How to Plan a Trip to Niagara Falls?

Planning a trip to Niagara Falls this year? You’ve added it to your bucket list for the right reasons. From nature-filled experiences at its iconic Falls to vibrant city life in downtown Niagara Falls, you’ll never feel short of places to see and things to do here – provided that you plan your trip the right way! Not sure how to plan a trip to Niagara Falls? Here’s a handy collection of planning tips, travel resources, and destination information to help you plan your trip.

Where is Niagara Falls?

Niagara Falls is located between the province of Ontario, Canada, and New York State, United States. The course of the Niagara River marks the international border between the Canadian side of Niagara Falls and the US side of Niagara Falls. Within the tourism context, Niagara Falls generally refers to the group of three waterfalls (regardless of the side of the border they happen to be) at the southern end of Niagara Gorge namely: Horseshoe Falls, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls.

How To Get There?

The answer to this largely depends on the city & country you’re traveling from, and the transportation mode you prefer to reach your destination.

If you’re traveling from another country/region, you’d most probably be traveling by air. For this, you must check out the airports located closest to Niagara Falls to save time. The Toronto Airport on the Ontario side and the Buffalo Airport on the New York side would provide the shortest possible road trip to Niagara Falls. From Toronto Airport, it’ll take a 1.5-hour drive to reach Niagara Falls while from Buffalo NY Airport, it’ll take a 30-minute drive to reach Niagara Falls. You can also take a train to reach Niagara Fall. In Canadian Niagara Falls, you can avail of the GO Train’s commuter service from Niagara Falls to Toronto. From here, you can take the WEGO transit bus to reach your destination in Niagara Falls, Canada. Renting a car can also be the ultimate solution to your commuting needs in this city.

Please note that if you’re traveling on a visitor visa, you must carry the necessary travel documents to cross the border between the United States & Canada.

When to Visit?

Niagara Falls, the crown jewel in natural beauty of North America, welcomes tourists throughout the year, yet the time you choose to visit this wonderful city depends on the fact that whether you’d like a full-of-crowd-&-life trip or a slow-paced one.

During peak season from June to August, the Niagara region is choke-full of tourists pouring from all around the world. So, if you’re looking forward to thriving on the energy of large crowds and are least bothered about ticket & entry lines, you should visit the place during peak season.

During winter months, visitor footfall declines due to frigid temperatures. But for a certain type of travelers who love traveling during winter, exploring places at a slower pace, and vacationing on a budget, winter months are the best time to visit Niagara Falls. The temperature would be low, streets would be less crowded, and accommodations and transportation would be super cheap – allowing visitors to explore every nook & corner of the city in greater detail.

What Tours to Book?

For a city like Niagara Falls that has so much to see and even more to experience, you should consider guided tours to avoid missing out on iconic destinations and quintessential Niagara experiences. Especially, if you’re visiting the city during peak season, guided tours would help avoid long ticket beelines and exorbitant transportation. This, in turn, would help save all your time, energy, and money for your Niagara expedition. These meticulously designed Niagara Falls tours in Canada Tours and Niagara Falls tours in USA can be of some help in planning your Niagara Falls vacation and/or weekend getaway. You can also choose to go off the beaten path, and see it all in Niagara on a heli-tour.

What Places to Visit?

As you plan your trip to Niagara Falls, it would be sagacious to list the places you must visit. Here are some of the main attractions that shouldn’t be missed at any cost!

Places to Visit in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

While in Niagara Falls, Canada, you must explore Journey Behind the Falls, Dufferin Islands, White Water Walk, Old Scow, Table Rock House Restaurant, Niagara on the Lake, Skylon Tower, and Illumination Tower. Don’t miss out on the iconic Hornblower Niagara Cruises taking you up & close to the Horseshoe Falls. Consider adding Falls Fireworks Cruise & Niagara Parks Power Station Currents Light and Sound Show to spice up your day trip during Niagara tour. Check out these Niagara Falls, Canada Tours that have all these destinations covered for you!

Places to Visit in Niagara Falls, New York, USA

Some quintessential Niagara Falls, USA experiences include Whirlpool State Park, Niagara Falls State Park, Goat Island, Cave of the Winds, and Anchor Bar. Views of the Maid of the Mistboat ride and Rainbow Air Helicopter Tour featuring views of iconic destinations in the city would be a bonus. Check out these Niagara Falls, USA Tours that have all these destinations covered for you!

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is that a well-planned trip to Niagara Falls would save you from cost overheads, time overruns, travel stress, and most importantly, missing out on essential Niagara experiences. You might also be interested in knowing about Best Hiking Trails in Niagara Falls, Best Places to View in Niagara Falls at Night, Best Places to Eat in Niagara Falls USA, and Best Restaurant Patios in Niagara Falls to plan a trip to Niagara Falls well.