11 Reasons Why You Should NOT Visit Niagara Falls

You’ve always wanted to go. It’s been a life-long bucket list destination. And then your favourite family travel blogger comes out with an article like this. Boooooo!

I mean it. DO NOT visit Niagara Falls for these 11 very important reasons that you may have not considered:

1. Viator offer so many great tours!

When our friends at Viator invited us to embark on the Niagara Falls Evening Lights Day Trip from Toronto we had our doubts. They offer quite a few enticing tours around Niagara Falls, so how could this really be the best one?

Well, their advice was spot on and it turned out to be one of the best tours we’ve ever taken. Not only did this tour provide an almighty view of the world-famous falls in the day and in the evening, but also it included dinner and several other bonus stops. But remember, this is just one of their many tours to Niagara Falls.  So you might have a tough time deciding which one is the best for you. Perhaps you should just stay at home.

2. Niagara Falls is way too pretty!

It’s true. Niagara Falls is eye-gougingly scenic and I’m sure the last thing you want to do is gouge out your perfectly functioning eyes. Radiant rainbows, whooshing waterfalls, and mysterious mist. And as if that’s not enough, on the weekends the falls are lit up with beautiful coloured lights and crowned with a spectacular fireworks display.

Seriously, it’s all a bit too gorgeous and could overwhelm individuals with a sensitive disposition.  

3. The surrounding region is just as gorgeous!

The waterfalls are a big draw card for sure, but did you know the surrounding area is just as scenic? Part of our tour included a stop at Niagara Whirlpool. This is a natural water formation along the Niagara River between the US and Canada. The whirlpool is located in the Niagara Gorge, downstream about 6km (3.7 miles) from Niagara Falls and they believe it’s about 125 feet deep.

The water is a gorgeous emerald hue that just entices you want to dive in and go swimming (please don’t do that unless you want to drown). Spanning across the chasm is the one-of-a-kind Whirlpool Aero Car. It’s been around since 1916 and will take you from Canada across the US border and back to Canada, without the need for a passport!

If you are scared of heights or the thought of dangling from a 100-year-old cable car scares the gummy bears out of you, then keep your feet on solid ground and avoid the awesome aero car. 

4. You will eat too much food!

Our tour included a sumptuous buffet dinner. And wasn’t just any dinner, but the Fallsview Buffet at the Sheraton. So not only are you going to eat delicious food, but possibly quite a mountain of it since the views are so mesmerizing, you won’t want to leave.

Situated high above the Niagara River, these are probably most breathtaking views of the American Falls. And best of all you can get even better photos with free access to a small outdoor balcony. No tinted glass getting in the way!

All that yummy food might just induce a food coma, so you better be safe than sorry and avoid this tasty meal.

View from the restaurant balcony

American Falls as seen from Fallsview Buffet

5. You will meet awesome people!

Our tour bus was full. This tour is so popular that not one seat was free on our bus. And it tends to book out in advance, so if you’re not an organized person you will probably miss out. And if you don’t visit, then perhaps there would be more room for me to stretch out. 

6. You will drink!

This tour included a winery stop with a taste of Canada’s famous ice wine. Grapes are picked after the vine has partially frozen which concentrates the flavour and gives a much sweeter taste. Maybe you don’t like free wine samples, so you probably shouldn’t go. 

Don’t call child protection services… our kids were drinking juice!

7. You will get wet!

Included in this tour was a ride on the Canada’s version of the famous boat Maid of the Mist, called the Hornblower. This can only mean one thing. You will get wet. That’s right, how inconsiderate. This spacious boat offers free red ponchos because it takes you up close to the falls where the mountain of mist completely envelops you.

Luckily the poncho did do a pretty good job, unless you forget to put your hood on in the midst of all the excitement. 

How to avoid getting wet on the Hornblower boat ride

8. You will run out of space on your memory card!

You can’t help taking photos at Niagara Falls. Lots of them. From the top, from the bottom, from the boat, from the Sheraton, in the day, in the night. This means you might run out of space on your camera’s memory card. And then there’s all that work when you get home - copying images to your hard drive, sharing spectacular scenes with jealous friends on Facebook, and perhaps creating the most amazing coffee table photo album. Gee, that all sounds like hard work!

Fighting for a clear spot on Table Rock for a family photo is easier said than done.

9. You will need to pee!

All that water flowing constantly is going to inspire your bladder to work overtime and you will need to visit the toilet. Often. Enough said.

10. You will realize Superman is fake!

Before we took the kids to Niagara Falls we showed them a special piece of cultural history. That’s right the good ol’ Christopher Reeves movie, Superman II, where the careless boy falls over the edge of the railing at Niagara Falls and Superman has plenty of time to watch, change his outfit and then rescue him.

Now I’m not saying I’m Superman, but I can say that Superman and I have never been seen in the same room together. Regardless, there is not that much time to save a falling boy, considering the terminal velocity of a human body is about 200km/h (120 mph) and Horseshoe Falls is only 53 metres tall (174 feet). But what is impressive is that more than 168,000 m³ (six million cubic feet) of water flows over the crest line every minute in high flow.

11. You might learn something new!

Our tour guide was not only funny, but extremely knowledgeable too and my kids learned a lot about Niagara Falls while on our tour.

For instance, did you know “Niagara Falls” is the collective name for three waterfalls that straddle the international border between Canada and the United States? The big one is Horseshoe Falls, mostly on the Canadian side, then the American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls are entirely on the American side. If you don’t want to overload your brain with valuable new information, then just pop on the TV and tune out.

I can’t believe you’ve read this far

In case you didn’t notice (and my sense of humour was too stuble), we really had a great time introducing our kids to Niagara Falls. The tour was a long day out so be prepared. We departed Toronto about 1pm and returned home around 1am. The guide gave out a gift bag at the start of the tour which included a bottle of water and a muesli (granola) bar - an unexpected bonus.

We were collected from Toronto and driven out to a wine tasting, followed by the Whirlpool, option for helicopter tour (extra cost), dinner at the Sheraton, views at Table Rock before being dropped off for our Hornblower boat cruise, followed by free time until the fireworks finale. 

A couple members of our tour group came back very late after the free time. I found out that the rule is wait half an hour then report them missing with the police and leave them behind. Luckily the stragglers showed up with 2 minutes to spare. So do not be late. Superman will not save you.

After a bit more careful consideration, perhaps I can recommend that you visit Niagara Falls. That is, if you can put up with this long list of outrageous reasons not to go.