This 4-day tour whisks you on a getaway through Upstate New York, where you’ll follow the wine trails and waterways of the Empire State from New York to Corning, Syracuse, Rochester, and right over the chute of the Niagara Falls.
Hop in your private car in New York and hit the road for Corning, heading straight through the mystical Catskills Mountains. Its verdant tree cover and 98 mountain peaks are the inspiration for many artists, most notably the 19th-century Hudson River School paintings, and have seen many films shot in its forests and resorts. Soak up some culture at the Corning Museum of Glass, where you’ll browse the world’s best collection of art and historical glass with a delicate eye. Watch master glassmakers balance molten glass on the end of a pipe and carefully craft them into bowls, vases, or sculptures, keeping the classic art form alive.
Seneca Lake is the largest of Upstate New York’s glacial Finger Lakes, where you’ll discover what leaves its visitors in awe at its vast surface. It’s also home to the historic village of Watkins Glen, making for a good lunch spot in combination with calming sailing excursions. At Watkins Glen State Park, wind through woodland to a natural rock gorge where 19 calming waterfalls trickle overhead. You’ll continue along the Seneca Lake Wine Trail, where verdant vineyards stretch in fields across the horizon with their stellar grapes, renowned as some of the best cool-climate wines in the world.
Spend the night in Rochester, whose music culture and nightlife rivals that of New York. Home to several prestigious arts festivals, you’ll have no shortage of entertainment awaiting you on the shores of Lake Ontario. By day, explore The Strong National Museum of Play, an interactive one-of-a-kind museum that invites visitors of all ages to frolic their way through the history of play. Rochester is also home to the George Eastman Museum, the oldest photography museum in the world and resting place for its rare cinematic archives. Process all Rochester’s culture with a stroll along the historic Erie Canal, paying a visit to some of its villages and their cozy cafes, shops, and eateries on the way.
Come face to face with one of the most beautiful forces of nature at Niagara Falls. 28 million litres of water pour over the falls every second, straddling the border between Canada and the United States. Experience the roar of this natural wonder of the world aboard the Maid of the Mist, cutting straight through the powerful waters below as you stay dry under your rain poncho. Adventure is yours as you travel to the heart of the waterfall on the Cave of the Winds tour and learn about local myths at the Niagara Legends of Adventure Theatre, giving you stories that you’ll never forget.
Your trip finishes at the Buffalo Airport, where you’ll leave your car and be free to explore what makes Buffalo the “City of Good Neighbors” as you admire the shimmering waters of Lake Erie.
