Niagara Falls-Best time to visit and other attractions
 

We would like to plan a short weekend trip (2-3 days) to Niagara Falls and would like to know the best time to visit (good weather and not so crowded). Also, besides the falls, what are some other must-see sites and attractions. 2 adults, no children. Any suggestions for hotels are also welcome!

Thanks!

Good weather and not so crowded doesn't usually happen, especially on weekends. You can count on NF to be crowded every weekend in the spring, summer and early fall. The weekdays are better if your'e able to visit then. Actually, NF is absolutely gorgeous in the winter when there's lots of snow and ice. For an adult trip, I would actually go to Niagara on the Lake (NOTL) for the weekend and make Niagara Falls a day trip (Friday or Monday would be less crowded than Sat-Sun. NOTL is a beautiful town on the shores of Lake Ontario. It is home to the Shaw Festival-a theatre complex which has several concurrant plays running that were written in the era of George B. Shaw. It has beautiful shops, restaurants, hotels, B & Bs, and is a great place for a weekend. Lots of spas too. also, many wineries in the area. Go to the Canadian board for more info. Its about 20-30 minutes from Niagara Falls. In between the two towns is a beautiful butterfly conservatory.

Since you suggested going to the Canadian board, does that mean NOTL is on the Canadian side?
Thanks for the help?

NOTL is a Canadian town.

I visited the falls on Sunday July 1(busy time for both US and Canada between Canada Day and Independence Day) 2 years ago and while it was busy it wasn't crazy. We did everything we wanted to do without the crowds being a hindrance including being seated at a nice restaurant for brunch at the Table Rock Restaurant without a reservation and no wait for the Maid of the Mist. Obviously there's no garauntee you'd have the same experience with crowds but this might be an indication of what to expect.

My must sees in NF are the Maid of the Mist, the botanical gardens, seeing the falls from both the American and Canadian sides. There's a lot of ticky tacky stuff in NF that I took a pass on.

I loved NOTL. The Shaw Festival there is well worth a trip in itself. The hotel(s?) can be expensive, but they have good deals on B&Bs. I enjoyed the jet boat ride up the Niagara Rapids.

Hi Katie-
I just got back from NF on Saturday. My bf and I spent 2 nights there at the Sheraton Falls View. We got a truly amazing 2-story suite there, with an awesome view of the falls...I highly recommend it! We only booked one night there because the room we got was kind of expensive. However, when we checked our reservations online we were offered a 2nd night in the same room for $80 Canadian - a real bargain!! So of course we took it.

We started our trip on the American side, parking in the main parking area and walking to Goat Island. There didn't appear to be much else to do there. So we went to the Canadian side where we stayed all weekend. The main area is a mix of Vegas and Jersey Shore, with a casino, bright lights, arcade games, etc. We didn't spend much time around this area. We did Maid of the Mist and Journey Behind the Falls, and made a quick trip to Canada One (?) for outlet shopping. On the last evening of our trip we went to Niagara-on-the-Lake...what a quaint, perfect little town! (no chain stores to ruin it). We visited the little shops and had a fantastic dinner at the Epicurean. The drive back to NF from NOTL was very nice. There were a ton of cute B&Bs along the way.

Overall, NF was not crowded when we were there, except Maid of the Mist where we encountered a large school group. Thursday night was downright dead, Friday had a lot more activity.

It rained the first afternoon/evening there, which wasn't all that bad because you're getting hit by all that mist anyway! Temps were in the 60s.

Katie,
Last sumer we pent several days in NOTL, and I still rave about it. The wine country is gorgeous, and dining at one of the restaurants is a treat. We found that area so much more charming with more to do than the "Falls". I believe one-two hours is enough to really see the falls. There are many excellent B&B's there, but be sure to look at a map available on line to see if the one you are selecting is really close to town. If you want to see a show, book ahead; they're wonderful. Have a great trip.

This time of year, Niagara Falls (Canadian side) will be wall to wall people

You get a complete panaramic view of the Falls from the Canadian side I suggest the (I don't know the name of it) walkway/elevator down into the lower Niagara gorge. You can see the lower rapids up close and they are spectacular - the strongest rapids in the world I believe! Also, Niagara on the Lake, which is a picturesque, historical town. The short drive there is beautiful (and there are wineries along the way) as well.

Definitely view the Falls from the American side. You can stand at the railing right where the water goes over the edge (my favorite view), plus see the upper rapids. A few miles north of NF is Old Fort Niagara, which is a fantastic piece of American history (www.oldfortniagara.org). The fort was built before the French and Indian War, and it is extremely well preserved. It sits on a beautiful location on the water where the lower Niagara empties into Lake Ontario. The museum there has some wonderful artifacts. The main building (called the French Castle) is the oldest building on the Great Lakes. Bring a picnic lunch. The fort resides inside a state park, and on a clear day you can see across the lake to Toronto. As I said above, Niag. On the Lake is very nice, and definitely worth spending time in, but somewhat overrated (in my opinion).

If you like to gamble, there are casinos on both sides. Have fun!

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. We'll keep you updated!

Exactly where is Table Rock? On the Canadian side I presume. Can I park in the vicinity, walk to do Maid of the Mist and back to do Journey Behind the Falls? I just want to do those two attractions and then "get out of Dodge." ((b))

I'd suggest 1st week October. I went once in summer and it was hell - too darn crowded. March is a really nice month too - ice and snow still on both Falls and the crowd was close to non-existent.