Highlights of Eastern Canada

Day 1 - Toronto

Join your tour group at the hotel.

Day 2 - Toronto

Clutching the northwest shore of Lake Ontario and dominated by the iconic spire of the CN Tower, Ontario's fast-paced capital is one of the most liveable and likeable cities in the world. Multicultural, musical and blessed with beautiful green spaces - it's also one of the fastest growing cities in North America. On our tour, we explore downtown’s harbourfront - lined with lively restaurants and gorgeous gardens. Ever quirky and creative, the waterfront Toronto Music Garden is a physical interpretation of Bach's First Cello Suite. We also tick off landmarks such as the CN Tower and get a taste for neighbourhood life in Yorkville - home to grand Victorian homes, pavement cafés and arty boutiques. The rest of the afternoon is free. Over 200 ethnicities proudly call Toronto home, so indulge in one of the city’s favourite pastimes - eating. Or head to the Distillery District for another of the city’s first loves.

Day 3 - Thousand Islands - Montréal

This morning we drive around Lake Ontario for a cruise into the Thousand Islands. On the border of Canada and America, this dazzling archipelago of forest-covered islands and sapphire waters is actually home to 1,800 islands. But what’s an extra 800 islands between friends, especially when many are topped with elegant summer houses, celebrity mansions and even a 19th-century castle to admire. After lunch on board, we head back to land and drive to Montréal. Geographically, Montréal is as close to Europe as it is to Vancouver, and it shows everywhere we turn - with romantic French-era façades, neo-Gothic cathedrals and tree-lined canals. But it’s not just the European charm and ability to order a café au lait at a moment’s notice that makes Montréal so liveable, it’s also a truly multidimensional city - with an international theatre, festival and food scene that rivals any city in the world. After a guided city tour, we suggest following your nose in search of dinner - with everything on the menu from Parisian gastronomy to homespun Caribbean roti.

Day 4 - Québec City

We continue our French love affair, heading to Québec City. Built around a fortified hill on the banks of the St Lawrence River, the UNESCO-listed walled old town is straight out of a fairytale - with winding medieval-looking streets, shuttered gingerbread houses and château-style turrets. On our guided tour, we visit the cobblestoned Place Royale - the cradle of French North America where Samuel de Champlain built the first permanent French settlement, the Petit Champlain Quarter - a historic neighbourhood lined with antique shops, hanging baskets and the smell of French patisserie, and the Château Frontenac Hotel - the castle-like centrepiece that dominates Old Québec’s silhouette.

Day 5 - Québec City

Today is free to continue exploring this charming French-speaking city.

Day 6 - Ottawa

Canada’s cheery capital, vibrant and bilingual Ottawa is next - it’s like fast-forwarding a few centuries. Nearly half the population are under 35, giving it a creative arts, music and culinary scene that attracts talent from across the globe. With two days here, we start off with a guided tour to get our bearings - heading up to Parliament Hill, where the imposing parliament buildings rule over the city both politically and visually. We also visit the National Arts Centre and ByWard Market, or ‘The Market’ - a buzzing district lined with street-food stalls, famers’ markets and trendy bars.

Day 7 - Ottawa

Today is at leisure. Maybe stroll along the handsome museums and leafy running trails of the city-centre Rideau Canal.

Day 8 - Niagara Falls

Signposted by rainbows that form in the mists hundreds of metres above the falls, we see evidence of Niagara Falls before we arrive in the town of the same name. America and Canada may share this natural wonder, but Canada arguably got the better side of the deal - with views across the American falls, as well as the mighty Horseshoe Falls being planted firmly over the Canada border. One of three waterfalls that collectively makes up Niagara, 90% of the water thunders down the natural amphitheatre of Canada’s Horseshoe Falls. A room with a view, our hotel overlooks the falls.

Day 9 - Niagara Falls

Ponchos at the ready, today we board the Hornblower Niagara cruise to the foot of the falls. If the weather isn’t on our side, we’ll do the Journey Behind the Falls instead - descending through bedrock tunnels to an observation deck that looks up beneath the curtain of Horseshoe Falls - where almost a thousand tons of water fall every second. There’s also an option to take a thrilling helicopter ride. We sit down for a farewell dinner at the hotel overlooking the illuminated waterfalls.

Day 10 - Niagara-on-the-Lake - Toronto

Spend the morning at Niagara-on-the-Lake - a charming 19th-century town on the northern end of the Niagara River. Full of period houses, tree-lined boulevards and flower-filled parks, it’s said to be the prettiest town in Canada. Say goodbye to your tour group for your onward travel.