Over on my Instagram (let’s be friends @_thepinkchickadee), I have been sharing ALLLL about my recent trip to Toronto with two of my best friends Lindsay and Chandler where we saw Taylor Swift perform via her final leg of the Eras Tour in Toronto. While in Toronto, Chandler and Lindsay and I wanted to take advantage of allll that Toronto (and the nearby area!) had to offer! SO, we decided to take advantage of seeing Niagara Falls, Ontario while we were there! None of us wanted to drive much in Canada, SO we opted to do a Niagara Falls day trip to/from Toronto (like I did A LOT to/from Dublin while in Ireland last April – see here). The first leg of our day trip was to Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario (here): a charming town out of a Hallmark movie that sits on a peninsula at the intersection of Lake Ontario and the Niagara River in the heart of Ontario’s Wine Country. And, the second leg of our journey was to *none other than* … Niagara Falls!
For more travel abroad inspiration, check out my exploring 50 Countries Expedition page.
Tour Operator:
A special thank you to Chandler for researching and looking for THE BEST tour operator to/from Toronto for our Niagara Falls day trip! Initially, Lindsay and Chandler and I were going to do a tour group that included lunch overlooking the falls, however, we decided to opt not to as the food reviews on those tours weren’t that great. We ended up finding the best value with an independent lunch in Niagara Falls area (on the Canadian side!) with Niagara & Toronto Tours. We were on a smaller charter bus than the ones I’ve been used to in the past which made for a much more intimate tour experience amongst several fellow Swifties attending the Taylor Swift concert, too. Our tour guide was AMAZING and offered lots of personal experiences and shared neat stories about Canadian life, history, population, culture, and some humor. Needless to say, our experience on Niagara & Toronto Tours was one of the better ones that I’ve been on!
About:
While we thinking Niagara Falls is just one big waterfall, it is actually a group of not one, not two, but THREE waterfalls alongside the city of Niagara Falls which is located alongside the international border of New York State (United States) and Ontario (Canada). Niagara Falls is formed by the Niagara River and drains Lake Erie into Lake Ontario aka two of North America’s Great Lakes. The falls are approximately 167 feet tall and we learned from our tour guide that multiple people over a span of a few centuries have gone over *yes over* Niagara Falls, which is WILD to me!
Our Experience:
Living Water Wayside Chapel – We started off our day at Niagara Falls by seeing the smallest chapel in the world via a brief drive by: Living Water Wayside Chapel! Several couples have gotten married here, but you cannot go inside the chapel to get married due to its size. SO, couples wed outside of the chapel right in front of it!
Niagara Whirlpool – Our next stop was a brief stop as we drove alongside the Niagara River at the Niagara Whirlpool. The Niagara Whirlpool is a natural Whirlpool boasting whirlpool rapids on the Niagara River alongside the international border between New York State and Ontario. Its greatest depth is 125 feet and has an adjacent state park – Whirlpool State Park – for hiking and scenic viewpoints (where we stopped!).
Niagara Falls, Ontario – Our final stop was … Niagara Falls, Ontario! We enjoyed several scenic views of the gorgeous Niagara Falls in all of its glory. While there, we enjoyed a boat ride where we had the option (I opted not to but Chandler and Lindsay did!) feel a bit of the water from the falls as we went literally alongside and into the falls. We also enjoyed shopping the numerous souvenir shops and grabbed some wayyyy overpriced Starbucks during our lunch break (I immediately noticed that the prices were skewed higher upon looking at gifts and coffee there). But, most importantly, we enjoyed taking in ALLL of the sights, sounds, and pictures (!!!!) of the Niagara Falls around us!
Wrap-Up:
Having dreamt about visiting Niagara Falls since I heard about this destination in elementary school, I am so glad that I was able to *finally* check it off of my bucket list. I LOVED our experience to Niagara Falls! Our tour guide was outstanding and gave us an exceptional look into Canadian life, culture, and history as well as some fun (and funny!) facts about Niagara Falls. Most of all, I am so grateful that I got to experience Niagara Falls in great company!
XOXO – Katie <3
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