11 Day u River Cruise from Chicago to Toronto 2022

Day 1 Hotel Stay in Chicago, IL

Enjoy a complimentary stay at the pre-cruise hotel. The evening allows time to become acquainted with the city. For your convenience, our Hospitality Desk will be located in the hotel, and our friendly staff can assist with everything from general questions about the upcoming voyage to reservation of premium experiences. Representatives will be available to provide suggestions for dining, entertainment and sightseeing options to maximize your time here.

Day 2 Embark in Chicago, IL

Bold, brazen and distinctly American, Chicago has personality to spare. From our embarkation point at Navy Pier to towering skyscrapers to regional cuisine and a quirky dialect, this city represents the heart and soul of the Midwest. Chicagoans are easy to recognize and quick with a smile and a lighthearted quip. Shopping on the Magnificent Mile is an adventure to remember, and the locals know the hidden mom-and-pop gems serving the best deep-dish pizza, Italian beef and signature Chicago dogs.

Day 3 Scenic Sailing on Lake Michigan

These waters are home to a vast variety of wildlife – trout, salmon, walleye, smallmouth bass, crawfish, freshwater sponges and sea lamprey, to name a few. That buffet attracts raptors such as hawks and bald eagles and waterfowl such as ducks, swans and geese. Relax and enjoy the view on your own time on this peaceful lake cruising day. Sip a midmorning consommé, breathe in the fresh lake air on the upper deck, share convivial conversation with other guests or delve into a captivating book as you look forward to yet another astounding sunset on the water.

Day 4 Mackinac Island, MI

Trapped in time and surrounded by staggeringly beautiful landscapes, Mackinac Island centers the spirit and soothes the soul. Settle into the tranquil pace of this treasured destination on a tour by horse-drawn carriage. Fill up on fresh, local flavor with a lunch to remember at the island’s legendary Grand Hotel. Afterward, let your gaze lazily wander across the stunning vistas from its colossal porch – the world’s largest.

Day 5 Sault Ste. Marie, MI

A city divided presents duality in experience; Sault Ste. Marie, MI, and ON, bridged together by name and commerce, are diverse waterfront communities that harbor a flood of opportunity. Culture beats through street veins that connect these harbors to the distinctly different North American countryside beyond each border. Join the included tour, and admire the view from the Soo Locks observation deck, or peer into the past in the preserved fur traders’ settlement homes on Water Street. Drink in the atmosphere, and encounter life in Sault Ste. Marie.

Day 6 Little Current/Manitoulin Island, ON

The raw beauty of Georgian Bay leads to the world’s largest freshwater island – Manitoulin – featuring picturesque granite outcrops and rolling farmland. In its largest town, Little Current, indigenous life and legend meld with European history, with Immaculate Conception Church and its distinctive tepee-like architecture as a symbol. Venerated rhythms of the ages come to life in the talented hands and feet of Native drummers and dancers on an island considered sacred by the native Anishinaabe people.

Day 7 Scenic Sailing on Lake Huron

Today we slip our moorings to survey the sapphire canvas of a boundless empire. Scenic sailing invites visitors to navigate the day as we cruise through the second-largest arena of inland sea in America’s Great Lakes. Engage in laissez faire, and curl up with a nautical novel on the deck as the rhythmic slap of spray keeps pace.

Day 8 Detroit, MI

There’s no better place than the Motor City to choose an optional premium experience to explore the captivating history of the automotive industry – and so much more – at The Henry Ford. Be astounded by the museum’s vast and varied artifacts of American heritage. The extraordinary exhibits chronicle the lifespan of a nation. All guests may choose the included excursion to the Detroit Institute of Arts and its 100-plus galleries, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the West Canfield Historic District and other city highlights.

Day 9 Cleveland, OH

Step off the ship onto what some call America’s “North Coast” and discover why Clevelanders are so fiercely proud of their home. The reinvented city reverberates with vitality and a cool new atmosphere. Expand your mind at the world-class Cleveland Museum of Art, with over 45,000 works to explore. You can also feel the backbeat at the museum devoted to one of America’s finest gifts to the world – the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. An optional premium experience to Geauga County offers a glimpse into a simpler way of life with a visit to an Amish home for a traditional wedding feast.

Day 10 Niagara Falls (Port Colborne), ON

Begin your day in breathtaking Niagara Falls, which attracts millions of visitors each year. An optional pre-cruise premium experience takes you to the heart of its splendor for a Hornblower catamaran ride into the mist. Afterward, take lunch for a spin in the rotating Skylon Tower, followed by a tasting at local winery and shopping at Niagara-on-the-Lake. Deluxe motorcoaches will transport guests a short distance to the ship in Port Colborne.

Day 11 Toronto, ON

As the journey concludes, there are other opportunities for you to take in the town. Enjoy the city at your leisure, or consider a post-cruise premium experience with airport transfer.