Has Anyone been to Niagra falls lately? Recommendations?

[DebMcDonald]

We're leaving Boston, heading to Michigan and then heading back to Boston via Niagra falls? How many days do we need in Niagra, where has anyone stayed, recommendations for what to do. We're pretty sure we want to stay on the Canadian side.

Thanks I appreciate any and all help.

Our trip is the third week of August and our kids are DD's 16, 9, & 7.

 

[jitterbug7129]

Canadian side is much preferred to the American side so that sounds like a good idea there. My person recommendation is to stay at the Holiday Inn

http://www.holidayinnniagarafalls.com/

Central location, usually great rates, and kid friendly

I would say maximum 2 days to take in Niagara Falls. Since it's a "tourist" area its difficult to find things that aren't cheesy and over-priced. I do recommend taking in some of Niagara Falls State Park, although I've only been to the American side of that. Beautiful to walk through and free (except for parking).

On the Canadian side, you will find Clifton Hill which is the main tourist area on the Canadian side. There are wax museums, IMAX movies etc. For the adults theng elis a fabulous casino (Fallsview) that is worth a look through if for nothing else but the living statue that is usually present in the lobby.

 

[beansmom]

we were there about 10 days ago. I loved it. We stayed at the Embassy Suites in the king, jacuzzi room on the 20th floor right over the Horseshoe Falls. With free breakfast and a $45 dinner voucher and complimentary drinks at happy hour, we thought it was a deal. We had a 2 room suite for $199.00 that slept 4. You can also get one that sleeps 6 for that price as well. I would go to their site and sign up for the offers.

We did the overthefalls tour..$100 per person but we got to both sides, maid of the mist, journey behind the falls, the whirlpool and several other attractions in one day. We felt it was worth the price.

 

[pooh98378]

We stayed at the Marriott on the Canada side. It is one of the best hotels I have ever stayed in! We had a view of the falls and it was great! We stayed two nights, but I think we probably should have stayed three (although some people in my family were sick so that slowed us down). We also visited the American side, but I thought it was not nearly as nice or as well kept.

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/iagnf-niagara-falls-marriott-fallsview-hotel-and-spa/

 

[acourtwdw]

Don't you need a passport/card to go to Canada now days?

 

[suzannecstarr]

Don't you need a passport/card to go to Canada now days?

Yes you do.


I also like the fallsview marriott. I highly recommend the Niagara Falls Jet Boat Tour. Its a bit pricey but so much fun. I think the falls are best viewed form the US side (the state park is lovely) but there are more/better attractions on the Canadian side. I agree with a previous comment that 2 nights is good. In nearby Niagara on the Lake there are many wineries, awesome restaurants, theatres and spas. I personally don't care for niagara region wine, but many love it.

 

[rodney.watkins]

Being a preferred tourist destination, it would be difficult to find out reasonably priced accommodation. Niagara falls park is my favorite. Please check that out.

 

[bamor]

Be sure to check out Niagara on the Lake. Beautiful small town, lots of wineries along the way. It was maybe 20 mins from Downtown Niagara.
We stayed at the Marriott Fallsview with a travelzoo special.
The Butterfly Conservatory was very nice.
I've heard great things about the Maid in the Mist (this was closed during our winter trip).
Next time, I would look into the Hampton Inn (AAA discount, free parking, free brkfst)
Dinner at Canyon Creek steakhouse inside the Casino was delish as was Carpaccio for Italian (they will provide a cab to and from, just ask at the hotel concierge).

Trip Advisor is a great way to research hotels.

 

[eliza61]

We're going the 3rd week in August.

Has anyone done the speed boat tours in the falls.
Whirlpool jet boat tours? They look like a lot of fun but they are pricey.

http://www.whirlpooljet.com/

 

[DebMcDonald]

Don't you need a passport/card to go to Canada now days?

We have passports and kids under 16 can get in on their parents passports with their birth certificates.

 

[tlh0726]

We have passports and kids under 16 can get in on their parents passports with their birth certificates.

Double check on this.
Last I heard is that everyone needs a passport or card regardless of age.
We applied for our youngest kids last Monday before the fees went up.

 

[DebMcDonald]

Double check on this.
Last I heard is that everyone needs a passport or card regardless of age.
We applied for our youngest kids last Monday before the fees went up.

We just applied last month for my husband's my oldest DD and I already had them and they asked where we were going and we said Canada and he said the little ones didn't need them until they turned 16 or unless we were going to do something more than Canada.

 

[sau418]

Double check on this.
Last I heard is that everyone needs a passport or card regardless of age.
We applied for our youngest kids last Monday before the fees went up.

We were there two weeks ago and both kids were able to use birth certificates and we had passports.

 

[eliza61]

We have passports and kids under 16 can get in on their parents passports with their birth certificates.

When returning to the United States from Canada, it is very important to note that all U.S. citizens are required to present a valid U.S. passport to enter or re-enter the United States via air. For entry into the United States via land and sea borders, U.S. citizens must present either a U.S. passport, passport card, NEXUS card, Enhanced Drivers License or other Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)-compliant document. The only exception to this requirement is for U.S. citizens under the age of 16 (or under 19, if traveling with a school, religious, or other youth group) who need only present a birth certificate (original, photocopy or certified copy), Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or naturalization certificate.

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1082.html#entry_requirements

 

[carone0318]

We were there the weekend of 7/10 and for our ds (9) we just used his birth certificate. We stayed at Hilton Fallsview, very nice. Food is very pricey there. We went to the Macaroni Grill that was in out hotel and an entre that would of been $12.99 by our house was $23.99 up there.

Also they do not take US gift cards. Just thought I'd throw that out there. We tried to use a Macaroni Grill GC and they wouldn't take it because we bought it in the US.

We did Maid of the Mist, Journey Behind the Falls and ventured down to Clifton Hill. Kids had a wonderful time. We were there for a long weekend for a soccer tournament. I think we had plenty of time. We got up there around noon on Friday and left Sunday morning. We also toured Fort Niagara (where the tournament was held.) I think the only thing that would of been better was if we got up there Thursday night and woke up in Niagara Falls; otherwise, what we did was perfect.

 

[OntFamily]

The Niagara Parks Commission runs a great website giving info on the attractions they operate

http://www.niagaraparks.com/

You can also buy discounted attraction tickets from them https://www.niagaraparks.com/packages/


Niagara is a fun place. We've been there many times, and it is great !

 

[merrily]

We're going the 3rd week in August.

Has anyone done the speed boat tours in the falls.
Whirlpool jet boat tours? They look like a lot of fun but they are pricey.

http://www.whirlpooljet.com/

We did the whirlpool jet boat last summer and had a blast. We definitely thought it was worth it.

 

[DearDaisyinDurham]

We stayed at the Marriott on the Canada side. It is one of the best hotels I have ever stayed in! We had a view of the falls and it was great! We stayed two nights, but I think we probably should have stayed three (although some people in my family were sick so that slowed us down). We also visited the American side, but I thought it was not nearly as nice or as well kept.

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/iagnf-niagara-falls-marriott-fallsview-hotel-and-spa/

This is our #1 choice when we go to the falls, an excellent Marriott. You will love it. You might want to check out Priceline bids if the rates are high (peak season).

Have fun! The falls are SO gorgeous.

 

[CTdiznymom]

We went over Memorial Day. Stayed 2 nights at the Marriott on the Canadian side. I was able to find a package that included 2 buffet breakfasts and a $75dinner voucher. Well worth it as the buffet was $24 each and dinner was pretty pricey also. We had steaks and a glass of wine each and the bill came to $140 pre voucher. It also included $20 in chips at the casino, and shuttle transportation. We were on the sixth floor which was fine. I would recommend a higher floor though. They offered us a higher room when we checked in for $25/night more. We didn't take it, but now I wish we had. Our room had a great view and jacuzzi, but I think it would have been better higher up. We've done the tourist stuff before so we basically strolled the Falls the first night. We did the Butterfly Conservatory which was awesome. Well worth it. One whole day was spent walking Clifton Hill. Stopped at Ripley and the Wax Museum, had lunch and an ice cream. You can buy combo tickets at the attractions which are a pretty good deal. DO NOT-buy the attraction tickets at your hotel. Buy them at the Falls. The hotel price is a major rip off. The shuttle drivers are a wealth of information. One key thing to remember is you have to walk from the hotel to the Falls AND BACK AGAIN. Taxis and shuttles are not allowed on Falls Drive. It is a major walk up that hill. If you intend on taking the chair lift thing (I can't remember what it's called) up the hill check on the running times as it was closed by 7pm when we were there. Also check out the schedule for the fireworks over the Falls. Be prepared as we found Niagara Falls to be a very expensive time and it was just DH and myself.

Also, going over to the Canadian side was very confusing for us as they were doing construction. Read all the signs. Make sure you STOP at the booth and don't proceed thru until waved thru. My DH wasn't paying attention and drove over the line a bit and I thought they were going to haul him off in cuffs. The Canadian agent was all of maybe 25 yrs. old and extremely nasty and rude. Made it his mission to harass and embarass my DH when we got to his window. Coming back was a breeze.

Oh, another tip: couldn't figure out why people were getting on the shuttle with suitcases and going to the casino. Shuttle driver told us that they park their cars at the casino instead of paying the $20-30 hotel parking fee. Of course you park at your own risk by doing that.

 

[Tiana]

We're going the 3rd week in August.

Has anyone done the speed boat tours in the falls.
Whirlpool jet boat tours? They look like a lot of fun but they are pricey.

http://www.whirlpooljet.com/

We did them the first week in June and it was a BLAST!! Worth every penny. We boarded the boats up in Niagara on the Lake, which we LOVED. My sisters BF said it was the coolest thing he has ever done, LOL.

OP, I would never stay on the US side, it looked so ghetto compared to the Canadian side, bleh.

We stayed 5 days at the Embassy Suites Fallsview and had a view of Horseshoe Falls, also worth every penny! Waking up to the sound of the falls and falling asleep to it was just awesome. The free breakfast rocked.

We did Maid of the Mist and it was SO much cooler than we thought it would be.

We heard Journey Behind the Falls wasn't worth it, so on our way home we did Cave of the Winds on the US side and that was really cool, very much worth the trip over.

Clifton Hill was OK, but DO NOT waste your money on the FunHouse or Bronto's Playland.... I PROMISE you, you might as well take $40 and throw it in the trash can. The Skywheel was OK. We ate at Rainforest Cafe there, it was just OK. Service stank, food was mediocre and over priced, but the atmosphere was great and I got to pretend like I was at Disney for two hours, LOL!!

We walked through the Niagara Botanical Gardens, the Butterfly Conservatory and White Water Walk, all worth it and BEAUTIFUL!!!

We drove up to Niagara-on-the-Lake, rode the Jetboats (AWESOME) ate lunch at some cute Bistro, walked around town, we stopped at SunnyBrook Farms Winery to sample fruit wine and then took a tour of Jackson-Triggs winery which was very cool. Our 6 yr. old son and 7 yr. old niece even enjoyed the tour and were treated very well by the staff. They even gave them grape juice in Wine glasses during the structured tasting. (This tour is only $5 a person!) We bought several bottles of yummy ice wine.

Right down the street was a restaurant called The Olde Winery and it was SUPERB. Great place if you are a foodie. Everything seasonal, made from scratch with high quality ingredients, oh it was yummy!!

As you can tell, we had a GREAT time and definitely want to go back again sometime