The Hudson Valley

Arrive Montreal

Montreal, Canada

Tour begins: 5:30 PM, Le Westin Montreal. A transfer is included from Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport to Le Westin Montreal, set in the heart of Old Montreal, just a short walk from world-class museums and shopping, vibrant nightlife and centuries-old historic sites. Please join us for a welcome reception and dinner at your hotel overlooking the city's historic district.

Dinner

LE WESTIN MONTREAL

Magnificent Montreal to Lake Placid

Montreal, Canada

Your Hudson Valley tour begins with an exploration of romantic, beguiling Montreal; from gleaming skyscrapers to the timeless charm of 17th-century cobblestone lanes, this morning’s city tour introduces the highlights of this dynamic bilingual city, a medley of European and North American influences. Views include McGill University’s downtown campus, which prides itself on drawing “no line between university life and the real world” and Mont Royal, the iconic summit and landscaped park visible from all parts of the city. In Old Montreal, between the St. Lawrence River and downtown skyscrapers, stroll with your guide through narrow streets that date back to the city’s founding in 1642. Galleries, cafés, shops and museums keep it a still-vibrant part of the city.

Lake Placid, USA

Following lunch, depart Montreal for a drive through Québécois farmland to the U.S. border crossing and on through countryside that satiates with mountain views, foothill farms and orchards. A short stop at Ausable Chasm (a sandstone gorge two miles long carved by the Ausable River) reveals nature’s power in the roar of waterfalls set deep within towering cliffs; this natural wonder known as The Grand Canyon of the East was a major tourist draw in the 19th century. Your final destination is a classically elegant white clapboard resort and spa on Lake Placid; dinner is on your own tonight.

Breakfast, Lunch

MIRROR LAKE INN RESORT & SPA

Lake Placid cruise, an Olympic ski jump & more

Lake Placid, USA

The day begins serenely on a private boat cruise on Lake Placid, described as “a clear, cold jewel” in the Adirondack wilderness, and then steps up in pace at the Lake Placid Olympic Center. Watch the thrilling hurl-into-flight during a ski-jumping demonstration, and drink in the area’s beauty over lunch.

North Elba, USA

Afterward, visit the nearby John Brown Farm, the historic home and burial site of the abolitionist who led the ill-fated raid on the federal arsenal at Harper's Ferry in 1859, prior to the start of the Civil War.

Lake Placid, USA

Return to your hotel for time at leisure; a leisurely walk along Mirror Lake, the views from an Adirondack chair, and the alpine village of Lake Placid are all at your disposal. Have dinner at the hotel tonight.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

MIRROR LAKE INN RESORT & SPA

Adirondack Museum to Lake George

Bolton Landing, USA

A year-round playground for outdoor enthusiasts, the Adirondacks' rugged mountains and vast forests have also long been home to lakeside villages and quaint towns. A drive through the region’s beauties ends at Blue Mountain Lake, home to the renowned Adirondack Museum, where modern galleries and historic buildings tell the unique story of the Adirondacks' residents – how they have lived and worked, from logging to mining and railroads, and played – from hiking, to rock climbing, skiing and snowshoeing – over time. After lunch, stunning scenery continues on a drive to your accommodations, a gorgeous resort lodge in Bolton Landing on the shores of a private island at Lake George.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

THE SAGAMORE RESORT

The hip Hudson Valley, Olana & Lake Mohonk

Saratoga Springs, USA

From Lake George, head south through rolling countryside that is home to small farms, wineries and villages, with a stop in the resort town of Saratoga Springs.

Greenport, USA

Continue on to Olana State Historic Site in Greenport, the former riverside home of noted 19th-century Hudson River School landscape painter Frederic Edwin Church and his wife Isabel, for a Tauck Exclusive private visit including lunch in the Wagon House. Much of the estate, a National Historic Landmark, was designed by Church himself – including the eclectic Orientalist central villa, featuring a mix of Persian, Moorish and Victorian styles; and the sprawling, parklike grounds offering remarkable views of the Catskills, the Taconics and the Hudson Valley, as well as a working farm. Preserved much as it was during Church's lifetime, the estate displays many exotic objects collected by the Churches on their world travels, as well as some 40 paintings by the artist and his contemporaries.

Mohonk Lake, USA

Your final destination is Mohonk Mountain House, a Victorian “castle” set on forested cliffs above Lake Mohonk – a resort once frequented by presidents, celebrities and turn-of-the-century industrialists, where you'll spend the next two nights.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

MOHONK MOUNTAIN HOUSE

FDR's Hyde Park and old Rhinebeck

Hyde Park, USA

Fantastically wealthy retreats of statesmen and robber barons preside on the cliffs along the river like castles on the Rhine, and your Hudson River tour includes visits to several of the most famous of them. Explore the Roosevelt National Historic Site today at Hyde Park, the lifelong home of Franklin D. Roosevelt and his summer White House. A guided visit to Springwood, the family mansion, offers a window into an American way of life modeled on an English country estate – where the lives of the domestic staff and the home’s relationship to the local community were an integral part of the story.

Rhinebeck, USA

Afterward, a stop in historic Rhinebeck along the Hudson leaves time for lunch on your own and a chance to wander through a town designated as a National Landmark District and an au courant reputation for arts and culture. Return to Mohonk Mountain House late afternoon and have dinner at the hotel.

Breakfast, Dinner

MOHONK MOUNTAIN HOUSE

Boscobel Mansion to West Point & Tarrytown

Garrison, USA

This morning features an upscale 19th-century view of Hudson Valley life on a visit to critically acclaimed Boscobel Mansion. Completed in 1808, this elegant home was built by a gentleman farmer (and British loyalist) who furnished his home from the most fashionable shops in London. A century later, the house lingered in a state of neglect until local architects and citizens rallied efforts for its rescue in the late 1950s. A tour of the house brings with it a trove of Federal antiques, spectacular Hudson views and the story of its rescue.

West Point, USA

Next up, get an inside view of the US Military Academy at West Point on a guided tour that tells the story of its historic role in the Revolution, the contemporary experience of its cadets, and of those who have left their mark here – including George Washington, Robert E. Lee, Douglas MacArthur and Dwight Eisenhower.

Tarrytown, USA

Your accommodations tonight are in the historic town of Tarrytown, where Washington Irving’s Ichabod Crane first encountered the Headless Horseman; the author of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Knickerbocker Tales did much to enlarge the myths, legends and Dutch history you'll find in this region.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DOUBLETREE BY HILTON HOTEL TARRYTOWN

Rockefeller's Kykuit to New York City's heart

Sleepy Hollow, USA

Named after the Afrikaans word for “lookout,” Kykuit was the name given by John D. Rockefeller to his six-story stone mansion (on 3,000 acres) which looks impressively out over the Hudson River and the New York skyline in the distance. This morning’s visit takes you through terraced gardens, where fountains, pavilions and sculptures include the work of Alexander Calder and Henry Moore, and art galleries featuring 20th-century art. Hear stories of the Rockefeller legacy in business, government, philanthropy and the arts.

New York City, USA

After lunch on your own, depart for the final, but certainly no less dramatic, leg of your Hudson River tour: a two-night stay at Le Parker Meridien, just steps away from New York City’s Central Park; explore on your own tonight in the heart of the "Big Apple."

Breakfast

PARKER NEW YORK HOTEL

The fabulous Big Apple

New York City, USA

Feel the energy of Manhattan on this morning’s New York City tour, accompanied by a local expert who maps out landmark sights and the stories behind them. Head to Lower Manhattan to view St. Paul’s Chapel and the 9/11 Memorial, honoring those who were lost – and expressing hope for the future; in a Tauck Exclusive, meet an NYPD detective who interprets the poignant events of September 11th and the subsequent recovery efforts. See Rockefeller Center, Times Square, Radio City Music Hall, and the Chrysler and Empire State buildings.

Next up is an unobstructed view of the city’s sensational man-made peaks and valleys, from 70 floors up; a visit to the Top of the Rock atop a Rockefeller Center skyscraper includes the story of its construction, which put thousands of people to work just after the 1929 stock market crash – an initiative credited to John D. Rockefeller. Tonight, please join us for a farewell reception and dinner at the hotel.

Breakfast, Dinner

PARKER NEW YORK HOTEL

Journey home

New York City, USA

Tauck's Hudson Valley tour ends: New York City. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from Le Parker Meridien to La Guardia, JFK or Newark International Airport. Allow a minimum of 2 hours for flight check-in.

Breakfast

• 60 days or more before departure: $350.00 per person
• 59-8 days before departure: $600.00 per person
• 7-1 days before departure: $900.00 per person
• On departure day and later: 100% of total price
• Any changes or cancellations to airline reservations made through Tauck either before or after departure are subject to the cancellation / change policies of the individual airlines. In n some instances these cancellation / change fees may be up to 100% of the ticket price.
• Cancellation fees may also apply to any additional services, including extra night accommodations, independently supplied services, and optional excursions reserved prior to, during, and after the tour. If flight changes, including, but not limited to, flight cancellations or name changes, are requested after full land and air deposits are received, revision fees, change fees, or airline cancellation fees will apply.
• All cancellations must be received in writing prior to tour departure. The cancellation policy will apply according to the date that the cancellation notification is received. The MINIMUM cancellation penalty is the deposit amount.
• The purchase to trip cancellation insurance is strongly recommended.

• Land only “from price” is per person based on two people sharing a room together and does not include airfare unless expressly stated.
• All prices are in US Dollars.
• A $350 non-refundable, non-transferable, per-person, per-vacation deposit is required to reserve space for you. Payment of the deposit indicates you have read and accepted all Terms & Conditions. Your booking is not confirmed until the deposit payment is processed and you receive a confirmation invoice.
• Final payment is due 75 days prior to departure. Within the final payment date, payment in full is required at time of booking to reserve space. Reservations (land, cruise, and air) are canceled if final payment is not received by the due date.
• Additional deposits or payments are required for international air added to the start and/or end of your vacation.