My last road trip to Niagara Falls was a whirlwind trip, and I’m not exaggerating. We started a trip mid-afternoon, drove 5 hours to Niagara Falls, check out the Christmas lights, ate at Kelsey’s restaurant and drove home. I was looking forward to spending a weekend away at Niagara Falls and Niagara on the Lake.
Where is Niagara Falls located?
Niagara Falls is on the Niagara River between the state of New York (USA) and Ontario (Canada). The Niagara River connects two of the five great lakes – Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. There are a total of three waterfalls that make up Niagara Falls: Horseshoe (the largest), American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls (the smallest). When you combine all three falls, 3,160 tons of water flow over the falls every second creating a stunning view from both the Canadian and American sides. Want to learn more Niagara Falls Facts? Visit Niagara Falls State Park FAQs page here.
A trip to Niagara Falls is a great weekend getaway for the whole family. There are a lot of kid-friendly activities that will entertain children of all ages. The trip makes for a perfect long weekend getaway, but the trip could easily last a week. I’ve included my thoughts and tips on the activities we did in the blog post below.
Thing You Can Do at Niagara Falls
View Niagara Falls
We only viewed the falls from the promenade on the Canadian side, and it was spectacular. Even though I’ve seen the falls before, I am always amazed and stand in awe of the falls. You can also view the falls by purchasing a boat or behind the falls tour. Here’s a list of tour options:
Niagara Falls Illumination
One night on our trip, we viewed Niagara Falls at night, and the view was breathtaking. At night, the falls are lite up beautifully with different colors. During the summer months, they also had fireworks every night! Check out their schedule to see if they will have fireworks on the night you go.
You can view the fireworks and light show from the promenade, or on one of the boat tours.
Clifton Street
Your trip isn’t complete until you visit Clifton Street. Even though it was almost 90 degrees on the day we walked around, we still enjoyed walking past the shops and stores. Cliffton Hills has so many family-friendly activities to enjoy like arcades, water parks, fun houses, and put-put.
- Savings Tip: If you’re planning on purchasing tickets for more than one attraction in Niagara Falls, you should buy the Clifton Hills Fun pass. This pass includes access to the Niagara Skywheel, Zombie Attack, Movieland Wax Museum of Stars, Ghostblaster Dark Ride, Dinosaur Adventure Golf (or Wizard’s Golf) and the Wild West Coaster.
What to do at Niagara on the Lake
Niagara on the Lake was a quaint and historic town right outside of Niagara Falls. There are shops, restaurants, cafes and several ice cream options for you to enjoy during your visit.
Additional Things to Do in the Surrounding Area of Niagara
Go to a Beach
If you travel to Niagara during the warmer months, check out one of the local beaches! While we were there, we took a short trip up to Centennial Park Beach. It was a beautiful beach, but we weren’t able to stay long due to stormy weather.
Here is a complete list of popular beaches in the area:
- https://www.visitniagaracanada.com/search/beach
- https://www.cliftonhill.com/falls_blog/popular-niagara-beaches-visit-summer/
Shop at the Outlet Malls
There are a total of three outlet malls in the greater Niagara area:
- Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls USA (Located in New York)
- Canada One Factory Outlets (Located near Niagara Falls, Canada)
- Outlet Collection at Niagara (Located near Niagara on the Lake)
If you love to shop, you will surely find that one of this malls will fit your needs.
Safari Niagara
Safari Niagara is a privately owned nature park on 150-acres and is home to more than 1,000 animals! Throughout the park, you will find reptiles, birds, and native + exotic animals. Throughout the park, you will find over 9 free activities for your family to enjoy!
Going to the Safari Niagara park was one of my favorite parts of our Niagara Falls trip and is fun for the whole family. During our visit, we loved seeing the animals up close, playing on their large playground, splash pad, and riding the carousel. The tickets also include a complimentary tram ride that will take you through the park. The tram has multiple stops, which allow you to get off and enjoy the exhibits. The park also offers Behind the Scenes Tours, which included Giraffe Experience, Jr. Zookeeper for a Day, Lion Experience and a Rhino Experience, and a Lion Experience.
I highly recommend going to this park – you could easily spend more than one day walking around and experiencing all of what this park has to offer.
Visit a Winery
There are almost 100 wineries in the Greater Niagara Area! With so many to choose from, I’ve included a few links below to help aid your research. If you want to visit more than one winery in a day or evening, you can purchase a wine tasting tour. I recommend checking to see if there are any deals on Groupon or LivingSocial.
- Top 10 Winery Tours According to Tripadvisor
- Additional Winery Resouces:
- http://wineriesofniagaraonthelake.com/
- http://www.niagarawineryguide.com/niagara-wineries-city/
During our short trip to Niagara, we did not end up at a winery, but I would love to visit one if we go back again.
This was a fun trip! We did so much in such a short amount of time, but there was still so much we didn’t do! Before you plan your next Niagara tip, visit Niagara’s website to learn more about the different activities in the area.
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