Arrive Philadelphia and transfer to our hotel.

Philadelphia is Pennsylvania’s largest city and notable for its rich history. Today we will enjoy a half day sightseeing tour of Philadelphia. We see the Liberty Bell, which was rung when the Declaration of Independence was adopted, and the Independence Hall, the place where the Declaration was signed. We walk along Elfreths Alley, the city’s oldest residential street lined with 18th century houses many used as shops. We will also visit the Reading Terminal Market, established in 1892, the nation’s oldest continuously operating farmers’ market. Amish merchants from Lancaster County bring their farm-fresh products and distinctive prepared dishes to the market. After lunch we visit Bartram’s Garden, considered the earliest botanical garden in the nation that’s still alive and thriving. Named after John Bartram, a devout Quaker who purchased the land in 1728, the plot is now a beautiful 46-acre garden along the Schuylkill River. It features an expansive collection of native North American flowers and plants as well as ancient trees, a river trail, water garden and meadow with a stunning view of the Philly skyline.

This morning we travel to Longwood Gardens, a kaleidoscopic floral paradise covering more than 405 hectares. Meticulously landscaped gardens feature domestic and exotic beds of blooms that change seasonally. In addition, an indoor children’s garden, Italian water garden, topiary, orangery, water lily pond, waterfalls, fountains, sprawling greenhouse, museum and special events and performances make this one of the premier botanical gardens in the entire nation.The afternoon is free for individual activity.

This morning we travel to New York. On arrival we enjoy a sightseeing tour of exciting New York City. We’ll see the famous Statue of Liberty, Times Square, the Empire State Building, the Ground Zero Memorial and the United Nations Building. We will have a short walk around Central Park, the ‘Lungs of the City’. There will be time for you to purchase lunch before we visit the Highline Park. This 2.3 kilometre section of the former elevated rail spur called the West Side Line has been redesigned and planted as an aerial park. It starts with a thicket of shrubs and small trees.

This afternoon we travel to Long Island to visit Old Westbury Gardens. Home of the Phipps family, the garden designed by George Crawley and completed in 1906. The 81 hectares of gardens include formal gardens, lakes, wooded trails all set around a magnificent Charles II-style mansion. This afternoon will be free to explore exciting New York.

This morning we travel to New York Botanical Garden which comprises 101 hectares and 50 speciality gardens and plant collections. Features include the Bronx River and cascading waterfall, 20 hectares of historic forest and one of the largest Victorian glasshouses in America and more. We travel along the Hudson River to Kykuit House & Garden. This hilltop paradise was home to four generations of the Rockefeller family. Now a historic site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation we visit the expansive terraced garden, which contains Nelson Rockefeller exceptional collection of 20th century sculptures.

We will enjoy free time for independent sightseeing before we are transferred to Cape Liberty, New Jersey to board the MS Zuiderdam for the start of our Garden Cruise to see the Autumn Colours. Make sure that you’re up on deck as the MS Zuiderdam slips her mooring’s and makes her way out of the Hudson with one of the most iconic cityscapes in the world, New York City.

Today is free to enjoy the ships facilities. Perhaps enjoy a spa in the beautiful wellness centre.

This morning we arrive in Boston, known as the cradle of American Independence and is now New England’s centre for finance and technology. The home of Harvard University, the area is among the most varied and interesting in America. We will have a city tour with a local guide. During the tour we will see Paul Revere’s House and Kings Chapel, home to the largest and sweetest-sounding bell. We will also see Faneuil Hall, and the Old Statehouse, which was the seat of Colonial Government from 1713. In the afternoon we visit Long Hill. This Federal-style home was the summer retreat of Mabel Sedgwick. This garden with much interest was a garden for living, with integrated outdoor rooms. The garden is flanked by one hundred acres of woodland.

We travel to Mount Desert Island Maine, after arriving in Bar Harbor, to visit two gardens kept open by the Land and Garden Preserve. We will visit Thuya Garden and Lodge a wonderful blend of semi-formal English border beds and indigenous eastern Maine woodlands. Thuya Lodge was constructed in 1912 and used as a summer house. From 1956 to 1961 Charles Savage created the garden we see today. The herbaceous borders are a pleasing mix of colourful annuals and perennials defining the sides of an expanse of grass lawns, which leads to a shallow reflecting pool. We will also visit Asticou Azalea Garden and enjoy the quiet and contemplative garden. We travel along spectacular Loop Road located in Acadia National Park, where we have glorious views over the Atlantic Ocean. Arcadia National Park is a haven for 1100 plant species.

This morning we arrive in Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia and the largest urban area in Atlantic Canada. We will enjoy a guided tour of the town and see some of the historic sites and landmarks such as the Spring Garden Road area, the Province House, Old Town Clock, St Paul’s Church, City Hall, Grand Parade, Government House and Point Pleasant Park. We visit the 19th-century Halifax Citadel National Historic Park, where we will have a spectacular view of the downtown area. Our next stop is the Halifax cemetery where some of those who perished on the Titanic are buried. In the afternoon we will visit the Halifax Public Gardens open since 1875, set out in a Victorian style with three ponds and fountains and two stone bridges. The beautiful trees will be in glorious autumn colours.

Today we will enjoy a relaxing walking tour of the Colonial Town of Old Sydney, founded by Loyalists fleeing the American Revolution. We will see six buildings that were constructed in the late 18th century and another two which were built at the turn of the 19th century. The tour will also take us to St. Patrick’s, the oldest Roman Catholic Church in Cape Breton; Cossit House, built in 1787; and Jost House, offering interesting exhibits from this same period.

We dock in Charlottetown; the gracious capital of Prince Edward Island, with street’s lined with colourful planters. The Island is renowned for its food producers. We will visit La Serena farm, which displays wonderful seasonal vegetables. Prince Edward Island is the location for the novels Anne of Green Gables and the home of the author. We visit Anne of Green Gables Museum at Silverbush. This is the spacious house where the author Lucy Maud Montgomery visited relatives and where she was married in 1911.

Today is free to enjoy the ships facilities as we cruise the Gulf of St Lawrence.

This morning we dock at Saguenay. We travel to Saguenay Fjord National Park, where we will see glorious fall colours and spectacular views of the fjords on our excursion. In the 1970s the Canadian government began acquiring land around the fjord, which led to the creation of the Saguenay National Park in 1983.

We arrive in Quebec this morning. We will enjoy a sightseeing tour of the main sights of this attractive city. The lower town has streets lined with shops and art galleries, which reflect the streets 18th century heritage. We see the Royal Battery, which has been reconstructed and replicas of 18th century canons which are on display. We travel to Place Royal square in the upper town, which was the hub of the city’s economic activity until the mid- 19th century. We see the Citadel and Quebec’s fortifications. We return to the ship for our last night aboard MS Zuiderdam.

After disembarking we travel to Montreal. On arrival we enjoy a guided tour of old Montreal. We see bustling Place Jacques Cartier and the Basilique Notre Dame situated in Place D’Armes. We see the Old Seminary built by Sulpician missionaries in 1685, it is the oldest building in Montreal. The downtown area of Montreal has a North American look with wide thoroughfares winding through a forest of skyscrapers. We check-in to our hotel this afternoon.

This morning we visit Chateau de Ramezay built in 1705 as the residence of Montreal Governor Claude de Ramezay. It is now a museum of early Quebec history and the enclosed garden next door has been re-created to look like a vegetable garden of the 17th and 18th century. This afternoon will be free for individual exploration. We enjoy a farewell dinner in the evening to say goodbye to group members.

We visit the Montréal Botanic Garden late morning. It comprises 75 hectares made up of 20 themed gardens and ten exhibition glasshouses. We will see trees with gorgeous fall colours. Late afternoon we travel to the airport to depart for our return to Australia.