Historic Cities of Eastern Canada

Day 1

ARRIVE IN TORONTO, ONTARIO Welcome to Toronto! At 6 pm, meet your travel companions for a welcome drink. Your Tour Director prepares you for your upcoming adventure.

Day 2

TORONTO Elevated Experiences This morning, enjoy a sightseeing tour. Highlights include the Legislature Building; the cultural neighborhoods; the University of Toronto; and Eaton Centre, the city’s number-one tourist attraction, with more than 300 stores for world-class shopping. The tour concludes with lunch atop the 1,815-foot-tall CN Tower, where you’ll enjoy incredible views of the city and harbor below you. (B,L)

TOUR HIGHILIGHT
NEW HEIGHTS Toronto’s soaring CN Tower puts a new spin on elevated dining with lunch served 1,151 feet above the ground. Your table is ready in the 360 Restaurant, which completes one rotation every 72 minutes, giving you an ever-changing, full-circle view of Toronto while you dine. Step out to the Main Observation Level after your meal, so you can take in the spectacular panorama while standing on the transparent glass floor inviting you to walk on air above the sights 114 stories below.

Day 3

TORONTO–NIAGARA FALLS Waterfalls & Wine Leave bustling Toronto and travel along the shores of Lake Ontario to Niagara Falls. For the adventurous, your Tour Director will suggest optional flightseeing over the falls. Then, board a cruise for a thrilling ride to view the thundering falls from river level. Stop in picturesque Niagara-on-the-Lake, where there is time to browse the shops of Main Street and visit a [LF] local winery for a tour and tasting. Enjoy dinner tonight with a spectacular view of the falls. Later, you may wish to see the illumination of the falls as they are lit in every color of the rainbow. A special treat not to be missed! (B,D)

LOCAL FAVORITE
LOCAL TASTES Experience spectacular natural beauty and the best in regional wines with a wine tasting and tour at a Niagara-on-the-Lake winery. What better way to conclude your breathtaking cruise below the falls than by tasting regional wines amid vineyards and orchards on the Niagara Parkway?

Day 4

NIAGARA FALLS–ROCKPORT–THOUSAND ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK–OTTAWA Islands in the Streams Travel this morning to Rockport, where you’ll board a boat for a scenic cruise through the waterways of Thousand Islands National Park. Continue to the nation’s capital of Ottawa, pleasantly framed by the banks of the Ottawa River and the Rideau Canal, for a 2-night stay. (B)

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
NATURAL WONDERS Journey through the picturesque granite islands, windswept pine trees, and vast estates of Thousand Islands National Park. Referred to by the Iroquois Nation as the “Garden of the Great Spirit”, the tranquility of the area belies a history of adventures, wars and rebellions. See the Canadian Palisades, Zavikon Island, and the vast estates through Millionaire’s Row.

Day 5

OTTAWA Oh, Canada! Enjoy guided sightseeing this morning through the legendary landmarks of the Canadian capital city of Ottawa. The afternoon is free. You may wish to visit the world-renowned Canadian Museum of History, shop for souvenirs, or spend time at the National Gallery of Canada. (B)

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
CITY SIGHTS Explore the city of Ottawa to see its famous landmarks, including the residences of the Governor General and Prime Minister, the hexagonal National Arts Centre, Parliament Hill, and the Rideau Canal. Enjoy a delicious Canadian specialty, a [LF] Canadian beavertail, a pastry stretched to the shape of a beaver tail with toppings added for extra bite!

Day 6

OTTAWA–CAP-DE-LA-MADELEINE–QUÉBEC CITY, QUÉBEC French Sights & Bites Drive north to Cap-de-la-Madeleine for a visit to the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, a national shrine famous for its fine stained-glass windows. Time to stroll through the grounds of the sanctuary and see the miraculous Madonna in the old chapel. Continue to romantic Québec City, one of the most historic and best-preserved cities in North America. This evening, enjoy regional French cuisine at a special dinner in Old Town Québec. (B,D)

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
HISTORY & HERITAGE Explore the beautiful city of Québec, the French-founded city, port, and capital of Canada’s Québec province. One of the oldest cities in Canada— Québec City retains more than 400 years of tradition, architecture, and Old-World charm in the only remaining walled city in North America. This UNESCO World Heritage site is a romantic city of narrow cobblestone streets, stone buildings, fortifications, and rich French-Canadian culture and cuisine. Take in the city’s splendid views of the surrounding landscape and unique character, which prompted Charles Dickens to call it the “Gibraltar of North America.”

Day 7

QUÉBEC CITY French-Canadian Treasures Visit a locally owned [LF] Sugar Shack for a guided tour to learn the art of making maple syrup and to enjoy a traditional sugar shack breakfast. Then, tour Canada’s only walled city with a Local Guide. Until the British victory of 1759, Old Québec was the center of New France. Within its walls are Place d’Armes, Laval Seminary, and ancient Place Royale. Also, see the old-world houses crowding the narrow streets in Lower Town by the St. Lawrence River and historic Plains of Abraham. The afternoon is free to explore the historic sites or stroll the streets of Old Québec City. Your Tour Director will have suggestions for additional sightseeing, shopping, and dining. This evening, consider an optional dinner that includes a visit to 274-foot-high Montmorency Falls and dinner at Le Moulin de Saint-Laurent - a restored 17th-century flour mill. (B)

LOCAL FAVORITE
LOCAL TASTES Collecting maple water and turning it into maple syrup has been a local tradition for generations of families who trudged through the snow to collect maple water from buckets in preparation for a hearty meal of homemade delights. Join us for a visit to a Sugar Shack to learn the art of making maple syrup and enjoy a traditional breakfast in the old tradition.

Day 8

QUÉBEC CITY–MONTRÉAL Magical Montréal On to Montréal, where sightseeing with a Local Guide includes Notre Dame Basilica, the Old Seminary of St. Sulpice, and a drive to the top of Mount Royal to enjoy a panorama of the city. Free time this afternoon before a farewell dinner in the heart of Old Montréal—the perfect ending to your vacation! (B,D)

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
CULTURAL GEM Explore the cultural capital of Canada where the traditional Québécois style is celebrated along its cobblestone streets and grand buildings in European flair. See the Basilique Notre-Dame with its stunning stained glass, and the Plateau Mont-Royal with spectacular views of Vieux-Montréal.

Day 9

MONTRÉAL Safe travels until we meet again! Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)