Colours of Eastern Canada & New England Cruise: 24 days Montreal to Quebec City

Your journey begins in one of the continent’s most captivating cities. Montréal is a place of rare character, where the elegance of Europe settles comfortably alongside the energy of North America, and where every neighbourhood tells a story of culture, creativity and resilience. Upon arrival, you’ll be welcomed and transferred to the luxurious Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, your home for the next two nights – a landmark address at the very heart of Montréal, befitting the journey ahead.

A mosaic of cultures, flavours and creative energy that comes alive at street level, Montréal rewards those who wander. This morning, join a guided city tour to uncover its history, striking architecture and distinct neighbourhoods, from the heritage streetscapes of the Plateau to the grandeur of Mount Royal. This afternoon, make the city your own with your choice of Scenic Freechoice experiences.

Scenic Freechoice:
Beyond the Market Walking Food Tour: Jean-Talon isn’t just a market, it’s the beating heart of Montréal’s food culture. Sample fresh goat cheese, lose yourself in a spice den, taste exceptional charcuterie and discover a forager, a sorbet maker and Syrian sweets around every corner. A stroll into Little Italy brings freshly roasted coffee, generations of tradition and an award-winning bean-to-bar chocolate maker.

Montréal Underground City Tour: Most visitors never know it exists. Stretching 33 kilometres beneath the city, Montréal’s Underground City is a vast, ingeniously designed network of metro stations, towers, hotels and public squares, built to keep the city moving through the harshest winters. A local guide reveals hidden passageways, insider shortcuts and the fascinating history behind one of the world’s most remarkable urban feats.

Montréal by Cadillac Convertible: Settle into a stunning Cadillac convertible and let Montréal unfold around you in the most stylish way imaginable. Iconic landmarks, vibrant neighbourhoods and hidden gems come to life with a passionate local guide. No crowded buses, no rushing – just open skies, great stories and insider knowledge that turns a city visit into something genuinely memorable.

Travel the historic Chemin du Roy, the ancient road connecting Montréal and Québec City for centuries – passing through Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade, the self-proclaimed world capital of ice fishing. Along the way, a Scenic Enrich experience offers a genuine taste of Québécois tradition.

Scenic Enrich
Step inside a local Sugar Shack to discover the centuries-old art of maple sugaring, a practice that began with the Indigenous peoples of North America and was embraced by French settlers, giving birth to one of Québec’s most beloved traditions. Savour traditional Québécois fare and enjoy the warmth of live, local music in a setting that feels genuinely unchanged by time.

Arrive in Québec City and settle into a three-night Scenic Special Stay at the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, the world’s most photographed hotel, dominating the city’s skyline above the Saint Lawrence River and visible from almost anywhere in the city.

Dating to 1608, Québec City is one of the oldest European settlements in North America – a fortified city of stone buildings, narrow streets and a French-speaking soul unlike anywhere else on the continent. This morning, a guided tour takes in the Latin Quarter, the sweeping Plains of Abraham, City Hall and the historic Place Royale. The afternoon is yours to shape with your choice of Scenic Freechoice experiences.

Scenic Freechoice:
Old Québec Walking Tour: A World Heritage treasure and the cradle of French civilisation in North America, Old Québec invites you into four centuries of living history. Every alley and hidden doorway holds something worth discovering. Your guide weaves world-changing battles and generations of local artistry into a walk through cobblestone streets that feels anything but ordinary.

Lower Town & Grand Marché by E-Bike: Ride through narrow, atmospheric streets past heritage architecture and a legendary public square, following the waterfront of the Old Port where fortification walls rise above and the St. Lawrence stretches to the horizon. A riverside path leads to the Grand Marché, where local producers invite you to taste and linger.

Québec City Guided Sightseeing River Cruise: Discover Québec City from the water on a guided cruise along the St. Lawrence River, sailing from Old Québec past Île d’Orléans toward Montmorency Falls, with sweeping views of the Château Frontenac from the water. Relax on the outdoor terraces as your guide brings the city’s remarkable story to life.

Stretching between mountains and shores, the Charlevoix region reveals landscapes of unique beauty – a World Heritage Biosphere Reserve that has captivated artists and travellers for centuries. Today’s full-day excursion follows the Royal Road, the Chemin du Roy, from the historic heart of Québec City, pausing at the thundering Montmorency Falls and a revered North American pilgrimage basilica before arriving in the charming town of Baie-Saint-Paul for a leisurely regional lunch. The panoramas, the gastronomy and the sense of quiet grandeur make this one of the journey’s most quietly memorable days.

Begin the day at one of Canada’s most immersive wildlife experiences. At Parc Oméga, elk, bison, wolves, bears and foxes roam freely through vast natural habitats – a Scenic Enrich experience that is as humbling as it is remarkable. Continue to Ottawa, Canada’s capital, situated at the confluence of several rivers and a city whose very name derives from the Algonquin word Odawa, meaning “to trade.” Settle into the Westin Ottawa before an evening that celebrates the city’s culinary standing.

Scenic Enrich
Encounter Canada’s iconic wildlife roaming freely through the vast natural habitats of Parc Oméga.

Scenic Enrich
This evening, savour Ottawa’s finest cuisine through a progressive dining experience, with each course served at a different celebrated restaurant in the heart of the capital, a seamless, convivial way to discover a city through the lens of its food.

Before departing Ottawa, a guided morning tour reveals the city’s considerable grandeur – Parliament Hill rising above the Ottawa River, the Victorian architecture of its public buildings and the beautifully park-lined Rideau Canal, a World Heritage Site in its own right. Continue south to Toronto for a two-night stay at the storied Fairmont Royal York, one of Canada’s most celebrated addresses.

This morning’s guided tour takes in Toronto’s great landmarks – the St. Lawrence Market, Toronto Harbour and the vibrant pulse of Dundas Square. Later, rise to the observation deck of the iconic CN Tower and step out onto the famous glass floor for breathtaking views over the expanse of Lake Ontario. The day draws to a close on the water, with a relaxing harbour cruise offering a final, sweeping perspective of the city’s remarkable skyline.

Few natural wonders command the senses like Niagara Falls. Cruise to the very base of the falls and feel the full, thunderous force of the cascading waters at close range. This evening, dinner at Table Rock Restaurant perched right beside the Canadian Horseshoe Falls, which is one of the most extraordinary dining settings imaginable. The Niagara Parks Power Station’s spectacular sight and sound night show follows, a theatrical tribute to the power that once lit a continent. Your Scenic Special Stay is at the Niagara Falls Marriott Fallsview Hotel & Spa, where Fallsview rooms place the falls themselves as your backdrop, a setting that stays with you long after you have moved on.

Cross into the United States and arrive in Lancaster, a picturesque Pennsylvania city steeped in history, known for its rolling countryside, strong sense of community and the enduring presence of the Amish. Savour a traditional home-style Amish feast this evening, a warm and generous introduction to a culture that has remained deliberately apart from the modern world. Settle into the Lancaster Arts Hotel for an overnight stay.

This morning, visit an authentic Amish farm for a genuine and unhurried insight into a way of life guided by faith, tradition and community – a way of living that stands in quiet, principled contrast to the world beyond its fences. Then continue to Washington D.C., where neoclassical monuments and the great institutions of American democracy await. The White House, the Supreme Court and the Capitol building anchor a city that carries the weight of a nation’s story in every boulevard and stone. Enjoy a two-night stay at the Fairmont Washington D.C.

An immersive guided tour reveals the history and enduring influence of the US capital, from the solemn memorials of the National Mall and the wide avenues of Arlington Cemetery to a guided tour inside the US Capitol itself, taking in the Crypt, the Rotunda and National Statuary Hall, also known as the Old Hall of the House. Few cities carry the weight of history quite like Washington D.C., and few days on this journey leave a deeper impression.

Continue to New York City.  and the energy of the world’s most famous skyline, for a two-night stay at the New York Marriott Marquis in the heart of Times Square. After dark, a NYC Night Bus tour reveals the city in its most dazzling state, with the lights, the movement and the sheer scale of it all best absorbed from the open road.

This morning, circumnavigate the island of Manhattan from the teak decks of an elegant motor yacht, exploring the city’s architecture, engineering marvels and revitalised waterfront, with expert narration from a member of the American Institute of Architects New York. It is a perspective on this most vertical of cities that few visitors ever experience.

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Nothing captures the spirit of New York quite like a night on Broadway. This evening, you’ll be treated to an unforgettable production in the world’s most celebrated theatre district – one of those experiences that reminds you why live performance, in the right city, in the right theatre, remains truly incomparable.

Board Amtrak’s Acela Express in Business Class for the scenic journey north to Boston, a comfortable and unhurried passage between two of America’s most storied cities, with the New England landscape unfolding beyond the window. Arrive in Boston and settle into a two-night stay at the Westin Copley Place, ideally positioned in the Back Bay neighbourhood.

Join a guided Freedom Trail walk through Boston’s historic neighbourhoods, tracing the very streets where the story of the American Revolution unfolded. From colonial meeting houses and the sites of pivotal moments in the founding of a nation, your Tour Director brings history to life through the places where it actually happened.

Today marks a new chapter in your journey. Board your luxurious Holland America Line cruise on ms Zuiderdam and settle into your Verandah Stateroom, a private outdoor space from which the coastline of New England will soon unfold. Take time to explore the ship, familiarise yourself with its amenities and raise a glass to the remarkable days ahead.

Portland’s Old Port is a living portrait of maritime prosperity with its elegant captains’ and merchants’ houses, cobblestones that have weathered two centuries, and a lively waterfront that wears its history proudly. Explore the Old Port and surrounding neighbourhoods where Victorian streets, lively cafés, and harbour views blend Portland’s rich seafaring past with its relaxed coastal atmosphere, before setting sail.

Explore the seaside capital of Nova Scotia, where nautical museums trace centuries of seafaring history, and a lively waterfront reflects the city’s enduring connection to the ocean. A short journey brings you to Peggy’s Cove, where a solitary lighthouse stands watch over one of Canada’s most iconic seascapes. Perched on smooth granite rocks shaped by the Atlantic, the lighthouse overlooks crashing waves and endless ocean horizons, creating a dramatic, windswept landscape.

Sydney is the vibrant heart of Cape Breton Island, where Gaelic, Mi’kmaq and Acadian cultures have shaped a community unlike anywhere else in Canada. The island’s landscapes are rugged and beautiful, but it is the people and their living traditions that leave the deepest impression. From stirring Celtic music to the ancient wisdom of the Mi’kmaq people, every encounter here reveals another layer of a captivating and enduring story.

Visit Charlottetown, the largest city on Prince Edward Island and the inspiration for the beloved Anne of Green Gables. There is a gentle, unhurried quality to this destination. Charming Victorian architecture lines the streets, cobblestones lead to a picturesque waterfront, and the wild shores of the island stretch into the distance. It is one of Canada’s most quietly enchanting destinations, and one that holds a very particular affection in the hearts of those who visit.

Cruise the majestic Gulf of Saint Lawrence, where rich maritime history and a diverse marine ecosystem converge in open, luminous waters. Graceful whales, playful dolphins and seabirds may accompany the journey as you scan the horizon from the comfort of your ship. Enjoy a day of open sky, open sea and the unhurried pleasure of being exactly where you are.

Savour a peaceful day cruising the St. Lawrence River, one of the great waterways of North America, its broad and gentle flow carries you past forested shores and historic settlements towards your destination. It is a day for reflection, for the beauty of the passing landscape and for the particular contentment of a journey well spent.

Your journey draws to a close in Québec City, returning full circle to where the story of French Canada began. The city’s familiar silhouette, the Château Frontenac rising above the river, the old stone walls catching the morning light, feels both brand new and warmly familiar. Depart with memories of two nations, countless encounters and a journey that set the standard for luxury exploration.

Please book your flight to depart out of Quebec City after 12:00 PM.

This itinerary is a guide only and may be amended for operational reasons. Please refer to Scenic’s terms and conditions for further information. Hotels are indicative and subject to change.