Milwaukee to Halifax

Milwaukee is America's brewing capital reinvented, where German heritage, a world-class art museum with Calatrava wings, and the world's largest music festival anchor a lakefront city of genuine warmth and surprising sophistication. Must-do experiences include the Milwaukee Art Museum, a Friday fish fry, the Harley-Davidson Museum, and craft brewery hopping. June through September is prime, with Summerfest in late June/July being the annual cultural peak.

Mackinac Island is a car-free Victorian treasure in Michigan's Lake Huron, where horse-drawn carriages, the iconic Grand Hotel, and century-old fudge shops preserve an atmosphere of unhurried elegance. Visitors should not miss a carriage tour past Arch Rock and Fort Mackinac, followed by planked whitefish at a harborside tavern. The island is most enchanting from mid-June through September, when the Lilac Festival gives way to warm summer days perfect for cycling the eight-mile shoreline loop.

Sault Sainte Marie ("the Soo") is the Great Lakes' most vital shipping chokepoint, where massive freighters transit the Soo Locks between Lake Superior and Lake Huron in a spectacle of engineering precision. Must-dos include watching the lock operations, tasting Lake Superior whitefish, and riding the Agawa Canyon Tour Train through spectacular autumn foliage. June through October offers the best conditions, with September-October peak for fall colors.

Parry Sound, Canada, offers an authentic North American experience where stunning natural landscapes meet communities of genuine character. Visitors should explore the surrounding wilderness and sample the honest, locally sourced cuisine that defines the region. The ideal visiting period is May through October, when the climate is at its most welcoming for outdoor exploration. Cruise lines including Hapag-Lloyd Cruises feature this port on their most compelling itineraries. Whether you have a few hours or a full day, the port rewards exploration at every pace and in every direction.

Killarney sits on Georgian Bay's northern shore where the white quartzite La Cloche Mountains inspired Group of Seven masterpieces, leading to the creation of one of Ontario's finest provincial parks. Must-dos include hiking the Crack for panoramic views, paddling turquoise backcountry lakes, and eating legendary fish and chips at Herbert Fisheries. Visit September for ideal conditions — warm days, autumn colour, and clear skies over the 50-plus crystal-clear lakes of this Canadian Shield wilderness.

Tobermory sits at the tip of Ontario's Bruce Peninsula, where impossibly clear waters reveal shipwrecks in Fathom Five National Marine Park — Canada's first underwater preserve. Must-dos include snorkelling the Sweepstakes wreck, hiking to the Grotto's turquoise sea cave, and visiting Flowerpot Island's iconic rock formations. The best season runs from June through September, when warm weather unlocks diving, glass-bottom boat tours, and the full glory of the Bruce Trail.

Windsor, Canada, offers an authentic North American experience where stunning natural landscapes meet communities of genuine character. Visitors should explore the surrounding wilderness and sample the honest, locally sourced cuisine that defines the region. The ideal visiting period is May through October, when the climate is at its most welcoming for outdoor exploration. Cruise lines including Viking feature this port on their most compelling itineraries. Whether you have a few hours or a full day, the port rewards exploration at every pace and in every direction.

Welland Canal, Canada, offers an authentic North American experience where stunning natural landscapes meet communities of genuine character. Visitors should explore the surrounding wilderness and sample the honest, locally sourced cuisine that defines the region. The ideal visiting period is May through October, when the climate is at its most welcoming for outdoor exploration. Cruise lines including Hapag-Lloyd Cruises feature this port on their most compelling itineraries. Whether you have a few hours or a full day, the port rewards exploration at every pace and in every direction.

Toronto is Canada's most multicultural metropolis, where over 200 languages, the ROM's Libeskind crystal, Frank Gehry's AGO redesign, and neighborhoods spanning every cuisine on Earth create one of North America's most rewarding and underestimated cities. Visit September via Viking for the Toronto International Film Festival, waterfront island escapes, and the revelation that Canada's financial capital harbors cultural diversity rivaling any city on the continent.

Montreal is the world's second-largest francophone city, set on an island in the St. Lawrence River where French colonial heritage meets North American energy and one of the continent's most exciting food scenes. Must-dos include visiting the stunning Basilique Notre-Dame, eating smoked meat at Schwartz's and bagels at St-Viateur, and exploring the Plateau's bohemian streets. June through September offers peak festival season, including the world's largest jazz festival.

Quebec City is North America's only walled city, a UNESCO treasure where 400 years of French colonial architecture crown a St. Lawrence promontory beneath the iconic Château Frontenac. Visit September through October via Cunard or Seabourn for autumn foliage transforming stone ramparts, elevated Québécois terroir cuisine, and the singular experience of genuine Old World atmosphere on a continent that rarely provides it.

The Saguenay is a glacially carved fjord of Norwegian grandeur hidden in Quebec, where three-hundred-meter cliffs plunge into waters hosting the world's southernmost beluga whales alongside blue whales, fins, and humpbacks. Visit September through October via Cunard or Azamara for autumn-color fjord transits, world-class whale-watching at Tadoussac, and one of Canada's most spectacular and least-expected natural treasures.

Tadoussac is a historic village at the mouth of Canada's Saguenay Fjord, where cold river waters meeting the St. Lawrence create one of the world's premier whale-watching destinations with up to 13 species including belugas, fin whales, and occasional blue whales. Must-dos include a Zodiac whale-watching excursion, kayaking the dramatic Saguenay Fjord, and visiting North America's oldest wooden church. Visit August or September for peak whale diversity and autumn foliage.

Gaspe, Canada, offers an authentic North American experience where stunning natural landscapes meet communities of genuine character. Visitors should explore the surrounding wilderness and sample the honest, locally sourced cuisine that defines the region. The ideal visiting period is May through October, when the climate is at its most welcoming for outdoor exploration. Cruise lines including Seabourn feature this port on their most compelling itineraries. Whether you have a few hours or a full day, the port rewards exploration at every pace and in every direction.

The Magdalen Islands are a red-sandstone archipelago in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, home to a proud francophone fishing community and some of eastern Canada's most photogenic landscapes of sculpted cliffs and endless beaches. Must-dos include tasting the legendary pot-en-pot seafood pie, sea kayaking along the red sandstone cliffs, and exploring the traditional fishing harbors. Visit June through September for the warmest weather and the freshest lobster season.

Charlottetown is the Birthplace of Canadian Confederation and Prince Edward Island's gracious Victorian capital, where Province House witnessed the nation's founding and the world's longest-running annual musical has played since 1965. Visit June through October via Cunard or Regent Seven Seas for legendary PEI oysters and lobster, red sand beaches, and the Green Gables landscape that inspired one of literature's most beloved heroines.

Halifax, the historic capital of Nova Scotia, is a refined Atlantic port where centuries of maritime heritage meet a flourishing culinary scene anchored by Digby scallops, donairs, and one of North America's oldest farmers' markets. Visitors should not miss the star-shaped Citadel Hill and the harbourfront boardwalk's constellation of galleries and tasting rooms. The ideal season stretches from late June through October, when autumn's blazing foliage transforms the entire province into a masterwork of colour and the cruise terminal welcomes the world's finest vessels.