Niagara Falls is one of the world's premier tourist destinations and has been for at least the last 150 years. One of the best ways to see the Falls in all of their majestic splendor is to take the Maid of the Mist boat tour and experience this amazing natural wonder first hand.

The Maid of the Mist boat tour takes visitors of Niagara Falls through nearly the entire length of the Falls. Tours are available beginning from both the American and the Canadian sides of the Falls but starting in 2014 the Maid of the Mist will no longer be running from the Canadian side.

There are a number of special cruises and boat tour events onboard the Maid of the Mist, all of which are reasonably prices and cater to various groups and tourists such as couples and senior citizens.

The Voyage to the Falls tour is by far the most popular of the boat tours available on the Maid of the Mist. The tour takes passengers on an amazing ride starting at the Great Gorge and running past the American Falls, the Bridal Veil Falls, and then to the legendary Horseshoe Falls.

The Falls Illumination and Fireworks Cruise is a nighttime cruise through the Falls that is enhanced with colorful lighting behind the Falls themselves as well as city-type lights surrounding the Falls and an awesome fireworks display. The Illumination Cruise also features a full-service wet bar and snacks for passengers to enjoy while taking in the dazzling sights.

For couples and newlyweds, the most popular cruise is the Sunset Cocktail cruise. This 30-minute trip begins at sunset and allows visitors to experience beauty of the Falls at sunset and the very edge of the starry darkness of night. A wide variety of vintage wines and other beverages and snacks are available for couples to enjoy as well.

Niagara Falls is for many people a once-in-a-lifetime experience and as such it shold be enjoyed to the fullest. One of the best ways to get be able to take in all of the stunning beauty that the Falls have to offer is by setting sail on one of the 700-passenger state-of-the-art catamaran boats known for the last 150 years as the Maid of the Mist.