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Cruising the Great Lakes: Toronto to Chicago
Westbound
Tour Description:
The mighty Great Lakes have played a vital role in the history and cultural fabric of North America for centuries... explore their storied waters... and unique cities and towns... that have grown along their shores...
Enjoy a 7-night Great Lakes cruise between Chicago and Toronto aboard a beautiful Ponant yacht, plus two-night stays at your choice of premium hotels in these two great anchor cities. You'll sail through Lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron and Michigan, calling on destinations including Detroit, Mackinac Island, Cleveland and more. Explore urban planning and revitalization in a re-emerging Detroit; celebrate American invention and ingenuity at The Henry Ford in Dearborn; enjoy lunch at Mackinac Island's Grand Hotel; ride a dune buggy along the Lake Michigan shore; sample Holland, Michigan's Dutch heritage, tulips and beer culture; experience an architectural cruise, a taste of Chicago in America's "Second City," and much more!
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Dates & Pricing
| Monday 18 Aug 25 — Friday 29 Aug 25 | Starting at $10,790 |  SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Monday 01 Sep 25 — Friday 12 Sep 25 | Starting at $10,790 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
Disclaimer: Prices listed are per person, based on double occupancy, and in USD. All promotions are valid for new bookings only, capacity controlled and valid on select dates and departures. Individual Terms and Conditions will apply to all promotions. Any promotion can be withdrawn at any time without notice. Please speak with your Pavlus Travel Planner for complete vendor terms and conditions, including eligible tour and cruise dates.
Destination & Sightseeing
Destination & Sightseeing
The mighty Great Lakes have played a vital role in the history and cultural fabric of North America for centuries... explore their storied waters... and unique cities and towns... that have grown along their shores...
Enjoy a 7-night Great Lakes cruise between Chicago and Toronto aboard a beautiful Ponant yacht, plus two-night stays at your choice of premium hotels in these two great anchor cities. You'll sail through Lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron and Michigan, calling on destinations including Detroit, Mackinac Island, Cleveland and more. Explore urban planning and revitalization in a re-emerging Detroit; celebrate American invention and ingenuity at The Henry Ford in Dearborn; enjoy lunch at Mackinac Island's Grand Hotel; ride a dune buggy along the Lake Michigan shore; sample Holland, Michigan's Dutch heritage, tulips and beer culture; experience an architectural cruise, a taste of Chicago in America's "Second City," and much more!
Highlights
View the distinctive architectural styles of the Chicago skyline on an informative river cruise in Chicago, hearing the stories behind iconic works by Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan and others
Enjoy an early morning, private opening of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Gratuities to Tauck Directors, ship staff and local guides
Tauck's private shore excursions and distinctive inclusions valued at $4,500
Two nights in Chicago and Toronto at your choice of hotel pairs; Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park & Fairmont Royal York or Four Seasons Hotel Chicago & Four Seasons Hotel Toronto (additional cost)
Seven nights aboard a Ponant small ship, cruising Lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron and Michigan
Highlights
View the distinctive architectural styles of the Chicago skyline on an informative river cruise in Chicago, hearing the stories behind iconic works by Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan and others
Enjoy an early morning, private opening of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Gratuities to Tauck Directors, ship staff and local guides
Tauck's private shore excursions and distinctive inclusions valued at $4,500
Two nights in Chicago and Toronto at your choice of hotel pairs; Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park & Fairmont Royal York or Four Seasons Hotel Chicago & Four Seasons Hotel Toronto (additional cost)
Seven nights aboard a Ponant small ship, cruising Lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron and Michigan
ITINERARY
ITINERARYArrive Toronto
Tour begins: 5:00 PM, Fairmont Royal York or Four Seasons Hotel Toronto. A transfer is included from Lester B. Pearson International Airport to your choice of two premium hotels in the heart of downtown, Fairmont Royal York or Four Seasons Hotel Toronto. Settle in and join us for a welcome reception and dinner at Casa Loma, located in midtown Toronto.
Toronto & Niagara Falls
Drive to Niagara Falls to see the awesome power of the falls up close by boat (rain pancho provided). The falls on the border between the US and Canada – Horseshoe Falls, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls – pour 6 million cubic feet of water over their crests every minute, cascading down 170 feet and churning clouds of mist with a roar that can be heard for miles, a stirring experience you'll never forget. Lunch at Queen Victoria Place offers you a taste of the local flavors of the Niagara area with a stunning panoramic backdrop of the Falls. Return to your hotel in Toronto, and the evening is yours. The city is hip, vibrant, and some of its best restaurants and nightlife are close by.
Discover Toronto & Embark ship
Take your choice of sightseeing excursions in Toronto today. A visit to the Royal Ontario Museum offers you the world under one roof, with 40 galleries and a collection of 6 million artifacts of art, culture, and natural history, from dinosaur fossils to African art, Egyptian treasures, South Asian culture, meteorites, giant totem poles, and Canadian history. Or visit the Ontario Art Gallery, housing 90,000 works of art from the first century to the present, including major works by Rodin, Picasso, Goya, Tintoretto, Degas, Rothko, and many more; not limited to paintings and sculpture, its collection includes historic objects, architecture, ship models, medieval illuminations, and video art. Enjoy free time to explore Toronto on your own then embark on Ponant Explorer-Class ship, your home for the next seven nights. This evening, sail Lake Ontario, bound for Cleveland.
Sailing on the Welland Canal
At Port Weller, your ship enters the Welland Canal, which links Lake Ontario to Lake Erie, for a day spent at sea. The 27-mile canal is a marvel of engineering which allows ships to bypass the Niagara River and Niagara Falls. Through a series of eight locks, your ship rises to a level high enough to cross over the Niagara Escarpment, sometimes called the Backbone of North America, a passage that takes about 11 hours. An onboard lecture on the canal and its history will be provided by an expert on the locks. After passing through the cities of Welland, Thorold, and St. Catherines, the ship emerges at Port Colborne, and sails the length of Lake Erie towards Detroit.
A day in Cleveland
Spend a day in Cleveland, Ohio, including an early opening visit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Created by combining different elements of jazz, rhythm and blues, gospel and country music, rock and roll has transformed the musical world since its origins in the mid 1950s and helped create some of the biggest acts and musical innovators the world as ever seen including; The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Grateful Dead, Prince, Nirvana, The Foo Fighters and so many more. Explore the halls of this historic and culturally-defining building and learn about the many inductees forever immortalized. Explore the many sights that Cleveland has to offer this afternoon on a sightseeing tour across the city, driving through the theatre district and the Westside Market before stopping for a stroll at The Arcade on Euclid Ave followed by a visit to a local craft brewery for a taste of their hoppy delights. Your ship sails to Detroit after dinner onboard ship tonight.
Detroit sights & The Henry Ford
After arriving in Detroit midday, you'll have a choice of activities in and around the city today. Get a guided tour of the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and Greenfield Village – a.k.a. The Henry Ford – in Dearborn (subject to seasonal closures)... an amazing, award-winning, state-of-the-art museum with interactive exhibits dedicated to innovation, not just in machines, but in trailblazers who shaped the world we live in. In 9 acres of exhibition space you can step aboard the bus where Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat; make yourself at home in Buckminster Fuller's autonomous Dymaxion House; discover the science behind Pixar animation and motors that moved the nation; see the Wright Brothers' bicycle shop; Thomas Edison's laboratory, Igor Sikorsky's prototype helicopter, the house Henry Ford was born in, and the courthouse where Lincoln practiced law. Attached to the complex is Greenfield Village, a living museum with costumed interpreters, historic structures, and working steam locomotives. Alternatively, take a guided sightseeing tour of Detroit's famous landmarks, including the Motown Historical Museum, a pair of modest houses where the record company was born in 1959; the Guardian Building, an art deco masterpiece; an eclectic art alley called the Belt; and the award-winning Campus Martius Park, "crossroads of downtown Detroit." Dine aboard ship this evening and depart across Lake Huron, bound for Mackinac Island.
A day on Lake Huron
Spend the day sailing Lake Huron up the scenic east coast of Michigan toward the Mackinac Straits. The eastern shore is called the Sunrise Coast, a long parade of beaches, sand dunes, inlets, small towns, and as many as 30 lighthouses. The vast freshwater lake also encompasses 30,000 islands. Enjoy the amenities aboard the ship, which include an infinity pool with a counter-current swimming system and transparent wall, fitness center, spa, sun deck, and panoramic lounge.
Timeless Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island has been a popular retreat since the 19th century when wealthy industrialists built imposing summer cottages here. The island restricts the use of motor vehicles; except in emergencies, the only way to get around is by foot, bicycle, or horse-drawn carriage. It also maintains its period look so well that it feels like a small town serenely lost in time. Take your choice of a carriage ride or a bicycle tour around the island, past impeccable Victorian mansions, the picture-postcard main street of quaint shops and confectioners, out to the fringes of forest, marshes and beaches, and Fort Mackinac, a 19th century military outpost. Lunch is at the palatial Grand Hotel that boasts the longest porch in the world (660 feet); since 1887, the hotel has entertained presidents and their wives; Mark Twain was a frequent guest, as was Thomas Edison – who gave the first demonstration of his phonograph on the porch. Don't leave without sampling the Mackinac Fudge! Enjoy dinner onboard tonight en route to Muskegon.
Dunes & Dutch treats in Michigan
Head out from Muskegon for a choice of activities. You may choose to travel to Saugatuck to experience the giant sand dunes that line the shores of Lake Michigan; dunes as high as 200 feet rise along an area of woods and beachfront on privately owned land, where you can ride through the scenic, wind-carved landscape in a modified Jeep vehicle on a fast-paced, exciting ride with an experienced guide*, and learn about its natural history and ecology. Or visit the town of Holland, an enclave of Dutch culture, complete with dikes, canals, tulip gardens, and Dutch architecture, settled by Dutch immigrants in the 19th century. Its array of downtown shops even includes a wooden shoe factory. Visit Windmill Island Gardens, which feature a working 250-year-old windmill brought from the Netherlands; the historical district, and the scenic Hope College campus, established in 1851 by the Dutch Calvinists who built the town; Holland is on the National Register of Historic Places. Return to your ship early this evening as you chart a course for Milwaukee.
Disembark ship & Discover Chicago
In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire burned a swath through the city center, erasing thousands of buildings and leaving more than 100,000 people homeless. But the catastrophe left space for new generations of architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan, and Mies van der Rohe to fire up their creativity, fueled by the city's fabulous industrial wealth. Upon arriving in Milwaukee this morning, travel by land to America's "Second City" to get a dazzling, informative look at their legacy today on an architectural sightseeing cruise along the Chicago River, with a docent from the Chicago Architecture Foundation. Learn about Chicago's role in the development of skyscrapers, as you absorb the eclectic styles and histories of its landmark buildings, like the Tribune Tower, the Willis Tower, and the Wrigley Building, and the stories of the architects who built them. Get a taste of the city's famous stuffed, deep-dish pizza at legendary Giordano's Pizzeria. Check in to your choice of downtown hotels: Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park, or Four Seasons Hotel Chicago; settle in, and enjoy the evening as you please.
Art Institute or Millennium Park
You have a choice of two sightseeing tours this morning. Visit the celebrated Chicago Art Institute, a palatial Beaux Arts-style building on Michigan Avenue that houses more than 300,000 works of art and an architectural school that has had a profound influence on design in America; the landmark building debuted as part of the Chicago World Exposition in 1893, and a local guide will introduce you to its iconic features and extraordinary history. Alternatively, take a guided walking tour of Millennium Park (leisure or active pace... you choose), inside the Loop, the central business district; built to welcome the 21st century, the park has become the city's centerpiece with imaginative features like the bandshell Pritzker Pavilion, the Cloud Gate, a reflective sculpture, the Crown Fountain, an interactive video sculpture, and the Lurie Garden atop the world's largest green roof. Spend the rest of the day exploring Chicago on your own then join us tonight for a farewell reception and dinner at the hotel, complimented by live musical entertainment.
Journey home
Tour ends: Chicago. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park or Four Seasons Hotel Chicago O'Hare Airport or Chicago Union Station. Allow three hours for check-in.
Disclaimer: Prices listed are per person, based on double occupancy, and in USD. All promotions are valid for new bookings only, capacity controlled and valid on select dates and departures. Individual Terms and Conditions will apply to all promotions. Any promotion can be withdrawn at any time without notice. Please speak with your Pavlus Travel Planner for complete vendor terms and conditions, including eligible tour and cruise dates.
