About Trek TrekAmerica Reviews

I was worried about booking this as I had never been camping before, but I needn't have worried! I survived (even through huge thunderstorms and torrential rain) and it made the trip so much better than staying in hotels, motels or hostels! The tents were easy to put up and take down quickly once you had got the hang of it!
Our trek leader (Phil) was awesome and would look things up for us to do in all of the cities. He gave us a mini introduction to each place which was cool!
Breakfast was good each day and for lunches we had picnic type stuff. The groups split cooking, washing and cleaning the van each day.
The tour had such a good itinerary and we saw so many amazing things and places! My highlights were Niagara Falls, Canoeing in the Wilderness in Algonquin PP and Jet Boating in Montreal!
If you are thinking about booking this, don't think just do it! You will love it! :)

This was my third trip with trek America and I was really looking forward to the mix of Canadian cities and national parks. My previous trips were absolutely amazing so I had no doubt about booking this trip with my boyfriend as I’d told him how amazing the whole trek experience is. Unfortunately I was left somewhat disappointed as it had the potential to be an amazing trip.

The first day didn’t start off well, which was a shame as it was my birthday. Our trek leader showed up late and it took forever to get through all the necessary paperwork, we were the last trek group to leave the hotel. Our first night was spent in the Finger Lakes and we were told that we would have lots of time to go wine tasting, walking or swimming once we got there. Unfortunately we got there and it was almost dark so we didn’t even get a chance to see the Lakes although I have been told they are stunning.

The part of the trip I was most looking forward to was seeing Niagra Falls and going on the Maid of the Mist and I’ve wanted to this for a very long time. They certainly didn’t disappoint however lots of messing around led us not getting to the dock until five minutes before the last departure of the day and almost missing out - this was a general trend of the trip.

In Toronto we went up the CN tower which was probably the highlight of the city. We visited Ottowa, Montreal and Quebec which got progressively more French the further east we travelled. An unexpected highlight in Ottowa was the city’s light display which was beamed onto the parliament buildings which was brilliantly done. I really enjoyed exploring Montreal’s old town and Mount Royal. O Noir (dinner in the dark) was cool and another highlight. Algonquin Park was stunning and the canoe trip was particularly amazing.

The final night was spent in Portland at the Riverside campground, and this was awful. The campground was waterlogged so we pitched on the only real dry bits of ground. When the camp manager eventually showed up she was really rude and aggressive, forcing us to move our already pitched tents so that there was about an inch between each tent.

This was my third trip with Trek America and I believe there are three things which make for an excellent trip; the itinerary, the group and the trek leader. Until this trip I didn’t realise how important it is to have a trek leader who is organised and enthusiastic. The itinerary of this trip is brilliant, the group was friendly, however the big let down was the trek leader and we spend most of the trip having to look up things to do on someones ipad. The list of optional activities looked impressive, however the majority of these weren’t even offered or mentioned. I’d think carefully about using Trek America again, which is a great shame as I’ve sung Trek America’s praises over the years.

I chose this trip as I've always wanted to see Niagara falls and go to Canada and experience the French influence there but this trip turned out to be so much more than that. An excellent mix of exploring cities, outdoor activities and scenery. 

I can honestly say I enjoyed every place and every activity we did. Maid of the mist and canoeing in Algonquin were amazing and I did lots of other optional activities too. Sunset canoeing in Acadia National park is unmissable and so was O Noir in  Montréal where we ate in the dark.  

This was my first trek and I loved it. I booked late so got 20% discount making the trip a bit cheaper. People have said (and I agree) that you could do this more cheaply on your own however, I would recommend doing a trek trip over doing that any day. 

Our trek leader's local knowledge and amazing attitude towards making every aspect of our trip memorable was invaluable. We would not have seen or done some of the amazing things without him. He went out of his way to take us to as many places as possible and  maximise the time in each place.  We also did lots of little detours to see things on the way: wine tasting, waterfall walks (my favourite) and many more! In my opinion, he went above and beyond his duties to ensure we enjoyed everything and the trip ran smoothly throughout. 

As for the camping and campsite cooking, we had everything you could possibly imagine in terms of equipment and I have never eaten so well in my life. This was down to being with a lovely group but also our tour leader Ben's influence as he's a definite foodie. Blueberry pancakes with maple syrup by Ben and our mammoth BBQ including Cajun corn, prawns, salmon and sausages were the highlights for me. Thanks to Ben, we also saw the changing of the guard in Ottawa which felt like you were in England or Scotland and we saw the amazing Cirque de Soleil for free in Quebec City.  ( Well done Ben Collier, our lovely leader) 

Algonquin PP and Acadia NP were beautiful and I think the special thing about this trip is the variety. We saw amazing scenery: the waterfalls, lakes, the sea, and the hiking coupled with the variety between the beautiful Canadian cities make this an excellent trip. 

For me, Quebec city was one of the highlights as it was so beautiful and it was such a stark change from Ottawa and Toronto where you see very little French. Then you get to Montreal where there is an increasing amount of French but still some English. It's a complete change of culture and feel when you get into Quebec City and you feel like you're in a beautiful French city. After this, you're back into the USA so culturally speaking it's a real mix! 

If you're thinking of doing this trip just go for it. It's amazing. 

A brilliant blend of nation/provincial parks and big cities. The included wilderness canoeing was great (but quite tiring due to the wind), Free time to explore the cities was great, especially as Laura our trek leader highlighted the best local museums, and options for every taste. (BIG THANK YOU). The maid of the mist (uncluded) was an amazing experience! as was the optional dinner in the dark (Highly recommended). For those who like hiking, there's plenty of opportunity to walk round the towns/cities and lots of hikes in Acadia/algonquin (though mind the mossies who were out on force during our trip)!
All in all a brilliant experience