Eastern Canada by Rail

Toronto

Canada’s largest city is a great place to start your trip. With a vibrant melting-pot of cultures, languages and ethnic communities, Toronto boasts a glorious location on the banks of Lake Ontario, a setting perhaps best appreciated from the top of the iconic CN Tower.

Explore the city of contrasting but complementary neighbourhoods and don’t miss the dining and evening entertainment of the revitalised Distillery District, the vintage markets of Kensington and the designer shopping of Yorkville.

Toronto - Niagara Falls

Today you will leave your hotel mid-morning for an exhilarating full day trip to Niagara Falls, complete with lunch, a wine-tasting experience and an unmissable boat ride to the base of the waterfalls.

Enjoy free time to explore the falls, stop in the charming Niagara-on-the-Lake for a spot of shopping plus a visit to a local winery, before heading back in the evening for your last night in Toronto.

Ottawa

This morning make your own way to Toronto’s Union Station for your first VIA Rail train journey to Ottawa.

Admire the views as you cut through Ontario’s forested landscapes on the four and a half hour train ride.

On arrival in Ottawa you can spend the rest of your day exploring or enjoy a relaxed evening at your grand chateau-style accommodation.

Ottawa

Ottawa is Canada’s cosmopolitan capital city, home to around one million people, boasting impressive Neo-Gothic parliament buildings plus a host of national museums and galleries. Discover the vibrant Byward Market and the historic Rideau Canal, which in winter becomes the world’s longest skating rink! Book a free 20 minute tour of Parliament Hill’s government buildings or enjoy a stroll through the pretty parks and gardens.

Quebec City

Board your scenic rail journey from Ottawa to Quebec City, which takes around six hours and appreciate the beautiful views en route. Spread along the banks of the mighty St. Lawrence River, this is Canada’s most historic city and the only walled city in North America, earning its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The cobbled streets of the atmospheric Upper and Lower Towns are a delight to explore, and the expansive views from the city’s ramparts and star-shaped citadel are breathtaking. Largely French-speaking, Quebec City’s elegant architecture and thriving café culture are reminiscent of Paris; the pavement tables here invite you to pause your sightseeing plans for a spot of people watching.

Montreal

Today you will board your final train journey from Quebec City to Montreal which takes around three hours. The island metropolis of Montreal is a vibrant and multi-dimensional city, and no place comes closer to achieving true bilingual status with its four million inhabitants switching effortlessly between English and French.

Overlooked by the parks and forests, the modern skyscrapers of downtown sit side-by-side with the elegant architecture of the old town. Scratch beneath Montreal’s surface and you’ll discover an entire Underground City with 20 miles of walkways and passages linking the main points of interest. Take a relaxing Bateau-Mouche cruise along the St Lawrence River, visit the Planetarium for an insight into astronomy and stroll around the beautiful Botanical Gardens.

Depart Montreal