Tour Niagara Falls, Toronto, Washington & Philadelphia from New York: 5 Days

Five days, two countries, four overnight stays and an itinerary that starts among the towers of Manhattan and ends at the White House, by way of the roar of the falls and the quiet of an Amish buggy. This 5 day tour from New York covers Niagara Falls, Toronto, the Thousand Islands, Philadelphia and Washington DC, with a live guide throughout, from $1,210 per person in a single room. Departures run every Sunday from April to October. It is the most complete itinerary among our United States excursions.

Below you will find the full day by day itinerary with the hotels used, how the price works by room occupancy, what the fare actually covers, which documents you need for the Canadian border, and the practical details worth knowing before you book.

How Much the 5 Day Tour from New York Costs

The price depends on how many people share the room, not on the size of the group. It starts at $1,210 for one person in a single room; two people sharing a double pay $1,980 in total, three people $2,910, four people $3,880. Two adults with a child aged 2 to 14 pay $2,900. Children under 2 travel free, while anyone over 2 pays the full fare.

The fare covers the private coach for the whole route, four nights in hotels, continental breakfast every morning, the live guide from the first day to the last, and the two boat rides that define this itinerary: the vessel at the falls and the cruise through the Thousand Islands.

Book the Smart Way

There is one departure a week and only between April and October, which means roughly thirty dates in the whole year, and double rooms in the peak summer months sell out well ahead. Booking early lets you pick the week that fits the rest of your trip instead of shaping the trip around the last date available. You also get support before and after purchase and a physical office a short walk from Times Square at 324 W 47th St.

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1: New York, Finger Lakes and Niagara Falls

Departure from Manhattan early in the morning, heading north through the Delaware Water Gap to Watkins Glen State Park, in the heart of the Finger Lakes region. Here you walk the Watkins Glen Canyon, a trail cut into the rock past nineteen waterfalls and stone walkways. The journey continues along Seneca Lake and reaches Niagara in the late afternoon, on the American side: a visit to Goat Island and Luna Island, then aboard the Maid of the Mist, the boat that pushes into the spray at the foot of the falls. In the evening the falls are lit with coloured light displays.

Overnight in Niagara Falls, Ramada by Wyndham or similar.

Day 2: Niagara, Toronto and the Thousand Islands

The day opens at the Horseshoe Falls, the curved drop seen from the Canadian side, and continues to Niagara-on-the-Lake, a town of Victorian houses and vineyards. In the afternoon you reach Toronto: HTO Park on the waterfront, Brookfield Place with the Hockey Hall of Fame, City Hall and the Distillery Historic District, a Victorian distillery now given over to galleries and cafés. You leave Toronto along the eastern shore of Lake Ontario, arriving in the Thousand Islands area in the evening.

Overnight in Gananoque, Comfort Inn or similar. In April, depending on weather conditions, this night may be moved to Niagara Falls at the Ramada by Wyndham.

Day 3: Thousand Islands and the road back

The day begins with the Thousand Islands cruise along the Saint Lawrence River, the same waterway navigated some five hundred years ago by the French explorer Jacques Cartier. From the boat you see the mansions built on the private islets, among them Boldt Castle and the heart shaped island that holds it. On the way back, a few hours short of New York, there is a stop at an outlet with international brands. Arrival in New Jersey in the evening.

Overnight in Clifton, New Jersey, La Quinta Inn and Suites or similar.

Day 4: Philadelphia, Amish Country and Washington DC

From New Jersey you cross into Pennsylvania and reach Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love. In the historic centre you visit the Liberty Bell, Constitution Square and Congress Hall, and walk along Elfreth's Alley, the oldest continuously inhabited street in America. A scenic drive follows through the financial district and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, with a stop at the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps made famous by Rocky.

In the afternoon you reach Lancaster County for a ride on an authentic Amish buggy through the village, the most direct way to understand how this community still lives without electricity, telephones or household appliances, followed by a visit to the Amish market and its handmade goods. You arrive in Washington DC in the early evening.

Overnight at the Crowne Plaza, Dulles International Airport, or similar.

Day 5: Washington DC and return to New York

The day starts at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, in the Tidal Basin area ringed by Japanese cherry trees, and continues to Arlington National Cemetery, where you watch the changing of the guard and visit the Kennedy gravesite. The visit goes on to the Capitol, the Senate and the White House, the heart of American government, and to the Air and Space Museum when availability on the day allows. The itinerary closes with the Lincoln and Martin Luther King memorials and the Korean and Vietnam war monuments. In the late afternoon you head north, arriving in New York in the evening.

Our tip

Book nothing for the evening of day five. The return to New York depends on traffic along the Washington, Baltimore and New York corridor, which is unpredictable in the late afternoon: shows, dinner reservations and same day evening flights are a risk not worth taking.

Documents Needed for the Canadian Border

This is where most last minute cancellations happen, so it is worth being blunt. On day two the tour crosses the border into Canada, which means you need two things: a valid passport and a valid document to re enter the United States, meaning an ESTA or a visa. If you hold an ESTA, check that it is still valid and allows multiple entries, because returning from Canada counts as a fresh entry into the US.

Your passport is also required on day five to enter Arlington National Cemetery, so carry it with you rather than leaving it at your New York hotel. Anyone arriving at departure without the required documents cannot join the tour and is not entitled to a refund.

What Is Included and What Is Not

• Included: guided visits to Niagara Falls, Toronto and the Thousand Islands
• Included: private coach transfer for the whole itinerary
• Included: live guide on board for all five days
• Included: four nights with continental breakfast
• Included: boat ticket at the falls in the summer season and the Thousand Islands cruise from May
• Included: visits to Washington DC and Philadelphia with Amish Country
• Not included: hotel pick up and drop off, since departure is a group meeting point at Port Authority
• Not included: lunches and dinners, taken freely along the route
• Not included: the guide's gratuity, customary in the United States and suggested at around $10 per person for each day of the tour

One point worth stating plainly: the live commentary on this tour is delivered in Italian, and the guide may alternate languages when the group includes travellers from different countries. If you need a tour narrated in English throughout, contact us before booking and we will tell you what fits.

If five days is more than your schedule allows, the same east coast highlights come in a shorter format with the 4 day Washington, Philadelphia and Niagara tour from New York, which drops the Canadian leg and the Thousand Islands.

What to Know Before Booking

• Meet at 6:15 AM at the Port Authority Bus Terminal on W 42nd St, with the coach leaving shortly after: anyone arriving once it has gone forfeits the tour with no refund
• Departures are Sundays only, April to October, so they need to be fitted around your travel dates
• The tour runs in rain or snow: participants are contacted only in cases of force majeure
• Cancellation is free up to 72 hours before with a full refund, after which a 100% penalty applies
• The boat at the falls is seasonal and the Thousand Islands cruise operates from May, so early April departures may follow a slightly different itinerary
• Entry to the Air and Space Museum is not guaranteed and depends on availability on the day, with the Natural History Museum as the alternative
• Coach seats are not assigned: the guide allocates them by availability and seating together cannot be promised
• Smoking is not allowed on board, electronic devices included

If you would rather see these east coast cities individually, they sit alongside this itinerary among our United States tours, in formats from one day upwards.

Important

After booking you will receive an automatic confirmation by email that serves as your ticket for the tour: check your spam folder too, as it sometimes ends up there. For assistance in the early hours of departure morning, call +1 212 642 0915. The programme may change during public holidays or special events. The tour is operated by the supplier Amadeo Travel Solutions, responsible for the operational organisation and for compliance with safety regulations, while Il Mio Viaggio a New York acts as booking intermediary and supports you before and after purchase.