Niagara Falls & Around

Highlights & Suggested Itineraries

Spanning the Niagara River between Ontario and upper New York, the thundering falls are one of Canada's top tourist destinations, drawing over 13 million people annually. They look good by day and by night, when colorful spotlights flicker across the misty foam.

Originally a Neutral Indians village, Niagara-on-the-Lake, a small town about 12mi (20km) downstream (north) from Niagara Falls, was founded by Loyalists from New York State after the American Revolution. Today it's considered one of the best-preserved 19th-century towns in North America.

Suggested Itineraries: Niagara Falls

The town of Niagara Falls is split into two main sections: the older commercial area, where locals go about their business, and the other, largely tacky (but fun) part around the falls, which has been developed for visitors.

The lakeside location, tree-lined streets and old houses make Niagara-on-the-Lake a nice place to see before or after the falls, although stampedes of tour buses tend to dampen the town's charm. It's best to avoid the main street and stroll down the side streets for a taste of former quiet times in a small, prosperous Ontario town.