Divided from its American brother of the same name by the gushing cataracts of the Niagara River, this town of twinkling casino lights, family hotels and happy-go-lucky amusement parks continues to reign as one of Ontario’s biggest holidaying destinations.

In the past, Niagara Falls has styled itself as one of North America’s honeymoon capitals, with romantic voyages on the iconic Maid of the Mist to the very foot of the Horseshoe Falls themselves, and a wealth of Vegas-style wedding houses, theatres, museums and galleries in the city’s all-new arts district around Queen Street. But alongside the couples come family holidaymakers in droves; eager to spy out the dramatic views from the Queen Victoria Park, ride the winding slides of the town’s various waterparks, soar to the top of the Skylon Tower, or wander between the Ferris wheels of Clifton Hill. Niagara Falls tour guides advice planning a visit in the summer, which is when the falls are at their best—unfrozen, running full-force and illuminated with pyrotechnics and light shows several nights of the week.