Let's face it, nobody visits Niagara for the casino. If the thunderous falls are the only thing you want to see, it's entirely possible to do without a guide - and you only need to allow a few hours.
I was travelling from Toronto to New York and wanted to see the falls on the way. There's a Canadian/US border crossing (called the Rainbow Bridge) right next to the falls, so I decided to brave it on foot despite the fact that my one-way border crossing would require dragging my suitcase with me.
True to what I'd heard, the Canadian side was more spectacular...
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I was surprised I could capture a crisp photo... the speed of the crystal clear water rushing over the side of the Canadian Falls was a staggering 2,271,247 litres per second!
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Just a few minutes walk away, the American Falls were equally impressive for a different reason. They pass less than a quarter of the volume of water, so enormous ice floes gave the appearance that the waterfall had frozen. I contemplated ticking 'see a frozen waterfall' off my T-Shirt Bucket List, but decided I should wait until seeing a waterfall that had truly frozen in place.
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Normally there are other paid activities at the falls, allowing you to go down on the water - but not in winter. However, I was really happy with what I got to see.
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| The American Falls on the left, and the Canadian Falls on the right |
I crossed the border at the Rainbow bridge without an issue, then caught a bus to Buffalo for my flight to New York.
Overall I found it a very straightforward experience and would highly recommend it even for one-way travellers like myself who need to bring all their luggage with them. Despite the rain and the recent snow, the walk was easy, and well-paved.
My #1 tip is not to miss the Canadian Falls - the border crossing is efficient and it's well worth the effort, even if you're not planning to visit Canada as part of your trip.
