Chicago

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Chicago moves too fast to be summed up in a few words. In its short history, this boomtown has been home to the skyscraper, jazz music, architectural excellence and an abundance of cultural attractions.

This year, join Travac Tours for a six-day, five-night escorted tour to the jewel of the Great Lakes. Lose yourself in its unparalleled shopping, dining and cultural experiences… Marvel at its spectacular displays of arts and architecture.

You’ll experience Chicago from all angles. You will start your visit with an architectural tour aboard a Chicago River cruise boat. On your second day in Chicago you will be treated to a gangster tour that will take you to some of the famous haunts of Al Capone, John Dillinger and Bugs Moran. The next day you will be off to a visit of Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and studio in Oak Park. Your afternoons will always be free to explore this marvelous city on your own terms.

Chicago’s many museums play host to some of the world’s most prestigious exhibitions. You will have the option of visiting the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum Campus, home to the Adler Planetarium, the Field Museum and the Shedd Aquarium.

The sights, sounds and tastes of the city are all within easy reach from your home in Chicago the stately Palmer House Hilton so bring your camera and enjoy one of America’s great cities- Chicago.

Informational Video on Chicago

Tour Itinerary


Day 1

This morning  you will depart Westgate Shopping Centre on your journey to Chicago. Lunch stop will be made en-route.  This evening you arrive at your hotel in Dearborn, the Comfort Inn.  Your Travac Tours Manager can assist you in making dinner plans for this evening.


Day 2

At 8:00AM (after your included breakfast) depart your hotel for Chicago. We will arrive in the “windy city” at about lunch time. At 2:00PM and after lunch you will prepare for a cruise along the Chicago River that will inspire you with the city’s spectacular architecture from a unique perspective. At 3:00PM after your cruise you will depart for your hotel, the Palmer House Hilton. (B)

 


Day 3

This morning you will experience Chicago as it was in the 1920s and 1930s. You will have a chance to see old hoodlum haunts, brothels, gambling dens and sites of gangland shootouts. Your local guide will give you accurate accounts of the exploits of Capone, Moran, Dillinger and many more figures that dominated the Chicago scene during the roaring 20s. You will be free in the afternoon to explore your surroundings. Outdoors enthusiasts may wish to visit the new Millennium Park, home to sculptural pieces by world-renowned architects and artists. Shoppers might want to explore the Magnificent Mile. This is a world-renown shopping quarter. Shoppers can enjoy magnificent department stores and boutiques comprising a diverse mix of American and international style. This evening we suggest a visit to the Sears Tower Skydeck, where you can view the sights of the city from atop what was once the world’s tallest building. The Hancock Observatory also offers spectacular views of the city.  (L)

 

 


Day 4

Your visit this morning will be to the Frank Lloyd Wright home and studio in Oak Park. The Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio served as Wright’s private residence and workplace from 1889 to 1909—the first 20 years of his career. Wright used his home as an architectural laboratory, experimenting with design concepts that contain the seeds of his architectural philosophy. Your afternoon will be free. We suggest a visit to the Museum Campus, home to three of North America’s finest educational attractions: the Field Museum, famous for its collections of Egyptian artifacts and dinosaur fossils; the Shedd Aquarium, the world’s largest indoor aquarium; and the Adler Planetarium, with fascinating presentations of astronomy.

 


Day 5

You will have this morning free to catch up on things you may have missed. At 12:30PM you will depart Chicago for Dearborn, MI. You will arrive at your hotel in Dearborn in the early evening.

 


Day 6

At 8:00AM (after your included breakfast), depart Dearborn for Ottawa. A lunch stop will be made en-route. At around 6:00pm you will arrive at Westgate Shopping Centre. (B)

 


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Hotel Information


Comfort Inn at Greenfield Village


Hotel Rating

Hotel Address
20061 Michigan Avenue
Dearborn, Michigan
48124
(313) 436-9600


Palmer House

Hotel Website


Hotel Rating

Hotel Address
17 East Monroe St.
Chicago, Illinois
60603
(312) 726-7500



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Important Information


Itinerary subject to change.

Please note that you are required to have a valid Canadian passport with you. Non-Canadians may require a visa to enter the U.S. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have such a document if required. Any other nationality other than Canadian persons must identify themselves to the booking agent for verification of documents required.




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Boston

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Boston Public Gardens

August 9-12, 2023

Boston is a city that preserves the historical tradition of colonial times while maintaining a lively and modern ambience. For almost four hundred years Boston has stood as the cultural hub of New England welcoming visitors from around the world with its distinctive architecture, elegant parks and legendary attractions.

While in Boston, you will experience the elegance of the Sheraton Boston, optimally located close to shopping, restaurants and nightlife. The Sheraton is also within a comfortable walking distance to many popular landmarks.

A knowledgeable, local tour guide will accompany you on a narrated tour of the city where you will receive little-known facts about John F. Kennedy. You’ll travel down the old-world Freedom Trail with stops at Boston’s favourite historical landmarks. You’ll continue your tour with visits to Back Bay, the Public Gardens, Beacon Hill and old Ironsides, the oldest ship in the U.S. Navy. Unlike most tours of Boston Travac will take you to Cambridge, Boston’s sister city across the Charles River, where you will visit the notable Harvard University.

As an option you may wish to visit Boston Harbor and embark on a whale watching cruise. Art lovers will love the Museum of Fine Arts which houses incredible permanent exhibits as well as a long list of travelling exhibits. Shopping in Boston is on par with any major city in the U.S. and its dining is second to none. We would highly recommend a visit to the North end, famous for some of the finest Italian eateries in the United States.

Travac’s Boston holiday includes round trip transportation via a comfortable chartered coach, accommodation in downtown Boston, a four-hour narrated city tour highlighting JFK, a visit to the John F. Kennedy Museum and the services of a knowledgeable Travac Tours Director.

Don’t miss the opportunity to join Travac’s exciting Boston tour.

Tour Itinerary


Day 1

This morning you will depart the Westgate Shopping Centre for your journey to Boston. A lunch stop will be made en-route. Expect to arrive at your hotel in the late afternoon.


Day 2

Depart for a city tour of Boston. Your tour will include stops at the Freedom Trail, including a visit to the Old North Church. You will continue your Boston tour with visits to Back Bay, the Public Gardens, Beacon Hill and Old Ironsides, the oldest ship in the U.S. Navy. The tour will also stop in Cambridge, Boston’s sister city across the Charles River. Cambridge is a pre-eminent centre of learning. Cambridge was also the home of Longfellow, and we will pass his home as we drive along Brattle Street, known during the revolution as Tory Row for its mansions belonging to loyalists.

Following your tour we will head to the John F. Kennedy Museum.


Day 3

This morning you have the option of taking a Boston Harbor and whale watching cruise (optional – approximate cost adults $53US, seniors $45US). After your cruise, the balance of your day will be completely free. You may wish to go to the Museum of Fine Art which is one of the nation’s great museums. Alternately you can visit Newbury Street, dubbed Boston’s “Rodeo Drive”. The Quincy Market is also an attraction unto itself. Shopper’s will enjoy the fact that The Sheraton Boston is just a few minutes’ walk from Boston’s largest downtown shopping centre.

Later this afternoon a shuttle service will be available to Quincy Market and Boston’s North End, famous for its Italian restaurants.


Day 4

Your morning will be free to enjoy Boston’s sites. Your return journey will begin at noon. Expect to arrive in Ottawa by mid evening.


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Hotel Information


Sheraton Boston Hotel

Hotel website


Hotel Rating

Hotel Address
39 Dalton St
Boston, MA
02199
+1 617-236-2000



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Important Information


Itinerary subject to change.

Please note that you are required to have a valid Canadian passport with you. Non-Canadians may require a visa to enter the U.S. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have such a document if required. Any other nationality other than Canadian persons must identify themselves to the booking agent for verification of documents required.




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Washington, Williamsburg and Gettysburg

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Every year more than 16 million people travel to Washington D.C. to experience the city’s inspiring memorials and landmarks, its amazing collection of museums, its award winning theatres and its world class shopping and dining.

Join Travac Tours for a 6 day 5 night holiday to Washington, Colonial Williamsburg and Gettysburg.

Setting off from Ottawa, you will travel aboard a deluxe motorcoach to Washington with a friendly Travac Tour Director to assist you along the way.  The following day, an experienced local guide will show you the ins and outs of America’s Capital and take you to see all of its renowned sites-the White House, the Capitol Building, The Mall, and many more of Washington’s memorials and monuments.You’ll then have the next two days to explore the city at your leisure- but if you are lost for ideas, your reliable Tour Director will be there to help you.

On day 4 you’ll depart for Colonial Williamsburg, the first and still the most famous of the historically rebuilt American towns. Here you will have a full day sightseeing pass and free time to explore the workings of the site and get an idea of its real history.  Traveling home, you will make a stop for a tour of Gettysburg, the famous civil war battlefield.

Travac’s  Washington tour includes roundtrip deluxe motorcoach transportation from Ottawa, 5 nights accommodation, 5 breakfasts, 1 dinner, guided tours of Washington and Gettysburg, a full day sightseeing pass in Williamsburg and the helpful services of a Travac Tour Director.

Tour Itinerary


Day 1

This morning you will depart Westgate Shopping Centre for Washington.  A lunch stop will be made enroute. Expect to arrive at your hotel at approximately 6:30pm. Your downtown hotel for the next 3 nights is the The Hamilton Crowne Plaza- 14th and K Street. The hotel is close to restaurants and many of the attractions that will be part of your visit.


Day 2

Buffet breakfast included at hotel.

At 8:30am a professionally trained local guide will take you on a half-day tour of this great city.  You will have a chance to see all of the capital’s famous attractions, including Capitol Hill, The White House, the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial and other monuments and memorials. This tour will also familiarize you with the city, its shopping areas and its neighbourhood to make your stay more enjoyable. At 12:30pm the tour ends at Smithsonian Castle; you will have the opportunity to explore on your own or take the bus back to the hotel. (B)


Day 3

Buffet breakfast included at the hotel

9:30am: Shuttle from hotel to Smithsonian Castle.

No visit to Washington is complete without a visit to the prestigious Smithsonian Institution.  This collection of Museums and galleries, scattered along the beautiful National Mall, is home to some of the world’s most intriguing exhibits and impressive collections. You can choose to visit the American History Museum, the National Air and Space Museum, the National Portrait Gallery and many more institutions along the one mile stretch of the Mall.  Best of all admission is free.

5pm: Shuttle from Smithsonian Castle back to hotel. (B)


Day 4

Buffet breakfast included at the hotel

This morning you will depart Washington and head the enchanting village of Colonial Williamsburg (approx. 3 hour drive).  Here you will have free time to experience life as it was in 18th century America. Using your included sightseeing pass you will be able to explore the homes and buildings where men like Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and Patrick Henry lived and inspired the fight for independence. In its 300 acres Colonial Williamsburg features scores of original buildings and reconstructed homes, most on their original foundations. At 5:30pm you will head to your hotel, just minutes away. Your hotel is the Hampton Inn and Suites Richmond Road – 1880 Richmond Rd, Williamsburg, VA. (B)


Day 5

Buffet breakfast included at the hotel

This morning you will head to Jamestown.  Founded in 1607, 13 years before the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts, this village earned the distinction of becoming America’s first permanent English colony. You will arrive in Jamestown at 9:30 and your tour guide will escort you on a 2.5 hour walking tour of Jamestown.  After your visit you will make your way to Gettysburg for an overnight stay at the Country Inn & Suites by Carlson 1857 Gettysburg Village Drive, Gettysburg, PA.

At 6:45pm you will be transferred from your hotel for your included dinner. (B, D)

 


Day 6

Buffet breakfast included at the hotel

After departing your hotel this morning, you will arrive at the Gettysburg Battlefield for a 2 hour motorcoach tour of this historic site.  After your tour and time for lunch you will begin your journey back to Ottawa. A dinner stop will be made enroute. Expect to arrive at the Westgate Shopping Centre at approximately 10:00pm. (B)


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Hotel Information


The Hamilton Crowne Plaza

 


Hotel Rating

Hotel Address
14th and K Street
NW Washington, DC
20005
(202) 737-1234


Hampton Inn


Hotel Rating

Hotel Address
1880 Richmond Rd
Williamsburg, VA




Country Inn & Suites by Carlson

 


Hotel Rating

Hotel Address
1857 Gettysburg Village Drive
Gettysburg, PA
17325
(717) 337-9518



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Important Information


Itinerary subject to change.

Please note that you are required to have a valid Canadian passport with you. Non-Canadians may require a visa to enter the U.S. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have such a document if required. Any other nationality other than Canadian persons must identify themselves to the booking agent for verification of documents required.




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Top Five Places to Wine and Dine in Boston

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top five places to wine and dine in boston – dining guide

5. The Faneuil Hall Marketplace

Located in the centre of Boston’s tourist district and with 17 restaurants and pubs to choose from, the Faneuil Hall Marketplace is the most accessible place for visitors to Boston to eat well. Similar to Ottawa’s Byward Market, Faneuil Hall also features a diverse assortment of shops, retail stores, and entertainment venues in one central facility.

Selections: McCormick and Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant, Rustic Kitchen Bistro, Plaza III Kansas City Steakhouse.

4. Beacon Hill

Beacon Hill’s cobbled sidewalks and brick rowhouses have become iconic in Boston’s colonial heritage. Many of the city’s finest eateries can be found alongside the nations first antique shops on Charles Street. Fine French and Italian cuisine can be found amongst the historic brownstone homes, while further down on Beacon Street, the Bull and Finch Pub, more famously known as ‘Cheers’, entertains a more domestic taste palette.

Selections: The Hungry I, The Beacon Hill Hotel and Bistro, Pigalle.

3. Back Bay

Did you ever want to eat at a café named for the famous clothier Armani? Along Boston’s fashionable Newbury Street, you can do just that. Back Bay has the city’s highest concentrations of fine dining establishments and is easily navigable. From quaint basement-to-sidewalk cafés along Newbury Street to the notorious dining institutions at the Prudential Centre, Back Bay features an endless assortment of restaurants to fit all tastes and budgets.

Selections: Papa Razzi, Sonsie International Café, The Grill 23 & Bar.

2. The Park Plaza

After a long day of wandering the continent’s most walkable city, you’ll want to sit down to a hearty, well-made meal. Dubbed ‘Boston’s Premiere Restaurant Destination’, the Park Plaza features everything from an Argentinean-inspired steakhouse to a dessert-only bar. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between can be had at a wide variety of different establishments.

See all of the Park Plaza’s dining choices.

1. The North End

Boston’s oldest and most dense neighbourhood is also its best for fine eating. As the nation’s most distinct ‘Little Italy’, Boston’s North End offers the most authentic Italian dining experience this side of the Atlantic. Salem, Hanover, Richmond and Endicott Streets form a virtually uninterrupted ribbon of restaurants, espresso cafés, gelaterias, and specialty grocers. Most restaurants feature porch windows that open wide to the streets, letting the festive atmosphere of a proud neighbourhood mingle with scents from the wood oven. A trip to Boston isn’t complete without a meal in the North End!

Selections: Ristorante Villa Francesca (top pick), Terramia Ristorante, Antico Forno.

Tour Calendar

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tour calendar

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May 6 - May 21
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