Canada's financial centre happens to have one of the most spectacular skylines in the world, as well as a multi-cultural vibe found nowhere else. An excursion to Niagara will satisfy a bucket list entry.

Following the North Shore of Lake Ontario, travel to the serene Thousand Islands in the St. Lawrence River between Canada and New York, before arriving in the nation's capital. The architecture here is quintessentially Canadian, as is the amalgamation of French and English influences.

The villages along the Quebec side of the Ottawa River are our introduction to the francophone province, and Montreal is the business and cultural centerpiece of French Canada. Beside world class museums and top notch cuisine, the city has a thriving music scene and of course, the pride of the city, the Montreal Canadians ice hockey team.

The St. Lawrence leads us from Montreal to Quebec, the spiritual heart of French Canada. Despite endless battles between the French and British colonists, this 400-year-old city is exceptionally well preserved and very atmospheric. A tour of the Ile D'Orleans just outside the city shows the area's agricultural and religious heritage, including the great shrine of Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré.

As the St. Lawrence Seaway opens up, whales come to feed in the brackish water. A Zodiac excursion to see beluga, fin, minke and blue whales is a must. The rural peace of the scenic Gaspé Peninsula makes a good overnight.

Following the Gulf of St. Lawrence through bilingual New Brunswick brings us to Prince Edward Island, whose rich red soil was made famous by the book Anne of Green Gables.

Boarding a ferry to the province of Nova Scotia, we travel North to Cape Breton Island, where the steep cliffs inspire awe, and friendly but unintelligible locals invoke the Celtic past.

The final leg of the journey brings us to Atlantic Canada's largest city, Halifax. This historic fishing port offers some of the best seafood cuisine in the world. No trip to Nova Scotia could miss Peggy's Cove, where you'll swear you can still hear the ancient sea shanties in the air.