Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive Toronto

On arrival at Toronto International Airport, your airport transfer service takes you to your tour hotel. At 6pm, gather with your tour director and fellow travellers for a welcome reception and light buffet.

Day 2: Toronto Sightseeing, Niagara Falls Excursion

Spend the morning exploring cosmopolitan Toronto. Rise to the top of the CN Tower and view Toronto from four different lookout levels. Travelling up stately University Avenue, see Ontario's Parliament buildings, Queen's Park and the city's museum row. Move on to one of the world's natural wonders, Niagara Falls. Enjoy close-up views of the falls on the Maid of the Mist cruise before browsing the shops and galleries of Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Day 3: Toronto, Ottawa

Travel north along the shores of Lake Ontario to Canada's first capital, Kingston. Your orientation tour shows you the numerous historic buildings, churches, picturesque neighbourhoods and 19th century fortifications. Arrive in Ottawa, the nation's capital, and visit the Canadian Museum of Civilisation, Canada's largest and most popular cultural institution. This evening, your tour director offers you a selection of restaurants for your dining pleasure.

Day 4: Ottawa, Quebec City

This morning enjoy an orientation tour of Ottawa, famous for its stately boulevards, imposing buildings and tulip-filled gardens during the spring. See the green-peaked roofs of the Parliament, the Royal Canadian Mint, City Hall and the National Art Gallery. Then, follow the St Lawrence river to Quebec City, the first French settlement in North America, reminiscent of a medieval European village. This evening is at leisure to enjoy this romantic city. Perhaps join your Tour Director for an optional French Bistro dinner inside the walled city.

Day 5: Quebec City Sightseeing

Let a local guide show you the charm of this historic city, with its Latin Quarter, Plains of Abraham, ramparts, National Assembly, Basilica, City Hall, Place Royale and Citadel. Then venture north to visit the shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre, the first pilgrimage shrine in North America, and the spectacular Montmorency Falls, before returning to Quebec City where the rest of the day is free.

Day 6: Quebec City, Montreal

Continue to Quebec's largest city, Montreal. On a locally guided tour, admire the city's diversity, from the grand mansions of Mount Royal to the modern downtown area. See the historic old town with its cobblestone streets of Old Montreal and the Old Port. Visit dramatic Notre-Dame Basilica with its glorious stained glassed windows depicting Montreal's religious history. This evening, bid "au revoir" to your tour director and fellow guests with a delicious celebration dinner at a local restaurant in Old Montreal.

Day 7: Depart Montreal

For guests not continuing on the cruise, your tour ends upon hotel checkout. A departure transfer to Montreal International Airport is provided.
Others enjoy the morning at leisure in Montreal before joining their Canada and New England cruise aboard Holland America Line's ms Maasdam.

Day 8: Cruising- Quebec City

Explore the city or beyond. Available activities include biking at Montmorency Fall, wine-tasting at Canyon Sainte-Anne and rafting down the Jacques-Cartier River.

Day 9: Cruising- The Gulf of St Lawrence

The lifeblood of French Canada, the St Lawrence River delivered explorer Jacques-Cartier to indigenous peoples in 1534. Today it will deliver you to majestic landscapes, rich aquatic life and multiple species of whales that feed at St Lawrence Estuary.

Day 10: Cruising- Charlottetown

Call in at Charlottetown, where red double-decker buses motor along streets lined with Victorian houses. Perhaps join an optional excursion to Cavendish, with ample time to visit the Anne of Green Cables homstead and Prince Edward Island National Park for a leisurely walk along the boardwalk.

Day 11: Cruising- Sydney

Alexander Graham Bell observed, "I have travelled around the globe. I have seen the Canadian and American Rockies, the Andes and Alps, and the Highlands of Scotland; but for simple beauty, Cape Breton outrivals them all."
Perhaps join an optional shore excursion along the 184-mile-long Cabot Trail, or be a soldier for the day at Louisbourg- the choice is yours.

Day 12: Cruising- Halifax

Lighthouses stand sentinel on cliff-side ledges; tiny villages huddle in rocky inlets; lobsters make it from the ocean to your plate in record time- all in Nova Scotia. In Halifax, the ramparts of the Citadel defend the city and await your inspection.

Day 13: Cruising- Bar Harbour

Tucked into a cove by Acadia National Park is Bar Harbour, a quintessential New England coastal town. Enjoy an optional bike ride or kayak adventure, participate in a lobster bake and chew on hand-stretched taffy from an upscale boutique.

Day 14: Depart Boston

Time permitting, explore the cradle of American history, Boston, before being transferred to Boston International Airport or to the tour hotel in Boston, for passengers wishing to extend their stay.

Capitals of Eastern Canada