15 Tips for NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, US | What to Expect and Planning Your Visit

welcome to Niagara Falls New York in this video I'm going to take you on a tour and show you what it's like on the U.S side of the falls if you've been following along in my previous video I shared our three-day Buffalo New York itinerary and in this video I'm sharing our full Niagara Falls New York experience along with 15 tips to help you with your visit we made the drive from downtown Buffalo to Niagara Falls and it took us about 40 minutes including a stop to get breakfast we made it to the Niagara Falls State Park found a parking lot and then got to sightseeing Unfortunately The Visitor Center that was slated to open in Spring of 2023 wasn't open when we visited so we kept walking along the paved pathway and found our way to the observation deck and our first tip is don't miss this make sure you add the observation deck to your visit because it gives you amazing views over the falls on our visit there there was no charge to go out on the observation deck but the website says it's a dollar 25 U.S per person or free if you buy a ticket to Maid of the Mist and you can even take the elevator down to the base of the tower but we didn't do this because we were on a time crunch the observation deck gets you out over the Niagara River for better views of the falls and from the observation deck you also can get some great views of the Maid of the Mist ride one of the cool things about Niagara Falls New York is you can actually get up much closer to the falls than you can on the Canadian side and I thought it wasn't going to be as nice of a view but I actually think it's nice in its own way because you can't get this close from the Canadian side so we're gonna go enjoy walking along the pathways here and getting up close while we're on the U.S side I also really enjoy that they have an observation deck here so that you can get out over the falls and see them a little bit better otherwise you'd have to just look from the side of the falls going down along the pathways so the observation deck gives you a better view for sure the second tip is that when you finish at the observation deck you have to exit through the gift shop so if you're looking to get souvenirs now is the time they have a variety of items to choose from and standard souvenir pricing and basically everywhere along the walking path was a perfect spot to stop and take photos and videos The Falls are extremely photogenic and you can even catch a rainbow on your visit if you're lucky we finished at the observation deck area and now we're walking along the pathway to Goat Island because there's a pedestrian bridge that allows you to get over there so you can get even closer to the falls a good thing to note is that the area is very accessible if you have a Mobility limitation the pathways are all paved and when there are stairs there are also ramp options available tip number four is to wear comfortable shoes you will be doing a lot of walking to check out the area it's quite the distance from the observation deck to the Canadian Falls Lookout but you can drive there if you prefer oh we made it to Goat Island and it's a really nice area for just walking around and enjoying nature and also going out to the viewpoints to see the falls in different spots but overall I would say that I'm really impressed with the Niagara Falls New York side and I didn't think I was going to be as you can see behind me the observation deck is way over there so if you're coming to Niagara Falls the U.S side actually offers a lot more of an experience you can plan to spend at least a good hour or two here walking along the paths whereas the Canadian side you basically show up see the falls and you're pretty much done over here there's a lot more to do whether you're driving to the viewpoints or walking plan to spend a few hours here enjoying the area so you can get the full experience especially if you want to do the Maid of the Mist or go down to the base of the falls another tip is to watch for cyclists on the trail they should be walking their bikes in certain areas but we saw numerous cyclists riding straight through and tip number seven is that there is a Scenic trolley you can take for two US dollars or with a Metro pass we didn't do it but we wish we did the trolley takes you on a three mile route and you can do the whole thing or get on or off at different stops along the Route the next tip is that if you want to do the Cave of the Winds tickets must be purchased at The Cave of the Winds Pavilion Prices range depending on the season but the attraction is open year round we're on our way back to the car and then we're going to be heading home across the border but I wanted to share some overall thoughts of Niagara Falls and the experiences so if you're on the Canadian side you do get a better view of the falls both sets of falls from the Canadian side but if you're on the U.S side you get a much more immersive experience and it's more natural you feel like you're in nature because it is a state park whereas the Canadian side has been much more commercialized but don't get me wrong there's still touristy stuff over here on the U.S side as well but overall I would say that I actually enjoyed the U.S side more Pro tip if you want the best views of the falls come during the off season there's not a lot of leaves in the trees obstructing your views there's not a lot of people and the weather's nice I'm not sweating it's a real nice day out tip 10 is to explore the area outside of the state park there are restaurants and shops along the main streets here and it looked like a nice place to spend some time wandering around foreign is that there are also some hotels in the area so if you want to stay right by the falls you have some options and also great amenities during your stay but if you're just passing through to Canada tip 12 is that there are toll booths before the border and number 13 you can actually walk across the border here so if you want to go explore the Canadian side and have your passport with you you can walk across the Rainbow Bridge through customs but if you're driving another tip is to make sure you leave yourself extra time in case there are any delays at the border crossing you just never know how busy it will be and if you're driving across the border my last tip is to plan some time to see the falls from the Canadian side you can visit the popular tourist attraction of Clifton Hills and at The Falls you can get great panoramic views excellent for photos plus you can check out my video of 17 things to do in Niagara Falls Canada for more information on how to spend your time in the area and don't forget to check out my last video on our three-day Buffalo New York itinerary if you want to spend some time in Buffalo I hope you enjoyed seeing around Niagara Falls New York and as always if you like this video don't forget to leave a like And subscribe to my channel for More Travel videos coming soon

Channel: The Average Tourist

Views: 127,377

Keywords: New York, Niagara Falls New York, Niagara Falls, USA Travel, Travel Itinerary, Niagara Falls Adventures, Maid of the Mist, Cave of the Winds, Niagara Falls State Park, usa travel, what to do in niagara falls, Niagara Falls travel, things to do at niagara falls, New York travel, niagara falls canada, niagara falls ontario, tips for niagara falls, niagara falls NY, niagara falls usa, bridal veil falls, horseshoe falls, american falls, the average tourist, niagara river

Id: qPZZMoPGACk

Length: 9min 35sec (575 seconds)

Published: Sat Apr 29 2023