Niagara Falls USA vs Canadian Side

Inside: Visiting Niagara Falls Canada vs Niagara Falls USA; Pros and cons of Niagara Falls; Where To Visit In Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls is a huge tourist destination – for two countries! The famous waterfalls straddle the Canadian and American border line. I have always heard that the Canadian side gives you the best views and I wondered if it was true. On our trip to Toronto and Niagara Falls this year I decided I had to see both sides of the argument to decide for myself!

Niagara Falls, Ontario

In Canada, Niagara Falls is about an hour and a half from our biggest city, Toronto. If you’ve been to the Canadian side you’ll know that there is a lot going on! It is a busy area with lots of places to eat, to stay and things to do.

Niagara Falls, New York

On the United States side of Niagara Falls, things almost couldn’t be more different. The Falls are surrounded by a State Park with lots of green space, walking trails and a whole lot less flashing lights. There are restaurants and shopping in the town as well.

Going From Canada To USA

If you want to travel from one side of the border to the other, you’ll have to cross a bridge! There are 3 bridges within 10km of the falls. The most popular (read:busy) is Rainbow Bridge, which does offer really great views. You can also walk across Rainbow Bridge like we did.

You will need a passport. It does seem like it’s all the same place but you are crossing an international border and you need a passport, or visa depending on where you are from. You will also have to declare any purchases made when coming back to your home country.

Niagara Falls USA vs Canada

To compare both places, you need to take a few things into account: Things to do, The view, and the overall feel.

Attractions

There are so many attractions on each side, but I’ll start with the one they have in common: a boat tour. In Canada it’s called The Hornblower, and on the US side it’s The Maid Of The Mist. They are both basically the same. We had a blast on The Hornblower!

The Canadian side has so many haunted houses, arcades, wax museums and other places to spend time (and money) if you’re in to them! I outlined them in my Niagara Falls On A Budget post. While you’ll find a few of these things on the US side, there are not as many. You’ll also find a very popular aquarium on the US side: Aquarium of Niagara.

On the Canadian side you’ll find the Journey Behind The Falls tour, where you’ll be able to experience the falls from the tunnels behind and below the Horseshoe Falls.

On the US side you can take the Cave Of The Winds tour for a more unique look at the Falls, With special shoes and a poncho you’ll descend to walkways that are just feet from Bridal Veil Falls, there’s a reason it’s called the “Hurricane Deck”! This is definitely the closest you will get to the Falls!

Fallsview

If you’ve always heard that Canada has the best views of the falls, it’s because from the Canadian side you’re looking straight at all 3, and there are so many places that you’ll be able to see them.

I believe that the US side also has a unique view of the falls; you’ll be able to stand at the top and look straight down. You really feel the power of the falls when the river is rushing beside you and then dropping 100 feet into the water below.

Overall Impression

It’s hard to pick a side, since they are so different even though they are built around the same natural attraction!

The Canadian side is busy. If you want lots of things for kids to do then the Canadian side is probably for you. It is very commercialized but there are lots of activities. The views of the falls are amazing but it can be very crowded.

In the United States, the Niagara Falls State park is much more quiet. There is not as much to do, but you can still find lots of things to do. The views of the falls are interesting, but not quite as spectacular as the Canadian side.

Which Side Should You Visit?

Both! We enjoyed visiting both sides of Niagara Falls. I would stay on the Canadian side and walk across to the US for a couple of hours. Which side would you visit?