Have you been looking for the perfect girls trip? Maybe a place you can enjoy some family time for a few days? Look no further than a Niagara Falls Weekend Vacation! Niagara Falls, Ontario, is not only one of the natural wonders of the world, but it’s an absolutely beautiful place to visit no matter the time of year. Snow and flowing ice in early spring or bright blue water flowing over lush greenery come late summer will please the eye and leave you in absolute wonder at the Niagara Gorge.
I have visited Niagara Falls, on the Canadian side, twice now; once in mid-April and once again in late August. The first trip was with my mother and as two adults we enjoyed the views and exploring the city for two days without putting in much extra thought. My next trip was with my Dad, Step-mom, and -at the time- 6-year-old brother. On this trip, we partook in more family-based excursions! On both trips, our Niagara Falls weekend provided lasting memories, many laughs, and gorgeous photo opportunities!
The Perfect Accommodations for your Weekend
Accommodations can often make or break a trip.
Make sure you’re choosing the right location and hotel-style for you and your travel needs!
Old Stone Inn Boutique Hotel
Old Stone Inn: A boutique hotel about 4 minutes walk from the hustle and bustle of all the tourism. This former flour mill is home to elegant rooms with antique furnishings and designer toiletries. A posh restaurant and bar feature exposed stone walls and a beautiful open fireplace where we enjoyed breakfast one morning. Amenities also available include Paid parking, an indoor pool, laundry service, pet-friendly rooms, and room service.
Niagara Falls Fallsview Hotel and Suites
Hilton Niagara Falls Fallsview Hotel and Suites: Ranked top 10 hotel room views in the world by TripAdvisor and located just minutes away from a variety of exciting attractions and casinos, if you want to be in the heart of the Niagara Falls Action, this polished high-rise is the place for you! With a rooftop restaurant/lounge with falls views, as well as a steakhouse, an Italian eatery, and a trendy bar and a cafe on the lobby floor, everything you need for a wonderful night can be found at the Hilton.
Best Things to do in Niagara Falls Canada
The Falls are absolutely beautiful to look at… but you’re going to need to fill your weekend with a little more than gazing at this waterfall from afar!
Journey Behind the Falls
At first glance, this experience might seem a little lame; looking at rushing water flow over the opening of a tunnel can only be so exciting. But don’t forget that you’ve descended 125 feet to explore 130-year-old tunnels through the bedrock. The thunderous vibration of Horseshoe Falls, one-fifth of the world’s freshwater, crashing down around you is pretty powerful. Be sure to make it to the observation deck at the foot of the falls to catch an unbelievably powerful view of this wonder. You will leave soaked!
Falls Incline Railway
this fast & convenient link between the Table Rock Centre and the rest of Fallsview’s Touristy town happenings. Open year-round, fully accessible, and climate-controlled, this attraction provides riders with a unique vantage point of the Falls as they rise and descend along the inclined track. My mom and I took the Falls Incline Railway out of pure exhaustion and I’m sure glad we did… the views were beautiful!
WildPlay’s MistRider Zipline to the Falls
This adventure takes you on a breathtaking ride into the gorge, towards the base of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. You will travel down 670 meters (or 2,200 feet), landing atop the falls observation deck at the base of the Horseshoe Falls. I was able to watch them build this on my very first trip to Niagara Falls and watched numerous parties zip on my second trip to the falls!
WildPlay’s Whirlpool Adventure Course
This is a fun and thrilling experience consisting of suspended obstacles and zip lines in nature. Three self-paced courses (Classic, Extreme, and Kids) include dozens of climbing, zip-lining, jumping, and swinging aerial games for guests minimum age five. The cliff-side Courses are a totally new and unique way to have a Niagara gorge adventure!
Whirlpool Aero Car
A cable car that transports passengers over a section of the Niagara River referred to as the Niagara Whirlpool. I was unable to enter the cable car due to time restraints on our tour, however, it was a very cool contraption with a stunning view!
Hornblower Niagara Cruises
You will be squished onto this boat like a sardine but it will be worth it. This boat tour gets you as close as possible to the magnificent Niagara Falls and you won’t want to miss out on the turquoise water and mist! You can’t experience a Niagara Falls Weekend without taking a trip on the Horn Blower.
Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours
I’d say this one isn’t for the faint of heart! After witnessing a Jet Boat skim the edge of the whirlpool I was really wishing I had time for this tour! A one-hour high-speed ride upriver into the Niagara Gorge, through the Devil’s Hole Rapids, to the edge of the whirlpool, and back is sure to leave you feeling energized.
Save Money with A Package Deal of Experiences
My family of four used Scenic Tours of Niagara to enjoy Journey Behind the Falls, Hornblower Niagara Cruises, and the Whirlpool Observation Deck. We decided to use this company so we wouldn’t have to worry about waiting in line for tickets, nor would we have to worry about driving our car and finding parking for it. Could we have probably got more out of our day and been able to have more play in our itinerary had we not booked a tour? Of course. But we had a splendid time and really enjoyed what we did get to experience together!
What Can I Do in Niagara Falls Besides the Waterfall
There is PLENTY to do in Niagara Falls Weekend;
- miniature golfing,
- shopping,
- Skylon Tower,
- the arcade under Skylon Tower,
- the Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory,
- Fallsview Indoor Water Park,
- and Marine Land only name a few!
You can spend an entire weekend here and still feel as though you missed out on something important. Whatever you do, be sure to catch the falls at night when they are lit up and colorful! My family took a horse and buggy ride along the falls at night which was a really nice, peaceful way to end our mini-vacation!
If you’re looking to explore Canada in a more adventurous way, I suggest looking into Moose Tours. Explore ALL of the beauty the great white north while you’re in town!
If you plan on visiting this world wonder, be sure to PIN ME as to not miss anything!
About The Author
Wow, what amazing trips you had both times! The hotels were both gorgeous and you all certainly packed in quite the collection of activities! I’ve always wanted to visit Niagra Falls but was never really sure what to do other than gaze at the gigantic falls. I have a pretty good idea now!
Great post!
Thank you! And yes it’s beautiful and full of fun. The Canadian side is very built up and designed for Tourism the States Side in NY is a bit more natural.
I definitely want to visit the Canadian side, I love Canada and haven’t been in several years. Hopefully I can make such a trip this year!
This waterfall is epic. One of my favorites of all time. I remember going to visit this majestic place when I was little. I see its still just as beautiful according to your pictures.
I remember the crazy jet boat tour. It’s quite something to experience!