Washington DC to Niagara Falls and New York City 3-Day Small-Group Tour, 2 Hotel Nights

Washington DC

Day 1 starts at Corning's headquarters and the world's largest glass museum, with live glass-making shows. Then comes Niagara Falls State Park to see American Falls, Horseshoe Falls and Bridal Veil Falls, and after dark an in-depth night tour from several angles. Itinerary: Washington D.C., the Corning Museum of Glass (optional, 1.5 hr), Niagara Falls Night View Tour (1.5 hr).

Corning Museum of Glass

The Corning Museum of Glass (optional, 1.5 hr): the group leaves Washington, D.C. in the morning and drives north to the museum at the heart of the American glass industry. About 100,000 pieces fill the galleries, from colorful artworks to clear crystal sculptures, and live glassmaking demonstrations show how it is done.

Extra fee

Niagara Falls

The night tour, "one park, two islands, three falls." Deep in the park, Ram Island and Moon Island give views from several angles while Horseshoe Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and American Falls glow in shifting colors. If a fireworks show is scheduled that evening, the group is there for it.

Niagara Falls

Day 2 is spent at the falls, learning about their past and present. Itinerary: Niagara Falls Classic Tour (optional, 2.5 hr: Whirlpool State Park, Cave of the Winds, Maid of the Mist), then on to New York. Note: the Maid of the Mist is open from the end of April to October, depending on ice conditions on the river. After it closes the itinerary no longer includes it, and the closing date follows the attraction's own notice.

Niagara Falls State Park

Niagara Falls Classic Tour (optional, 2.5 hr): the morning gets close to the falls from land and water. Whirlpool State Park looks down on a 125-foot-deep natural whirlpool, where the river turns sharply and the rapids fold back on themselves. At the Cave of the Winds an elevator drops into the gorge and walkways lead to the foot of the falls, close enough for spray. The Maid of the Mist, sailing since 1846, goes into the misty basin below the falls. The drive to New York follows. Note: the Maid of the Mist usually runs from late April to October (subject to river ice); once it has closed for the season this stop is not visited.

Extra fee

Cave of the Winds

The Cave of the Winds, on the New York side of Niagara Falls, lets visitors walk to the base of Bridal Veil Falls, with water crashing down beside them and flowing under the decking.

It's the combination of height and volume that makes the…

Height and volume together give Niagara its force. More than 6 million cubic feet (168,000 cubic meters) of water goes over the crest every minute at daytime peak hours. The Maid of the Mist takes passengers as near as a boat can get, right into the mist thrown up as the Niagara River drops over the edge.

New York City

Note: the hotel is in the Newark and New York area, for example Holiday Inn Newark International Airport, Crowne Plaza Newark Airport, Renaissance Newark Airport Hotel, APA Hotel Woodbridge, Crowne Plaza Edison, Embassy Suites by Hilton Piscataway Somerset, or similar.

New York City

Day 3 is about New York's money and its landmark buildings, and why the city is called the world's financial capital. One day cannot cover every district, so the route is picked in advance, and a guide gives the history and culture of the places passed.

New York City

New York City Fortune Tour (2 hr), One World Trade Center Observatory (optional, 70 min), Liberty Cruise (optional, 60 min), then Washington D.C. Fortune Tour, first stop: Canyon of Heroes, Woolworth Building, 15 Park Row, The Porter Building, St. Paul's Church, Telegraph Building. Second stop: Equitable Building, Trinity Church, Bank of New York, Federal Hall, New York Stock Exchange, Trump Building, Deutsche Bank, Charging Bull, Customs House, Standard Oil Building, Cunard Line HQ. Third stop: Times Square. Notes: 1. The sights are seen by car and on foot, with stops in four areas. 2. All the sights are viewed from the outside.

Trinity Church NYC

New York City Fortune Tour (2 hours). A guided look at the financial district by coach and on foot: the Canyon of Heroes, the Woolworth Building, then Wall Street with the New York Stock Exchange, Federal Hall, Trinity Church and the Charging Bull, ending at the neon of Times Square. All sites are seen from the outside.

Extra fee

One World Trade Center

Optional: a ride up One World Trade Center, the "Freedom Tower." At 1,776 feet, a nod to the year the Declaration of Independence was signed, it is the tallest building in the United States, and the Discovery Level has 360-degree views of the city, the rivers and the harbor.

Extra fee

Statue of Liberty

Optional: a harbor cruise on the Hudson that passes the Statue of Liberty for a close look from the water, with skyline views of Manhattan and both riverbanks.

Extra fee