EASTERN U.S. & CANADA GRAND VACATION

 

8200 - 14 days from New York City to New York City

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8200
Day 1  NEW YORK CITY. Welcome to the Big Apple! Enjoy some time at leisure to relax or do some independent exploring. Your Tour Director is on hand this evening to answer any questions.

Day 2  NEW YORK CITY–BOSTON. This morning, explore the “Big Apple,” one of the world’s most exciting cities. On the included sightseeing tour, visit Broadway, the Empire State Building, Greenwich Village, Chinatown, City Hall, Wall Street, and Trinity Church. This afternoon, head for Boston—the “Cradle of American Liberty”—an elegant city which combines early colonial history with modern innovation. The city has many historic landmarks, reflecting the important part it has played in the history of the United States.

Day 3  BOSTON. On your guided morning tour of Boston, see Faneuil Hall, the Old North Church (where Paul Revere was signaled for the departure of British troops to Lexington), and Boston Common. This afternoon is free for you to explore on your own. Your Tour Director will have suggestions for additional sightseeing and shopping. This evening, why not join your traveling companions for dinner at a popular downtown restaurant?

Day 4  BOSTON–QUEBEC CITY. Journey north through New Hampshire, passing the state’s capitol dome at Concord and on to the scenic White Mountains. Capture inspiring views of mountain scenery, vast forests, and innumerable lakes as we drive through northern New Hampshire and Vermont. Then it’s on to the Canadian border, where you’ll notice a sudden change in language and tradition as you enter the French-Canadian province of Quebec. Overnight in historic Quebec City on the banks of the mighty St. Lawrence River.

Day 5  QUEBEC CITY. Begin the day with a guided tour of Canada’s only walled city, crowned by the great turrets of the Chateau Frontenac. Until the British victory of 1759, Old Quebec was the center of New France and is today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Within the walls reside the Place d’Armes, the Laval Seminary, the star-plan Citadelle with grand vistas from its bastions, and ancient Place Royale. Also see the oldworld houses crowding narrow streets in Lower Town and the historic Plains of Abraham, where General Wolfe stormed the slopes. The afternoon is at leisure. Tonight join our optional outing to an old-world French restaurant with time afterward to stroll through historic Old Town and take pictures of the Chateau Frontenac at night.

Day 6  QUEBEC CITY–MONTREAL. Today, drive to cosmopolitan Montreal, one of the world’s largest French-speaking cities. Home of Expo ‘67 and the 1976 Summer Olympics, the city blends historic architecture with modern skyscrapers, many enhanced with public sculpture displays. Major attractions on this afternoon’s optional sightseeing tour include St. Joseph’s Oratory, the lookout atop Mount Royal, once-walled Old Montreal, Notre Dame Church, the Seminary of St. Sulpice built by the first missionary settlers, and modern Montreal.

Day 7  MONTREAL–OTTAWA. Drive west to Ottawa, Canada’s beautiful capital. Your city sightseeing includes Parliament Hill with its crest of Gothic buildings, the Canadian Mint, the Rideau Canal, the hexagonal National Arts Centre, and stately residences and embassies. With your free afternoon you might want to visit the Canadian Museum of Civilization, housed in a modern building of graceful flowing lines, with panoramic views of Parliament Hill across the Ottawa River.

Day 8  OTTAWA–KINGSTON–TORONTO. Trace the Rideau Canal south to the amazing St. Lawrence Islands National Park. Enjoy many wooded islands along the St. Lawrence River, sprinkled with beautifully simple to opulent summer homes on your included scenic cruise.

Day 9  TORONTO. City Hall; the downtown banking district; the ultra-modern Skydome stadium; and stunning CN Tower, more than one-third of a mile high, all set Toronto’s exciting architectural pace. See these and more on your morning city sightseeing tour. Spend the remainder of the day exploring the city sights on your own, including Harbourfront, Ontario Place, and Chinatown.

Day 10  TORONTO–NIAGARA FALLS. South along the lakeshore and through the rich farmlands and vineyards of Ontario to Niagara Falls. Stop at Table Rock and hear the fury of the raging waters. Then board the MAID OF THE MIST for amazing close-ups at the base of the falls. Tonight join our optional fun-filled musical outing all about Canada. This entertaining evening includes a five-course dinner served family-style.

Note: The operation of the Maid of the Mist cruise is subject to favorable weather conditions. Usually favorable conditions exist from mid-May to late October. When weather is unfavorable, a walking tour through the scenic tunnels will be substituted.

Day 11  NIAGARA FALLS–LANCASTER. Leave Canada today and head southeast through the Appalachian Mountains and along a portion of the winding Susquehanna River into the rich Pennsylvania Dutch farm country. An optional excursion this evening combines a traditional Amish dinner with a film about growing up in an Amish community.

Day 12  LANCASTER–PENN DUTCH COUNTRY–WASHINGTON DC. Lancaster County is the home of the religious Amish and Mennonite sects. This morning stop at the AMISH FARM AND HOUSE. A Local Guide explains the faith, culture, and way of life of these people, for whom tradition forbids the use of electricity or telephones in the home. Note the distinctive style of dress and the horse-drawn buggies in place of motor vehicles. Then on to Washington DC for an afternoon arrival.

Day 13  WASHINGTON DC. The nation’s capital is a sightseeing treasure-trove, and your half-day tour features the KOREAN and VIETNAM WAR VETERANS MEMORIALS, and many other well-known sights. You’ll also stop for photos at the White House and Capitol Hill. Then, cross the Potomac River and see the graves of American heroes, including John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert, and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, in beautiful ARLINGTON CEMETERY. For the free afternoon, why not visit the museums of the Smithsonian? Your Tour Director will also suggest a number of independent activities that explore different facets of this splendid city.

Day 14  WASHINGTON DC–PHILADELPHIA–NEW YORK CITY. This morning, drive to Philadelphia, the birthplace of the U.S., where sightseeing focuses on the historic significance of the city. Major attractions to see on your own include the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were signed. Afterward, head back to New York City via Newark International Airport for those with homebound flights. (Please schedule flights after 6 p.m.) The trip ends at the Ramada New Yorker in the late afternoon.

For guests with homebound flights a stop at Newark International Airport is made. For those guests with flights from JFK or LaGuardia you may purchase a transfer pass to these other New York airports for approximately $24 per person. Your Tour Director can assist you in purchasing this pass. Please schedule flights after 7:00 p.m., if returning from JFK or LaGuardia to allow for sufficient travel time and airport security.