A Taste of Quebec

A 5 Day / 4 Night circle tour from Toronto. First class seating on board Canada's VIA Rail with overnight stays in both Montreal & Quebec City.

Day 1	Toronto to Montreal (Rail)
	Enjoy the facilities of the Via 1 First Class Lounge while waiting for boarding instructions. Complimentary news papers and non alcoholic beverages are available in the lounge. Follow the shores of Lake Ontario, one of the five Great Lakes of North America, to Trenton Junction, where the St. Lawrence River flows from the lake. Passing the village of Napanee, look south as you cross the river to view a series of beautiful waterfalls. The city of Kingston is an historic Canadian city, being the early capital of the “Province of Canada” (1841- 1867) and is the birthplace of Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. Here, you cross the Rideau Canal, built in 1832 to connect Kingston with Ottawa and was originally designed after the War of 1812 to guarantee a supply route north of the US border in the event of another war. Past Cornwall, the line enters the Province of Quebec. Approaching Montreal, cross the Ottawa River to Dorval, before arriving at Central Station in Montreal. The station is located below the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in the heart of downtown. (lunch is included today)
Day 2	Montreal Sightseeing
	Montreal offers a number of unique attractions. From some of North America’s oldest and most spectacular architecture to professional sports and botanical treasures. Enjoy a 3 hour tour of the city, taking in more than 200 points of interest, including a stop at the Notre Dame Basilica, residential and financial districts, Old Montreal, French Quarter, outside view of Olympic Site, McGill University and a panoramic view from an observation point on top of Mt.. Royal. The balance of the day is yours to enjoy Montreal.
Day 3	Montreal to Quebec
	Enjoy the facilities of the Via 1 First Class Lounge while waiting for boarding instructions. Complimentary news papers and non alcoholic beverages are available in the lounge. Following the St. Lawrence River, pass from city suburbs to the rural landscapes of forests and rich pastures, dotted with tiny villages that extend to Quebec City. For the first hour, you will note the rugged Monteregian Hills that seem to loom up from nowhere. These huge volcanic mounds were formed over 120 million years ago. There are seven of these hills in a row, including Mont Royal in Montreal, ending with Monte Rouge near the tiny village of Boloeil. Many of the trees you view are maple trees, producing the great Canadian staple, maple syrup. Your rail journey is just over two hours to Quebec, the oldest walled city in North America and heart of the French Canadian culture of Canada. Arrive into Quebec at Gare du Palais. Steeped in history, Quebec is the most charming city in Canada, almost four hundred years old and most of the original architecture and buildings have been lovingly preserved. (lunch is included today).

Day 1	Toronto to Montreal (Rail)
	Enjoy the facilities of the Via 1 First Class Lounge while waiting for boarding instructions. Complimentary news papers and non alcoholic beverages are available in the lounge. Follow the shores of Lake Ontario, one of the five Great Lakes of North America, to Trenton Junction, where the St. Lawrence River flows from the lake. Passing the village of Napanee, look south as you cross the river to view a series of beautiful waterfalls. The city of Kingston is an historic Canadian city, being the early capital of the “Province of Canada” (1841- 1867) and is the birthplace of Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. Here, you cross the Rideau Canal, built in 1832 to connect Kingston with Ottawa and was originally designed after the War of 1812 to guarantee a supply route north of the US border in the event of another war. Past Cornwall, the line enters the Province of Quebec. Approaching Montreal, cross the Ottawa River to Dorval, before arriving at Central Station in Montreal. The station is located below the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in the heart of downtown. (lunch is included today)
Day 2	Montreal Sightseeing
	Montreal offers a number of unique attractions. From some of North America’s oldest and most spectacular architecture to professional sports and botanical treasures. Enjoy a 3 hour tour of the city, taking in more than 200 points of interest, including a stop at the Notre Dame Basilica, residential and financial districts, Old Montreal, French Quarter, outside view of Olympic Site, McGill University and a panoramic view from an observation point on top of Mt.. Royal. The balance of the day is yours to enjoy Montreal.
Day 3	Montreal to Quebec
	Enjoy the facilities of the Via 1 First Class Lounge while waiting for boarding instructions. Complimentary news papers and non alcoholic beverages are available in the lounge. Following the St. Lawrence River, pass from city suburbs to the rural landscapes of forests and rich pastures, dotted with tiny villages that extend to Quebec City. For the first hour, you will note the rugged Monteregian Hills that seem to loom up from nowhere. These huge volcanic mounds were formed over 120 million years ago. There are seven of these hills in a row, including Mont Royal in Montreal, ending with Monte Rouge near the tiny village of Boloeil. Many of the trees you view are maple trees, producing the great Canadian staple, maple syrup. Your rail journey is just over two hours to Quebec, the oldest walled city in North America and heart of the French Canadian culture of Canada. Arrive into Quebec at Gare du Palais. Steeped in history, Quebec is the most charming city in Canada, almost four hundred years old and most of the original architecture and buildings have been lovingly preserved. (lunch is included today).

Day 4	Quebec City Sightseeing
	Quebec City is the heart of French Canada. Nowhere else in North America is the appearance and atmosphere of an old-world city so complete. Quebec City looks and feels very European; perhaps that is why the entire old section of the town was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. Today qualified guides will help you discover the enchanting sights which are part of Quebec City’s history. During the tour several stops are suggested. Should you wish to visit different sites, you may wish to get off and board at your convenience. This tour option offers you great flexibility.
Day 5	Quebec to Toronto (Rail)
	Departing Quebec from Gare du Palais, cross the mighty St. Lawrence River to the south shore, which the rail line follows for almost the entire journey to Toronto. The landscape is dotted with tiny villages, all with church spires, maple forests and rich pasture land. This fertile land stretches most of the way to Montreal. After the small city of Saint-Hyacinthe, there is a dramatic change in the landscape, as the Monteregian Hills seem to appear out of nowhere. These huge volcanic mounds were formed over 120 million years ago and there are seven of these large hills in a row, including Mont Royal in Montreal. Arriving in Montreal at Central station, change trains and board VIA Rail’s Toronto service. The change is seamless, in the same station, with a short connection wait. Departing Montreal, a brief stop is made at Dorval. From Dorval, the train route crosses the Ottawa River, a major tributary of the St. Lawrence River. In the distance to the north, you may view the Laurentian Highlands. Less than an hour out of Montreal, the train passes from the Province of Quebec into the Province of O ntario. Following the St. Lawrence, pass through the small cities and villages, including Kingston, the first capital of the “Province of Canada” from 1841 to 1867, when the capital was moved to O ttawa when all Canadian Provinces united in Confederation to become an independent country. Passing through Trenton Junction, the St. Lawrence widens into Lake O ntario. The rail line follows the shore of this “Great Lake “ into Toronto, where you disembark at Union Station in downtown Toronto to end your rail journey. (breakfast & lunch included today)