New England & Canadian Foliage Splendor

Day 1

Welcome to New England! - Boston City Highlights Tour
Arrive at Boston's Logan International Airport where you'll receive a warm greeting from your Tour Director. Board your coach and enjoy a guided (driving) tour of historic Boston, the birthplace of American Freedom! Follow the famous Freedom Trail viewing many historic sites while hearing tales of the brave Bostonians and Colonialists who dared to challenge Britain and helped establish the greatest republic in the world. Enjoy a picture stop at the USS Constitution. Later, check into your Boston area hotel for the evening. Take time to freshen up before gathering for a welcome dinner.

Day 2

Lake Winnipesaukee Luncheon Cruise, Scenic Kancamagus Highway & Gondola Ride
After breakfast, depart for a spectacular day of touring through the Lakes Region and White Mountains of New Hampshire! Arrive at Weirs Beach to board the M/S Mount Washington for a scenic Lunch Cruise on Lake Winnipesaukee. The name "Winnipesaukee" itself is derived from the Algonquin language, meaning "beautiful water in a high place" and cruise to the charming lakeside village of Wolfeboro, the oldest Summer Resort in America. Continue north to the White Mountains of New Hampshire and travel along the Kancamagus Highway; one of the country's most scenic byways viewing magnificent scenery. Arrive at Loon Mountain for an exciting Gondola Ride viewing the spectacular foliage and then check into The Mountain Club at the Loon. Take time to relax and freshen up before gathering for dinner.

Day 3

Franconia Notch State Park, Cog Railway & Mount Washington Hotel Tour & Reception
This morning, enjoy breakfast before departing with your guide for a fun-filled day exploring the White Mountains! This morning, travel through Franconia Notch State Park, in the heart of the White Mountain National Forest. Franconia Notch was the home of the famous Old Man of the Mountain, the same "Great Stone Face" immortalized by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Daniel Webster. Enjoy a visit to the Flume Gorge Visitor Center and enjoy a 20-minute movie showcasing the beautiful Franconia Notch State Park. Then, venture to the Mount Washington Cog Railway for an unforgettable and exciting "once in a lifetime" railing experience. In 1869, the Cog Railway was an engineering marvel, a technology of toothed cog gears, rack rails, and tilted boilers. Enjoy a rare glimpse of this world gone by while enjoying spectacular views as we travel up some of the steepest railroad tracks in existence. This afternoon, visit the historic Omni Mount Washington Hotel. A grand masterpiece of Spanish Renaissance architecture, The Mount Washington Hotel in New Hampshire's White Mountains, was a two-year labor of love for 250 master craftsmen. Conceived by industrialist Joseph Stickney, this National Historic Landmark opened in 1902 and at once became a favorite summer haunt for poets, presidents, and princes. Enjoy a tour of this magnificent hotel followed by a festival wine and artisan Cheese Reception ~or~ New England Cider Social Tonight, enjoy dinner on your own.

Day 4

Maple Sugar Experience & Trapp Family Lodge Lunch
Today explore Vermont's splendid foliage and countryside, beginning with a visit to one of Vermont's Family Maple Sugar farms! Tour the farm; enjoy a lively maple demonstration and sample syrups! Then the hills come alive with a special visit to the famous Trapp Family Lodge. As Maria von Trapp once said, "Our life is like a beautiful story that happens to be true." Enjoy a planned lunch in the Lodge! This afternoon, continue north to the cosmopolitan Canadian city of Montreal and check into your downtown hotel for a fun-filled two-night stay! Enjoy dinner at our leisure this evening.

Day 5

Tour of Montreal & Notre Dame Basilica AURA
Following breakfast, meet your local Step-On guide for a full-day guided tour of the city. Montreal is a vibrant commercial and financial metropolis, with a large francophone culture and is widely regarded as one of the most cosmopolitan cities in North America. Enjoy the many sites, both new and old, throughout the city. Midday enjoy lunch on your own in Old Montreal (Vieux-Montréal), which offers a window into the city's rich history with its cobblestone streets and architectural styles ranging from the 16th century to the present. This afternoon, return to the hotel to freshen up before enjoying an early dinner together. After dinner, enjoy a luminous experience of AURA at the Notre Dame Basilica! The experience begins with a path of lights, revealing the Basilica's wealth of exquisite works along with orchestral music and grandiose architecture combined to create a unique, three-act multimedia spectacle.

Day 6

Quebec City Tour & Fairmont Chateau Frontenac Costumed Guided Tour
This morning after breakfast, we'll depart for Québec City, the only fortified city in North America north of Mexico. Upon arrival, meet our local Tour Guide and embark on a wonderful tour of Quebec City. Discover beautiful cityscapes and see how Québec's defenses developed under the French and English regimes. Cannons, loopholes, the Esplanade Powder Magazine, a star-shaped Citadel, Artillery Park, and fortresses are all part of this outstanding tour! Then experience Castle life on your guided tour of the iconic Chateau Frontenac hotel located on one of the most beautiful sites in Quebec City. Discover the famous characters and historical events that shaped the identity of the Fairmont Château Frontenac over the years, as well as its architectural development and rejuvenation process undergone in recent years. Check into our Quebec City hotel for a two-night stay. Take some time to relax and freshen up before enjoying a gastronomic dinner in the Old City.

Day 7

Tour the Beaupre Coast, Saint Anne de Beaupre & Montmorency Falls
Set off today for wonderful sightseeing along the Beaupre Coast along the Saint Lawrence River. Stop at Boulangerie Chez Marie in old Cote-de-Beaupre at this 4th generation bakery housed in a 1652 stone building for a taste of their famous bread with maple butter! Then visit the Albert Gilles Copper Museum and follow the Gilles family and be entranced by the "art of repoussé", masterfully interpreted by the craftsman Albert Gilles whose talent served prestigious people like Pope Pius XII and Walt Disney. Continue to the magnificent Saint Anne de Beaupre Basilica - the Shrine is the second oldest pilgrimage site in North America. Discover the shrine's extraordinary history through its painting, stained glass, mosaics, and wooden sculpture. Our tour would not be complete without a stop at the magnificent Montmorency Falls which are higher than Niagara Falls. Enjoy the balance of the day and evening exploring the Old City and dine at one of the many wonderful Old City restaurants.

Day 8

Freeport, Maine
Enjoy breakfast, say au revoir to Canada, and leave south for coastal Maine. Sit back, relax, and soak up the magnificent colors of autumn. This afternoon, arrive in Freeport, ME, and enjoy time exploring the charming downtown. Later, check your Freeport hotel and take time to relax and freshen up for dinner together.

Day 9

Portland Head Light, Kennebunkport, Ogunquit & Lobster Cruise
This morning, enjoy breakfast before setting out for a lovely day touring coastal Maine! Begin with a visit to Portland and the Old Port Exchange which was the heart of Portland's busy 19th-century commercial ventures and continues to be the center of activity today. Continue to Portland Head Light, commissioned by George Washington is one of the oldest continuously operating lights in the country. Then continue to the popular summer resort of Kennebunkport! Drive by Walker Point and view the summer home of the 41st President of the United States George H. W. Bush. Enjoy free time in Dock Square to explore, shop, and have lunch on your own. Then continue to the seaside village of Ogunquit - named by the Abenaki Indians meaning, "Beautiful place by the sea" and set off on a fun-filled lobster cruise experience! Enjoy the scenic beauty of Ogunquit's shoreline, learn about lobsters and their habitat, and see traps hauled and lobsters caught by an authentic Maine lobsterman. Continue touring through the village of York with a picture stop at one of the most photographed lighthouses in the country - Cape Neddick Light, popularly known as "the Nubble." Early evening, enjoy a traditional down east meal for a chance to try succulent Maine lobster before continuing to our hotel for the evening.

Day 10

Depart for home.
This morning, after breakfast, return to Boston Logan International Airport taking with you many treasured memories of your Taste of New England vacation!

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner