All Bridge & Wickers holidays are tailor-made and no two are the same. We have made some accommodation suggestions, however we will tailor your quote to your preferred standard and style of accommodation.

Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec and Niagara Falls not only lie within easy reach of each other but can be comfortably and conveniently linked either by road or by rail. On our suggested itinerary you travel by road in order to incorporate days between urban attractions in some deeply rural retreats in Ontario and Quebec.

Days 1, 2 and 3 - TORONTO   

Once known as boring old Hogtown and long stuck in a peculiarly English, roast beef, two-veg-with-greasy-gravy time warp, Toronto, Canada’s largest city, is now the most happening hub in the country. Less than seven hours’ flying time from the UK, it’s even on the map for Brits on a weekend furlough; for those with a two week summer holiday it is a gateway to premier league touring.
Shopping is a big draw, in the chic boutiques along Queen Street, in elegant department stores like Holt Renfrew, the ethnic/bohemian/arty mish mash of outlets in Kensington Market and the enormous Eaton Center. Then there’s the CN Tower to climb, new iconic works of architecture to admire, museums to inspect, islands to picnic on just a ferry hop away and sandy beaches on a lake the size of an ocean. At night the city is alive with theatres, music venues and comedy clubs as well as being a global summit of dining, from Irish Cabbagetown to Little India, Little Greece to Little Italy and even four Little Chinatowns. You’ll stay at the contemporary SoHo Metropolitan.

Day 4 - NIAGARA FALLS    

Just 90 minutes from downtown you can visit the vineyards which produce some of the best wine in North America, grown on the same latitude as Bordeaux. But the big draw south of town, where Canada meets the USA, is Niagara Falls. Canada, incidentally, has the most stunning views and 90 percent of the water which thunders through from Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron and Erie en route to Lake Ontario and on into the Atlantic via the vast estuary of the St Lawrence River. The most popular approach is aboard the Maid of the Mist, which eases close enough to make ponchos essential (included in the price of the ticket) or by helicopter, both of which we can prebook.
You can spend the night either within splash range of the Falls, at the Sheraton Falls View, or at the historic Pillar & Post Inn in the charming town of Niagara On The Lake, a 20 minute drive away.

Days 5 and 6 - THE ALGONQUIN WILDERNESS  

Sink into the silence of the wooded wilderness of Ontario’s oldest and largest provincial park, a world of hills and lakes, birds and wildlife including moose, wolves and bears. You’ll be based at Bartlett Lodge, a cluster of log cabins right in the heart, with swimming, sailing, canoeing or walking easily arranged.

Day 7 - OTTAWA  

Canada’s historic capital, at the confluence of three rivers, is the home of its national museums, and the newly UNESCO World Heritage listed Rideau Canal as well as Parliament and other grand state buildings. Stay at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier.

Days 8 and 9 -MONT TREMBLANT   

Cross the border into Quebec. The province is enormous, seven times the size of the UK but with the population of Greater London, half of whom live in Montreal. It offers a million lakes, 100,000 miles of river and 6,000 miles of coastline as well as a taste of France with a Canadian accent. Your two nights are spent in the Laurentian mountains in Mont Tremblant, a much loved bolthole for Montreal residents who come both to relax and take part in a range of activities, from riding to rafting. You’ll stay at the Quintessence Resort Hotel in the heart of the Laurentians. Each of the 30 suites has a woodburning stove and either a balcony or patio.

Days 10 and 11 SAINT ALEXIS DES MONTS

Sacacomie, a 100 room luxury wooden lodge perfectly located in between the mountains and the lake, is reason enough to justify at least a night in this rural hideaway, with plenty of activities – horse-riding, fishing, kayaking and spa treatments – for those who might feel restless just communing with nature.

Days 12 and 13 - QUEBEC CITY     

The only walled city north of Mexico, Quebec is both historic and traditional, more charming than cosmopolitan Montreal, more romantic and more French. With its walls and its Citadel, strategically sited at a narrow neck of the St Lawrence, Quebec is more likely to remind you of St Malo than a classic North American city. It’s also small enough to explore on foot. In keeping with the intimacy of the destination, we recommend staying at the 5 star Hotel Le Germain Dominion which blends classic architectural features with ultra modern design.

You might want to consider adding two or three days in the magnificent landscapes of the Saguenay Fjord, one of the longest in the world and a walker’s, sea kayaker’s and view gawper’s paradise. Plan on a whale watching cruise (or kayak) at Tadoussac, with sightings of several species of whales, drawn by the nutritional soup created by the mix of sea and fresh water, virtually guaranteed between May and September. Or perhaps taking a ride on Le Massif, Quebec’s new scenic train.

Stay at Auberge Des 21 on the shore of the fjord. Or enjoy the historic grandeur of the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu in La Malbaie, a colonial grand built in the style of a French chateau with a long patronage by stars such as Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire.

Day 14 and 15 - EASTERN TOWNSHIPS  

Take the slow road through this delightful region of farmlands peppered with 19th century villages, with lots of antique and craft shops to make the journey even more of a pleasure. Stay at Manoir Hovey, a grand country hotel.

Days 16 and 17 - MONTREAL 

Cool and cosmopolitan Montreal promotes itself to US visitors as ‘Paris without the jetlag.’ In fact it’s the third largest French speaking city in the world, after Paris and, one for the next quiz night, Kinshasa in the Congo! It’s also a place where you’ll have a lot more fun than you ever thought possible in Canada, with bars open late and an all-pervading, let your hair down, Gallic ambience. Montreal, a croissant-shaped, island city in the middle of the St Lawrence, is easy to get around, following streets gridded like those in New York and other US cities. Among the must sees are its botanic gardens, Mont Royal park designed by Holmstead (of New York’s Central Park fame) and the up and coming Le Plateau district. Stay in the Le Germain Montreal, in the old heart of town.

Day 16: Fly home

With its airport just minutes from the old, cobble-stoned historic heart, Montréal to home couldn’t be easier.