Winter Honeymoon in Niagara Falls

ByTiffany M.

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How To Spend Your Winter Honeymoon in Niagara Falls

A man and woman in winter jackets on their winter honeymoon in Niagara Falls. They are smiling at the camera with Niagara Falls behind them. The side walk next to them is completely empty.
(Cold but Happy to Have the Falls to Ourselves!)

Niagara Falls has been the Honeymoon Capital of the World for over 215 years. With the amazing views and variety of attractions, I can see why. A lot of people thought we were crazy having a winter honeymoon in Niagara Falls because of the cold weather; but winter is the perfect time to go.

Niagara Falls is a very popular destination and draws large crowds from around the world. By vacationing here in winter, you will have the chance to take romantic strolls without having to fight the crowds and limit (or even eliminate) the time spent in lines. You will have the opportunity to take romantic pictures without strangers in the background. Not only will your visit be more peaceful and romantic, but you will save money with the lower costs of hotel rooms and attractions because it is the off season.  

The downside of visiting Niagara Falls in winter of course was the cold weather and that some of the restaurants and tourist attractions are closed because it is the off season but there was plenty of things open to keep us entertained and well fed.

Hotel

When booking your hotel, be mindful that some of the amenities may be closed for maintenance during the off season. If having a pool, sauna, or gym is important to you, be sure to contact the hotel and make sure they will be available during your scheduled stay. We booked a room for four weeknights at Comfort Inn and Suites. The pool and hot tub were closed but we ended up getting a king suite that had its own private jetted tub for only $79 USD/night which was better than sharing a hot tub with strangers. Be aware that many hotels charge for parking.

The Jetted tub in the hotel room. There are bath bombs and a bottle of wine on the side of the tub.
(Jetted Tub in our Hotel Room with Bath Bombs and Wine from Home)

Transportation

Most attractions and activities are close enough to walk to if your hotel is nearby. If you choose to drive, there are several options to pay to park at meters on the streets or in parking lots. There are city and regional transit buses and also the WEGO system that connects many of the tourist attractions and popular accommodation areas. The WEGO pass is available as part of the Wonder Pass combo ticket.

Here is a link to the WEGO website that will allow you to see where the buses currently are and an estimate of when it will arrive at your stop. I would recommend checking it before you leave to  limit the amount of time you are outside in the cold. 

Niagara Falls

The Niagara Falls in winter is magical. There is a walkway next to the waterway that leads to both areas of the falls with the Falls Visitor Center on one end. The visitor center is an excellent place for all kinds of souvenirs and houses several attractions. This walk will give you plenty of opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty of the falls where you can take some spectacular photographs. Because it is winter, you are easily able to take photos without worrying about strangers ruining your perfect shots.

Photo of the Horseshoe Falls part of Niagara Falls in winter. There is snow and ice on the land around the falls
(Niagara Falls)

Do not forget to go back and see the falls with its light display at night. Niagara Falls will be lit up with 1-2 colors at a time and the colors change every so often for an amazing and romantic sight.

Niagara Falls lit up at night. The lights are an orangish color.
(Niagara Falls Lit Up at Night)

Combo Tickets

I would suggest buying combo tickets to save money on entrance fees to the more popular and famous attractions.

The Wonder Pass includes Journey Behind the Falls, Niagara’s Fury, the Butterfly Conservatory, the Floral Showhouse, a 2-day WEGO transit pass, and Falls Incline Railway access.  There are other passes available if you choose to go during a different time of the year or if you have other interests.

Inside of a brochure that describes the 4 attractions that are a part of the Wonder Pass. There is also a Lanyard for the Wonder Pass that says Adult.
(Brochure and Lanyards for the Wonder Pass)

The  4-combo for Ripley’s ticket included Loussad’s Wax museum, 4-D movie ride, Ripley’s Believe it or Not, and the Fear Factor Haunted House. If you don’t want to visit all 4 of these locations, there is an option to buy a 2 or 3 ticket combo so you can still save money.

Journey Behind the Falls

Journey Behind the Falls is in the Falls Welcome Center. After having your picture taken, there is an elevator that will take you down 125 ft that leads to a man-made tunnel. The tunnel offers two different viewpoints behind the falls and one additional viewpoint in front of the falls (there is normally two levels to view here but the lower one may be closed due to ice).  The tunnel has several fun facts displayed on the walls along the way to the falls. Make sure you take the time to read the signs and enjoy the roaring sound of the falls up close while you are taking your photos. After you are done, head back to the elevator and decide if you want to purchase the photos that they took at the start of your visit. If you bought the Wonder Pass, this attraction is included in that package.

Tunnel that leads out to an up close view of behind Niagara Falls
(One of the lookout points for behind the Falls)
Up close photo next to Niagara Falls. You can see the Falls just past the rocks that are between you and the falls.
(Behind the Falls)

Niagara’s Fury

Niagara’s Fury is another attraction that is a part of the Wonder Pass and is located at the top of Falls Welcome Center. This stop is a 4D movie that plays every 30 min. If you have extra time to burn before they start letting people in, take some time to look around the gift shop.  As the workers are letting people in, they will take another souvenir photo of you that you can purchase after the movie ends. They will also hand you a rain poncho. Niagara’s Fury consists of 2 movies. The first is a cute cartoon movie starring a student beaver that teaches how Niagara Falls was created. 

After the first movie, you then enter a room where the 4D movie will play. This is the place that your rain poncho is necessary. The amount of water is dependent on where you stand. This was one of my favorite attractions.

You will notice that there is no shortage of 4D to 7D movies in Niagara Falls, so if that is something you enjoy there are many options!

Butterfly Conservatory

The Butterfly Conservatory is a beautiful place to take a break from the cold.  This is one of the attractions that is not within walking distance from Niagara Falls. To get here you will have to take the WEGO bus or drive your car.  The conservatory provides a peaceful romantic interlude with several benches and feeding stations so you can watch the butterflies. There is a little gift shop onsite to buy souvenirs if you are interested. This is also a part of the Wonder Pass.

Black butterfly with white dots on its wings sitting on a bright green leaf
(Butterfly Conservatory)

Floral Showhouse

Floral Showhouse is the last attraction that is a part of the Wonder Pass. This building is the furthest attraction out from the Falls that was still barely within walking distance. The WEGO bus system also runs here if you choose not to walk. There are multiple rooms with tropical plants and flowers which provides another great break from the cold in a warm and humid environment. The Floral Showhouse is an excellent place to take romantic pictures for your honeymoon. There is a bridge over a pond in one of the rooms that seems to be created especially for this purpose. In the front of the building is a koi pond near the small gift shop.

Pink bridge that goes over a bed of pink and white flowers inside Floral Showhouse
(Perfect Spot for a Romantic Couples Photo)

If you go behind the building, you will find several mini villages and tree houses set up around the property. Have fun looking at all the details that went into these tiny buildings.

Small brightly colored mini houses on matching stands
(One of the many tiny villages behind Floral Showhouse)

Ripley’s 4-D Movie Ride

Ripley’s  4-D movie ride is located on Clifton Hill.  They offer two different movies that you get to watch back-to-back and they change these out semi-regularly. The movies were not Disney caliber but still provided corny entertainment. This ride is an option as part of the Ripley’s combo ticket. Personally, I thought it was fun but was glad we did not wait in line or pay full price for this ride.

Louis Tussad’s Waxworks Museum

Louis Tussaud’s Waxworks Museum is also just off Clifton Hill and tickets can be purchased as part of a Ripley’s combo ticket. Most of the wax statues were nearly identical to the real people but there were a few that looked like close cousins of the person they were supposed to be. There were plenty of opportunities to take some lighthearted pictures throughout the museum.

3 wax sculptures of Michael Jackson at different ages. The one on the left was when he a child and he is wearing bell bottom pants and a yellow shirt. The middle Michael is wearing the famous red thriller costume and the one on the right is when he was older and had shoulder length hair in a black jacket and pants.
A gentleman on his knees pretending to be scared as the wax sculpture of the Riddler looks to be threatening him with his cane.
(Having some fun posing with the Riddler)

Ripley’s Believe It or Not

Ripley’s Believe it or Not can also be included in the Ripley’s combo. This attraction is filled with interactive exhibits with fun and weird facts from all around the world. If you have been to a different Ripley’s Believe it or Not location, you may want to skip this as most of the locations are very similar. You can find it about midway on Clifton Hill.

Woman wearing a brown hooded winter jacket standing next to a ruler and the tallest man in the world statue inside Ripley's Believe it or Not

Nightmares Fear Factory

Nightmares Fear Factory, is a haunted house that is known for posting pictures of the people being scared on a social media account. They also keep track of how many people chicken out and do not finish the haunted house. If you do finish, you get a card to signify that you made it to the end. This haunted house kept us on our toes and it is most unsettling having to walk on different surfaces as you go through in the dark. My husband and I bought shirts to commemorate the event.  This is the last option you can add on to the Ripley’s Combo ticket.

Two T-shirts that celebrate finishing Nightmares Fear Factory. The one on the left is a blue tank top and the one on the right is a black t-shirt with a skull on it. There is a small card laying on the blue shirt that says "I completed Nightmares Fear Factory"

Clifton Hill

Clifton Hill is the main street in the area, and it leads down to the actual Niagara Falls.  It has numerous attractions and stores to choose from. It also has plenty of food options such as the Rainforest Café, Wendy’s, and Boston Pizza. Wendy’s also sells a fast-food version of Poutine if you have not ordered it in a sit-down restaurant yet. If you are looking for something to do or eat, this is an easy place to start your search.

Man wearing a black jacket next to a miniature green frog statue on a Rainforest café sign.
(Danny was Super Happy to eat at Rainforest Café!)

More than Clifton Hill

Like most tourist areas, the farther from the main road you venture, the cheaper the prices. Check out the shops away from Clifton Hill for better deals on souvenirs and food. If you are looking for good Italian food or pizza, make sure you go to Antica Pizzeria for a meal. We heard about it from a local who told us that Antica was the closest to real Italian pizza he has ever had outside of Italy. It is a family-owned restaurant and was reasonably priced. 

Hershey Chocolate World is a few streets away from Clifton Hill and offers a chance to take pictures with a few Hershey character statues and an access to abundance of chocolate and Hershey merchandise. They have many bakery items available among other things like shakes.  This is the place to go if you get hit with a chocolate craving.

Woman wearing a brown hooded winter jacket sitting on a bench made to look like a hollowed out hershey kiss candy. This is located inside Hershey's Chocolate World.
(One of the photo opportunities inside Hershey Chocolate World)

If you like wine, stop in one of the souvenir stores that sell wine and make sure you try ICE wine. The grapes that they use to make the wine are handpicked when they are frozen on the vine. Only a small amount of nectar comes from each grape, so it is not cheap, but it tastes sweet like juice and is amazing. We were able to sample three different ice wines and ended up buying a small bottle of Inniskillin ice wine to open on our 1-year anniversary.

Tall thin white box that holds a small bottle of Inniskillin ice wine.
(Delicious Ice Wine)

New York Side

If you have time, you can easily cross the US/Canadian border to check out the New York side of the falls. Whereas the views are better from the Canadian side, it is interesting to see the falls from another angle. There are several trails, a visitor center, and other stores and attractions to explore on the New York side as well.

View of Niagara Falls in Winter from the New York side. Snow is on the ground and you can see the top part of the falls as it cascades down.
(View of Niagara Falls from the New York side)

Why You Should Go:

There are plenty of places around the Niagara Falls area to explore depending on your interests. We found our Winter Honeymoon in Niagara Falls to be just what we were looking for. There is a wide variety of activities available that satisfied both of us. We were able to leisurely enjoy each other’s company and not feel rushed trying to see all the sights. We also loved feeling like we were some of the only people left in the world and the ability to enjoy our activities without crowds of people. Whereas there were a few attractions that were closed that we would have liked to go on like the Maiden in the Mist Voyage, being able to enjoy our honeymoon in peace and quiet was worth the tradeoff. If you are looking for a quiet, romantic, and affordable place to relax and enjoy each other’s company, I beg you to consider Niagara Falls in the winter.

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Pre-made pin made for use on Pinterest for the Winter Honeymoon in Niagara Falls post

Click here for a quick list of 12 places to visit in Niagara Falls during winter

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Tiffany M. Smith is a retired zookeeper, passionate pet owner, and obsessive traveler who loves to show pet owners how to have happy, healthy pets and amazing adventures!

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