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Vacations By Rail · Escorted tour

Great Lakes & Trains featuring the Grand Hotel

Great Lakes loop from Chicago featuring two nights at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac

Illustration of Great Lakes & Trains featuring the Grand Hotel

Vacations By Rail's 11-day Great Lakes and Trains tour departs Chicago and ends in Dearborn, covering Wisconsin, Michigan and Ontario. The itinerary balances rail travel (Amtrak's Hiawatha to Milwaukee, the scenic Agawa Canyon Tour Train), water crossings (Lake Superior cruise through the Soo Locks, ferries to and from Mackinac Island), and motorcoach exploration of regional highlights. The centerpiece is two nights at the Grand Hotel, a historic 1887 property on Mackinac Island with horse-drawn carriage tours and an enforced dinner dress code. Days also include a guided Door County Peninsula tour with a traditional Fish Boil dinner, a ranger-led visit to Sleeping Bear Dunes with a four-course winery dinner, and a look into American automotive history at the Henry Ford Museum and Ford Rouge Factory plant. A Tour Manager leads the entire journey, handling luggage transfers and guiding excursions. The tour suits couples and history-minded travellers seeking a structured, meals-and-lodging-inclusive itinerary through Great Lakes country. The activityLevel is moderate, and most hotels are 3 to 4-star properties.

What to know before you look closer

  • The Grand Hotel enforces a dress code for dinner.
  • Flights and airport transfers are not included; the tour provides a group transfer option from Chicago Union Station at the start and to Detroit Amtrak Station or airport at the end.

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Sturgeon Bay, WI

    Depart Chicago aboard Amtrak's Hiawatha

    Board Amtrak's Hiawatha from Chicago's Union Station to Milwaukee, then motorcoach to Sturgeon Bay, WI, gateway to the Door County Peninsula.

  2. Day 2overnight: Sturgeon Bay, WI

    Sightseeing through the Door County Peninsula

    Guided tour of Door County Peninsula including Peninsula State Park and Eagle Bluff Lighthouse; lunch at Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant; dinner is a traditional Door County Fish Boil.

    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  3. Day 3overnight: Sault Ste. Marie

    Through Michigan's Upper Peninsula to Sault Ste. Marie

    Motorcoach through Escanaba River State Forest and Hiawatha National Forest into Michigan's Upper Peninsula, crossing the Canadian border to Sault Ste. Marie.

    Meals: Breakfast

  4. Day 4railovernight: Sault Ste. Marie, ON

    Exploring Agawa Canyon by train

    All-day roundtrip excursion aboard the Agawa Canyon Tour Train, a 114-mile route with GPS-triggered commentary and an included picnic lunch at Agawa Canyon Park.

    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

  5. Day 5overnight: Mackinac Island

    The famous Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island

    Lake Superior cruise through the Soo Locks, then motorcoach across the Mackinac Bridge to Mackinaw City and ferry to the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island (opened 1887); dinner with an enforced dress code.

    Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

  6. Day 6overnight: Mackinac Island

    The sights of Mackinac Island by horse-drawn carriage

    Horse-drawn carriage tour of Mackinac Island, including the butterfly conservatory, Arch Rock and Fort Mackinac Avenue of Flags; dinner at the Grand Hotel (dress code enforced).

    Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

  7. Day 7overnight: Traverse City

    Traveling down Michigan's western shore

    Ferry back to the mainland, then a scenic drive via Petoskey (Kilwins Chocolate Kitchen) and Charlevoix (Mushroom Homes) to Traverse City for a two-night stay.

    Meals: Breakfast

  8. Day 8overnight: Traverse City

    Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

    Ranger-led tour of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore along Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive; evening four-course dinner at a local winery.

    Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

  9. Day 9railovernight: Dearborn

    An afternoon at the Steam Railroad Institute

    Stop in Mt. Pleasant, then a guided visit to the Steam Railroad Institute in Owosso (home of the Pere Marquette 1225 locomotive), continuing to Dearborn.

    Meals: Breakfast

  10. Day 10overnight: Dearborn

    Delving into America's automotive past

    Visit the Henry Ford Museum and take a tour of the Ford Rouge Factory assembly plant; final group dinner at a classic-car-themed restaurant.

    Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

  11. Day 11

    Tour conclusion

    Tour concludes after breakfast; group transfer available to Detroit Amtrak Station or Detroit Metro Airport for departures after 2:00 p.m.

    Meals: Breakfast

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 1Board Amtrak's Hiawatha from Chicago's Union Station to Milwaukee before motorcoach transfer to Sturgeon Bay.
  • Day 2Guided tour of Door County Peninsula including Eagle Bluff Lighthouse and a traditional Door County Fish Boil dinner.
  • Day 4All-day roundtrip on the Agawa Canyon Tour Train, a 114-mile route with GPS-triggered commentary and picnic lunch at Agawa Canyon Park.
  • Day 5Ferry arrival at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, which opened in 1887.
  • Day 6Horse-drawn carriage tour of Mackinac Island including Arch Rock and Fort Mackinac Avenue of Flags.
  • Day 8Ranger-led tour of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore along Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive.

Included

  • Expertise of a Tour Manager from start to finish
  • 10 nights' 3 & 4-Star hotel accommodation
  • Standard Class rail travel on local rail networks
  • Breakfast each day, 2 lunches, 5 dinners
  • Group luggage transfers from Chicago Union Station to Dearborn
  • All guided tours and excursions

Not included

  • Cancellation & Travel Insurance is not included in the price of the tour but can be arranged
  • Flights and Airport transfers not included

Questions travellers ask

Is train travel included in the price?
Yes. The tour includes Standard Class rail travel on Amtrak's Hiawatha Service from Chicago to Milwaukee and the Agawa Canyon Tour Train roundtrip. Flights are not included.
Is this an escorted tour?
Yes. Vacations By Rail provides a Tour Manager from start to finish.
What is the Grand Hotel and how many nights are included?
The Grand Hotel is a historic property on Mackinac Island that opened in 1887. The tour includes two nights there. Dinners at the hotel have an enforced dress code.
What meals are included?
Breakfast each day, two lunches, and five dinners. A Door County Fish Boil dinner and four-course winery dinner are highlighted.
How much walking and physical activity is involved?
The tour has a Mobility Rating 2, including guided city tours, carriage rides on Mackinac Island, museum visits, and a ranger-led tour of Sleeping Bear Dunes.
Which hotels are included besides the Grand Hotel?
Stone Harbor Resort in Sturgeon Bay (2 nights), Delta Hotels Sault Ste Marie Waterfront (2 nights), Bayshore Resort in Traverse City (2 nights), and The Henry, Autograph Collection in Dearborn (2 nights).

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