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The Best Niagara Falls Travel Tips From Our Readers


This week on Hack Your City, we got your travel advice on Superman’s favorite vacation spot, Niagara Falls. We’ve highlighted dozens of great tips in the Staff tab on the original comment thread. Below are a few of our favorites.

It’s difficult to appreciate the scale of the falls until you are nearly under them.

Each Monday on Hack Your City, we ask readers for your best tips on a city: driving tips, restaurant recs, things to do, and any other advice for visitors and locals. Then on Thursday, we present the best comments. We’re working our way around the U.S. and around the globe.

  • “Go on the Maid of the Mist [or Hornblower Niagara Cruises on the Canadian side]. It’s difficult to appreciate the scale of the falls until you are nearly under them. I felt like an ancient explorer confronted with something for which I had no frame of reference to understand; like these falls are responsible for the creation of the world.”—protogenic

  • “Early- to mid-May is my personal favorite time to come back to the park area as a lot of the snow and ice that broke off from Lake Erie over the winter and traveled down the Niagara River is still piled up along the bottom of the falls. It looks like semi-melted ice cream and on a warm, sunny day acts like nature’s air conditioner.”—Blogtor Doom

  • “Every Friday, Saturday, and holiday there is an amazing fireworks show over the falls. Its cool to see from the ground, but if you go to the observation deck of the Skylon tower (not the restaurant) you will have the best view and be at about eye level with the fireworks!”—craigsider

  • “If you’re spending a day at Niagara Falls and want to see both sides of the falls, don’t try to drive across. You’re much better parking on the American side, taking in those sights, then WALKING across the Rainbow Bridge. This saves a lot of time stuck in traffic, plus you get some amazing views. Best of all, walking across is free to pedestrians; just make sure you bring your passport as you’ll be going through customs.”—LikeANinja

  • “There are some amazing forts in the area — Old Fort Niagara is the standout, but Fort George and Old Fort Erie do a creditable job of educating about the War of 1812 and US-Canada relations. The way things are going, it could come in handy!”—AR123

  • “The ONLY tourism tax is a $2 per night hotel tax, and that doesn’t take effect until January 1, 2019. If they try to hit you with the DMF (destination marketing fee) or anything beyond that, it is NOT mandatory, despite what they tell you. Don’t fall for it.”—Tommy ‘Buster’ Douglas

  • ZombieRunnerFive, who lives on the U.S. side, recommends you spend most of your time in Canada. So do most people. But: “The American side does have VERY gorgeous trails around the Falls though. You can walk down into the Gorge (hope you like stairs!) and it’s just a beautiful place to enjoy nature.”

  • “On the Canadian side, the Flying Saucer restaurant is a really great diner. It’s about a 15 minute hike off the strip, but they’ve got some really interesting options for a reasonable cost. Huge fan of the broasted chicken (not a typo).”—burps25

  • Betty’s Restaurant about 15 minutes or so from the Falls is unequivocally a hit with everyone I’ve suggested it to. People I know still talk about how good the fish and chips are as well as the pie. It’s just a regular ole diner-type restaurant that happens to be pretty delicious.”—llaalleell

  • “Clifton Hill, as others have said here, is kind of a small, loud, expensive Times Square environment. Not my cup of tea - but there’s a good ice cream place called Sweet Jesus at the corner of Falls Ave. and Clifton Hill that’s pretty tasty.”—dphuff

  • “Make sure your Cell Plan isn’t going to cost you an unacceptably high international roaming rate. This is easiest to avoid by simply calling your provider (preferably before you hit Canada) and make an arrangement for a Canadian-compatible plan.”—Val Barlow

  • “Go to the butterfly house, especially with kids. Butterflies everywhere; my kids were completely enthralled.”—cometomyvanihavecandy

  • “Get some wine tasting done. Niagara actually dips fairly far south and with the effect of the nearby lakes, it is an excellent region for wine production. Best known for its ice wine, there are dozens of wineries, tasting, and tours available.”—Conrad Stilling

  • “Niagara on the Lake: Picturesque AF. Stay at a B&B but there are a few hotels. Have high tea at the Prince of Wales. Walk to the Fort and learn something. See a show at the Shaw festival (Stephen Fry is doing something there this year).”—LizTaylorsEarrings

That’s it for this week! Leave your own tips below, read more in the full comment thread, and come back next week, when we’re going to Russia. Too soon?