Ontario & French Canada (8330)

8 days from Toronto to Montréal

2025 Tour Details View 2024 Tour Details »

Welcome to Ontario and Québec—where exciting cities and breathtaking scenery await you on this eastern Canada tour. You'll spend two nights in Toronto, Ottawa, and the Québec City area, and one night in Montréal. On your sightseeing tour in each city, you'll see the must-see sights, such as the 1,815-foot-tall CN Tower in Toronto, Canada’s largest city; the Canadian Mint in Ottawa, Canada’s capital; Québec City's Place Royale, the historic square known as the birthplace of French America; and Montréal's Mount Royal, designed by the same designer as New York City’s Central Park. In Québec, visit the Basilica of Notre-Dame-du-Cap, with its fine stained-glass windows, and Cap de La Madeleine, made a national shrine in 1888. Also enjoy time to explore Québec City, Canada’s only walled city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But that’s not all…you’ll enjoy stunning scenery on this eastern Canada tour. Board a sightseeing boat for a thrilling ride to view breathtaking Niagara Falls. You’ve seen photos of Niagara Falls, and now’s your chance to see it up close. These falls are nothing short of spectacular! Also enjoy a cruise that takes a scenic route through the many islands of Thousand Islands National Park. From the vibrant cities to the beautiful scenery, this eastern Canada tour designed for the value-minded traveler is a wonderful vacation!

Adventure is knocking with everything you need for perfectly affordable touring. Cosmos includes hand-selected accommodations, guided sightseeing, and seamless transportation between destinations—with value-minded travel lovers in mind. Explore with expert Cosmos Tour Directors and Local Guides, complimentary headsets, and private, first-class, air-conditioned motorcoach with free Wi-Fi. Enhance your free time to explore like a local with your CosmosGO mobile app!

Ontario & French Canada map

 Photo Highlights

 Meals

 Meals & Itinerary

This Cosmos travel package does not include meals. Most of our hotels offer anything from coffee to a full breakfast, so you can start the day the way you like best. At most lunch stops, your Tour Director will have information on local restaurants. Dinnertime is your chance to sample local cuisine. Sometimes your Tour Director will offer an optional dinner outing.


Notes:

Enjoy the fall colors of Ontario and Québec on our special Fall Foliage departures: September 19 to October 10 (if Mother Nature permits).

 Itinerary

Day 1 TORONTO

Welcome to Ontario’s capital and the largest city in Canada. Your Tour Director is on hand late this afternoon to answer any questions.

Day 2 TORONTO. EXCURSION TO NIAGARA FALLS

Skirt the shores of Lake Ontario to Niagara Falls, one of the most loved landmarks in the world. Board your Niagara Falls sightseeing cruise for a thrilling ride to view the thundering falls up close. Then consider joining the optional excursion afterward to Skylon Tower for more amazing views of the Falls and a buffet lunch. Return to Toronto, where sightseeing includes the city’s major landmarks, such as the banking district, City Hall, the CN Tower, and the University of Toronto.

NOTE:
Operation of the Niagara Falls sightseeing cruise is subject to favorable, ice-free weather and/or river conditions. Favorable conditions usually exist from May to October. When conditions are unfavorable, a visit to the Journey Behind the Falls will be substituted.

Day 3 TORONTO–KINGSTON–THOUSAND ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK–OTTAWA

Leave Ontario’s capital and stop in Kingston, a city with an exciting history dating back more than 300 years. Proceed along the St. Lawrence River with splendid vistas of Thousand Islands National Park. At Rockport, board your boat for a cruise that takes a scenic route through the many islands that are sprinkled with charmingly simple to opulent summer homes. Next, head to Ottawa, Canada’s beautiful capital.

Day 4 OTTAWA

This morning, enjoy a sightseeing tour of this lovely city on the banks of the Ottawa River and the Rideau Canal. See the Canadian Mint, the embassy district, and stately Parliament Hill. Suggestions for this afternoon include a visit to the magnificent Canadian Museum of History or the array of restaurants and shops at lively Byward Market.

Day 5 OTTAWA–QUÉBEC CITY AREA

Drive into the French-Canadian province of Québec for a sudden change in language and tradition. Follow the historical King’s Highway along the north shore of the mighty St. Lawrence River. Visit the Basilica of Notre-Dame-du-Cap de la Madeleine before arriving in Québec City, the heart of French Canada and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tonight, join a unique optional excursion to the Érablière le Chemin du Roy Sugar Shack. Visitors to the sugar cabin will enjoy a typical Québec dinner, along with a guided visit and presentation to explain the process of maple extraction.

Day 6 QUÉBEC CITY AREA

Enjoy a guided tour of Canada’s only walled city, crowned by the turrets of Château Frontenac. Until the British victory of 1759, Old Québec was the center of New France; today, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Within the walls reside Place d’Armes, Laval Seminary, the star-plan Citadelle, and ancient Place Royale. Also, see the stone houses crowding the narrow streets of Lower Town by the St. Lawrence River. The afternoon and evening are free—your Tour Director will have suggestions for sightseeing, shopping, and dining.

Day 7 QUÉBEC CITY AREA–MONTRÉAL

This morning head south for ultra-modern Montréal, named a UNESCO City of Design in 2006. Major attractions on this afternoon’s guided tour include once-walled Old Montréal, the Seminary of St. Sulpice, and majestic views of the city from the top of Mount Royal.

Day 8 MONTRÉAL

Your vacation ends this morning.

 Tour Director

With COSMOS, there’s no better way to get to know your destination than through the eyes of a Tour Director. We’d like you to meet one of our Tour Directors, who average over a decade of experience and are representative of the type of expert that will be with you on your vacation.

JAMES SAUNDERS

Escorting tours for more than 15 years

Originally from London, I worked at a hotel in Germany and as a Local Guide in northern Italy before becoming a Tour Director. I have conducted tours all over Europe, North Africa, Asia Minor, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Russia, South America, and all 10 provinces of Canada. Today, I call Toronto home. I love to cook, process the pictures I take on tour, and read. Every day, I wake up and have a wonderful, learning experience awaiting me.

Tour Director - JAMES SAUNDERS

 Accommodations

 Optional Excursions

No matter what you’re into: food, wine, history, art, music or anything else, we give you the freedom to personalize your vacation with optional excursions that speak to your interests.

When you book your excursions with us, you can be assured that every optional excursion that we offer coordinates with the free time that you'll have in your destination, so you'll never have conflicts between included and optional activities. Our team of travel experts carefully selects each optional excursion that we offer to ensure that you receive the highest quality at a great value. Our tried-and-true partners have a finger on the pulse of the city in which they operate so they deliver the very best experiences. We offer experiences you cannot create on your own and because you’re booking with us, we coordinate all your transportation and timing needs.

The following optional excursions are examples only for this vacation. These may or may not be offered, and availability is subject to days of operation and seasonality. Please select a departure date to view optional excursions and pricing for a specific date (due to currency fluctuation, pricing shown is subject to change until purchased). Optional excursions are available for purchase on our MyCosmos site 90 days prior to the tour start date.

Price Ranges

$ ($50 USD and under)
$$ ($51 - $100 USD)
$$$ ($101 - $150 USD)
$$$$ (Over $150)


Toronto
Ottawa
Quebec City

Toronto

Skylon Tower & buffet lunch

Skylon Tower & buffet lunch

Enjoy lunch from 775 feet above the Falls, the Summit Suite Buffet provides both the best view of Niagara Falls and fine food for a truly legendary Niagara Falls dining experience.

Price Range: $

Ottawa

Taste of Indigenous Spirit

Taste of Indigenous Spirit

Taste of Indigenous Spirit includes a traditional welcome and introduction to Indigenous culture at Madahoki Farm, an Indigenous meal prepared by our Indigenous Chefs served buffet style along with an interactive Pow Wow dance performance.

Price Range: $$

Quebec City

Traditional Maple Sugar House Experience

Traditional Maple Sugar House Experience

Experience a a family owned 'sugar shack' with a traditional Quebec meal, a taste of maple syrup and a short lesson in the history of Maple Syrup making in the region.

Price Range: $

Dining in the Quebec Countryside and Montmorency Falls

Dining in the Quebec Countryside and Montmorency Falls

Enjoy an evening outside of the city with a visit to Montmorency Falls followed by visit to the Western tip of Ile d'Orleans for a dinner at Le Moulin Saint Laurent, originally a water mill dating back to 1675 and featuring local cuisine.

Price Range: $$



The "Starting at" or listed price is based on the lowest price available to book. Price is per passenger based on double occupancy and does not include International airfare; additional fees/charges are not included. If a price is crossed out, the new price includes a limited time promotional offer(s) – please review current promotions or deals for additional information. Some tours require intra-vacation flights (and in some cases intra-vacation segments must be purchased from Cosmos).