Eastern Canada: Rails, Rivers and Refined Cities

Touch down in Toronto, meet your guide and transfer to your downtown hotel for check in . Later enjoy a welcome reception and an introduction to your tour. If there’s time, you might also enjoy a stroll out to the city’s Harbourfront district on the shores of Lake Ontario.

After a leisurely breakfast, enjoy a sightseeing tour of Toronto, taking in such neighbourhoods as the city’s financial and entertainment districts, as well as urban parks and landmarks – from the modernist City Hall and its Romanesque predecessor to the famous CN Tower. Enjoy a little free time to relax or explore independently; later, return to the CN Tower, where you will enjoy dinner and a visit to the sky-high observation deck.

Meals: breakfast, dinner

Head south this morning, skirting the towns of Oakville and Hamilton, and travelling on through the orchards and vineyards of the Niagara Peninsula, to reach the spectacular Niagara Falls. Upon arrival, enjoy a boat tour out onto the Niagara River for close-up views of the thundering falls from the river below. The rest of your day is at leisure.

Meals: breakfast

Today, head upstream of the falls, along the scenic Niagara Parkway to the historic village of Niagara-on-the-Lake, home to the renowned Shaw Festival. Here, enjoy some time to explore the village, with its welcoming atmosphere and well-preserved 19th-century buildings, before continuing to the internationally acclaimed Inniskillin Wines, Canada's original estate winery, for lunch.

Meals: breakfast, lunch

Return to Toronto and board the VIA Rail Corridor train, travelling in Business Class past rolling hills, glimmering lakes and fertile farmland to Kingston, on Lake Ontario. Check into your hotel, and perhaps spend a short while freshening up, before departing on a sunset dinner cruise through the 1000 Islands archipelago on the St. Lawrence River, which runs along the border between the USA and Canada.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner

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Meals: breakfast

After an easy morning, ride the VIA Rail Corridor train out of the 1000 Islands region to Montréal, Québec’s vibrant cultural capital, where French heritage and contemporary city life come together . Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel, and enjoy an evening at leisure.

Meals: breakfast, lunch

Embark on a guided sightseeing tour of Montréal, including the financial and shopping districts, Old Montréal, Mount Royal, an outside view of the 1976 Olympic Site and other points of interest. Next, you venture inside the 19th-century Notre-Dame Basilica, a masterpiece of G othic R evival architecture, followed by time at leisure. Maybe try a little local cuisine, such as poutine (French fries topped with cheese curds and gravy), tourtière (the region’s distinctive meat pie) or Montréal smoked meat (a deli-style curing of beef with salt and spices).

Meals: breakfast

Follow the St. Lawrence River via the scenic Chemin du Roy, passing numerous historical French-Canadian villages, and arriving in Québec City. Enjoy a guided tour, exploring within the walls of the UNESCO-listed historic district, taking in such sights as Lower Town, Battlefields Park, the Citadel, P lace Royale and the ornate city gates of Upper Town. Later depart for Wendake – home of the Huron-Wendat Nation – and transfer to your hotel.

Meals: breakfast, dinner

Following breakfast, start your day around the fire in the Ekionkiestha National Longhouse, where an Indigenous storyteller will share First Nations myths and legends. Following lunch, take a tour of the wider museum to learn about the Huron-Wendat Nation, and perhaps relax in the natural surroundings.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Trace the shore of the St. Lawrence River across the Ontario border and on to Ottawa, pausing en route for lunch at an authentic “sugar shack” where Québec’s maple-syrup traditions are celebrated through hearty regional dishes. Upon arrival in the nation’s capital, see the sights, including Parliament Hill, the residences of the Prime Minister and Governor General, the National Arts Centre, and ByWard Market. Your evening is at leisure.

Meals: breakfast, lunch

Explore more of Ottawa, starting with the National Gallery of Canada, which has a fine collection of Canadian landscapes on display, including works by early 20th-century painters Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven. Later head to ByWard Market to find somewhere for lunch, then take a tour of the Royal Canadian Mint to see some of its world-renowned collector coins as well as medals from the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games . Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Meals: breakfast

Journey into Ontario’s lake country as you travel towards Gravenhurst, passing placid lakes, rushing streams and charming towns. Drive through Algonquin Provincial Park, an immense wildlife and forest preserve that remains a favourite spot for camping expeditions during the summer months. Visit t he Park’s Logging Museum and its Visitor Centre to learn all about the human and natural history of this area. Continue into Muskoka, the heart of Ontario’s cottage country, before arriving at Gravenhurst for an overnight stay on the waterfront.

Meals: breakfast

Enjoy a relaxing lunch cruise on Lake Muskoka, passing forested shorelines and historic waterfront cottages. Afterwards, enjoy a little leisure time to relax before your F arewell D inner this evening .

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner

A fter breakfast, transfer to Toronto Pearson International Airport for your overnight flight home.

Meals: breakfast

Arrive home.