Boldt Castle, kayaking sheltered island channels, cycling the Thousand Islands Parkway, and a forest lookout over the St. Lawrence — this is the exact weekend we ran in Gananoque, Ontario, laid out day by day so you can copy it (or steal the pieces that fit your pace).
Day 1 · Friday - Travelling to Gananoque
Hop over for sand dunes in belleville or Kingston for old city vibes.
Day 2 · Saturday Morning — Boldt Castle
We booked a 5-hour City Cruises tour from Gananoque starting at 9:30 AM, with a stopover on Heart Island to walk the grounds. One important thing to know upfront: bring your passport — the route crosses into the US.
Once on the island, you can wander between four distinct structures, each worth its own few minutes:
Alster Tower — the playhouse, built from fieldstone
Stone Arch — the dramatic entry archway near the water
Yacht House — across the water on a separate islet, reachable by a short walk
Boldt Castle itself — the main six-story structure
We skipped the separate Kingston cruise since the Boldt Castle tour already covered the same stretch of river — one less redundant stop if you’re tight on time.
Day 2 · Saturday Afternoon — Cycling the Parkway
Rental: 1000 Islands Rentals & Adventures, 130 Water Street Unit 109, Gananoque — walk-in only, no advance booking.
Shot on Ray-Ban Meta glasses — link at the end of this post.
Day 3 · Sunday Morning — Kayaking the Islands
This was the highlight of the trip. We went with 1000 Islands Kayaking Co. for a guided tour through sheltered island channels — calm water even for paddlers more used to flat lakes than open river current.
Tour/rentals: 1000 Islands Kayaking Co., 110 Kate Street, Gananoque · 613-463-9564
Also shot on Ray-Ban Meta glasses.
Day 3 · Sunday Evening — Landon Bay Trail
A short loop on the Bay Trail led up to a lookout point with a genuinely panoramic view of the river and islands below — one of the best payoff-to-effort hikes of the whole trip.
Day 4 · Monday
Returning back Home!
Bites and Sips Along the Way
Laverne’s — good coffee, good pastries, good people-watching by the window.
Purple House Cafe — wood-fired pizza in a garden setting.
Stonewater Pub — local craft beer, cozy pub atmosphere. Do try their Honey beer
Where We Stayed
We stayed at the Ramada by Wyndham Gananoque Provincial Inn — about a mile from both the cruise dock and the kayak launch, which made the early morning starts easy.
Gear Note
Most of the photos in this post were shot on Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses — hands-free video and photos while cycling, kayaking, and walking the islands made it easy to capture the trip without breaking the moment.
Ray-Ban Meta glasses: (#ad — affiliate link)
Save this post if you’re planning your own Thousand Islands weekend — and if you’ve been to Gananoque, let us know what we missed.
