Best sightseeing tours in Canada’s East Coast cities

Sometimes, the best way to see the sights is by trusting the experts. Book an excursion and let the guides blow you away with their hidden gems and insider knowledge. At Canadian Affair, our Canada escorted tour holidays transport you in the comfort of a luxury coach to the best destinations in Canada. On the East Coast that means vibrant cities like Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa as well as parks and historical attractions nearby. Along the way, incredible sightseeing tours are included so you can get under the skin of each destination. Here are our favourites:

 

City Sightseeing

Get to know your way around a new city and tick off the best-known sights in one go:

Toronto Sightseeing Tour

Toronto is full of the bright lights you’d expect from Canada’s biggest city. It buzzes with attractions, restaurants, sports and shopping. This tour takes you past some of the sights best-loved by tourists and locals alike. The tour includes the enormous Eaton Centre shopping mall, the turn-of-the-century Casa Loma, the Rogers Centre Sports Stadium and the iconic CN Tower.

Montreal sightseeing tour

This is the second-largest French-speaking city in the world. The Francophone heritage is evident in the al fresco dining and the rich architecture. This tour of the downtown area takes in the charmingly historic Old Montreal, the quaint cobbled streets of Mount Royal, the bustling shopping district and the modern Olympic Complex.

Quebec City sightseeing tour

Quebec City is one of the most historic and most beautiful cities in Canada. This is the cultural heartland of Quebec province. It is brimming with historic sites – unsurprisingly as it is a World Heritage Site itself. The sightseeing tour here includes the walls of the old city with their ornate city gates, the historic district of Lower Town, the impressive Citadel and Battlefields Park.

Ottawa sightseeing tour

Toronto might be the largest city in Canada, but Ottawa is the national capital. The city is defined by the Rideau Canal – a UNESCO World Heritage Site which forms a focal point for the city’s identity. In summer, a stroll along here is a must. In winter, it transforms into the world’s largest skating rink with miles of stalls on the ice. The tour also takes in Parliament Hill, the Byward Market and the City Hall.

 

History and Culture

From architecture to dining to historical sites, embrace the culture of your home-from-home:

Skylon Tower trip

If you only have time for one attraction during your visit to Niagara Falls, make it this one. Glass elevators zoom you up to impressive heights as you reach the observation deck. The views of Horseshoe Falls from the top are better than anywhere. The Skylon Tower also houses a 4D movie theatre with a film about Niagara Falls and an iconic revolving restaurant at the top.

Sainte-Marie Among the Hurons trip

This Jesuit settlement near Midland, Ontario is a must-visit. It was built around 1639, making it an extremely old building by Canadian standards. A trip here includes an interpretative tour of the mission by guides in historical dress who bring the past to life. You can learn how the Jesuit Frenchmen became self-sufficient thanks to the bountiful St Lawrence River and the fur trade.

Chez Dany Sugar Shack tour

Halfway between Montreal and Quebec City is an unassuming wooden building which is sure to melt your heart. Chez Dany is a family-run restaurant which oozes French-Canadian charm. Here you can learn everything you ever wanted to know about producing Canada’s favourite sweet-treat – maple syrup. A guided tour shows how the sap is tapped and barrelled. There are also traditional maple taffy demonstrations, pouring syrup onto snow and rolling the caramel up with a stick.

CN Tower trip

Ride to the top of the CN Tower for one of Toronto’s – and Canada’s – most iconic trips. A tour of the tower takes you up 346m in a glass fronted elevator to the dizzying Lookout viewing platform. The views from the top are spectacular. The CN Tower also boats a glass floor attraction, the 447m high SkyPod viewing deck, a revolving restaurant and the famous EdgeWalk which lets you strap on a harness and walk outside at 356m.

 

Outdoors

Canada is famous for its great outdoors and no escorted tour would be complete without a trip into the wilds:

Canyon Sainte-Anne sightseeing tour

If you are travelling into Quebec City, this stunning natural attraction is a must. The canyon is home to the 74m high Sainte-Ann waterfall. At the base of its rushing waters is a huge rock cauldron which is more than 1.2 billion years old. The canyon also has the highest pedestrian bridge in Quebec at 55m high which spans the impressive flood of water.

1000 Islands boat cruise

The wide and meandering St Lawrence River just outside Kingston is a fascinating place to visit. Here, an intricate waterway is dotted with innumerable islands which make up the 1000 Islands region. A boat cruise lets you see the stunning landscape, the iconic mansions and even an island with a castle on it.

Niagara Falls sightseeing tour

This tour not only takes in the world’s best-known waterfall, it also covers the wider Niagara region. Explore the lush, fruit-growing district of the Niagara Peninsula and learn about the vineyards and wine-making in the region, including the sweet icewine produced over winter. Further along the tour is the historic village of Niagara-on-the-Lake which is a stunningly quaint place to relax.

Hornblower Niagara cruise

“Cruise” might conjure up images of complete relaxation, but a trip on the Hornblower is the opposite! This thrilling boat ride takes you right to the foot of the Horseshoe Falls – close enough to get drenched by the spray. Ponchos at the ready!

Omega Park tour

This wildlife park is located an hour from Montreal and Ottawa and offers a safari-like experience. Drive through the different habitats of the park to see animals like wolves, bears, coyotes, deer, bison and caribou. You can get up close to animals in a natural habitat and even hand-feed the deer.

Tadoussac whale watching

Tadoussac is a gorgeous town at the confluence of the St Lawrence River and the Sageunay Fjord in Quebec. The waters here provide rich feeding grounds and it is one of the best locations for a whale watching tour boat tour. You can spot minke, fin, humpback, blue and beluga whales in this area.

Algonquin park excursion

A tour around Algonquin Provincial Park is a highlight when you are travelling through Ontario. The park is lush with forests and thousands of rivers and waterways. The wildlife here is abundant, included moose wading through the lakes. Scenic trails provide the focal point of a guided walk through the park.