Niagara Falls Canada is a city in the province of Ontario. The city houses the famous Falls by the same name. It is one of the most famous tourist spots, not only in Canada but in the World.

The city of Niagara Falls lies right at the Canadian-American border. The bridge connecting the two countries is the famous Rainbow Bridge. It’s a landmark that’s easy to see when you visit the falls.

What makes the Falls one of the most famous tourist attraction is that it offers many, many things to see and do; apart from the majestic Falls themselves. The area around Niagara Falls Canada too is equally (if not more) famous and has something to offer everyone.

You can see Niagara Falls on your own. Hop into a car, drive and have a good time with family and friends. But there are a few downsides to going to Niagara Falls Canada on your own.

Parking is generally expensive. Driving to and from the Falls to Toronto or any other location you might be considering, gets tiring too; because at the Falls, it gets pretty hectic!

You will be walking to different attractions or standing in lines to do all the interesting things offered there. So, at the end of the day, despite the fun you have, it does get tiring. The easier way to make the trip to Niagara Falls Canada, in our opinion is to book a tour with a tour operator like ours. No hassle to find parking and no paying exorbitant parking fees and the best part- no standing in any line-ups for tickets!

We write this article here because we wanted to provide reading material that will give you all the info that you’ll need and to be aware of all the important highlights. By the end of reading the article, you will have educated yourself on Niagara Falls Canada; all the interesting info. And from a tourist’s point of view as well, you will have gained insight into what Niagara Falls Canada offers, what you can do when you get there and what would be the best way to plan your Niagara Falls Canada Tour!

So, lets get started…

INTRODUCING NIAGARA FALLS CANADA

A bit of its Geography: what makes Niagara Falls an enigmatic geographical location

When we say Niagara Falls, we are talking about three Falls in total. Horseshoe Falls, the American Falls and the Bridal Veil falls. You will see these 3 distinctly, as you go on the walking alongside Niagara Falls. You will also notice that all these falls are not exceptionally tall, but their massive size comes from them being exceptionally wide.

The height on the Horseshoe Falls is around 57 m or 188 feet and their width is a whooping 790m or 2600 feet. On the American Falls, the height varies because of the presence of boulders at its base, so the height at any given point in a year is between and 30 m or in other words, 70 and 100 feet. The width is smaller, but still impressively large at 320m or in other words 1060 feet.

The flow of water all year round will look massive and strong. Whether in spring, summer, fall or winter. Each season bring out a different experience of the natural Niagara Falls beauty. Niagara Falls Canada tours often include the famous Horn Blower ride, that will take you right up to the Falls. You can literally feel the force of the cascading water and feel the mist from the Fall, when you get that close! The peak season for the increase in Niagara Falls water flow is during late spring and early summer with peak water pressure being almost 225,000 cubic feet!

The Horseshoe Falls, part of the trio of waterfalls, is called so, because it is remarkably shaped like a horseshoe!! This is located right on the border of Canada and USA. The Bridal Veil falls is also on the American side and there are islands which separate these Falls from each other. Due to erosion and construction, there is a long-standing dispute about the actual border of the Falls which was first drawn through the Horseshoe Falls on the US-Canadian border. And speaking of that, if you were to measure the distance between the American extremity of the Falls and the Canadian extremity; it would be almost be a kilometer! To be precise 1039 m or 3409 feet!

All the Falls just mentioned, make up the whole of what we call Niagara Falls. They lie at the South end of the Niagara Gorge. In case you haven’t heard of or don’t know of Niagara Gorge, it is basically an 11 kilometers gorge along the Canada- USA border in New York and Ontario. The Niagara River carved this gorge. It begins right at the base of the Falls and ends near Niagara escarpment near Queenston Ontario. That’s where the Falls originated 12,500 years ago!

A bit of history on the Niagara Falls Canada

Since centuries, Niagara Falls, Canada have been famous all over the world. Within Canada too they have been applauded as great source of tourism income for the Canadian economy as well as a source of the countries hydro power! The Falls have so much history around them, with so many events happening on and around the Falls.

Typically, your tour guide on your Niagara Falls Canada tours, will tell you such interesting historical tidbits of information. You’ll see for yourself that Niagara Falls Canada has been quite a contributor to the Canadian history overall!

Niagara Falls has been around for centuries. And it has also been one of the favorite destination for many over all those centuries. So, it should come as no surprise that there are a lot of interesting historical places to see, as well as lot of interesting facts to know about Niagara Falls. A typical Niagara Falls Canada tour will take you some of these interesting locations for you too see. And if you are lucky enough to get an adept Niagara Falls tour guide, then they will narrate many of the historical bits as they take you around these interesting locations!

But some of the most interesting and entertaining aspects of history pertaining to Niagara Falls, have to do with all the stunts that have been successfully pulled by people. Though it is strictly illegal to go over Niagara Falls on both the Canadian and the American side, it has not stopped a lot of people from attempting jumping over the Niagara Falls.

It all started with this gentleman daredevil nicknamed “the Yankee Leapster” aka Sam Patch. He is nicknamed the Leapster because that’s what he literally did! In 1829, Sam leaped into the gorge under the Falls from a high tower and surprisingly survived! He was the first one to mark the start of a string of daredevil attempts by lots of people over the coming decades, on the Niagara Falls. And these memorable events continue to both marvel and astonish the World.

Other noteworthy attempts include one such by a 63 year old Michigan teacher Annie E Taylor. She went over the Niagara Falls in a barrel on 24thOctober, 1901. She became the first lady to have ever done so up to that point. She survived with just a few minor injuries. Since Taylor’s attempt however, there have been 14 other attempts to go over the Niagara Falls. Some have survived, while some drowned or severely injured.

The youngest one to have ever attempted the Niagara Falls plummet was Steve Trotter. In August 1985, this aspiring stuntman from Rhode Island went over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Ten years later he did it again and became the second person to go over Niagara Falls twice, and survive.

There have also been 2 person barrel jumping attempts over Niagara Falls. The first duo to do so were Peter DeBernardi and Jeffery James Petkovic in the year 1989. On September 28th, they carried out the stunt and emerged out of it only with a few minor injuries.

But as mentioned earlier, Niagara Falls has also been the site of death for many who have attempted similar feats and one of the more memorable tragedies has been that of Jesse Sharp. On June 5th 1990, Jesse paddled over Niagara Falls in a closed deck canoe, while not wearing any protective gear or life vest. What makes this tragedy a memorable one is the fact that his body was never found.

Apart from these famous divers of Niagara Falls, there was another activity that was also a favorite of these daredevils loved engaging in which was tightrope walking. The rope they walked on was not directly over the Falls but over the gorge near the now Rainbow Bridge between Canada and the US.

Niagara Falls Canada in modern culture

Niagara Falls Canada has been an integral part of our Canadian culture since ages. While it always has been a popular choice for tourists and vacation goers, its popularity rose particularly, when Niagara Falls became the backdrop for movie story-telling. In any country, movies and the performing arts and literature in general, tend to have such influence on the countries culture; which was also true for Niagara Falls.

One of the earliest such examples is the movie called Niagara starring actor Joseph Cotton and Hollywood’s sweetheart Marilyn Monroe. The movie was released in 1953, which boosted Niagara Fall’s fame and it quickly became the spot to be, for honeymooners and tourists alike. From then on, Niagara Falls was quite the favorite spot for Hollywood, for filming as well. In 1956, it was the Niagara Fools, a series by Woody Woodpecker; and later in 1980 it was the central subject in the popular IMAX movie Niagara: Miracles, Myth and Magic. The illustrated cartoon series of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, too couldn’t stay away from the beloved Niagara Falls.

When the movie industry started adopting Niagara Falls as one of the integral characters, that along with the actors, contributed to and told the story; the other art forms couldn’t stay far away, for too long.

Commissioned by the Niagara Falls power generation project, the composer Fedre Grofe delivered the Niagara Falls suite in 1960, in honor if the completion of the first stage of hydroelectric work in Niagara Falls. In as recent times as 1997, composer Michael Daugherty composed Niagara Falls as a concert piece. Like many other creative geniuses, he too, was inspired by the Falls.

In literature too, Niagara Falls became the backdrop of storytelling such as in the H.G. Wells novels on the German invasion of the USA, The War in the Air. Poetry has birthed from this Niagara Falls theme of inspiration with poets like Jose M Heredia writing the poem Niagara. When you take the Niagara Falls tour, either from the Canadian or the American side, you will be able to see plaques in honor of this poet’s work. You can read the poem his lyrical poem here ; full of vivid description of the Niagara Falls, and his love and awe for Niagara Falls is very evident in it.

Several painters and artist too have captured the beauty of Niagara Falls. Karl Bodmer, Albert Bierstadt, Ferdinand Richardt to name a few of them; have all depicted Niagara Falls in their own unique style. Each painting captures a different angle, a different perspective, albeit all equally stunning.

Destination Niagara Falls: The Famous Tourist Attractions

As mentioned several times in the write up and on this website, Niagara Falls is favorite destination of tourists all over the World. In our humble opinion, the view of the Falls is much better from the Canadian side. Its an absolute must see, if you live in Canada or ever get the opportunity to visit Canada. Niagara Falls Tours as well as the other on location offerings such as rides, restaurants and shopping venues generate a lot of employment opportunities. Niagara Falls is one of the big contributors to Ontario’s revenue.

The most popular time to visit Niagara Falls Canada is the spring and summer season, for obvious reasons. The weather temperatures in the area are just right for exploring the Falls and the city around it. But there are tourists all year round in Niagara Falls Canada and even in winter, even with the snow on the ground, you will find many such Niagara Falls enthusiasts at the Falls. In fact the Winter Festival Of Lights on Niagara Falls is Canada’s biggest light festival. Running from the winter months of mid November to mid January, it attracts over a million tourists each year.

Niagara Falls Canada has countless attractions. Niagara Falls has countless things to do & countless things to experience. But the oldest and perhaps the most popular one is the Maid Of The Mist boat tour on the Niagara Falls. Recently, it was renamed as the Horn Blower tour ride. Niagara Falls tour packages, all typically include this ride as a part of the package. It takes tourists from both the American and the Canadian side. The Horn Blower ride allows you to take in the view of the Falls from up close and the rising mist from the enormous Falls, usually gets you completely wet. So when you book a Niagara Falls tour,  such as ours, make sure you bring a change with you, because despite the parkas, you might need a change after the boat ride.

The other, unique way of seeing the Falls is in a helicopter. Sure, the ride on a helicopter will cost you some extra few bucks, but it surely is one of the most spectacular ways you can view the beauty of Niagara Falls. Our Niagara Tour package does offer the option of adding on a helicopter tour ride of Niagara Falls, and we recommend that you seriously consider that option.

Apart from seeing Niagara Falls and riding on the boat, there are a handful of long standing favorites among the tourists. The Queen Victoria Park is one such example. It features its beautiful manicured gardens, where you can take leisurely walk along side Niagara Falls; or you can explore the underground walkways which lead you to the observation rooms. Being in the observation room is fun and the experience quite mesmerizing, as it gives you the illusion of being within the falling waters.

Walking along the Niagara Falls, you are bound to see the Skylon Tower. It’s a tall structure that is very hard to miss. That too, is tourist favorite and a must check out destination. The observation deck on there is one that offers the highest view of the Falls. From its other side, it’s tall enough to offer a view as far off as Toronto city.

Other Attractions

If you have time at your hand, during your visit to Niagara Falls, you might want to see and experience more than the aforementioned key spots. There are many things to do in and around Niagara Falls and Niagara Falls city.

Niagara on the lake, a quaint little town with a vibrant yet homely community feel, which offers something for everyone. Like say you want a fancy affair, you could go to the vineyards for wine- tasting, or check out the wax museums. Perhaps you are a foodie who would love to dine in style at their top-notch hotel or try your hand at the casinos.

For the nature lover, there are beautiful and well maintained gardens to explore and walk, surrounding Niagara Falls. Or perhaps just spending time on the lake, away from the hustle-bustle of the city. If you are a fan of fishing, you can take one of the fishing trails, and incorporate that adventure into your Niagara Falls tour.

The options are many.  and all including comprehensive list of every one of those is next to impossible. But we do want to mention here, a handful, that we certainly think are so worth your time.

1. The Skylon Tower Buffet: This is one of the most famous spots around Niagara Falls, offering a view of the Falls from a enigmatic vantage point. The ride to the top tickets are about $10.79 for adults (may vary). If you take the 3D/4D movie combo, the ticket is slightly higher at around $18.84. You can even enjoy eating food in a revolving dining room, with a view that’s 775 feet above the majestic Falls. It’s available as an easy add-on option, when you book a tour with us.
2. Butterfly Conservatory: This is a great option for nature lovers. It is said that there are often other birds in flight who also make a stop at the conservatory. The tickets are $14.25 for adults ; $9.25 for children between 6-12 yrs of age and absolutely free for children under 5. It’s a perfect way to spend an day or afternoon with you family amidst lush green walking trail and about 2000 different species of butterflies.
3. Nightmares Fear Factory: This spooky adventure is for those who love a good scare, and find that entertaining! There are many such spooky/haunted house to explore in Niagara Falls, for you to enjoy and get creeped out. But the Nightmare Fear Factory is the oldest standing that has been a favourite spot for many. This activity is not for the light hearted, we might add.
4. The Floral Showhouse: Another great option for nature lovers out there is a tour of the floral showhouse, during the spring and summer months. Feast your eyes, on a whole host of seasonal, tropical plants and flowers. It also houses birds, a natural companion to the flowery environment.
5. Wineries and winetasting: At about a 25 min drive from Niagara Falls, you will find several wineries that offer personalized tours and tasting. The admission tickets into those wineries vary, so do a bit of online research, or call the wineries ahead of visitation. You can taste a whole array of different wines from sparkling to vintage, at a additional cost over the basic ticket.
6. Clifton Hill: This is one of the most happening and busiest area around Niagara Falls. You can take a fun pass, which is around $25.95 for adults and $19.95 for children; and visit the various attractions on the Hill. Like the Ripley’s Believe it or not Museum, the Movieland Wax Museum and many other things that can be planned according to what you and your group needs. Just walking up and down the streets is fun to and there is lot to see and many different street food type places to look into.
7. Zoom Bike Rides: This is great option to explore Niagara Falls, instead of doing it on foot! You typically pay approx.. $7o for a 4.5 hours tour on the bike. Get your exercise and explore at your leisure on the bike.
8. Restaurant hopping: Niagara Falls offers some of the best dining and lunching options. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Niagara Falls is a heaven for all the food lovers! From buffets to street food to restaurants of a great variety, there is something for everyone to experience.
9. Fallsview Casino: If you are feeling a little bit adventurous and bold, this one nightlife activity that you can do. You can budget it according to what you would want to spend and needless to say, it is always advisable to gamble responsibly. But even if you are not gambling, this venue offers other attractions such as live shows, night clubs and of course, fine dining.
10. Skywheel: Ride this giant wheel for a amazing view of the Falls. Day or night you can take this ride at around $10.99 for adults and $6.99 for children under 12. It takes you 175 feet above the ground.
11. Magic Show: From the magic of the Falls to magic as a performing art form. At the Greg Frewin theatre, which is named so after the great and talented magician who hosts the magic show,  is quite the happening place to be. The venue hosts other shows too like Vegas style live entertainment and concerts as well; but the magic show remains the main attraction.
12. Spa Treats: Want to take a break in the most relaxing way possible? What sound better than spa! Niagara Falls city has 5 major spas to choose from according to what you need, who you are planning to take the trip with and your budget. The Serenity Spa is one such example. From facial treatments, to different type of massages and manicures and pedicures, these spas at Niagara Falls offer something for everyone.
13. Whirpool Aero Car: This antique cable car ride takes you over the Great Gorge for a view of the famous Whirlpool. This is a standing ride in the cable car and best done with a group of people. It adventurous and fun.
14. Water Parks: Niagara Falls area has a few wonderful options when it comes to water park. An option that is great if your trip includes children, but the adults have a lot of fun too. The Fallsview Indoor Water Park and the Waves Indoor water park are two such great options. Since they are indoor they are accessible even on bad weather days, which makes your plan to visit them, foolproof.
15. Animal Safari: Feed your love of animals by opting to go on this beautiful Safari Niagara. This Safari is a 150 acre piece of land which is a home to all kinds of native and exotic animals, birds and reptiles. Within this Safari too, there are many good options according to the kind of group you are going with. Make it educational, informative and catch the live shows for a whole range of experience.
16. Marineland: For the lovers of aquatic life, the Marineland Niagara is a great option. View a wide range of aquatic life and even get a chance to interact with the friendly ones, like feeding the dolphins!
17. Camping: Are you the outdoorsy kinds that enjoy camping? That too is an option for you! The King’s Waldorf Tent and Trailer park offers the perfect natural setting to enjoy camping. This campground is one of the many you can opt for.
18. Shopping: This is especially a favorite activity amongst the tourist. Whether you are looking to capture the memory of your visit to the Niagara Falls by a finding just the right souvenir; or you are just shopping to feed your own shop-a-holic self; Niagara Falls has a huge array of shops for an avid shopper.
19. Movies: When we say movies, we mean at the IMAX theatre, famous for its movie “Niagara: Miracles, Myths & Magic” that narrates true stories of the beautiful of the Niagara Falls in 3D effect.
20. Kutz Orchards: This is the perfect place to be for the culinary tourist. If you have had enough of restaurant food and want to try something new and fresh, this family own Kurtz Orchards, at Niagara On the Lake, is one place you will love to be. Shop for the best foods at the farmer’s market on this estate or check out the food demonstrations, the culinary workshops, complimentary food tasting and even their regularly scheduled cooking classes.

We hope these suggestions have given you lots of ideas and have inspired you to book the Niagara Falls tour. Check out the details of our day tours or our evening tours. Or alternatively you can book a custom private tour that navigates and plans your Niagara Falls stay according to your schedule!

NIAGARA FALLS CANADA TOUR : THE SEASONAL PLANNING GUIDE:

What to expect and What to bring with you.

One of the things to be aware of while planning a trip to any destination is the weather there. What you experience is going to be like, what you need to pack for the trip, and what activities would be doable; would largely depend on that.

Canada is a country of four seasons, with every season being distinctly different from the other. So it makes sense here to make our future clients aware of how the different seasons would affect their Niagara Falls tour. Here are a few things to keep in mind, so that you make the most of your time there, in a comfortable manner.

SPRING

This is a very visitor friendly time to make your trip to Niagara. The weather still has a crisp chill in its air, the sky is clear and most of Niagara’s flora is beginning to bloom. Usually, the temperatures are somewhere between 10 degrees Celsius and 20 degree Celsius (50 Fahrenheit to 68 Fahrenheit). We recommend that you wear, or pack with your luggage a light jacket or sweater, which should keep you warm enough. Planning your Niagara Falls day or evening tour during the early spring months of March-June, is also advisable if you want a lighter crowd and lesser line-ups at the various places you will hit.

SUMMER

This season too, is visitor friendly. In fact, its an absolute favorite among tourists, both from within Canada and nearby USA side, as well as international ones. Between the months of June-August is what we call summer in Canada as you may know. The temperatures range between 28 degree Celsius and 32 degree Celsius (75 Fahrenheit- 89 Fahrenheit). A ride on the famous Hornblower boat is highly recommended at this time, as the mist from the Falls will help cool you down, apart from being a sight in itself. In Summer time, wear light summer time clothing and bring sunblock and dark shades and hats; to protect yourself from the sun.

FALL

This time of the year is also one of those where the crowd at the Falls is not that dense, so there is some ease of going around the city as well as Niagara Falls. Dress for this season as you would for the Spring, but maybe bring a wool scarf and woolen hats on top of your Falls jackets and sweater.

WINTER

Some people avoid going to Niagara Falls during the winter months. In fact it surely is a slow season compared to the Summer and Spring seasons. But the Falls in winter time with snow on the ground and in the water, is a beautiful sight1 For winter, dress like you always do in the winter season. Winter jacket, winter boots, hand gloves and scarves and hats. There will some options, that won’t be available to you during the winter months, because of the weather conditions, so make sure you call or research ahead of time. Even though not popular, we still recommend seeing the Falls at wintertime, at least once.

Other Helpful Tips

Here are some extra tips that can perhaps help you with you packing for your trip!

• Bring snacks that you can carry with you on the bus (if you are booking a Niagara bus tour) or when you are on foot exploring. Granola bars, chocolate bars, fruits, cookies are some good examples. Something that gives you energy and tides you over till meal time
• Bring and extra shirt/top, especially if you are going on the Hornblower ride
• For the chillier/colder months, pack in an extra layer that you might need later in day, when temperatures drop
• A pack of Kleenex or tissues of some kind come in handy
• Bring your phone charger or portable recharged battery for your phone
• A video and still photo camera with ample data space
• If travelling with kids, it helps to pack some sick bags with you, for the car or bus ride
• Also, for kids, a good idea is to bring along their favorite books or toys for the trip, when you are in transit
• We have a detailed article that helps you understand how much time you need to see Niagara Falls.

We hope that this helps you prep for your trip to Niagara Falls Canada according to the different weathers of our beautiful country. Whatever weather you decide to come into, we guarantee you will have a lot of fun!

BOOKING THE RIGHT NIAGARA FALLS CANADA TOUR FOR YOU

When it comes to planning your trip to Niagara Falls Canada with a tour provider like ours, there are often many options to choose from. And its important that you make the right choice.

You can see the details of ALL the tours that we offer, on our website HERE.

Niagara Falls Custom Tour ( for small, medium and large groups)
We have anticipated any questions you might have for us, compiled and answered them for you in our FAQ page. If you still have questions as you try to book, you can email them to ToNiagara at info@toniagara.com. You will find the best Niagara Falls Tour options with ToNiagara.

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