Journey Behind the Falls

i suppose its a must do when at the falls however i was very underwhelmed, you go down and being outside close to the base of the falls is about the best part, in the tunnels well… its just tunnels … you then get to a dirty turning and you see the back of the falls… its dark, unappealing and really all you see is water rush past nothing else no sense of the grand falls, no real sense of anything except water

If you are going to go to Niagara Falls, it’s only right that you take in as many attractions as possible. We purchased the adventure pass which came with four attractions. This one was one of my faves. The observation decks are absolutely amazing! You have to see it for yourself, a picture will not capture the essence. Along with the 2 observation decks (1 upper and 1 lower), there are 2 tunnels that you can enter which give you the true «journey behind the falls» experience. All in all, great views and definitely an attraction to partake.

All in all, I’m glad we did this on our trip to the falls. The line was long, but they seem to do a good job of controlling how many people are in the tunnels and on the platforms so you’re able to walk around and take good photos. The cutaways in the tunnel behind the falls were kind of pointless, but the viewing platform in the pool by the horseshoe falls offered the best views of the falls you can get without getting into a boat. It was really beautiful and relaxing. That made the whole experience and cost worthwhile.

Get a VIP package and skip the line.
I wouldn’t wait in long line for this.
It does have great view on observation point.
You get as close as you can get.

Pro Tips —
This attraction leads to an awesome observation platform — right inside the Canadian Falls. This is about the best view from within the falls you can get without being on the Hornblower or Maid of the Mist.
Despite the great observation platform, I would skip this attraction if wait times are too long.
I got a VIP line jump as part of visiting this attraction on an official tour. Taking a look at the line waiting area, I can see where you might have to wait a while if booking this attraction without VIP line status. Once you get into the attraction, the tunnels themselves are not that interesting. Basically, you get out of a line and in order to wait in line to see two portholes into the falls. It’s kind of pointless.
What makes this attraction worthwhile is the observation platform you can access after getting into the tunnels. This platform is right within the Canadian Falls, and it’s the best view you can get without being on a boat. It’s a great place for a family photo opportunity and truly a lovely view of the Falls.

So this is an ‘in total’ kind of review.
First, standing in line… sucks. It was about 45 minutes.
Second, side corridors to the little ‘behind’ the falls experience… not worth getting moist. People taking selfies and standing there of 10 minutes looking at a sheet of water.
Lastly, and the only huge redeeming quality, the platform ‘beside’ the falls. This is an amazing view. This is 5 stars by itself. But because you need to suffer through the rest of it, it is pulled down a bit.

Standing on the observation deck is so surreal and humbling. The power of the falls is magnificent, and this is a great photo opportunity not available from other places.
The tunnels behind the falls are just «meh.» The space isn’t quite big enough for all the people they let in, and there isn’t much to see from behind the falls. It’s just a bunch of white… Not good for pictures either.
It’s worth the time/​money for the observation deck, but taking a boat tour might be a better experience for the same view.

It’s cool, but mostly tunnels with a small cut out areas for you to see water pouring over it. The little landing area outside is better where you are next to the falls to see it and take pictures.
Best Tip about this place: there are a ton of information boards up for you to read about the folks that went over in a barrel and the history behind it all

This wasn’t too wet. Had a great view but for the best views take a ride on one of the boat tours.

Touristy is a word that is thrown around often, especially in places like Niagara Falls. While touristy in its simplest definition just means a place frequented often by tourist, it also tends to be a word suggesting lack of authenticity.
Truthfully, the tunnels behind the falls are not at all worth visiting. It is a generic experience that really serves no purpose. I thought it would be similar to a waterfall we visited in North Carolina called Dry Falls. There you can walk behind the waterfalls in a carved out grotto-​like area as the water rushes over the overhanging cliffs above. Instead, you travel down a narrow man-​made tunnel to openings behind the falls. Once you reach either of the two look-​out points, all you can see is a wall of white water. Sure there is the thunderous roar of the falls echoing in the tunnel chambers and the occasional splash of mist. But railings keep you several feet away from being able to touch the water, which might have provided at least some tangible excitement.
DRY FALLS —
What actually makes this tour worthy of a visit is the viewing platform that puts you right next to the falls. Here you get a bird’s eye view of the Canadian side of Niagara better known as Horseshoe Falls. Two platform levels gives you a nice perspective about midway between the cliff and the tidal basin below. It was such a rush to be that close and feel the power of the falls that I didn’t want to leave. The side perspective it offers allows you to see the water as it rushes over the edge. Pictures from this vantage seem almost angelic as the darkness of the cliffs and the blueness of the sky form a perfect backdrop the white rapid rush of the falls.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The ONLY thing that could have possibly ruined our visit would have been a huge crowd, which they seem to control by allowing only a certain amount of people down at a time. If you are planning to visit Niagara Falls, Journey Behind the Falls should be something you consider. The viewing platform, from a photography standpoint, gives one of the best vantages of Niagara Falls for a family souvenir pic. While the tunnels had me questioning why we bothered to do this tour, the viewing platform erased any feeling of being in a tourist trap. If I could, I would have set up lawn chairs and camped out there all day!

I saw this attraction with the Niagara Parks Adventure Pass Plus ($ 80 per person). I guess I was expecting more of what I saw the cave of the winds people were experiencing on the U.S. Side — stairs, water, excitement! But anyways this is a good attraction ONLY IF you have an adventure pass, otherwise I would have been very disappointed.
You are given a pan ho — even though you don’t really get wet — and you walk in these long tunnels under the falls. Here you can see the maid of the mist and horn blower coming and going and can experience being as humanly close to the falls as possible! I got great pictures and had a blast exploring with the family. Next time… I would try out cave of the winds!

My husband and I both enjoyed this excursion. The tunnels were cool even though all you saw was mist and got a nice splash here and there. What was awesome was the observation decks to the side of the falls. It was stunning, I got some of my best pictures there.

I’d say this is the second best attraction there is after the Niagara ferry tours. You take an elevator down to the cold tunnels (definitely bring a light jacket with you, it’s super chilly!) where you can take your first right and basically be walking literally behind the falls. There are several short tunnels to where you walk to the end and can see the water falling down, pretty neat!
Go back the way you came and take a right again to keep going down the main tunnel to get to the outside where you end up on the side of the waterfalls, soo breathtaking and very humbling in a way, definitely reminds you of how small you really are next to this giant fall!
Price is basically the same for all the other attractions so if you’re choosing between a few, I’d put this as #2. I thought it was well worth the $$.

I think I paid about $ 20-​$ 25 for my ticket. I think this is a really cool thing to try at least once! They only allow a certain number of people at a time, so reserve and plan accordingly. I highly suggest you to put on the poncho that comes with your purchase or else you WILL get soaked!
This attraction probably takes about 30min-​1hr to complete. You start off your journey by taking an elevator 150 ft. below. Once you get out you can instantly hear the thundering sound from the Horseshoe Waterfall. It’s awesome. The tunnels itself are small. Luckily I’m not too tall (: The tunnels look a little worn down, but at least they’re well lit. I suggest wearing closed toed shoes because the floors are damp in parts of the tunnels. There are two cave-​like openings that allows you to view the falls from it’s backside. You can’t touch the water nor see much other than water falling down, but it’s neat to see.
I loved the observation deck. I was fortunate enough to be there while there was a rainbow so it was awesome. I brought my go pro on a selfie stick with me. I didn’t think to bring a towel or something to dry my go pro off (dumb right?). Learn from my mistake, bring one. I was constantly trying to wipe my go pro so I can take a clear shot haha. If it’s windy the water from the falls can be blowing right into you, so that’s why your poncho was a good idea. (: It gets pretty slippery here, so watch your step walking up/​down the steps of the decks as well.
Overall, really cool and take in the moment! The Horseshoe Waterfalls is an amazing sight and I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. (:
SIDENOTE: THIS ATTRACTION IS CLOSED DURING THE ICY WINTER.

Maybe a must when you visit Niagara Falls. You get to have a really nice view from the bottom with an outer deck, and two narrow views from behind. Here you can FEEL the power of nature, just beautiful. During winter they close the outer deck, and there was no line at all. The passages are lame, I feel like absolutely nothing has been done since the 1986! Come on!
Don’t get to much expectations, this is about mother nature: Niagara Falls. 3 stars to the company for uncaring, and 5 stars to the falls.

Nothing incredible, nothing horrible.
Definitely not worth standing in line for, but the view was certainly interesting when you got down below.
Don’t expect to walk behind the water of the falls — you’re in a tunnel with a couple viewports and posters along the way.

Maybe my expectations were too high, but I thought this was pretty pointless. This came with my wonder pass, but if I had to purchase it alone for full price, I probably would not suggest it.
They take you down this tunnel to get a close up of the falls through these three peepholes. The tunnel was dark and creepy, not much of a view. Being down there does reiterate the fact that the water flow from Niagara is extremely powerful. Other than that, there’s not much to really see. I rather appreciate the beauty of the falls from above.
If this comes in a package bundle then go for it, but if you have to purchase the ticket for Behind the Falls at full price, I do not recommend.

If you want a good deal, buy the Niagara attraction ticket for $ 48 and get access to journey behind the falls, white water walk, fury, and maid of the mist. You won’t complain about $ if you get this package. Anyways…
the booth where i bought the attraction pass set up a time for us to visit this attraction. That is total BS. You don’t need to make an appointment. She put me for 4:45, and i ended up getting there late! Got there at 5 & didn’t even have to wait in line with anyone! Didn’t wait in the cattle line, went down the elevator alone, and walked down the tunnels just fine. This is a very short attraction, and the walls are lined with facts about how things were built, and about the falls.
You can walk straight ahead to where you can see the side of the falls, and take your scenic pictures there, and get wet from the waterfall. You can also go down the stairs to get even closer to the falls. There is another section of the tunnel that you walk through, and basically that puts you directly behind the falls. There are 2 portals that you cal look through to basically see the back of the falls. Nothing special because when you look out, you can’t see anything really, except the water.

As a first timer to Canada AND Niagara Falls, I ventured on this tour ready to be easily wowed by the sights. It’s hard to separate the review of the place from the sight of the Falls since they go hand in hand but I surely won’t say anything negative about it like some of these other reviewers. Let’s start with the fact that you are ACTUALLY walking underneath Niagara Falls. There’s a few holes cut out in the rock to view Niagara Falls from BEHIND part of The Falls. I mean… how awesome is that! What do you mean «all you see…»???
When I think «tour» I think guides leading you step by step but this tour is more self-​guided when you get to the part that matters, which is the view. You get to learn fun facts along the way, which make it cool but I loved being able to explore the views/​sights for myself and take the lovely pictures I did on my own. If you’re from the area or have been to The Falls before, obviously I wouldn’t recommend this as something to do on a date, but for a first timer, it’s everything. If you’re bored with the Falls then get in your car and keep it moving.
One star off because (since a lot of it is self-​exploratory) the lack of organization can be a bit troublesome when you have random groups of people that just want to stand in one spot for 20 minutes and force one launch into a round of semi-​ignorant SCU’ ME, SCU’ MEs to get through.

I’m kinda surprised (sadly) that people are giving such negative reviews to Journey Behind the Falls! How often does one go to Niagara Falls?! This is absolutely something that everyone should do at least once in their lifetime.
Granted, I was a wee bit disappointed after I saw the two caves that poke out from behind the actual Falls, because they’re literally just two tunnels that you stand in and watch the stream of water pouring in front of you. It’s kind-​of just like a wall of white water. BUT, you begin to comprehend the sheer power of the water, from the sound of the falls — and it just fills you with the wonder and majestic-​ness that is the Niagara Falls!
And then you walk out onto the viewing platform that’s quite a ways down, so that you’re looking up into the Falls — and this viewing point is FANTASTIC. So quit yer bitchin’, and pony-​up the $ 10 bucks or whatever it is, and enjoy the magic. Being down here really puts things into perspective, on just how small we humans really are in the scheme of things.
Just stand out there and enjoy the wild, whipping, wind. And enjoy getting splashed with the water, and the overwhelming rumble of the water — because it’s beautiful.
Yes, you’re going to get wet, so my tip for you is to bring/​wear your flip-​flops! They do give you a cheap poncho so that your clothes don’t get too wet — but this is a LOT of water we’re talking about here. Not just a little mist, you will get WET. So pack away your valuables (ie cameras and iPads). Also, you do go down in elevators that were built 125 years ago. They can’t hold too many people, so there’s usually a little line to come back up and no, there’s no other way to get up. So hang out, read some of plaques, and just enjoy the moment.
If you’re only going to do two things while here: I’d suggest this one, and the Maid of the Mist. If you can only do one: do Maid of the Mist. The only thing I regret not doing was the sky wheel, which I have heard great things about.
It’s a FUN experience if you’re open to it and enjoy it for what it is: an opportunity to view the falls from far down. And what it gives you is the opportunity to feel and hear and see the POWER of the beautiful Niagara Falls.