Fall Colours of New England & Canada

Touch down in New York this morning, meet your tour manager and board your coach for a drive to your New Jersey hotel. Upon arrival, settle into your hotel base for the next two nights and perhaps enjoy the hotel restaurant. The rest of the evening at leisure.

Continue north along Maine’s rugged Atlantic shores this morning and keep an eye out for more of the region’s mesmerising fall foliage.  

After a few hours, you’ll arrive in seaside town of Ogunquit, an artists’ haven set amongst pristine beachfront areas. Renowned for its idyllic landscapes and welcoming atmosphere, the village promises the perfect setting for a relaxing beach retreat between your wish-list fall colours excursions. 

Check into your hotel, bookended by Ogunquit’s town centre and its coastal areas, and enjoy the rest of the evening at leisure. For some gentle exploration, consider taking a walk along the acclaimed Marginal Way trail for panoramic views of New England’s coast. Seafood-lovers can also find a range of fresh local produce to enjoy, and you can find dinner, within walking distance of the hotel, at one of the village’s seafront diners.

Enjoy a leisurely morning in Ogunquit, making the most of your beachfront location and the town’s colourful local attractions. For a few final moments of the town’s serene coastal areas, head to the nearby Little Beach, or perhaps enjoy an introduction to the town’s artistic heritage at the local galleries. Around lunchtime, board a coach for another wish-list viewing experience as you drive from Maine into New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Travel by the striking Franconia Notch, a mountain pass enclosed by with rocky cliffs and lush forests, to the small town of Lincoln where you’ll spend the next two nights. 

After checking in, soak up Lincoln’s rural charm as you see fit with the evening under your own steam, perhaps with a walk along the timber-framed shopfronts and independent diners of the town’s main street.

Watch the sun rise over the White Mountains and get ready for one of your trip’s undeniable highlights as the tour takes in the world-famous Kancamagus Highway. This scenic byway, unlike any other in the world, offers an uninterrupted panorama of the landscape, with no buildings to obstruct your view, and a sea of vivid autumnal colours. After a few hours on the road, an enjoyable stop awaits as you pause in North Conway, where you can find a bargain or two at the local shopping outlets.  

Return to Lincoln this afternoon and make the most of another evening at leisure.

Wave goodbye to charming New England with a morning’s drive north to Montréal. After checking into your next hotel, get a feel for this cosmopolitan city with the rest of the afternoon entirely at leisure.

Montréal combines cutting-edge modernity, French style and flair, and is a cosmopolitan mix of high culture, high fashion and high tech. If you’re feeling adventurous, head for the pretty Vieux Port area or alternatively embrace the bohemian style of lively Plateau Mont Royal.

Today’s excursion takes you to charming Québec City, Canada's only walled settlement. One of North America’s oldest cities, Québec was founded before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock and is the only city north of Mexico whose original fortifications remain intact. The historic district of Québec City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, continues to house religious orders and hospitals that trace their roots back to the 17th century.

Choose to join an optional walking tour with a local guide and explore the narrow, cobbled alleyways of the lower Basse Ville and its upper Haute counterpart. Together these two districts form the endlessly enthralling Vieux-Québec, dominated by the monumental Citadel and the Château Frontenac hotel. Radiating charm from every brick, with countless monuments, churches, and 16th- and 17th-century buildings, and with a host of restaurants offering its distinctive cuisine, Québec City is undoubtedly a highlight.

Later, you’ll return to your Montréal hotel to relax.

Check out of the hotel and depart for metropolitan Toronto, enjoying some free time along the way in the Canadian capital, Ottawa. Later this evening, arrive in Toronto, built on the banks of Lake Ontario, and check into your hotel.

Perhaps see the modern waterfront developments, the sky-piercing CN Tower, and contrasting neighbourhoods like Greektown and Little Italy. Afterwards, indulge in some shopping in the city's malls, and make the most of the dining options.

Niagara Falls’ breath-taking landscapes await again this morning and promise to be one of the unforgettable highlights of your tour. You’ll have the morning at leisure to enjoy the very best of Niagara Falls’ dramatic natural beauty and its surrounding city streets.  

For the best views, you can take a ride on the Niagara SkyWheel or enjoy lunch from the vantage point of an overlooking restaurant. Alternatively, you can choose an optional 10-minute helicopter ride above the white-water rapids below – the best way to fully appreciate the majesty of its spectacular scenery!  

In the afternoon, there will be an optional drive along the Niagara Parkway to the delightful town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, with its pretty houses and world-famous Shaw Theatre, one of America’s most celebrated playhouses. You can meander around its leafy, flower-lined streets, observing the 19th-century buildings, or take a walk on the Niagara Riverfront.  

Return to the hotel for the final evening.

Head back to Toronto this morning for a few final hours to enjoy the city. You could spend time looking around one of the city’s cultural institutions, from the Gardiner Museum to the Hockey Hall of Fame, or watch the world go by from one of its lakeside cafés.

This afternoon, head to the airport for your overnight return flight back to the UK.

Land in the UK early this morning at the end of a memorable North American escape.