Niagara Falls to the Rockies and Vancouver
Itinerary: Day One – Fly to Canada:
Fly to Toronto, meet your tour manager and transfer by coach into the city, heading to your hotel for the
next two nights. During this journey, your tour manager will give you a brief introduction to the city and
its main sights. Relax and enjoy your first evening in one of North America’s most engaging,
cosmopolitan, and cultured metropolises.
Day Two – Included visit to Niagara Falls and an optional helicopter ride:
Today’s excursion will be an unforgettable highlight of your tour as you travel by coach around the lake
to wondrous Niagara Falls. Marvel at the spectacular views, perhaps taking an op onal 10‐minute
helicopter ride above the waters or soaking up the view over lunch from the vantage point of an
overlooking restaurant. Later, you’ll return to Toronto, where you can perhaps spend the evening
enjoying its legendary hospitality in one of the many restaurants.
Our 13-night holiday began with an evening flight from Heathrow Airport, arriving in Toronto late that afternoon local time. On arrival, we met our tour manager, who would be looking after us for the first part of the trip, before transferring by coach to our hotel.
Toronto is a huge city with plenty to see and do. Unfortunately, although this holiday had been booked almost two years earlier, my mobility had deteriorated significantly in the month leading up to our departure. At the time, I didn't realise that I would eventually need a total hip replacement.
As you can imagine, limited mobility and a city the size of Toronto are not the easiest combination. We did manage a short walk and had our first glimpse of the city, but we were unable to explore as much as we would have liked. After the long flight and a tiring day of travel, we were more than ready for a restful evening and an early night.
Day 2 – Niagara Falls
Day 2 began with an early start as we joined our fellow travellers on the coach for the journey to Niagara Falls on the Canadian side.
Before reaching Niagara Falls, some of our fellow travellers chose to take an optional helicopter flight over the falls and the surrounding area. We watched as they set off and looked forward to hearing about their experience later.
Having already enjoyed a helicopter flight on a previous holiday, we decided not to take part this time. While we had no doubt that the views would be spectacular, we were happy to admire the falls from ground level and save our energy for the rest of the day's sightseeing.
As we caught our first glimpse of the falls and drove alongside the Niagara River, I had to admit that, magnificent as they were, they didn't initially seem quite as large as I had expected. Perhaps it was because I had seen so many photographs and television programmes over the years that I had built up an even grander image in my mind.
That first impression soon changed as we got closer and began to appreciate not only the sheer size of the falls but also the incredible volume of water thundering over the edge every second. It was a truly impressive sight and one of those places that has to be experienced in person to be fully appreciated.
One of the highlights of our visit was taking the boat trip from the Canadian side of the falls. Before boarding, we were each given a plastic poncho to help keep us dry from the spray.
As the boat moved closer to the falls, it quickly became apparent why the ponchos were needed. The closer we got, the more powerful the spray became, and despite the protective clothing, it was impossible not to feel the fine mist in the air. The roar of the water was incredible, and being so close to the falls gave us a real appreciation of their immense power.
We soon discovered that we must have chosen the wrong side of the boat! While the people on the opposite side came off only slightly damp, we were absolutely drenched despite the plastic ponchos.
Once the boat reached the area closest to the falls, the force of the spray was incredible. We had positioned ourselves where we could get the best view, but that also meant taking the full force of the mist and wind. Moving wasn't really an option, as we needed to hold on securely while the boat rocked and the powerful spray blasted over us. By the time we returned to shore, we were soaked through, but it was all part of the experience and certainly gave us a memorable story to tell.
Fortunately, the weather was warm, so we dried off quite quickly after our soaking on the boat. The only downside was that we were heading straight to a hotel for a meal, and I didn't feel particularly well-dressed for the occasion after being drenched just a short while earlier.
The meal was served on the top floor of one of the hotels overlooking the falls, and any concerns about our appearance soon faded once we saw the view. From our table, we had a spectacular panorama of Niagara Falls, with the water cascading below and the river stretching into the distance. It was a beautiful setting and provided a completely different perspective from the one we had experienced on the boat.
As we enjoyed our meal, we were able to sit back, relax, and take in the magnificent scenery. Looking down over the falls from such a height really highlighted their scale and beauty, making it a memorable part of our visit.
The day seemed to pass incredibly quickly, with so much packed into just a few hours. Looking back, although we thoroughly enjoyed the meal overlooking the falls, if we had our time again, we might have chosen to spend that time differently. We would have loved the opportunity to walk further along the pathway beside the falls and take in more of the views at our own pace.
Nevertheless, we had experienced the falls from both the water and from above, enjoyed some wonderful scenery, and created some lasting memories. As the day drew to a close, we boarded the coach for the journey back to Toronto, where we relaxed and reflected on what had been a very enjoyable and memorable day.
