Gems of the Adirondacks and Lake Placid | August 24-30, 2026

Featuring the Finger Lakes region, Adirondacks, 1000 Islands  and Lake Placid

Aug 24 – Welcome to the Finger Lakes of New York

This morning board your flight bound for NY State. Upon arrival at the Buffalo or Rochester Airport, board your motorcoach and venture to the beautiful Finger Lakes Region of New York. Later today you’ll arrive at your hotel in Geneva, NY for a lovely two-night stay. Enjoy dinner on your own this evening.

Overnight: Geneva, NY

Aug 25 – Cheese Tasting, Belhurst Castle , Canandaigua Lady Lake Cruise, Wine Tasting 

This morning after breakfast set off with your Local Step-on guide for a fun day around the Finger Lakes! Enjoy a brief tour of Seneca Falls, the Birthplace of Women’s Rights and heralded as the inspiration for Frank Capra’s 1946 film “It’s A Wonderful Life”, and the fictional town of “Bedford Falls”. Next you are off to Muranda Cheese Company for a private tasting of their delicious cheeses. Mid-day, enjoy a planned luncheon at the famous Belhurst Castle. This afternoon, board the Canandaigua Lady, a 19th century steamboat replica, and an authentic double-decker paddle wheeler for a scenic cruise on Canandaigua Lake. Cruise into relaxation while listening to a captivating narration on this sixty-five-ton Mississippi style paddle wheel boat. Later this afternoon, enjoy wine tastings and dinner in a warm Tuscan setting overlooking the vineyard & Seneca Lake.

Overnight: Geneva, NY – (B,L,D)

Aug 26– Great Camp Sagamore, The Adirondack Experience Museum

Enjoy breakfast before setting off for the Adirondacks of New York. Visit the Great Camp Sagamore on Raquette Lake, a masterpiece of Adirondack architecture. The camp was built in 1897 as a wilderness retreat for the Vanderbilt family and a place where America’s most  influential people came to take a break from the clamor of modern life. The 27-building Great Camp stands alone on a remote lakeside. Sagamore’s builders gathered the colors, scents, and textures of the wild forest and reassembled them indoors in a style that is now imitated nationwide. Enjoy lunch on your own at the camp,  followed by a historic walking tour of the buildings & grounds. Continue for a visit to the Adirondack Experience ~ The Museum on the Blue Mountain Lake, in the heart of the Adirondacks for a unique experience to learn about the regions’ rich history. This evening you arrive to Lake Placid, nestled in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains and home to the 1980 Winter Olympics. Check into the Grand Adirondack Hotel for a relaxing two-night stay. Tonight, a planned dinner is scheduled.

Overnight: Grand Adirondack Hotel, Lake Placid – (B, L, D)

Please note due to seasonality of this tour, if Great Camp Sagamore is unavailable to accommodate group, it will be replaced with a lunch cruise.

Aug 27 – Lake Placid Tour, Olympic Center, & Olympic Jumping Complex

This morning after breakfast, leave with your local guide for a fun-filled day touring the Lake Placid Olympic  Center.  Begin with a guided tour of the Center which holds some of the greatest, most memorable moments in Winter Sports history. Visit the Olympic Jumping complex for a ride in the new Skyride and newly remodeled scenic elevator to the Skydeck of the top of the 120-meter ramp that ski jumpers launch from before  flying over the length of a football field. Enjoy the balance of the afternoon and evening at your leisure to explore the village and dine at one of Lake Placid’s great restaurants.

Overnight: Grand Adirondack Hotel, Lake Placid – (B)

Aug 28 – High Falls Gorge, Whiteface Veterans’ Memorial Highway & Thousand Islands

Enjoy breakfast and a leisurely morning at Lake Placid before you set off to experience the awe-inspiring, rugged beauty of High Falls Gorge, a dramatic ravine cut into the mountainside by the Ausable River. Enjoy a gentle half mile round-trip walk to view four-splendid waterfalls cascading over rocks into a deep crevice carved a billion years ago. From here, you will travel along the scenic Whiteface Memorial Highway to the top of  Whiteface Mountain for spectacular views and a visit to the Summit Castle. This unique automotive experience takes you to the summit of the mountain, with gorgeous views spanning hundreds of miles of wild land reaching as far as Vermont and Canada. Nowhere else is the beauty and vastness of the Adirondack Park so apparent and so easily accessible. Enjoy a casual planned lunch today before your journey continues to the Thousand Islands. Here is where Ontario, Canada, and the United States meet and their cultures blend in the waters of the mighty St. Lawrence and Great Lake Ontario. The native people called this region the “Garden of the Great  Spirit.” Today many people still remark that this gorgeous garden of woods and waters that is called the 1000 Islands, is truly one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Check into Captain Thomson’s Resort, at  Alexandria Bay for a relaxing two-night stay.

Overnight: Captain Thomson’s Resort, Alexandria  Bay – (B,L)

Aug 29 – Two-Nation Cruise & Boldt Castle

This morning after breakfast, embark on a scenic 2.25 hour tour through the beautiful Thousand Islands. On your 22-mile journey through the international waters of America and Canada, enjoy spectacular views of this  truly unique area shared by two nations, and you don’t even need a passport! Enjoy historic and scenic wonders in both the American and Canadian sections of the 1000 Islands, hear colorful history of the magnificent homes built during the gilded age, view such landmarks as Devils Oven, Sunken Rock Lighthouse, the Canadian Span of the 1000 Islands Bridge System, Tom Thumb Island and so much more! On your cruise, enjoy a boxed lunch before you arrive at Heart Island for a visit to Boldt Castle for a self-guided tour. Built by George Boldt, the castle was the ultimate gift of love for his  darling wife Louise.  When construction of Boldt Castle was well underway, tragedy struck. In January 1904, George sent his workers a telegram  saying, “Stop all work, Louise has died.” Heartbroken, he never returned to Heart Island again. Take a short ferry ride back to the mainland and return to your resort to enjoy the balance of the day at leisure. Tonight, gather for a lovely grand finale dinner to reminisce about all the fun you’ve had exploring beautiful New York State.

Overnight: Captain Thomson’s Resort, Alexandria  Bay – (B, Boxed Lunch, D)

Aug 30 – Depart for home 

Enjoy breakfast and check out of your Resort. Later this morning, check in for your flight home. Fond memories of the Gems of the Adirondack’s will remain forever.  – (B)

* Itinerary is subject to change