One day in Niagara is all you need to do some pretty awesome things although we split our time there into two days, spending the first in Canada and the second on the US side, mainly because we had a 6am train to New York the next morning and didn’t want to get up any earlier to get across the border. We crossed the Rainbow Bridge at about 8.30am and it was virtually empty, despite the hotel receptionist warning us of massive queues.
If you want to check out the current wait times then the Canada Border Service Agency website lists them, and you can scroll down about half way to see the Rainbow Bridge wait time. What was interesting is that I needn’t have bothered with the US ESTA (visa) as you don’t need it unless you arrive by air. Instead, we had to pay a $6 toll to get our passports stamped in order to gain entry to America.
Once over the border we dropped our bags at the hotel, the Holiday Inn, and walked the short distance to Goat Island which is a lovely area in the Niagara State Park with many viewpoints of the Falls and the rapids which lead up to them.
Cave Of The Winds
Our first stop was the Cave Of The Winds which is similar to the Journey Behind The Falls on the Canadian side, but it is much more dramatic. It has terrific views, but visitors get much wetter as it’s right next to the American Falls! First of all you pick up some rather unflattering but complimentary and comfortable sandals, to save your shoes from getting soaked.Next, you get a yellow poncho which offers marginal protection against the cascading water and makes you look rather silly too. But at least everyone else is wearing one! Then you head along the boardwalk towards the viewing platforms. 
Once there, you have superb views across to the Canadian side of the river and the Horseshoe Falls. If it’s a sunny day then you’ll see a rainbow form from the mist of water from the Niagara river which is beautiful! 
You are then given the option of going right up beside the Falls. Some of us began climbing the steps but chickened out when the water started trickling through the poncho. It was so hard to see anything through the mist too. It would have been really useful if I’d had goggles as they would have made a massive difference. My husband was much braver and went as far as he could up the side of the American Falls, and he didn’t even get too wet, I’m not sure how. Maybe his big head and neck made a better seal for the poncho?
It was an incredible experience and I’m grateful it was a sunny, warm day as we were able to dry off fairly quickly. Combined tickets are available for a tour of the Cave Of The Winds and the Maid Of The Mist combined, which makes sense as they are both must-see attractions on the US side of the Niagara Falls.
Terrapin Point
We then walked the short distance to Terrapin Point which was, for me, the best view of the Horseshoe Falls. To see the water coming down the rapids and furiously cascading over the edge was unforgettable. 
Niagara Scenic Trolley
We bought tickets for the trolley ride which turned out to be a great idea if you’re spending one day in Niagara and excellent value. For just $3 you get an all-day wristband for the trolley cars which circle the island with various stops. It’s a lovely, scenic ride and saved us walking back to the mainland. It meant that we could use it later too, for a last look at the Falls. It runs from 9am and the finish time depends on the time of the year. It’s as late as 11pm in the summer months, and 7.30pm earlier in the year. The Niagara Scenic Trolley website includes the opening times for every month of the year.
Booking.com
By now we were hungry so we stopped at the Red Coach Inn (read reviews here) for a lovely lunch and it was a really place to relax and escape the heat. It’s an 18th century coaching inn, the service is great and I can highly recommend the meatloaf! After the early start and all the walking we needed a rest so headed back to the hotel to chill in the room for a while. I would highly recommend the Holiday Inn, just because it wasn’t too pricy, was clean, in easy walking distance of everything and had great facilities. After relaxing for a couple of hours we went back out for the Maid Of The Mist tour – which is a must-see attraction and didn’t disappoint.
The highlight of our one day in Niagara
You experience the Falls from the river itself, which is a unique angle, and you get to experience their power up close. The Canadian side has the Hornblower, which is the same boat ride, so you can do it from both sides of the border. The Canadian boats are red and the American ones are blue. 
As it turned out, ours was the last tour of the day, and the queue was quite long. The timing turned out to be perfect though as the setting sun produced some gorgeous skies and lovely views of the Falls. 
Maid Of The Mist Tips
Although the boat was crowded, we headed for the lower deck and found ourselves a spot right at the front! If you’re fairly near the front of the queue then I’d highly recommend it as everyone heads for the upper deck, so going downstairs means you have more chance of getting a fantastic, unhindered view.As much as you try and tuck in your poncho, it’s impossible not to get wet when you get close to the Horseshoe falls. It’s such a unique experience though, just like a heavy rainstorm. I would highly recommend getting a plastic case so that you can take photos of the trip, like this one – they are very cheap and mean you can get some amazing photos without the worry of ruining your phone. 
Once we disembarked there was another long queue to get the lift back to the top. They should install some stairs for those who are fit enough to climb back up and speed things up for those who can’t! One important tip is that the Maid of the Mist isn’t open all year round. The start date is posted on the official website and also prices for entry. You can find out more about a combined Maid Of The Mist and Cave Of The Winds guided tour ticket here. Or maybe try the Illumination tour which is a Maid Of The Mist cruise at night time with a close-up view of the pretty lit Falls and fireworks. It had been an amazing day. The city itself is just a touristy backdrop for the natural wonder of the Falls, but if you are planning a trip to Toronto then I would highly recommend including one day in Niagara – you won’t regret it!
Where we ate :
The Red Coach Inn – this is an 18th century coaching inn and we had a superb lunch here. The food and service were great and it seemed very cheap when compared with the Canadian prices we had been paying. It was a great place to cool off on a hot day. Reviews here
Read more :
Niagara Scenic Trolley reviews
More tour options
If you want to push the boat out then there are some really great guided tours below :
- Deluxe American and Canadian Niagara Falls tour
- White water jet boat trip (very popular, will sell out so book early!)
Where we stayed :
Holiday Inn – it was excellent value and had everything we needed. Details here When we stayed on the Canadian side the previous night we had a 49th floor room there, and I’ll never forget my children’s faces when they saw the stunning view of the falls. Would highly recommend it and you can find out more here.
If you’re in the area then you may also enjoy reading these related posts :
- One day in Niagara on the Canadian side
- Things to do in Toronto
- Best New York Landmarks
- New York hidden gems
Niagara Deals
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