2-Day Niagara Falls Trip from NYC by Day and Night, Maid of the Mist or Scenic Tunnels

Niagara Falls is seen from above and below, in daylight and after dark, over two days from New York. Day one leaves Port Authority at 6:30 am and drives north past the Delaware Water Gap, then through Watkins Glen State Park in the Finger Lakes, where a walk through the canyon passes its waterfalls. In winter, when the park is inaccessible, Montour Falls takes its place. The route follows Seneca Lake to Niagara Falls and arrives in the late afternoon for a tour of the American side: the American Falls, Goat Island and Luna Island, then a night tour of the falls under their colored lights. Day two begins after breakfast with the roar of passing water and a drive to Horseshoe Falls for a lookout. Next comes the Maid of the Mist (May to October), or the Scenic Tunnels during the winter months. Around noon the return starts, with a stop at one of the area's large outlet malls, and the trip ends in New York City in the evening.