Highlights of French Canada and Nova Scotia

Your vacation begins today as you arrive in Montreal and make your way independently to our modern hotel in the heart of the city. Renowned as the country's cultural capital, Montreal is the perfect place to start your tour of French Canada. If you have time to spare after checking in to your room, you might like to spend it sightseeing. Gaze in awe at the city's beautiful skyline, looking over a wide range of architectural styles, including the historic buildings of Old Montreal, Art Deco gems, and sleek, contemporary structures from the modern age.

In the evening, meet the Tour Manager and your traveling group at a local French restaurant to enjoy the first meal of your vacation. Overnight Montreal, QC.

• Dinner

Montreal's most iconic landmarks and sites lie ahead this morning as you set out on a guided city sightseeing tour. Admire the sites of Old Montreal, including the grand Notre-Dame Basilica, built nearly 200 years ago. After sightseeing, we're in for a treat as hop aboard a panoramic boat for a lunch cruise. We can soak up the sights as we savor a three-course meal, gliding along the St. Lawrence River.

In the afternoon, you're welcome to continue sightseeing independently. If you'd like to experience more of Montreal's food scene, you can wander the stalls of the Jean-Talon Market in the heart of Little Italy, where you can find fresh, seasonal delicacies from local producers and artisans. For a relaxing moment in nature, you could pay a visit to Montreal's Botanical Gardens, a green oasis in the heart of the city.

Tonight, you're free to dine independently, choosing from Montreal's restaurants and cafés serving Canadian classics and international fare. Overnight Montreal, QC.

• Breakfast, Lunch

Enjoy a leisurely morning to recharge for the day ahead or wander through Montreal independently, sightseeing or searching for a delicious French bakery. We check out of our hotel later this morning and transfer together to Montreal's railway station to board VIA Rail's Corridor Service for a scenic journey along the St. Lawrence River to Quebec City.

On arrival, we transfer to our central hotel, and you're welcome to spend the rest of the day getting acquainted with the city on your own. Home to the first permanent French settlement in North America, Quebec City is known for its distinctly European character. From the magnificent Chateau Frontenac perched on a hill in the heart of Old Quebec to the vibrant Saint-Jean-Baptiste and Limoilou neighborhoods, French flair is everywhere. In autumn, the tree-lined streets come alive in a blaze of red and orange, peaking in mid-October.

For dinner tonight, you might like to sample a traditional Québécoise dish like cipaille. Pronounced "sea-pie," this layered meat pie is made with beef, veal, pork and potatoes. Overnight Quebec City, QC.

• Breakfast

Quebec City's old-world ambiance will enchant you as we set out for a group sightseeing tour this morning. Listen to your guide's stories of the city and little-known facts as you explore attractions like the Plains of Abraham, the Latin Quarter and the impressive National Assembly Building, a towering structure inspired by Paris' Louvre Palace.

If you've worked up an appetite during our explorations, our next stop will help. Boarding a coach, we head to a traditional sugar shack where maple syrup is produced. We learn about the history and production of the syrup in Canada and taste authentic products before enjoying a delicious lunch with the sounds of Quebecois music playing.

You are welcome to spend the remainder of your day in Quebec City at leisure. Whether you want to continue exploring the city's culinary side or spend your hours wandering through the narrow cobbled streets of Old Quebec, there is no shortage of ways to spend your time. Overnight Quebec City, QC.

• Breakfast, Lunch

Relish a slow start to the day with time to sleep in, enjoy breakfast, or continue sightseeing. In the afternoon, we visit Montmorency Falls, a breathtaking natural spectacle nearly 100 feet taller than Niagara Falls. You have free time to admire the thundering water and its lush surroundings from the walking trails.

We then continue our day at Wendake, an urban reserve of the Huron-Wendat Nation. Our guided tour here introduces elements of First Nations culture and heritage, and we learn the tribe's traditions as we visit the longhouse and other important sites throughout the community. Our visit here concludes with a dinner filled with indigenous ingredients and dishes at a local restaurant.

But our day does not end here; instead, the evening brings the beginning of a new journey. We are taken to Quebec City's rail station to join VIA Rail's Ocean on its overnight route toward Maritime Canada, settling in to our private sleeper cabins. Overnight train.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight, the Ocean follows its eastbound course through Quebec and enters New Brunswick. Wake up surrounded by the scenery of Canada's eastern provinces as the train approaches Moncton, New Brunswick, and continues toward Nova Scotia. The Ocean has picture windows lining its cars, so beautiful views over the changing landscape are always available.

As a Sleeper Plus passenger, all your meals are included during your time on VIA Rail, and you can enjoy a three-course lunch accompanied by local Canadian wines in the elegant dining car.

Spend time reading, relaxing, or chatting with fellow travelers in the dining or lounge cars. We arrive in Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia, early this evening. Overnight Halifax, NS.

• Breakfast, Lunch

Quintessential Maritime scenery lies ahead on this morning's excursion to two of Nova Scotia's most famous locales: Peggy's Cove and Lunenburg. First we head to Peggy's Cove with time to photograph the iconic lighthouse and see the quaint fishing village, and then we move onto historic Lunenburg, where you are welcome to explore independently.

This postcard-perfect village is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, thanks to its preserved British Colonial architecture, and has deep connections to the sea. We return for an afternoon of leisure in Halifax.

Join the group at a local restaurant for a farewell dinner featuring fresh Nova Scotia lobster this evening. Overnight Halifax, NS.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Your journey through French Canada and Nova Scotia has taken you from elegant Montreal to historic Quebec City and the picturesque Nova Scotian coast. We tasted Montreal's distinctive cuisine on a food tour and visited a traditional sugar shack before visiting Wendake and learning about the way of life of the Huron-Wendat Nation. Finally, we boarded VIA Rail's Ocean for an overnight trip to Nova Scotia, where we explored the coast and tasted fresh local lobster.

Your trip concludes this morning with a group transfer to Halifax Stanfield International Airport for flights departing after 12:00 p.m.

• Breakfast