Niagara Falls is a good place to walk because the best views cost nothing. Four routes cover most of it: a loop through Niagara Falls State Park, the trails along the gorge, a walk over the Rainbow Bridge, and the Queen Victoria Park promenade in Canada. The park loop and the promenade are paved, while the gorge trails are steep and need proper shoes. State Park Heritage Loop (US side, about 5 km, 2 to 3 hours) The park was laid out in 1885 and the paths follow its original design.

Sightseeing at Niagara Falls means choosing a side, because each bank gives a different view. The Canadian side faces both falls head on. The US side puts you right beside them. Horseshoe Falls is about 670 metres wide, the American Falls about 320 metres, and both drop roughly 57 metres. The narrow Bridal Veil Falls sits between Luna Island and the American Falls. US side viewpoints (free, USD where a fee applies) Niagara Falls State Park opened in 1885 and is the oldest state park in the United States.

Niagara Falls has long been a honeymoon destination, and the best of it comes after dark. Every night the falls are lit in changing colours, and the high-rise restaurants and hotels of the Canadian Fallsview district look straight at them. For quieter evenings, the historic town of Niagara-on-the-Lake sits 20 km north. Prices below are Canadian dollars unless marked. Dinner with a view of the falls Prime Steakhouse has floor-to-ceiling windows over the illuminated falls and serves dry-aged steaks, Ontario lamb and a VQA wine list.

Most visitors need two full days to see the falls from both countries, with a boat ride and a tunnel walk included. Three or four days leaves room for Niagara-on-the-Lake wineries, Fort George and a hike in the gorge. A stay of five days or more only makes sense if Niagara Falls is your base for Buffalo and Toronto. How long to stay Two days: both sides of the river, one boat tour, one tunnel visit.

Families can fill several days at Niagara Falls without repeating themselves. The US side leans toward nature, aquariums and the park, while the Canadian side has the butterfly house, the Clifton Hill strip and the tunnels. US prices are in US dollars and Canadian prices are in Canadian dollars. Crossing between the two needs passports for every child as well as every adult. On the US side Great Lakes 360 and the Aquarium of Niagara share one ticket at 701 Whirlpool Street.

Four good day trips start from Niagara Falls: Niagara-on-the-Lake and its wineries, Old Fort Niagara, Buffalo, and Toronto. The first and fourth are in Canada, and the other two are in New York. Anything that takes you across the border needs a passport and clearance at both ends, so check US CBP and Canadian IRCC rules for your nationality before you travel. Niagara-on-the-Lake (Ontario) The town is about 20 km north along the Niagara River Parkway, roughly 25 minutes by car.

The ticketed tours at Niagara Falls fall into three groups: boats, tunnels and cable cars, and flights. Each operator works from one side of the border, so check which country you are in before you buy. US attractions are priced in US dollars and Canadian ones in Canadian dollars, with 13 percent HST added on the Canadian side. Boat tours Maid of the Mist sails from Prospect Point in Niagara Falls State Park, New York, and only from the US side.

Niagara Falls is really two cities facing each other across the Niagara River. Niagara Falls, New York, prices everything in US dollars. Niagara Falls, Ontario, prices everything in Canadian dollars. The river forms the border, so each side has its own attractions, ticket offices and transit. Three waterfalls make up the view: Horseshoe Falls, which carries about 90 percent of the river, the American Falls, and the narrow Bridal Veil Falls beside it.