15 Best things to see & do in Niagara Falls

You hear the Falls long before you see them: the roaring cascade of water plummeting down a 50m gorge at a rate of millions of litres per second. The world’s second-largest – but arguably most famous – waterfall is jaw-dropping in its scale and intensity.

The roadside viewpoints offer prime viewing, but there are several other great ways to experience the Falls. Boat trips take you right up to the torrent, and into the foaming spray. Spectacular short helicopter flights offer a unique panoramic view of the scale and surrounding scenery (nervous flyers should head to the top of the nearby Skylon Tower instead).

You can also descend down via old tunnels to extraordinary viewpoints and caves behind the Falls themselves.

The Niagara Peninsula is home to some of Canada’s oldest and most famous vineyards in what has become a world-class wine-producing region. It’s a landscape of rolling vineyards, charming wineries, and heart-stopping views of Lake Ontario – is just a short hop from Niagara Falls and easy to visit in a day trip, if not longer.

It primarily cultivates cool-climate grape varieties, such as Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Franc. These grapes thrive in the region’s moderate temperatures and mineral-rich soils, resulting in exceptional wines. Visitors can sample a wide range of wines, including crisp whites, elegant reds, and ice wines, known for their intense sweetness.

The charming towns of Niagara-on-the-Lake or St Catherines are the ideal bases for exploring it, touring the vineyards and, of course, tasting the wines.

If you’ve time after visiting the Falls, drive two miles upriver to the secluded White Water Walk, a quarter-mile boardwalk along the Niagara River, offering a front row view of the tempestuous Whirlpool Rapids.

For the bird’s eye view, take the elevator to the observation deck (52s) at the top of this 775ft tower. There are also two restaurants there – a family buffet restaurant, and the fine dining ‘Revolving Dining Room’ restaurant that rotates 360 degrees every hour.

For a break from sightseeing, head to this bird park that famously claims to have the world’s largest indoor aviary, home to over 400 birds from 80 different species. The highlight is the impressive multilevel indoor rainforest.

The Niagara region has developed a growing reputation for craft beer and breweries, and this local brewery, located in an industrial plaza in the north end of Niagara Falls, is arguably the best. In their words, they produce ‘a wide variety of progressive and inspired beers that range from hazy IPAs, fruited sours, adjunct stouts, lagers and everything in between’. The home-made food is also excellent.

Anyone interested in the history of the region should stop by this historic site, now a museum, at the mouth of the Niagara River (US side). Dating back to the 18th century, it played a crucial role in the French and Indian War and the American Revolution.

If you’ve got kids in tow and happen to be wandering the amusements of Clifton Hill, they’ll love this. A house, complete with furniture, ornaments – even bedding – turned upside down, with rooms at impossible angles.