto instead. Our time there was fun, but overall, I just didn’t get the appeal.
Even during the offseason, the Falls felt super crowded
Visiting in March, I assumed we’d beat the crowds, since many popular attractions, like the Maid of the Mist boat tour, don’t open until April.
However, it was still busy enough that we had to wait our turn to take photos with the Falls and strategically angle our shots to avoid getting other people in the background.
At first, the crowds weren’t a huge deal, but they became slightly bothersome when we found ourselves waiting in long lines for certain attractions and photo ops.
Plus, March isn’t the warmest month to visit the Falls, so waiting in lines quickly turned cold … and damp. We waited about 45 minutes for some of the photos, and by the time we reached the viewing areas, I was cold and damp.
Although the views were incredible, I often felt like I spent more time waiting in line than looking at the actual landmark.
I thought some of the attractions seemed overpriced
Niagara Falls is a major tourist attraction, so I understand why so much of the offerings are marketed toward visitors like us. Still, at times, it felt expensive for what we got.
For example, we’d heard the Niagara SkyWheel — a Ferris wheel with panoramic views of the Falls — was worth checking out. But at $15 CAD ($10.95 USD) each for a 10-minute ride, it didn’t feel entirely worth it.
We also decided to zip line over the falls, which was undeniably exciting. At about $120 for two, I thought it seemed reasonable for a bucket-list-style experience.
However, the flight lasted roughly 30 seconds, and once it was over, we both agreed it wasn’t quite memorable enough to justify the cost.
I was a little disappointed by the main tourist strip, too
One night, we decided to explore the town and head to Clifton Hill, a strip lined with themed restaurants and attractions.
What surprised me most was how different everything felt from what we had experienced at the Falls that morning. The area felt like a ghost town.
The neon lights were glowing and the attractions were lit up, yet there were barely any people around. It felt strangely eerie — almost like walking through a movie set.
That said, we did ride the Niagara SkyWheel while we were there and also stopped at a Margaritaville restaurant. But the contrast between the daytime crowds and nighttime emptiness was striking, which I can only assume was due to the time of year.
We even tried returning the next day to check out some of the shopping, but unfortunately, we found that certain stores were closed.
For example, we wanted to check out the Always Refreshing Soda shop, but we were disappointed to find that it’s closed Monday through Thursday.
Next time, I’d definitely do more research ahead of time and plan a trip for when more attractions are open.
If I were to return to Niagara Falls again, I’d probably just go for the day
By our last day, we felt like we’d seen plenty of the Falls. Instead of staying another full day, we took the train to Toronto and were glad we did.
Overall, I think Niagara Falls is absolutely worth seeing, and the waterfalls themselves are powerful and memorable. We had fun, but honestly, I didn’t fully understand the hype around the destination itself.
Again, this may have been due to the fact that we visited in the offseason. However, after spending several days there, it felt like it should have been a short stop rather than the focal point of a trip.
If I returned, I’d likely pass through, take in the views, and move on, skipping most of the add-on attractions. For me, the natural wonder lived up to the expectations — the surrounding area and entertainment, less so.
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