After we stepped on the boat, we were ready to see this marvelous natural wonder up-close. Then the captain of the boat took us under the falls. I can still hear the bucking of the boats’ engines against the falls, the rumbling of the falls, and all the excitement of glee coming from the passengers of the Maid of the Mist. Then our blue ponchos were soaked, but we didn’t care. And a group of Catholic high school girls asked us to take pictures of them with the falls behind them. And then we asked one of them to take a photo of us. It was just a magical moment, being so close to this natural wonder.

I highly recommend you take this boat tour. You will be entranced by its power and beauty. The Canadian Falls, Horseshoe Falls, has 100,000 cubic feet of waterfall per second from April to October and 50,000 cubic feet of waterfall per second from all the other months. In addition, it is 186 feet high and 600 long, and the American Falls is 193 feet high and 1,000 long. Lastly, Bridal Veil Falls (on the American side), which is near Luna Island, is the smallest of the three falls. It resembles the train of a bridal veil, thus the name.

The Maid of the Mist tour on the Canadian side is at the boarding docks of Niagara Falls, Canada, Maid of the Mist Plaza. The elevator is at the foot of Clifton Hill. The American side has its Maid of the Mist tour, located at the base of Observation Tower at Prospect Point. The tour lasts about thirty minutes. Tours depart every 15 minutes. For adults, the cost is $11.50, and for children 6-12 years old, it is $6.75, and children five and under accompanied by a parent are free (all these quotes are in American money).

Before boarding, each of us was given a hooded raincoat. Like most of the tourists, I was eager to wear it instantly and took a few pictures of the boat and the signboard "Welcome to Maid of the Mist". After everyone was securely on board, the engines began to roar. The boat was about to feature the two notable falls: American Falls and Canadian Falls, or the Horseshoe Falls.

At first, everyone's attention was on American Falls (being the first to appear). I admitted this cascade was awesome and colossal. But if were to compare to Canadian Falls, it could only be graded as runner-up. So, I thought, if American Falls was to be located in somewhere else, it might become the limelight! As we departed American Falls, Maid of the Mist continued its path and approached the grander Canadian Falls. I felt surge of excitement and anticipation. The sound coming from the crashing water got louder and thundering.

Maid of the Mist stalled at the point where it could get closest to Canadian Falls. Everyone crowded onto the front deck and jostled against one another as the boat fought against the strong current. Surrounding us were massive eroded rocks. Looking up, voluminous amounts of water were free-falling and came tumbling down from like thirty stories high, creating an enormous vortex at the bottom of the fall. The sound was deafening. The cool mists from the water sputtered all over me. But it was nice to taste drops of nature water on my lips. On the 'rocking' boat, snapping a few pictures proved to be impossible. If you are persistent about this, try to take a few pictures when Maid of the Mist veered from the fall. But what you capture might not be that perfect afterall.

An elevator ride to the bottom of the Observation Tower takes you to the Maid of the Mist dock, where you will be provided with a souvenir rain poncho. You will then board the boat for an unforgettable 30-minute tour. A guide accompanies the tour describing the falls and various adventures that have taken place over the falls.

It is worth spending some time on the Observation tower and catch a glimpse of both the falls. One can also get a good view of the Canadian side Hotels & casinos from this place.

Open Mid-May until late Oct.
Handicapped accessible.
This tour is included in the "Passport to the Falls".

We toured the falls in every way possible, from the Canada side, the New York side, Behind the falls, illuminated at night... you name it, we did it. And, of all these tours, The Maid of the Mist outdid them all. You are literally right in the middle of the falls and it's a blast! If you are the type of person that is not much for adventure or you dont want to get your hair wet, this would not be the ride for you. Otherwise, I highly recommend this tour for a boat ride of a lifetime! Yeow!

The boat doesn’t run all year round, for obvious reasons (the river freezes up), so if you plan on taking a ride be sure to visit sometime between mid-April to late October. It runs every 15 minutes from 9:45am to 5:45pm daily.

Tours are offered from both the American and the Canadian side. On the Canadian side, the tickets are available at The Maid of the Mist Plaza at the bottom of Clifton Hill. A relatively short walk and an elevator ride down to river level will take you to the boats. The entire trip takes about 45 minutes, and this could be the most exciting 45 minutes you will ever experience. Seeing the falls from 33 stories above is spectulcar, or from ground level, which is awe inspiring, but actually being a part of the Falls is truly unforgettable.

As the boat leaves the dock, we passed the American Falls that is smaller than the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. Over the load speaker, a voice is reciting facts and history of the area, but the only focus of most on-board is the thundering cloud of mist that lies directly ahead of us and draws our spirit to its beauty. We sense the tons of water rushing toward us at lightening speed. This spectacular event creates the truly "Perfect Storm", never ending, yet never consuming.

Another short walk and elevator ride takes you back to your starting point, and conveniently channels all visitors through a large souvenir shop. Outside the shop is a fast food restaurant, public restrooms, and a large shaded seating area for that final glimpse of the Maid of the Mist and Niagara Falls.