Are the arranged/pre-planned tours worth it?

My husband and I are planning a trip May 15-17, 2008 and it will be our first time visiting the falls. We are staying at the Comfort Inn-The Pointe and plan to visit the Canada Side (we are Americans and will have photo ids/birth certificates for the walk acrosss the bridge). Can anyone recommend a good ';tour'; company or are we better off on our own? We were considering reservations on the Niagara Adventure Tour (tour #5 for $150 per person). We planned to do this on Friday and it begins at Noon and ends around 10:30pm...we just don%26#39;t want to be disappointed. This is an anniversay trip and will be child-free! Any help that anyone can offer would be wonderful and ';Thanks'; in advance!

Are the arranged/pre-planned tours worth it?

I didn%26#39;t see the $150 price, only $180 CDN and $160 US, but since our dollars are now at par, I think maybe their website needs updating and you may be looking at the $180. This is strictly a Canadian side tour that basically purchases a Niagara Parks Adventure Pass for you (about $45 value)(that%26#39;s why it includes White Water Walk, Incline Railway and People Mover for the next day), buffet dinner at the Skylon ($35 value) and a tour of some other interesting sites along the way. Although I like city tours, I prefer the very basic ones that just let you get your bearings and see what%26#39;s around and then decide what you might want to go back to. May is not terribly busy, so getting around by yourselves wouldn%26#39;t be too hard.

There are also a couple of tour companies that operate from Niagara Falls, NY to check out: Bedore Tours and Over the Falls Tours.

Are the arranged/pre-planned tours worth it?

That%26#39;s a very good point, I hadn%26#39;t considered just ';scoping out'; the area and then returning to what looked interesting to us. Will it be hard for us to get into one of the resteraunts overlooking the falls for dinner? Should we make reservations now? What is the best one? Thanks, I think we are going to take your advice!

It%26#39;s probably not a bad idea to make a reservation, even on the day you are going.

The Skylon is unique because it is a revolving dining room with a fantastic view, but is not known as a fabulous food place. Other places that offer good Fallsviews are: The Keg at Embassy Suites, Canyon Creek Chophouse and Golden Lotus at Fallsview Casino, and A Cut Above Steakhouse at Sheraton Fallsview. If you get a chance, try Copacabana Brazilian Steakhouse for a meat lover%26#39;s heaven.

I think that the pre arranged tours are great as you do not have to worry about where to park, how to get to the attractions and you get to learn about the area. There are a few companies in niagara falls that have good tours. I liked bedore tours as they offer a deluxe combination tour that lets you take two tours for a discounted rate and also lets you do them over two days if you want to.

Some people are tour people, and some are just not. Niagara Falls is a bit unique in that all the major attractions are close together. The main points on the US side are inside or adjacent to the State Park. You don%26#39;t even need a car to explore Niagara Falls, NY. The Canadian side is a bit more spread out, and a tour might be a good ';orienter';. Both sides offer a ';master-pass'; product, where for one price (about $28/pp on the NY side) you get tickets to the major attractions, transportation (trolley, etc.), and a walking map. If you%26#39;re even mildly resourceful, you can save money (for a second special dinner!) and do it on your own. And, with no time limit, at your own pace (some of the more extensive tours require you to keep moving all the time to stay on schedule).

I would do my own tour on the New York side:

The Niagara USA Discovery Pass is your ticket to the following Niagara Falls State Park attractions:

The Cave of the Winds

The Maid of the Mist

Niagara Adventure Theater

The Niagara Gorge Discovery Center

Aquarium of Niagara

Niagara Scenic Trolley

$30 person

Please dont fall for the tour companys that tell you that you cant see the Falls without them. It is free to everyone, every hour of everyday. In my personal experience you can easily do anything on those tours for less money than they charge. They are good if you dont want to drive yourself or do the research involved to keep yourself busy. I think that you can find enough people on this site willing to direct you to everything you need to see and do while you are here. We do have a fewe new tour companies that are specializing in things such as the winery tours. Check spirit of niagara tours for those. try and eat meals a few blockd from the Falls and you will pay much less and get a great meal.

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