This is part two of our Niagara Falls road trip.
Horseshoe Falls is amazing!!! Going over the border wasn’t that hard or that stressful. All they asked for was the usual, which was your passport, that you lowered all your windows, how many passengers there were, and why you were going over. Of course, there are more, and then there is a nominal fee of not more than $5 that you must pay. For complete information, click here.
Just so you know, for those of you who do not have roaming, especially international roaming plans with your cellphone company, YOUR PHONE WILL NOT WORK RIGHT WHEN YOU CROSS THE BORDER! Your map still shows the map, but that is it. Just letting you know.
Since this was a long drive and a last-minute trip, we didn’t do much other than take in the sights around the falls. In this post, we would like to also talk about hotels and where to stay if you want to get as close to the Falls as possible or are more focused on family activities.
FUN FACT- Americans are spoiled with the complimentary free parking at hotels. If you find a nice place in a good location that offers free parking, you should book that place ASAP.
I had been looking up hotels and activities for the whole week but going back and forth on what to do and where to stay because of weather, location, activities, parking, and price. I didn’t know what to do or where to go, but I wasn’t sure because of the da$# weather!
The Sheraton on the Falls on Groupon, depending on the date you book, is going for $79 a night. Don’t forget to check the exchange rate and get some Canadian dollars handy. Lol, we didn’t have any at all the entire time we were there. We kept meaning to get some and even trying to, but we constantly rushed from one place to another. I should have booked the Sheraton place but didn’t because I read someone else’s review. Silly me, in my haste, I misread Skyline for ‘Sheraton’ in Groupon because I saw what I wanted in the pictures.
I was really upset after the fact because when we saw where the Sheraton was and saw all the attractions around it….this GIF said it all. Then David and Gabe saw the zipline and looked at me, and asked me why didn’t we do that. ☝️☝️☝️☝️
If you want to stay in a hotel directly in front of the Horseshoe Falls and even has a convenient lift right from your hotel, then the best one would be the Marriot, Embassy Suites, and the Tower Hotel. The Radisson and The Oaks are close by, too. The Hilton is close by too that is one I would not recommend, and I will tell you why.
That was where we stayed and for almost $200 a night it was way overpriced. The desk in our room was taped in 3 different places for crying out loud. Remember how I mentioned the fun fact about parking? Well not only was there no free parking, but regular parking was not available, only valet parking $49 (Canadian)
FUN FACT- Starting June 17th at 10 p.m. fireworks will be fired by the falls.
Only Good Part about the Hilton
Brasas Brazilian Steak House was amazing and the only good part about the Hilton! Who knows maybe there was more, but we were only there for such a short time and we were really there for the sights, not the hotel. The food was delicious, with succulent juicy chunks delivered straight to your plate. On top of that, we were able to try this amazing grilled brown sugar cinnamon-covered pineapple (say that 10x fast!) that just melts in your mouth.
This place actually has a lot of nice family activities right across the border with parking for $10. This area was where we saw one of the biggest go-kart courses, along with arcades, and other activities.
If you were to purchase souvenirs I would say this would be a better place to go as well compared to the visitor center directly in front of the Horseshoe Falls. Price-wise you will more than likely get more for your money. We got Gabe a pen with ‘gold leaf’ or something because he loves pens. Lol, the pen broke with the first use.
In the end, all I can say is look at booking.com, Airbnb, groupon.com, etc. TripAdvisor to see what is available and others like them. One thing that you cannot ever predict, though, is the weather, and with that, you gotta wing it. ‘Sigh’ seems to be the story of our life.
What Horseshoe Falls Actually Looks Like Up Close
No photograph does Horseshoe Falls justice. Standing at Table Rock, the viewing platform at the lip of the falls, the volume of water is overwhelming. Roughly 2,800 cubic meters per second go over that edge, creating a constant roar and a spray that drifts across the viewing area. On a sunny day it generates rainbows. The crescent of the falls stretches 670 meters across and you can see all of it from the Canadian side. The American side gives you the close-up; the Canadian side gives you the panorama. The kids went quiet for several minutes. That says everything.
Journey Behind the Falls and Clifton Hill Attractions
We did not do Journey Behind the Falls on this trip but it is firmly on the list for next time. The attraction takes you through tunnels carved into the bedrock directly behind Horseshoe Falls, with portals looking out through the curtain of water. Ponchos are provided. It runs about $22 CAD per adult and is operated by Niagara Parks.
The Clifton Hill entertainment strip is the commercial side of the Canadian experience — arcades, wax museums, a Ferris wheel, and chain restaurants. Worth a walk through with kids. The zipline over the falls from the Skylon Tower area is the attraction Gabe spotted immediately and which David and Gabe still bring up every few months when discussing things we should have booked.
Crossing the Border at Rainbow Bridge
The walk across Rainbow Bridge into Canada took about ten minutes total. Standard questions, passport check, small pedestrian fee. Very easy on a weekday afternoon. The critical thing to know: your US phone plan stops working the moment you cross. Data, calls, everything — unless you have international roaming enabled. Your maps app will show a cached map but nothing loads. Download the area offline in Google Maps before you walk across.
Brasas Brazilian Steak House and the Hotel Situation
We stayed at the Hilton Niagara Falls, which at nearly $200 CAD per night had a desk held together with tape in three places and valet-only parking at $49 CAD. Not recommended. The one exception: the attached Brasas Brazilian Steak House was excellent. Rodizio-style service with servers carving meats tableside, and a grilled pineapple with brown sugar and cinnamon that still comes up in conversation years later. Eat here even if you are not staying at the Hilton.
Better hotels for falls views: the Marriott on the Falls (directly facing Horseshoe Falls, premium price, worth it), Embassy Suites (suites with kitchens, reasonable rates), or the Sheraton via Groupon (we saw rates as low as $79 CAD depending on date). The Sheraton is what I originally meant to book. I did not, and I still regret it.
Practical Tips for the Canadian Side
- Check the fireworks schedule. Starting June 17th each year, fireworks fire nightly at 10 p.m. over the falls. The falls are illuminated in colored lights regardless — the night view is genuinely different from daytime.
- Get Canadian dollars before crossing. We did not have a single Canadian dollar the entire time. Repeated friction. Get cash or at minimum a no-foreign-fee credit card.
- Buy souvenirs on Clifton Hill, not at Table Rock. Better prices, more options. Our pen broke on first use regardless, but the principle is sound.
- Park on the US side and walk across if you want to avoid Canadian parking rates and want to see both sides in one day. The $10 US parking holds until midnight.
I hope that you found this post helpful. Any feedback would be very much appreciated 🙂
It’s Niagara Falls. It’s one of the most beautiful natural wonders in the world. Who wouldn’t want to walk across it?
Nik Wallenda
Thanks for stopping by Surviving Adventures!
👋
The Fireworks and Night Views
Even without fireworks, Niagara Falls at night is worth staying for. The falls are illuminated in a rotating sequence of colored lights — deep blue, green, white, red — that transforms the view from the daytime spectacle into something completely different. The mist catches the light and creates a soft glow above the falls. We stood watching for a long time before heading back across the bridge to the American side. If you are on the Canadian side past sunset, do not rush back.
The fireworks season (starting June 17th, nightly at 10 p.m.) pushes the evening experience even further. From Table Rock you can see the fireworks reflected in the water above the falls. We did not see them on this trip but have since learned from friends who have that it is one of the most spectacular free light shows in North America. That is now the reason for a return trip.
Is One Day Enough for Both Sides?
Yes, with comfortable margins if you start early. Our sequence was: arrive on the US side mid-morning, Cave of the Winds on the US side, walk across Rainbow Bridge to Canada, Table Rock and Horseshoe Falls for the afternoon, dinner at Brasas, illuminated falls at dusk, walk back across. That covered both sides comfortably without feeling rushed. Two days would let you add Journey Behind the Falls, the Maid of the Mist, the SkyWheel, and a slower pace overall. For a spontaneous one-day trip from Pennsylvania, one day is doable and completely satisfying.
Final Thoughts: Go to Both Sides
The mistake most people make at Niagara Falls is picking a side. Both sides offer something the other does not, and crossing Rainbow Bridge on foot takes ten minutes. The American side gives you the Cave of the Winds, the Hurricane Deck, and the immediate intimacy of standing next to the falling water. The Canadian side gives you Horseshoe Falls in its full panoramic scale, the best restaurants, and the colored light shows after dark. Do both. Park on the American side, walk across, spend the afternoon in Canada, walk back after sunset. Niagara Falls rewards the people who do not rush it, and it rewards the ones who cross the bridge.
We did this trip spontaneously, with no extra batteries, phones as our only cameras, and no Canadian dollars. We got lost once, misread a hotel booking, and ate one very good Brazilian steak dinner in what turned out to be an overpriced room. We saw Horseshoe Falls at sunset and walked home across a bridge between two countries. That is a pretty good day by any measure, and the kind of trip that reminds you why spontaneous decisions are often the best ones you make.
Niagara Falls is one of those places that surprises you with its scale no matter how many photos you have seen. From the Canadian side, standing at the lip of Horseshoe Falls with the water roaring past and the mist in your face, you understand why people have been making the trip here for over 200 years. It earns every superlative. We will be back — properly booked this time, with Canadian dollars, in a hotel where the desk is not taped together.
If you have any questions about planning your visit or want to know more about what we experienced, leave a comment below. We read everything and are happy to help with specifics — hotels, timing, what to skip, what not to miss. That is what this blog is for.
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