If you’re visiting Toronto and have a free day, I definitely recommend a visit to Niagara Falls. It was my favorite part about my trip to Toronto. (Sorry Toronto friends!) Although super touristy and almost Vegas-like (ok, maybe Laughlin, or Reno), the falls themselves are simply stunning!
We got a rental car and drove to Niagara Falls because I couldn’t imagine spending $60-95/pp to sit on a bus and be restricted to their schedule. Plus, I think the car rental was cheaper. There’s other buses you can take that are less “tour”, more just transportation, but after the Greyhound incident in Canada, I don’t think I’m going to get on a bus north of the border. Plus, our rental was a super cute green Fiat, a total score! Thanks, Enterprise!
So after some coffee and Timbits (aka donut holes) from Tim Horton’s (and yes, we only went to Tim Horton’s because of HIMYM and all the Canadian, Robin Sparkles jokes), we made it to Niagara Falls with minimal help from the Googs (trying to avoid those roaming data fees) and didn’t get lost, so I consider that a win. Once we got to the town, we had a bit of trouble finding the falls, but we did find this amazing, but sadly closed Fine German Restaurant, The Happy Wanderer.
And then when we were making a u-turn, that’s when we saw it! The falls! Just down the street! Right there. Boom!
So we drove down the street and tried to find the cheapest parking. Everything was like $10-20. So we parked in the $10 all-day lot at the Skylon Tower, walked through it’s sad, depressing lobby and weird arcade area, and down the street to the falls. Before walking along the falls, we had to eat, so we were tourists and had lunch at Edgewaters Tap & Grille. The food was good, the service was a bit rude, but the view was great!
And then we made our way down to the falls.
You can seriously just jump right in, there’s not much stopping you! 
My favorite thing about the falls? The Stunters. The idiots people who willingly decide to throw themselves over the falls in a barrel. Check out this Wiki article of the List of Objects That Have Gone Over Niagara Falls. It includes people. My favorite being the first person to go over the falls, Annie Edson Taylor, a 63-year old woman who went over the falls in a barrel in 1901 after sending her cat in the barrel as a test.
We of course we took a ferry tour. The Maid of the Mist operates the blue pancho ferries on the US side and Hornblower Cruises operates the red-pancho ferries on the Canadian Tour. So red team it was!
I really wanted a photo of me in all the glory of the mist. And the Mister did just that. It might be one of my favorite photos ever. Gotta protect those bangs!
But seriously, that mist is blowing hard!
But I still managed to snap a striking photo of the Mister in the mist.
While we were in the mist, we saw a sign for Journey Behind the Falls and had to check it out. You pay another $16 , ride an elevator down through the rock, and get to explore some tunnels behind the falls. It’s a bit pricey, but pretty spectacular, so I recommend it.
Look at that view! It’s pretty fucking amazing!
After we journeyed behind the falls, we took a walk along the falls, up past them to an old power plant. Just a word of advice, watch out for the spiders and the bugs! There are SO DAMN MANY! The Mister has video of me freaking out at one point, swatting, and running!
And then we had dinner at one of the restaurants back up on the main strip. It was a choice between Applebee’s, Margaritaville, or other chains. We went to one we had never heard of, it must be Canadian. Although I wish we had gone to the Oh Canada, Eh? Dinner Show.
Staying in Toronto? Check out my one-day guide to Toronto which includes the CN Tower and shopping and drinks in the Distillery District!