Exploring Ontario: Day trip to Niagara Falls
Towards the end of June I went on a day trip to Niagara Falls with some family. It was the first time that I had actually gotten to do some exploring since arriving into Canada in March – moving around the world can take time! Either way I was really excited to finally get some exploring done, and what better weekend to do it in than the Canada Day bank holiday. While I had an idea of what the falls might look like, I wasn’t expecting the day that I had.
Day trip to Niagara Falls: Getting there
To get to Niagara Falls we took a Greyhound Bus from the Greyhound Canada Transportation Centre at the intersection of Bay St and Edward St. The bus terminal was very basic, commuter terminal. We arrived at 9am and proceeded to queue up at signpost 7 for the bus. The queues can be slightly confusing as the signposts are only put a short distance between each other, so the queue for 8 began halfway down the queue for 7. It had a lot of people confused and there should really be another system in place! The bus pulled in on-time and everyone had to move to avoid being hit – again it’s a very poorly planned bus terminal.
So after avoiding the buses pulling in and informing people that we were lined up for 7 and not for 8, we finally were on the bus and on our way. The buses were quite comfortable. Although, I had a couple sitting in front of me, look at me in the eye, smile, and then recline their seats all the way back on me which left me a little more cramped than I had hoped for, but a Twitter poll was born out of it..
Just had the two people in front of me, look me dead in the eye, smile, and then recline their chairs on a 2-hour bus journey… 🤯😂 What’s your view on public transport seat recliner etiquette? 🤔 #travelpoll #travelblog #etiquette #traveltales #obnoxious
— Primabl 💼 (@Primabl_) June 29, 2019
Headphones on and around 1 hour 40 minutes later we arrived at the Niagara Falls Bus Terminal. We decided to walk the distance to Niagara Falls which is around a 30 minute walk away. It was a really nice day so the walk was a good decision. Alternatively you can take the WeGo bus, number 603 Green Line South, and that will get you to the falls in 9 minutes.
Day trip to Niagara Falls: The Falls
Niagara Falls is actually made up of three waterfalls: the Horshshoe Falls, the American Falls, and the Bridal Veil Falls. The Horshoe Falls are the biggest and separate the US and Canadian borders. The Horseshoe Falls is probably the one you’ve seen most of and is where the two cruise boats bring you into the mist of the falls.
The Hornblower Cruise
On the US side you have the famous Maid Of The Mist boats and on the Canadian side you have the Hornblower Cruises. As we were on the Canadian side we lined up for the Hornblower Cruise. We did the cruise first as we could then spend the rest of the day exploring the town and dry off in the sun in the meantime.
When coming up to the area where you buy your cruise tickets we saw a long line which actually turned out to be for the funicular. A funicular is a rail car which uses cables to go up and down a steep slope. The funicular brings you down to where you can purchase tickets, but seeing as you can walk down to it, I would advise skipping this line as it means you will get on the cruise much quicker. I can imagine that the scenery is excellent but hold off on doing the funicular until after cruise, as there was barely any line to go back up.
Tickets for the Hornblower Fall Cruise were CA$25.95 (+CA$3 to add funicular ride) for an adult (13+), CA$15.95 (+CA$3 to add funicular ride) for a child (5-12), and infants under 4 years of age are free. All tickets also have a tax of 13%.
After purchasing your ticket you follow the signs which bring you into a waiting room for elevators. A member of staff asks how many are in your party and you are put into a short queue for the lift. The lift then brings you down to where the boats depart. You then go into a tent where you get your photo taken which you can buy later for CA$33. Next you are handed your poncho and await boarding!
I’m not a fan of queues but they really weren’t that bad. From start to finish I say we were on the cruise ship in 20-25 minutes.
Going into the Falls
Your cruise begins with a blast of the horn – hence Hornblower. The captain then takes you past the American Falls first and then onto the Horseshoe Falls. Be quick about getting on and ensure you get a space right against the rails if you can.
We were at the front of the boat and it was the perfect place to be to fully experience the power of the Falls. When you reach the spot where the captain won’t go any further the power of the falls will blow you away. I couldn’t but throw my arms up and yell into the mist as millions of gallons of water fall 51 metres into the water below, drenching you in mist and spray. It was like being caught in a heavy downpour and it was awesome.
You spend a good 5 minutes taking in the sights and getting soaked before the captain turns the boat around and takes you back to the dock. I have to say it was a superb experiences and totally exhilarating.
If carrying a DSLR camera be sure to keep it in its case or backpack as you near the falls as it will get wet. You can risk behind your poncho but I wouldn’t trust myself to keep it from gettign wet.
After the falls
After the falls I was quite wet so I went into the bathroom to change my tshirt. My shorts and shoes were wet also but I was just going to leave it up to the nice weather to dry them. We walked along the Niagra Parkway path right up to the Visitor Centre and Niagara Falls Viewpoint. There we got the chance to take some photos and take in the falls from literally the tipping point. It was great to be so close to the falls and experiences them from another angle.
Day trip to Niagara Falls: Clifton Hill
The biggest surprise for me however lay in Clifton Hill. I’ve heard it be described as tacky, as carnival-like, kitschy but still nothing could’ve prepared me for how over-the-top this place was!
Clifton Hill has a massive ferris wheel, two-story go kart circuit, crazy golf with a fire spitting volcano, haunted houses, fun zones, a Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, a Guinness World Records museum, and an over-abundance of noise and colour!
I actually really liked Clifton Hill for what it was – over-the-top fun. If you were a child your mind wpuld be blown away with the gigantic ice-cream cones, lights, sounds, and sights. There is any type of fast food you can imagine available here and if fudge is your thing, then you’re in luck with the, surprisingly elegant on the inside, fudge shop.
I can understand if it isn’t some people’s taste but it’s just about having fun and not giving a hoot. Sometimes, for adults in particular, it can be quite nice to forget about the stresses and worries in life and just submerse yourself into a place which is innately care-free.
We tried out Frankenstein’s Haunted House and Dinosaur Adventure Golf. To do both of them for four people it came to about CA$100 altogether, which wasn’t the worst. I had a pizza slice and a beer from Pizza Pizza which was perfect until dinner time.
Day trip to Niagara Falls: Home time
We planned to walk back to the bus terminal to get our 5.50pm Greyhound bus back to Toronto. We just finished the golf at 4.30pm which was perfect timing for us to leave for the bus station. Lines can grow long at the bus station so be sure to get there early. The bus terminal had toilets, vending machines, and a bottle refilling station. There were also around 30 seats for people to sit down.
We arrived back into Toronto at around 7.30pm which was a great time to return home, quickly shower and change, and be back out for dinner at 9pm.
Booking.comThere’s a lot more to do at Niagara Falls such as the Skylon Tower and Queen Victoria Park. There is also the nightly fireworks display over the falls. But with a single day in-hand which didn’t involve sunrise starts and left us time to go out for dinner, it was the perfect day.
In Toronto for a few days? Why not read up on the CN Tower or perhaps explore some of Toronto’s famous neighbourhoods. Looking for some new luggage? Read my review of Mia Toro Italy.
