Magnificent Eastern Canada Tour
21 Days

{Tour Code MECT21}

GL Travel will only conduct two of these tours in 2008 so book early, the tour is the epitome of the best of Eastern Canada from Niagara Falls to Cape Breton Island. Experience some of the wonders of Eastern Canada; visit Toronto, Niagara Falls and the CN Tower.  Travel along the St. Lawrence Seaway to Montreal and Quebec using the same trails as the Voyagers did to open up this rugged land. View the majestic river as it flows from the Great Atlantic Ocean. Travel east to the jewels of the Maritimes, visit New Brunswick known as ‘Canada’s Picture Province’, tour New Scotland, better known as Nova Scotia and explore the green pastures of the million acre farm of Prince Edward Island.

Visit a little bit of Europe in North America as you walk the old Quarter of Quebec City. Maybe learn a few key French 
phrases so you can understand a little more of this unique city and culture. Travel further east and relish some of the finest seafood in the world when you travel to Nova Scotia’s famous fishing villages of Peggy’s Cove and Lunenburg  Enjoy PEI Blue Mussels and Malpeque Oysters in Prince Edward Island. See the magic of optical illusion at Moncton’s Magnetic Hill. 

When we cross the causeway into Cape Breton life seems to change as you view the golden Bras D’Or Lakes, see the rolling hills and rounded peaks of Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Watch the eagles gracefully soar through the air, perhaps glimpse some sea life like whales and seals as we drive over the Cabot Trail.  Experience the pleasure of the place where Alexander Graham Bell said “"I have travelled around the globe... and for simple beauty, Cape Breton outrivals them all."

Visit Confederation Hall and see the beginning of Canada come to life. Relive the tale of Anne of Green Gables as you enjoy the musical of the same name in Charlottetown. It is sure to delight you and bring many fond memories back home to your friends and family. Go back in time when you visit Iona. the only living Gaelic Museum in Canada. Listen to the swirl of the bagpipes as you watch Halifax Citadel’s 78^th Highlanders parade around the square.

                                            Tour Highlights

Niagara Falls
CN Tower
Thousand Island Cruise
Parliament Building– Ottawa
Montreal City tour
Quebec City Tour
Ste. Anne de Beaupré
Lobster Dinner
Anne of Green Gables Musical
Whale watching
Overnight on VIA Rail
Peggy’s Cove
Cabot Trail  and so much more!!!!!!!
20 Breakfasts,  17 Lunches,  19 Dinners

Day 2 – Toronto Tour - Explore Toronto on a sightseeing tour that includes the downtown and residential areas as well as the 
Grand Parliament Buildings and the University of Toronto. Visit one of the city’s most visible icons, the CN Tower; we will visit
Casa Loma Castle, one of the cities highlight buildings. The rest of the day is free for you to pursue your special interests from your hotel in the heart of this vibrant city. Maybe you would like to see a bit of authentic China and eat a real Chinese meal while you are here. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 3 - Amazing Niagara Falls - View this natural wonder from high above, then descend to the churning waters of the Niagara River and board the famous Maid of the Mist for a cruise and close-up encounter with the thundering Niagara Falls. See the Floral Clock and Whirlpool Rapids on a drive along Niagara Gorge; visit lovely Niagara-on-the-Lake for Lunch, with time to explore at leisure. Niagara on the Lake is home to The World Famous Shaw Festival; John Simon of New York Magazine calls the Shaw Festival the "best repertory theatre on the continent". The Shaw Festival remains the only theatre group celebrating the works of George Bernard Shaw and his contemporaries.  For those revolutionary buffs visit Fort George; the oldest remaining building in Niagara on the Lake, having been refurbished to its 1812 appearance. During the months of July and August, period guards re-enact battles of the revolution.  Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4 – Dr. Bethune Museum - We venture to the ancestral home and museum of Dr. Norman Bethune. Humanitarian, 
surgeon and revolutionary, Bethune was born at Gravenhurst and educated in Toronto. Concern with social and political issues took him to Spain in 1936 and then to China where he worked unsparingly as a surgeon with the Revolutionary Army until his death. Dr. Bethune devoted his life to the care of Chinese and is a hero and model of Doctors in China; Bethune treated Chinese soldiers fighting Japanese intruders and died from blood poisoning in 1939. He invented a very famous emergency treatment centre for wounded soldiers that has been emulated in War Zones around the world; it is called MASH (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital).  Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5 - Cruise the Thousand Islands – Continue east to the St. Lawrence River for lunch and a cruise among the lovely Thousand Islands, home to both simple summer homes and luxurious mansions. Here Ontario and the United States meet... their cultures blending in the waters of the mighty St. Lawrence and Great Lake Ontario. See the smallest international bridge in the world; sail by Boldt Castle the castle built by the owner of the famous Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City as a Valentine present for his wife.  The native peoples called this region the “Garden of the Great Spirit.” Today, many people still remark that this gorgeous garden of woods and waters that is the 1000 Islands is truly one of the most beautiful places in Upper Canada. Arrive in Ottawa, Canada’s Capitol city where we stay for the next two nights.  Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Lodging: Fairmont Château Laurier, (2 Nights)

Day 6 - Sightsee Ottawa - The morning’s sightseeing in resplendent Ottawa includes views of the Royal Canadian Mint, , City Hall, the residence of the Prime Minister and an opportunity to visit the Canadian Parliament Buildings. If we are lucky we can watch the  pomp and ceremony of the Changing of the Governor Generals Guard; this is a display to rival the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. This afternoon visit the Canadian Museum of Civilization and take a sight seeing cruise on the Rideau Canal.  During the winter it is the longest ice skating rink in the world at 203 KM. from Kingston to Ottawa.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7 – Explorer’s route to Montreal - Leaving Ottawa we see the training centre for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s Musical Ride. After this we travel a route used by early French explorers and fur traders, to Canada’s largest French city-Montreal, 350 year old Montreal is located at the junction of the Ottawa River and the mighty St Lawrence, a thousand miles inland from the Atlantic. Montreal is the second largest French city in the world after Paris. British merchants, who helped the city flourish as a bustling trade centre in the late 1700s, were followed over the years by waves of immigrants from more than 80 countries and every continent. Montreal has thrived on its cosmopolitan nature and is one of the most culturally diverse cities in Canada.
                                    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Lodging: “The Queen Elizabeth” (2 Nights)

Day 8 - Cultural Montreal - With its dual English and French cultures, Montreal is one of Canada’s most unique cities.
A morning sightseeing tour includes St. Joseph’s Oratory, McGill University and Mont-Royal, plus a visit to Notre Dame Cathedral where Celine Dion was married; Notre-Dame Basilica was built in 1829 and modelled after the cathedral of the same name in Paris. Montreal is a thriving cultural centre, dotted with monuments, museums. It hosts Grand Prix car races, was home to Expo 67 and the 1976 Summer Olympics (see the Olympic Stadium with the first retractable roof), and . Montréal is heralded as the gastronomic capital of Canada and second on the continent only to New York. Montréal enjoys a distinctly European flair with sidewalk cafés, quaint bistros, chic dining rooms and restaurants.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 9 - Montmorency Falls and French Quebec - Leave Montreal and travel to Quebec City. Sprawled atop sheer cliffs rising above the narrowing St. Lawrence River, Quebec City reflects an old-world charm and grace of another era. We drive past the heart of French Canada to magnificent Montmorency Falls; (at 272 ft., they are higher than Niagara Falls). Enjoy lunch beside the falls before visiting the Shrine of Ste. Anne de Beaupré, later we go back to one of the most romantic cities in the world after Paris - Quebec City where we stay for one night. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner  Lodging: Le Château Frontenac (1 Night)

Day 10- Explore Quebec City - Today, your eastern Canada vacation takes you on a sightseeing tour of the walled city of Old Quebec, capital of the province. See the Plains of Abraham, the battlefield where the final decision for control of North America was settled. The Plains of Abraham Park and historical monument, at the site of the 1759 battle, is now one of the continent's largest urban parks, In Old Quebec the ancient stone houses huddled beside venerable churches and monuments call to mind memories of a typical city of 18th-century Europe; spend the rest of the day exploring at leisure. Old Quebec is known as the most romantic city in North America.  This evening we board a train to Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner  Lodging: VIA Rail to Halifax.  Overnight train

Day 11- VIA Rail train to Halifax. Welcome to Canada’s Atlantic Coast and the Canadian Maritimes. Relax and view the beautiful countryside along the way. This is truly a day to see eastern Canada as the early explorers first saw it as the train meanders through sylvan forests, past roaring rivers and placid lakes. We will visit the largest Titanic Cemetery in the world, view the valleys and hills that Alexander Graham Bell loved, and tour the enchanting land of Anne of Green Gables. Your journey includes visits to all three provinces of the Canadian Maritimes: Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner  Lodging: Delta Halifax Hotel (2 Nights)

Day 12 – Halifax, Nova Scotia, Peggy’s Cove, Citadel Hill - After breakfast, visit the picturesque fishing village and artists’ retreat of Peggy’s Cove marvel at the determination of sculptor William DeGarth when you see his sculpture to Nova Scotia fishermen. Surprise your friends and relatives by mailing a postcard from the only lighthouse in North America with a post office in it!  There will be free time to explore the rocks, visit the gift shops and enjoy the view. If parking allows us you will see the Memorial to Swiss Air Flight 111. In the afternoon you enjoy a sightseeing drive of Halifax, including a visit to Citadel Hill. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure in Halifax to explore the many attractions within walking distance of your waterfront hotel.  Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 13 – Grand Pre Acadian Museum and Annapolis Royal - Our journey takes us to Grand Pre where truth and fiction reveal the romance of Evangeline - the Heroine made famous by the poem of the same name. The area is famous for having been an early settlement of the Acadians, whose expulsion in 1755 was a great loss to many families. It is a pilgrimage site for Acadians and the world. The historic site highlights the period between the Acadian colonisation of 1682 and the deportations that began in 1755. It brings to mind the most painful and the most heroic hours of the Acadians, and will stand as an example and a future reminder for generations to come, of a very courageous people. The village was also the birthplace of Sir Robert Borden, prime minister of Canada from 1911 to 1920. Continuing to Annapolis Royal we meander through the Annapolis Valley into Digby where we will stay overlooking the Bay of Fundy - home of the world’s highest tides.Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lodging: Digby Pines Signature Resort (1 Night)

Day 14 – New Brunswick - Bay of Fundy - This morning we take a ferry across the Bay of Fundy to New Brunswick; Canada’s 
picture province. Enjoy a visit to the province’s most famous geological feature and most popular tourist attraction, the Flowerpot
Rocks at Hopewell Cape. The province borders on the Bay of Fundy, which funnels the tides in an unusual manner, creating the world's highest tides, measuring over 14 metres (48 feet) in height. Twice each day one-hundred-billion tons of water flow into the Bay of Fundy. The first French settlers, known as Acadians, arrived in 1604. The Acadians, endured wars and feuds between the British and French, following a British victory in war many of them were shipped, to the French colony of Louisiana, where they are known today as "Cajuns." Today New Brunswick still has the highest percentage of Francophones outside Quebec, When the Canadian Constitution was "repatriated," New Brunswick was the only province that enshrined its official bilingualism in the document  Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Lodging: Delta Hotel Moncton (1 Night)

Day 15 – Lobster Lunch and Prince Edward Island - This morning we drive to the Acadian shore of New Brunswick to visit the largest lobster in the world. Later we travel to Shediac, a quaint Acadian Village where we have a lobster lunch aboard a lobster tour boat and learn the intricacy of eating a lobster the ‘right way’. Sit back, relax and enjoy the seascape with cool refreshment by your side and down home Acadian hospitality. After our lunch we will continue over the Confederation Bridge to Prince Edward Island, Canada’s smallest province.  Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lodging: Delta Prince Edward (2 Nights)

Day 16 – Prince Edward Island –Prince Edward Island is Canada's smallest province in area and population. The island
lies in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, separated from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick by the Northumberland Strait It was
discovered by Jacques Cartier in 1534, who described it as "the most beautiful stretch of land imaginable". Prince Edward Island hosted the 1864 Charlottetown Conference that set Canadian Confederation in motion and is known as the "cradle of Confederation" Prince Edward Island was made popular after Lucy Maude Montgomery wrote the story of the beloved Anne (Anne with an ‘E’).This morning we will, drive along the seashore of the national Park, watch for red fox and great blue heron. We will visit ‘Lake of the Shining Waters’ where Lucy Maude used to spend her summers. Tonight, enjoy a dinner at a world famous restaurant, eat PEI mussels; enjoy fresh salad and HUGE desserts. Over the peak summer tourist season the Island is host to more than 1.2 million visitors   Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 17 – Cape Breton Island - Enjoy a morning ferry ride across the Northumberland Strait to Nova Scotia. Travel over the Canso Causeway to Cape Breton Island and see why many locals and visitors alike say Cape Breton Island is “God’s Country”. Drive along Canada’s largest inland salt water lake; the Bras D’Or Lakes meaning “Arm of Gold”. Visit the Bell Museum, dedicated to the inventor of the telephone. Alexander Graham Bell once remarked, “I have travelled around the globe... and for simple beauty, Cape Breton outrivals them all”. You will experience a peace and serenity as you drive along the lakes and see the mist covered mountains of the Highlands. The fall foliage is breathtaking as the forest blazes in reds, yellows and oranges Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner  Lodging: Gisele’s Inn (2 Nights)

Day 18– Cabot Trail - Whale Watching - Today is another highlight day as we travel around the Cabot Trail, a world famous scenic drive noted for its spectacular vistas of rolling seaside terrain and breathtaking seascapes! It is said that Norsemen landed on the shores of Cape Breton in the 10th century. John Cabot reputedly made his first landfall in the New World off the east coast of Cape Breton in 1497. Cape Breton Highlands National Park, the first national park in the Maritimes, situated in the northern section of Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island, preserves 950 square kilometres of wilderness. The best known feature of the park-the Cabot Trail, provides breathtaking views of the Gulf of St. Lawrence headlands and the curving Atlantic shores.

We shall stop in the Acadian Villageof Cheticamp and board a whale watching boat. As we travel around the Cabot Trail keep your eyes open for wildlife, maybe an eagle gracefully soaring in the clear blue skies or if we are lucky see a moose or two ambling down the highway. Often times you will see traffic come to a complete stop as tourists view this magnificent creature usher her calves across the road. 

The Cabot Trail winds north from Baddeck, goes through the Acadian Village of Cheticamp 
and climbs French Mountain, moving along the Gulf of St. Lawrence coast to Pleasant Bay,
then across the interior to Ingonish at the north-eastern entrance to the park. There are many places one can walk through a variety of habitats typical of this natural region of lush hardwood, boreal forests, bogs, barrens and muskeg.   Along the Gulf shoreline, the carefully monitored schools of Atlantic salmon begin their return upriver on their spawning runs. Cape Breton Highlands is one of only four national parks in the world protecting breeding habitat of this internationally threatened species.  (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 19 – Fortress of Louisbourg - Enjoy a leisurely visit to the impressive Fortress of Louisbourg, the crown jewel of the Canadian Park Service, journey back in time as you stroll through this 18th century fortress. Step back in time to 1744! Experience Louisbourg, a thriving seaport and the capital of Ile Royale. The Fortress was one of the busiest harbours in North America and one of France's key centres of trade and military strength in the New World. The French came to Louisbourg in 1713, after ceding Acadia and Newfoundland to the British by the terms of the Treaty of Utrecht, which ended the War of the Spanish Succession. France's only remaining possessions in what is now Atlantic Canada were the islands of Cape Breton and Prince Edward, which were then called Isle Royale and Isle Saint-Jean. The French used these islands as a base to continue the lucrative cod fishery of the Grand Banks. In 1719 they began to construct a fortified town at Louisbourg which was only completed on the eve of the first siege in 1745. 

Following a declaration of war between Britain and France. Charged with the fervour of a religious crusade, and informed that the fortress was in disrepair with its poorly supplied troops on the verge of mutiny, the New Englanders mounted an assault on Louisbourg. To the embarrassment of the New Englanders, only three years later the town was restored to the French by the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. In 1758 Louisbourg was besieged a second time. Attacking with 16,000 troops supported by 150 ships, a British army captured the fortress in seven weeks. Determined that Louisbourg would never again become a fortified French base, the British demolished the fortress walls. In 1961 the Government of Canada began a $25 million dollar project aimed at reconstructing approximately one-quarter of the original town and fortifications. Within this area the buildings, yards, gardens and streets are being recreated as they were during the 1740s, immediately preceding Louisbourg's first siege.

Day 20 – Halifax - Today we travel back to Halifax to catch our flight to Toronto, we fly to Toronto where we will take pleasure in a Farewell Dinner, share some stories and say farewell to new found friends.  Meals: Breakfast, Dinner  Lodging: The Fairmont Royal York (1 Night)

Day 21- Flight home We hope you enjoy our tour to Eastern Canada and will speak fondly of us and our ways when you share your experience with others. Flight from Toronto to Home
Meals: Breakfast

Magnificent Eastern Canada Tour
21 Days
{Tour Code MECT21}

GL Travel Services reserves the right to change hotels and restaurants due to unforeseen circumstances; renovations, etc. however the changes will be of the same quality as the original itinerary.

Please note: Hotel ratings are based on Hotel and Travel Index Standard classifications. Hotels not rated by the Hotel and Travel Index have been evaluated by GL Travel Services tour designers as meeting our standards
for cleanliness, quality, comfort, and value. Itinerary is subject to change.