Niagara Falls: What to Know Before You Go

Short answer: the Canadian side has the full panoramic view of all three waterfalls while the US side lets you stand right between the cataracts on Goat Island (bring your passport so you can walk across the Rainbow Bridge in 10 minutes and see both), buy a bundled Niagara Parks Pass rather than single attraction tickets, and know your rights regarding the 'Destination Marketing Fee' added to restaurant and hotel bills.

1. Canadian Side vs US Side: Why You Should Experience Both

Because the Niagara River forms the international border between Canada and the United States, visitors always ask which side is better:

• The Canadian Side (Ontario, Best for Panoramic Views, Promenade & Gorge Attractions): because all three waterfalls face toward the Canadian cliffs, walking along the completely free Niagara Parkway Promenade from Rainbow Bridge to Table Rock gives you the postcard head-on view of both the American Falls and the 790-metre curved cauldron of the Horseshoe Falls, plus the Power Station Tunnel, White Water Walk, Whirlpool Aero Car and Niagara-on-the-Lake.
• The US Side (New York, Best for Green Parkland & Standing on Top of the Rapids): a 10-minute walk across the pedestrian Rainbow Bridge (passport required) puts you inside Niagara Falls State Park (designed by Central Park architect Frederick Law Olmsted), where wooden Hurricane Deck stairs at Cave of the Winds take you right under Bridal Veil Falls.

2. Insider Money Tip: The 'TIF / DMF Tourism Fee' on Restaurant Bills

Many hotels and chain restaurants around Clifton Hill and Fallsview add a 3% to 12% surcharge labelled 'DMF' (Destination Marketing Fee), 'TIF' or 'NFDF' to the bottom of your bill. Unlike Ontario's 13% HST sales tax, this fee is not a government tax, and if you politely ask your server before paying to remove the discretionary marketing fee, most establishments will take it off on the spot.