Niagara Falls, New York is the home of the most visited national park in the United States. Made up of three waterfalls on the America/Canada border, Niagara Falls is visited by approximately 30 million tourists year round. There are a ton of family-friendly adventures in Niagara Falls. Here are my tips on seeing Niagara Falls in two days.
We visited Niagara Falls in October. This not the peak season to visit this iconic national park, however Niagara Falls is visited year round. Whether it is snowing and tourist want to view the waterfalls frozen or whether it is the peak of summer, this magnificent work of art is a national treasure.
We only got to see the American side of Niagara Falls as my son’s passport had expired prior to our visit. This review will cover all of the many things you can see on the American side of Niagara Falls in two days.
Where to stay?
We flew into the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. To save money, we did not rent a car. We took an Uber from the airport to our hotel. This was only about a 30 minute drive. I would recommend trying to book a hotel near the Falls. We stayed at the Sheraton Niagara Falls. The resort is only blocks away from Niagara Falls National Park so you can walk to all attractions that I will be writing about. There are numerous restaurants in the area that you can walk to. The Seneca Niagara Casino is right across the street.
The Sheraton Niagara Falls is a 4 star rated hotel on TripAdvisor. There is a Rainforest Cafe, TGIFridays, Sweet Treats Shop, and Starbucks within the hotel. In addition, it is home to The Reef Beach Club which is Niagara’s largest indoor pool. Within the pool area is a shark tank and coral reef lagoon. If you are interested in a spa, the Sheraton Niagara Falls has the Hydrospa that offers an oxygen bar and oxygen facials, massage chairs, infared sauna, and H2O Massage bed.
The room was spacious. The bed linens were incredibly comfortable.There was a refrigerator, microwave, and coffee maker in the room. WiFi is available for no additional charge.
What Should I See and Do?
You can easily stroll to Niagara Falls National Park from the Sheraton. It is only several blocks away and very easy to navigate. There is also a free area shuttle called the Discover Niagara Shuttle. This was not running at the time of our visit, however there is an app that you can download to your phone which will let you know arrival times. Here is information on the Discover Niagara Shuttle:
Shuttle Hours: May-Oct Sun–Thu 9:00 am–6:00 pm, Fri–Sat 9:00 am–Midnight
www.discoverniagarashuttle.com
The Niagara Falls National Park is 435 acres. There are paved trails and many things you can see within a short distance, however they do have a trolley that you can take throughout the park. We purchased the Niagara Discovery Pass. You can purchase this online or you can purchase it the park. This pass gives you access to the main attractions you will want to see at a reduced cost. It also gave us unlimited rides on the trolley for one day of our visit. To ride the trolley without the pass cost $3.
What is included in the Discovery Pass?
The cost of the Niagara Discovery Pass is $46 for adults and $35 for children. The pass gives you access to the following attractions:
- Maid of the Mist
- Cave of the Winds
- Niagara: Legends of Adventure Theater
- Aquarium of Niagara
- Niagara Gorge Discovery Center
In addition, you receive a trolley ticket to ride the scenic trolley for one day. If you going to use the trolley on the second day of your adventure, you will need to buy an additional ticket.
Maid of the Mist
No trip to Niagara Falls would be complete without a voyage on the historic Maid of the Mist. The Maid of the Mist has been taking tourists to the base of the Falls since the 1840’s. We were able to see all three falls that make up Niagara Falls: The Canadian Horseshoe Falls, The American Falls, and the Bridal Veil Falls. You are given a poncho before embarking on the tour. The boat ride takes about an hour total. You get the most incredible up close view of over 600,000 gallons of water thundering down per second. This was my favorite part of the trip.
Cave of the Winds
Before embarking on this adventure, you are given a poncho and sandals so as to not get your shoes and socks wet. You then take an elevator to the bottom of the Niagara Gorge, where you traverse a series of wooden walkways within feet of the Bridal Veils Fall. Do you dare to brave the Hurricane Deck at the bottom of the Falls named for the tropical storm like conditions? My son enjoyed the Cave of Winds the most!
Niagara: Legends of Adventure Theater
This is a film on Niagara Falls and the brave (maybe stupid) people who have braved the Falls. Some successfully and some not so successfully. The film lasted 30 minutes and was very entertaining.
Aquarium of Niagara
This aquarium is on the smaller size and will not take more than a few hours to view. There are more than 30 exhibits to include a Penguin Coast exhibit. There are 200 animals species and penguin, shark and tidal pool feedings. For an additional cost, you can even meet a seal or a penguin.
Niagara Gorge Discovery Center
The Niagara Gorge Discovery Center is a small museum that details the history of Niagara Falls, the trolley line and old Schoellkopf Power Plant site. The power plant was destroyed when it collapsed in 1956. You can ride an elevator to the bottom of the gorge where you can read about the history of the power plant.
Enjoy the scenery
In addition to the attractions on the Discovery pass, you should hike and simply enjoy the awe inspiring nature. You can view the Falls from the top as well as the bottom of the Falls via the Maid of the Mist or the Cave of Winds. In addition, you may visit the Three Sisters Island and Upper Rapids while in the park.
The weather in October is chilly with rain. One day of our visit it was sunny and beautiful while the next was cold and wet.
Niagara Falls at Night
Make sure you take a stroll through the park at night. The New Falls Illumination show is worth seeing. Hundreds of LED lights housed on the Canadian side of the falls illuminate the Falls starting a dusk until 2 a.m. It is a sight to see.
In summary:
Our trip to Niagara Falls, New York was an incredible experience to share with our son. It was breathtaking. I said after seeing it I felt as if I was closer to God. The water dips off what looks to be the side of the Earth. To visit this natural wonder with your family should be on your bucket list for sure.
Before you book, remember to save money!
Should you book travel to Niagara Falls, New York, sign up for Rakuten (formally known as Ebates) so you can get money back on any hotel or tour using one of their approved companies. As of June 10th with Rakuten, should you book your hotel stay directly through Marriott, you will save 1%. Should you use Expedia or Priceline, save up to 5% Use this link to sign up for Rakuten for free. You will receive $10 for just signing up!
Related: Five Easy Ways to Save Money to Travel
Have you traveled to Niagara Falls, NY? What are your suggestions for must do activities while there? Drop me a comment. I’d love to hear from you!
Disclosure: I did not receive any compensation or reduced fare from any of the locations discussed in this review. I paid full price to stay and go to all attractions reviewed. The opinions presented in this review are honest and real.
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I have been to the Falls on the Canadian side but for some reason I have never been across to the American side. I’m going to have to change that.
Hi, Kelly.
I want to do the Canadian side. Unfortunately, at the time we traveled my son’s Passport had expired so we were not able to go across the Rainbow Bridge.
Thank you for the comment!
–Chris
WOW! I never realized there was so much to do at Niagara Falls, other than see the falls! The aquarium has my name written all over it! This has been on my travel list, but even more so now!
Hi, Katy,
This trip was definitely on my family’s bucket list as well. The fact we could do so much in such a short time was a benefit.
Thanks for your comment.
–Chris
I think it’s great that you talk about the American side of the falls. I’ve been to Niagra, but I’ve never been to the state park in NY. I had no idea that there was an aquarium!
Bob,
We loved the time we spent in Niagara.
Thank you for your comment,
–Chris
Wow! I was at the falls about 10 years ago and didn’t know they have an aquarium. I love visiting aquariums so this is something to put on my list.
Hi, Krystee,
It was a small aquarium but the animal encounter with the seal was great!
–Chris
We only visited Niagra Falls for the day. We left right before it got dark so we didn’t get to see the falls lit up! I’d love to go back to see that, and some of the other activities we didn’t do.
Gina-
The night time view of the Falls was definitely memorable! It was truly one of the best trips we have done.
–Chris
Went here as a kid. I would like to go back.
Allison,
I had never been. It was definitely something I would do again.
–Chris
I just realized how little I knew about Niagara Falls, but I sure do know a lot more now. I’d love to visit here one day, it looks just beautiful. I didn’t know you could do a boat tour either, that sounds super fun.
Eden,
It was definitely a memorable trip. I would recommend not missing out on the Maid of the Mist!
–Chris
I went to the falls before kids. I’d love to go back again with them. Would you recommend going in the fall? Was the weather managable?
Darla,
I did not see where you could go into the Falls. The Cave of the Winds and The Maid of the Misty both got you wet. The weather was chilly but manageable when I visited in November.
–Chris