I have just returned from the most amazing trip to Canada, and I loved every minute of it, from waterfalls to boat cruises and helicopter tours, we did it all! We saw cities, towns, villages, dined like kings and queens and experienced the diversity the country has to offer.
Day 1
Myself, Hayley & Jade from Miles Morgan Travel all checked in at Terminal 2 for our Educational trip to Toronto, Niagara, Kingston & Ottawa. We flew Air Canada, which was a very comfortable 7.5-hour flight, with good inflight entertainment and meals. On arrival in Toronto, we were met and transferred by a luxury bus up to Niagara Falls, to our hotel 'The Marriott on the Falls'. This is a beautiful hotel right on the falls offering luxurious rooms. Wow what a view I had from my room! Top Tip: Upgrade your room to a Falls View guestroom to have this amazing experience.
Day 2
We had an early start this morning, with a wonderful breakfast in a lovely boutique hotel 'The Old Stone Inn' which is a short walk from the falls. The breakfast was the best we had throughout our tour, we were filled up with beautiful pancakes, the famous maple syrup, bacon, eggs, scones, muffins and fruit all beautifully presented!
After breakfast we made our way down to the falls to experience everything Niagara has to offer. First off was ‘Niagara Takes Flight’, which is a soaring adventure, a simulation flight showing you the history, science and indigenous culture of the area, flying over rapids, forests and steep rock faces. I would highly recommend it.
We then visited the Niagara Parks power station, the first power plant on the Canadian side of the Niagara River, with immersive exhibits, restored artifacts and interactive storytelling. For 100 years this power station harnessed the energy of the Horseshoe falls and turned it in to a great source of electricity. Now this power station has come to a halt and is now used as an educational and entertaining experience. It was a really interesting visit.
The last experience of the day was a Helicopter tour over the falls! Despite my initial apprehension I was soon flying high above the falls in an 8-seater helicopter loving every minute of it! The views were amazing; this really was a once in a lifetime experience and something I would highly recommend.
To end the day, we visited Niagara-on-the-lake; a beautiful town, a short drive from the falls, a very quaint high street offering a selection of souvenir gifts shops etc, there was a lovely selection of coffee, shops, pubs and restaurants and a Christmas shop!
Or you can take a walk along the shores of Lake Ontario and take in the beautiful scenery. You will also find lots of vineyards in the area which offer wine tours and wine tasting experiences. We had a wonderful 3 course dinner and wine pairing at The Queens Landing Hotel overlooking the lake. We sampled lots of different wines and ended the evening with a glass of ice wine, which is a local speciality!
Day 3
Today, although we were sad to say goodbye to Niagara Falls, we made our way to Toronto. Before we left Niagara, we were very lucky to experience the famous 'Lady of the Mist' which is a cruise boat that goes to bottom of the falls, it is a 20-minute cruise, you will get wet! But they provide you with waterproof ponchos, what an experience it was! You have stunning views of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls, American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls and along the way you hear the thundering roar, awesome power and amazing mist that come along with these natural wonders. It was amazing despite getting a bit wet!
After this trip we headed off to Toronto, arriving in the big city we checked in to our centrally located hotel 'The Chelsea' which was a very large hotel. Rooms were comfortable and there was a restaurant and bar area that allowed east access to all the local attractions.
In the afternoon we boarded a coach for a city tour; this was a great way to get an initial overview of the city and see the icons and treasures of Toronto. We stopped off at Casa loma, a castle built in 1914, it hosts weddings, functions and even film sets for Hollywood movies.
After this we visited St Lawrence Market where you will see locally grown fresh fruit, vegetables and meat, they offer food and wine tours, and why not take a visit to the distillery area where there is a great selection of restaurants and bars.
Day 4
Today we had a guided tour of the art gallery of Ontario, one of largest art museums in North America, showcasing a wide range of exhibitions & programs by artists from around the world.
After this we moved to Kensington Market area which I would highly recommend. A fabulous area filled with cafes, restaurants, vintage clothing shops, and a great food market - well worth a visit.
In the late afternoon we visited a very unique attraction 'Little Canada' where you can see miniature models of all the provinces of this amazing country. It is a great display of cities, mountains, lakes & parks all in miniature size. It was fascinating and a very clever way to display all Canada has to offer.
My highlight of Toronto was a visit up the CN tower and dinner in a 360 revolving restaurant, offering the most amazing view of the city at night! We took a lift up 147 floors to the observation tower and restaurant. Here, we had a wonderful meal and drinks in a stunning environment! The restaurant revolved over 70 minutes so you could capture the city view from every angle. If you are scared of heights, you may want to give it a miss!!
Day 5
Time to say goodbye to Toronto and board our VIA rail train to Kingston. This was a great trip on a high-speed train. We travelled first class which gave us big comfy seats, a lovely breakfast and drinks. We arrived in Kingston which is a lovely little town located on the St Lawrence River with a beautiful town square, lots of shops, bars, restaurants and boat tours.
We had a tour of the town, and our first stop was Bellevue House where the first Prime Minister of Canada, John Macdonla, resided. We learnt a lot about the history of Canada. We also visited Fort Henry which was built to defend the town in the 1800's. Our favourite part of our Kingston visit was the Penitentiary Prison, which is now a visitor's attraction. It was fascinating to see what prison life is like visiting the cells, yard and medical centre. After dinner we had a ghost walk around the town hearing spooky stories from the past!
Day 6
Today we left Kingston and headed to 1000 Islands. (where the dressing is made!) Here we had the most amazing helicopter tour hovering over the islands, with the most spectacular views. We were so lucky with the weather, the sun shone for us and the 20-minute flight was the highlight of my trip! Absolutely breathtaking!
After this we headed to Rockford where we boarded a pleasure cruise sailing around the islands. What a great experience it was to see these islands from above in a helicopter and from the lake by boat. We passed luxury homes built on tiny islands, some of the islands are Canadian and some are American and there is even a border crossing through the middle! It really is one of the most beautiful spots in Canada.
After another wonderful lunch we headed by coach to Ottawa for our last 2 days.
Day 7
We arrived in Ottawa and checked into the gorgeous Lord Elgin Hotel. It is a historic gem in Ottawa, offering not just a place to stay but an experience steeped in elegance and charm. It is very centrally located, so easy to reach all the attractions of the city and to take a walk along the riverbank.
Ottawa is a great city and very walkable. It is smaller than Toronto but full of charm. Parliament buildings, museums, lovely shops, markets, river and night life. We wandered around the ByWard Market area and had a food wine tour experiencing the local vendors food. We did mustard and maple syrup tasting, beavertail pastries and sampled local beers and wines. It was well worth the visit.
We visited an art gallery, the history museum, had an open top bus tour, but the highlight of Ottawa for me was a visit to the Canadian Mint, which was very educational and great fun watching all the coins being made.
Day 8
Our trip has come to an end; all I can say is I was blown away with the beauty of this amazing country. I feel so lucky to have experienced so many highlights and met so many lovely people. It was great to see the changing colours of Canada in the fall, and I would highly recommend visiting at this time of the year, but I can imagine it to be just as beautiful in the summer or winter.
So, if you are thinking of travelling to Canada, please contact me as I would love to help plan your dream holiday.
