15D14N Eastern U.s. & Canada Grand Vacation (8200)

Welcome to the “Big Apple!” Your Tour Director is on hand this afternoon to answer any questions.

This morning, on the included sightseeing tour with a local expert, visit Broadway, the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Centre, Chinatown, City Hall, Wall Street, and Trinity Church. This afternoon, head for Boston-the “Cradle of American Liberty.” Visit its historic landmarks, reflecting the important part it has played in the history of the United States.

On your morning guided tour of Boston, see Faneuil Hall, the Old North Church (where Paul Revere was signaled for the departure of British troops to Lexington), the Freedom Trail, and Boston Common. The afternoon is free to explore on your own.

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Journey through New Hampshire, passing the State Capitol at Concord and on to the scenic White Mountains. Continue to the Canadian border, where you’ll notice a change in language and tradition as you enter the French-Canadian province of Québec. Overnight in historic Québec City on the banks of the St. Lawrence River.

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This morning, join your travelling companions on a unique optional excursion to the Erabliere le Chemin du Roy Sugar Shack. Visitors to the sugar cabin will enjoy a typical Quebec breakfast, along with a guided visit and presentation to explain the process of maple extraction. Afterward, return to Quebec City for a guided tour of Canada’s only walled city, crowned by the turrets of Chateau Frontenac. Until the British victory of 1759, Old Quebec was the center of New France; today, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Within the walls reside the Place d’Armes, Laval Seminary, the star- plan Citadelle with grand vistas from its bastions, and ancient Place Royale. See the Old World houses crowding narrow streets in Lower Town and the historic Plains of Abraham, where General Wolfe stormed the slopes. The afternoon is at leisure.

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Today, drive to cosmopolitan Montréal, one of Canada’s largest cities and home of Expo ‘67 and the 1976 Summer Olympics. Included guided sightseeing includes 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 Montréal.

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Drive west to Ottawa, Canada’s beautiful capital. Guided city sightseeing includes Parliament Hill with its Gothic buildings, the Canadian Mint, the Rideau Canal, the hexagonal National Arts Centre, and stately residences and embassies. With a free afternoon you could visit the Canadian Museum of History, with panoramic views of Parliament Hill across the Ottawa River.

Trace the Rideau Canal south to the amazing Thousand 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.

Setting Toronto’s exciting architectural tone are City Hall; the downtown banking district; Roger’s centre; and stunning CN Tower, more than a third of a mile high. See all this and more on your morning city sightseeing tour. Then, spend the rest of the day exploring the city sights on your own, including Harborfront, Ontario Place, and Chinatown.

Travel south along the lakeshore and through the rich farmlands and vineyards of Ontario to Niagara Falls. Stop at Table Rock and hear the raging waters. Then, board your Niagara Falls sightseeing cruise for amazing close-ups at the base of the falls. NOTE: Operation of the Niagara Falls sightseeing cruise is subject to favourable weather conditions. When weather is unfavourable, a walking tour through the scenic tunnels will be substituted.

Leave Canada and head southeast through the Appalachian Mountains and along a portion of the Susquehanna River into Pennsylvania Dutch farm country. Tonight, join the optional excursion and experience a traditional Amish dinner.

This morning, stop at the Amish Farm & 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. On to Washington DC for an afternoon arrival.

The nation’s capital is a sightseeing treasure trove. Your half-day tour with a Local Guide visits the Lincoln and Washington Monuments, National WWII Memorial, and photo stops at Capitol Hill, the White House, and other well-known sights. Your Tour Director will also suggest a number of independent activities that explore different facets of this splendid city.

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Travel north this morning to Philadelphia for included sightseeing focusing on the important buildings of this historic city, the “Birthplace of the Nation.”

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This morning, leave for New York City via Newark International Airport for those with homebound flights. Please schedule flights after 6 pm. For guests with flights out of Kennedy or LaGuardia airports, transfers are not included; we suggest booking flights after 7 pm. The trip ends in Manhattan in the late afternoon for guests on the New York city extension.