A 4-Day Itinerary Visiting Niagara Falls

Are you planning a trip to Niagara Falls with your family or friends? Then you’ll want to check out this 4-day itinerary visiting Niagara Falls to help you plan and enjoy your visit to one of America’s most pristine and iconic landmarks. From the sky-high waterfalls to the breathtaking views and caves that span across the city, there is something for everyone to enjoy in Niagara Falls.

My friend Julia and her two daughters joined my girls and me on a 4-day visit to Niagara Falls. We had the best time in the city, and this 4-day itinerary to Niagara Falls is based on your firsthand experience of the area and everything we learned on our trip. Enjoy!

What To Know About Our 4-Day Trip To Niagara Falls

We spent time on the US/New York side of Niagara Falls. In case you did not know, the Niagara river cuts across the border between New York and Ontario, Canada. So there is also Niagara Falls in Canada called the Horseshoe Falls.
There were six people on our trip—myself and my two girls and my friend; Julia and her two daughters.
We stayed at KOA grand falls island. This KOA has tent sites, RV sites, lodges, and group accommodation for rent. We pick this location for its close proximity to the tourist attractions and hotspots in Niagara Falls. The RV resort has 2 playground, access to neat bathrooms, a pool, and different relaxation spots.
The best time to visit Niagara Falls is between June and August. This is the summer season, and seeing the waterfalls will feel cool and refreshing.

We got to Niagara Falls on Monday and drove out on Thursday. Here is how our 4-day visit to Niagara Falls went down.

Note: This guide contains a few affiliate links. If you make a purchase using any of the links, I will get a commission at no additional cost to you.

Day 1: Settling Down At The Campground

Drive down to Niagara Falls and arrive at the campground
Set up the tents and settle down at the campsite
Get acquainted with the campground and nearby locations.

Our 4-day itinerary to Niagara Falls began on Monday as we drove from New Jersey to New York. The journey lasted about 6 hours, and we finally arrived in Niagara Falls around 4 pm. We spent much of the evening time setting up Julia’s tent, preparing dinner, and getting settled in. I brought a bracelet-making kit like this along on the trip, and the girls spent much of the late afternoon making bracelets.

After dinner, the girls took off to explore the KOA grand island falls campground. The property has two playgrounds and bounce pillows for the kids. There is also a pool with a large covered area to sit and relax. They also have a catch and release fishing pond and fun boat and bike rentals at the front office. The bathrooms are clean and private, and everything is beautifully maintained.

At the campsite, there is decent free Wi-Fi for campers, and the kids discovered a video arcade. Kids and adults have designated areas of the pool where you can have a swim or kick back and relax in the calm atmosphere. We walked back to our van, prepared dinner, and the first day ended.

Day 2: Visit The Niagara Falls Tourist Hotspots

Visit the Niagara Falls state park
Enjoy the Cave of The Winds experience

For our second day at Niagara Falls, NY, we had two activities planned. First, visit the Niagara Falls state park for a guided walking tour, including tickets for part 2, Cave of The Winds. We had booked tickets for both activities before our trip using Viator.com.

Based on our experience with previous trips, we learned to book tickets for our activities before embarking on the journey. This way, we get to enjoy discounts and avoid long queues at the venue on the day of the visit. You can book tickets to different activities at Niagara Falls through this link.

The morning started with a breakfast burrito. When we go on shorter trips, we often pre-make food. We find that it saves time and is more convenient. Julia had made individually wrapped breakfast burritos for everyone to have for each of the mornings. All we had to do was put them on the stovetop.

Visit The Niagara Falls State Park

After breakfast, we got in the van and headed straight for Niagara Falls state park. This was about a 20-minute drive from our campsite. The Niagara Falls state park is the oldest still in operation in the US and was established in 1885. The park is open 365-days a year, and taking a walk in the park to experience the falls is free for visitors.

The state park is a great way to explore the falls and landscape of Niagara. At the state park, you also learn about Niagara Fall’s history dating back to the 19th century. You also see some of Niagara’s different plants and animals in their natural habitats. The park also has scenic spots to take pictures and make videos. After we toured the state park, we headed for the second location on our itinerary.

Enjoy The Cave Of The Winds Experience

One thing that draws thousands of people to Niagara Falls yearly is the Cave of The Winds Pavilion. The pavilion is open all year round except for Christmas and New year holidays. The experience is free for kids five years and below, but older kids have to pay $16 and adults $19.

At the pavilion, tourists are made to wear a yellow waterproof poncho and waterproof boots before taking the 175 feet ride in the elevator deep into the Niagara Falls ravine. Here, the cave brings you closer to the falls than you ever thought possible as you stand just 20 feet from the Niagara Falls turbulent current. The waterfalls are louder here than in any other part of Niagara, and it is the most exciting experience. You get to experience the cold and splashes on your body.

At the Cave of The Wind Pavilion, they also show you a video of Niagara Falls. The video shows you what makes up Niagara Falls’s history, including its history, culture, and top tourist locations.

Eat At The Adrian’s Custard And Beef Restaurant

After leaving the Cave of the Wind Pavilion, we headed to the campsite to relax. The kids were still feeling the wet thrill of the cave, so we allowed them to change into their swimsuits and enjoy the pool. Later, we headed for Adrian’s Custard and Beef restaurant to have dinner. They have the best fresh roast beef sandwiches. We also had their sweet potato fries, ice cream, and frozen yogurt. Yummy!

After dinner, we went back to the campsite. Julia and I let the girls play and run around while we set up our outdoor movie, which we saw using our Samsung Freestyle projector. The projector can be used with your phone, giving you a perfect cinematic experience anywhere and anytime.

Day 3: Go On Jet Boat Rides

Go on a whirlpool jet boat tour in Lewiston, NY.
Enjoy sweet foods at the Brickyard pub for ribs and Taquito Lindo

Visit The Niagara Falls Whirl Pool Jet Tour

Day 3 at Niagara Falls began like day 2, with our burrito breakfast. After breakfast, we got in the van and went to Lewiston, NY’s Whirlpool jet boat tours. We had already booked tickets for the time before the trip via the Viator app, so we were ready to enjoy another wet experience.

The whirlpool jet boat tour was so much fun and is the perfect activity for adventure seekers to do in Niagara Falls. The guides on the tour give you some educational insights about the jets and the river, including their maintenance and how they work. After that, each person is given a lifejacket, and you get to go “white water jet boating.” Yay!

This is a thrilling ride inside the jet boats. You get to tour the Niagara rivers and ride through the white water rapids. Expect lots of water splashes and cold on this ride. The ride through thrilling and wild is safe and is led by a Coast Guard–certified captain. You can add a bit more info about the experience here if required.

After Your Jet Boat Ride, Enjoy Lunch at the local spots.

The jet boat tour sure worked up an appetite, so on our way out of town, we stopped for ribs at Brickyard pub for ribs and the Village bake shop for some mini banana cream pies.

Later that evening, we decided to go out for Tacos at Taquito Lindo. This was our last evening in Niagara Falls, and we wanted to make it memorable. So, we hung out at the restaurant’s outdoor sitting spot, talking, laughing, dancing to music, and looking at pictures from our time at Niagara Falls.

We returned to our campsite full of delicious food and smiled all through the way. At the grounds, the kids did some of the scheduled activities offered and played games. With everyone having had their fair share of fun at the KOA, we decided to end the night with a camping favorite, S’MORES!

Day 4: Pack Up Day

Pack your stuff
Go for tasty donut treats
Visit the Corning Museum
Head back home

This was the final day of our visit to Niagara Falls. We got up early by 6 am to pack our stuff and get ready for the road. We packed up the tent, organized the van, and headed out, but we didn’t leave town just yet. My girls and I have a tradition of locating and visiting local donut shops in places we visit. We loved donuts, and our goal was to taste samples and get treats. The next stop on our donut-tasting spree was the Donut Kraze in Tonawanda, NY.

At the donut shop, everyone picked out something they wanted to try. Then we cut each donut into six small pieces for everyone to have a taste of each donut.

Take A Detour At The Corning Museum of Glass

After our donut tasting spree, we decided to make one more stop at the Corning Museum of Glass located in New York. This is the world’s most significant space dedicated to showcasing and learning about glass. Here, you get to see glass in a different light. The kids participated in the sandblasting workshop before exploring some parts of the museum.

At the museum, visitors are allowed to explore the gallery, and they have a fun online scavenger hunt for kids along with opportunities to make your glass! We signed the girls up to do sandblasting, and they each walked away with a fun custom designed drinking glass. You can also watch expert glass blowers make and design different shapes and objects from glass, and a beautiful full floor gift shop on your way out to get glass artifacts and gifts, the girls each got a pair of really cool earrings!. There is a lot to do at the museum – so much that we were not able to do it all in one visit!

The drive back home took approximately 4 hours from the Corning museum, which, flew by with the help of a lot of 90’s musical reminiscing between Julia and I – which we are not sure the girls appreciated. But, oh well!

Final Words

In summary, Niagara Falls is a perfect vacation location for friends and family. From the tours to waterfalls and scenic views, you will surely enjoy your stay in Niagara. I hope this 4-day itinerary to spending the perfect time in Niagara proves helpful in planning your trip. If Niagara Falls is a little too far out of your reach in terms of distance and time. Def check out some of the other stops my girls and I have visited.

to name a few…

What questions do you have about visiting Niagara? What are the fun things you love to do in Niagara Falls? Let me know if you liked this 4-day itinerary to visiting Niagara Falls article OR Feel free to share your tips below! And for more guides and information don’t forget to check out other travel articles on Rebel Traveler!

A 4-Day Itinerary Visiting Niagara Falls