The Fall and The Cobblestone Street

Begin in spectacular Niagara Falls, experiencing its scale from land, water and sky. Take to the air by helicopter for sweeping views across the Niagara Gorge before touching down near wine country for a private vineyard lunch. Continue with a leisurely cycling and culinary experience around the region, then return to the falls for privileged sightseeing designed to minimise time spent waiting. End with a private cruise towards the thundering cascades, bringing you remarkably close to one of North America’s most powerful natural landmarks.

Continue to Toronto, where a dynamic combination of cultures, neighbourhoods and contemporary architecture provides a sharp contrast to Niagara’s natural drama. Excursionist’s Eastern Canada programme highlights the city’s multicultural character alongside its role as one of North America’s major centres for film and television. Explore with an insider’s perspective, uncovering the creative industries behind “Hollywood North” and experiencing the diverse communities that have shaped Toronto into one of Canada’s most cosmopolitan destinations.

Travel onwards to Ottawa, exchanging Toronto’s cosmopolitan pace for the stately surroundings of Canada’s national capital. Excursionist’s original Eastern Canada journey adds an adventurous dimension to the stay, with opportunities for white-water rafting beyond the city and an exclusive ice-hockey experience. Between adventures, take time to absorb Ottawa’s riverside setting and elegant civic character, bringing together Canadian culture, sport and outdoor activity before the journey crosses into French-speaking Québec.

Arrive in Montréal, a city celebrated for combining French heritage with a distinctly contemporary creative identity. Discover its culinary culture on a privately guided food experience by bicycle, sampling local flavours as you move through some of the city’s most characterful neighbourhoods. Excursionist also highlights privileged access to Montréal’s art world, with opportunities to explore exhibitions and private collections beyond the conventional visitor experience. As evening arrives, the stone façades and cobbled streets of Old Montréal provide an atmospheric setting for a refined night in the city.

Leave Montréal behind and retreat into the Eastern Townships, where forests, lakes and rural communities create a gentler side of Québec. The Excursionist journey turns towards the countryside for outdoor adventures amid an almost storybook landscape before introducing one of the region’s more unusual traditions: artisanal cheesemaking associated with monastic communities that also produce their own beer. The combination of natural scenery, local craftsmanship and gastronomy makes today an intimate counterpoint to the cultural intensity of Montréal.

Continue to Québec City, where fortified walls, steep stone lanes and centuries-old architecture create one of North America’s most distinctive historic settings. Wander through the atmospheric streets of the Old Town, with the Château Frontenac rising dramatically above the St. Lawrence River. Excursionist’s Eastern Canada journey adds a romantic dimension with an intimate private dinner overlooking the city’s landmark château, allowing you to experience the historic quarter after the daytime crowds have dispersed and its lantern-lit streets become especially atmospheric.

Conclude the journey by following the St. Lawrence River towards Charlevoix, where mountains descend towards one of Canada’s great waterways. Excursionist envisages the finale aboard a private Champagne cruise, using the river as a gateway to a region renowned for wildlife and dramatic scenery. Depending on the programme and season, time here can incorporate whale watching, hiking or simply relaxing amid Charlevoix’s immense landscapes. It is a suitably tranquil conclusion to a journey that has moved from Niagara’s thundering waters through Canada’s great cities to the historic and natural beauty of Québec.