North America: Ep 08 - Niagara Falls

Today was the best breakfast of the tour to date as there was so much choice. We met in the lobby at 8am straight after breakfast and we set off towards Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Our first stop of the day was at Pillitteri Estates Winery to see how some of the local ice wine is made. We walked around the grounds of Pillitteri and got shown the process of how it is made, before leaving just after 11am.

Pillitteri Estates Winery.

Next up was a chance to get some lunch in the town by the water. We would spend over an hour here looking out into the water, watching the various water activities going on. At 13:20pm we were back on the coach for a brief drive to Niagara whirlpool rapids. This was a great spot to get photos and the water was so clear.

Niagara Whirlpool Rapids Viewpoint.

We then drove around the corner for a once in a lifetime helicopter experience over all of Niagara Falls. This is one of the best things I have ever done and it is well worth the money. The helicopter can seat up to 6 people at a time and the total flight time is just over 10 minutes.

The view of Niagara Falls from the helicopter.

We then switched back to the coach and drove over to the Horseshoe Falls. We walked along the side of the falls feeling the refreshing spray for ourselves. We spent around 45 minutes here taking many photos and videos from different angles admiring the beautiful rainbow that formed.

A boat at the base of Horseshoe Falls.

We then drove back along the road to the funicular opposite the American Falls on the New York state side. We boarded a boat which would take us along the river to experience the base of the falls for ourselves. We were given free ponchos to protect our clothing from the majority of the spray.

On the boat at the base of the Horseshoe Falls.

We then head back to the hotel area for a rest and to find some food in the surrounding areas. Some of us would walk back to Niagara Falls in the evening as they are lit up after sunset. We also enjoyed a fireworks show at 10pm before heading to bed to end such a great day.

Niagara Falls lit up in the evening.

A video of this day can be found below: