Where to stay

Book a hotel in Downtown Niagara Falls, Ontario, to view the stunning beauty and power of Horseshoe Falls from Queen Victoria Park. Enjoy other exciting activities in the area including zip lining, riding a jet boat and taking a river cruise that provides a perspective from the bottom of the waterfall. Canada's Queenston neighborhood is a great place to stay to enjoy golf, leafy parks and a butterfly conservatory. Moving south, hotels in Chippawa are close to two championship golf courses. If you decide to cross the Rainbow Bridge to view the falls on the U.S. side and explore the many parks in that area, you are likely to need a passport or visa, so plan in advance.

While children will probably enjoy seeing Niagara Falls as much as their parents do, the area offers many additional activities for kids, including magic shows, arcades, mini-golf and a giant sky wheel. Book a hotel in Fallsview and let the kids have fun - rain or shine - at the Fallsview Water Park or head toward Queenston to stay at the Great Wolf Lodge, with built-in water park. Crystal Beach hotels are close to the sandy shoreline of Lake Erie. Accommodations in Port Colborne provide access to beaches, parks and trails for family outings. Stay in St. Catharines for fun at an animal farm and learning opportunities at the Welland Canals Centre.

One of the biggest cultural events of this region occurs where the Niagara River flows into Lake Ontario, about a 25-minute drive north of Niagara Falls. Stay in Niagara-on-the-Lake and pick your favorites from a dozen or more shows at the Shaw Festival, which runs between April and October. Be immersed in the wine culture here too. Book a hotel a few miles south in Queenston to explore the history of Laura Secord, a brave Canadian woman who alerted British forces of an American attack during the War of 1812, similar to Paul Revere's heroism during the Revolutionary War in the United States. Hotels in Stamford provide easy access to a museum, a theater and an unusual fish-shaped church.