Niagara Falls is not only one of the most popular tourist attractions in Canada and the USA, but is also one of the most impressive natural wonders in the world. Therefore, we were very happy that we were able to install the waterfalls as a stop on our motorhome tour through Eastern Canada. Due to the pandemic and the associated border closures, we were “only” able to visit the Canadian side of the falls and not the US side. But that wasn’t bad at all, because the view of the falls from the Canadian side is simply breathtaking. From where we had the best view of the waterfalls, we tell you in the article.
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Our campsite in Niagara Falls
With our motorhome we stayed for 2 nights at Scott’s Campground in Niagara Falls. The campsite is ideally located on Lundy’s Lane. From there, it’s super easy to get to the Promenade on the Niagara Parkway in just a few minutes by taking the PUBLIC WEGO buses, which stop right in front of the campsite and serve all Niagara Park attractions. The campsite offers full service pitches, i.e. including water, sewage and electricity (30 & 50 amps). We missed the high speed Wi-Fi advertised on the homepage… sometimes it was extremely slow and then it was completely gone 😉
Our tip: Find a cheap accommodation on Lundy’s Lane and buy a day pass for the WEGO buses (10 CAD for 24 hours = 7 EUR). The buses run regularly and if you use the corresponding app, you can even follow the buses live and thus know how long you have to wait at the stop for the next bus.
Things to know about the Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls are waterfalls of the Niagara River on the border between the United States and Canada. They live up to their Native American name “thundering water”: At Niagara Falls, the Niagara River plunges from up to 57 meters into the depths. This makes Niagara Falls not one of the highest waterfalls, but one of the most water-rich falls on earth. Depending on the season, more than 2.2 million litres of water per second flow over the demolition edges. That’s just totally impressive!
Other gigantic waterfalls:
Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe & Zambia
The Iguazu Waterfalls in Brazil & Argentina
The top islands of Luna Island and Goat Island split Niagara Falls into three separate waterfalls: Horseshoe Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and American Falls. These three waterfalls are located on the international border between Canada and the USA.
Niagara Falls on the U.S.-Canada border
The Niagara Falls on the Canadian side
Due to the pandemic and the associated border closures, we were “only” able to visit the Canadian side of the falls and not the US side. But that wasn’t too bad, because on the Canadian side there is a long promenade along the Niagara Parkway, from which you can see the waterfalls really well (and completely free of charge). We certainly spent two hours on the promenade and stopped every few meters to enjoy the breathtaking panorama.
Horseshoe Falls
The Horseshoe Falls – also known as Canadian Falls – are the largest of the three waterfalls and are mostly located in the province of Ontario in Canada. Approximately 90% of the Niagara River flows through Horseshoe Falls after being diverted for hydroelectric use. The remaining 10% flows through American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls.
Directly at the Horseshoe Falls is also the Table Rock Welcome Centre, where there are some shopping facilities and a restaurant. Furthermore, here is also the entrance to the attraction “Journey Behind the Falls”, where you get a unique view of the waterfalls from below and from behind. To do this, take the elevator down about 38 meters, where a tunnel allows access to two viewing platforms and two portals directly behind the waterfalls. We didn’t book this attraction, but from the boardwalk we saw the lower observation deck where visitors got pretty wet.
American Falls & Bridal Veil Falls
One of the three waterfalls includes the American Falls, which are located in Niagara Falls in the state of New York. The smallest of the three waterfalls are the Bridal Veil Falls, which are located just a few meters from the American Falls and are therefore also located in the state of New York/USA.
Rainbow International Bridge
Just off Niagara Falls, the Niagara Gorge is crossed by the Rainbow International Bridge , opened in 1941, a steel arch bridge that connects the cities of Niagara Falls (New York) to the east and Niagara Falls (Ontario) to the west. At both ends of the bridge there are extensive plazas for border clearance.
Boat tour “Niagara City Cruises”
In addition to the “Journey Behind the Falls”, there is another popular activity at Niagara Falls: A boat tour where you will take excursion boats very close to the falls… and gets soaking wet 😉 On the Canadian side, this boat tour is serviced by the provider Niagara City Cruises offered and on the American side by the provider Maid of the Mist. We did not do such a boat tour, but preferred to watch the spectacle from above 🙂
The view of the waterfalls from the Skylon Tower
What we can absolutely recommend when you are at Niagara Falls is a visit to the 160 meter high Skylon Tower. This is located just a few minutes’ walk from the promenade. For an entrance fee of 16 CAD (=11 EUR) you can take one of the glazed elevators within 52 seconds to the observation deck, from which you have a fantastic 360-degree view – of the Niagara Falls but also of the city. For us, this is definitely the most beautiful view of the falls, because you can see both the US and canadian sides in the entire width. Simply breathtaking!
The illuminated Niagara Falls at night
If you visit niagara falls, you should definitely stay until the evening, when the waterfalls are beautifully illuminated in a variety of colors. On the Skylon Tower website there is a great overview of the lighting times of Niagara Falls. As a rule, they are illuminated from 4.30 p.m. in winter and from 8.30 p.m. in summer until a maximum of 2 a.m.
Clifton Hill entertainment district
About a 10-minute walk from Niagara Falls is the Clifton Hill entertainment district. The very touristy district is also nicknamed the “Street of Fun”, because there are plenty of souvenir shops, wax museums, haunted houses, video arcades, restaurants, hotels and themed attractions. In addition, the district is considered the center of nightlife. Among the most famous attractions in the street are the 53-meter-high Ferris wheel “Niagara SkyWheel” and the “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” Museum with the 4D Moving Theater and Louis Tussaud’s wax museum. We definitely found it exciting to walk through the neighborhood, because there is something to see on every corner and somehow it reminded us a little of Las Vegas . You certainly won’t get bored here.
The Bird Kingdom
Since we spent the whole day around Niagara Falls and still had some time until nightfall, we visited the Bird Kingdom. Opened in 2003, the bird park is the largest indoor bird free flight hall in the world, spread over several floors. The complex is modelled on a tropical rainforest in which over 400 birds in around 80 species from all continents are kept. There are also other animals to see, such as reptiles, amphibians, fish and spiders. The visit to the Bird Kingdom was a nice pastime for us, but unfortunately nothing more. Unfortunately, we can’t really make a recommendation for the park.
We had a wonderful day at Niagara Falls, had great weather and fantastic views from the Skylon Tower. We can highly recommend a visit because the waterfalls are incredibly impressive!
Starbucks Global Icon City Mug of Niagara Falls
We are collecting the Starbucks Mugs from the cities and islands we visit on our travels. Unfortunately, not every city that has a Starbucks store with an own mug. But if the city has an own mug we like to collect them as a souvenir. We only collect city mugs from the "Global Icon Series", which was released in 2008. You can see our complete collection here: Starbucks - Our collection of Mugs from the Global Icon SeriesThe city of Niagara Falls has several Starbucks stores and also its own cup. Since this cup of the Global Icon series has not been available in Starbucks stores for some time, it is now relatively expensive and rare as a collector’s item.
The Starbucks City Cup of Niagara Falls
All travel reports from our camper round trip through Canada
Vacation with the camper or motor home in Canada - for many probably quite normal, but for us it was actually the first time. We have never been on the road with a camper, but always wanted to try it. In total, we drove almost 3,300 kilometers with our camper and explored beautiful regions and cities in eastern Canada.
» Our Holiday in Canada 2021 - Flight, Entry & Itinerary» Camping in Canada - Our Questions, Experiences & Tips
» La Mauricie National Park - A hike on the Les Cascades Trail
» Québec City - Things to do, Sights & Photo Spots
» Canyon Sainte-Anne - Waterfalls, Cascades & Suspension Bridges
» Tadoussac - Whale watching on the Saint Lawrence River
» Parc Omega - Drive-Through Safari in Quebec
» Ottawa - The capital city of Canada
» Algonquin Provincial Park - Lakes, forests and magnificent viewpoints
» Bruce Peninsula National Park - Dreamlike bays at Lake Huron
» Niagara Falls - The largest waterfalls in North America
» Toronto - Things to do, Sights & Photo Spots
» Thousand-Islands National Park - 1.864 Islands in the Saint Lawrence River
» Montreal - Things to do, Sights & Photo Spots