You may know the 1000 Islands. But look closer.

Beyond the familiar landmarks is a wider region of waterways, heritage towns, rural roads, independent makers, and stories that are easily passed by.

A 1000 Ways began with a conviction that these places, people, and stories deserved to be seen properly. We create private hosted journeys for travellers who value context over checklists, conversation over crowds, and a more considered pace over trying to see everything.

By venturing beyond the busiest places and following trusted local relationships deeper into the region, the day naturally slows down. There is time to notice more, understand what you are seeing, and form a genuine connection with the place.

What does it mean to travel deeper?

It means going beyond what a place is known for to discover what makes it what it is.

It means leaving the busiest routes, meeting the people who give the region its character, and hearing the stories that bring the landscape into focus. It means travelling at a pace that leaves room to notice, ask questions, and understand more.

Travel deeper is not about doing more. It is about seeing more in what is already there.

Featured private journeys

Tour de Taste

Leeds Grenville, Opened Through Flavour

Some of the best ways into a region begin at the table.

Co-curated with Chef Cynthia Peters of Maison Maitland Cooking School, Tour de Taste follows the people, flavours, and local favourites she returns to when cooking for her own guests.

Across heritage villages and rural countryside, the day unfolds through personal introductions, guided tastings, independent shops, and a thoughtfully chosen lunch. You are not simply transported from one stop to another. You are expected when you arrive.

The Newboro Passage

A Defining Moment of the Rideau Canal

The Newboro Passage follows one of the canal’s defining moments into a landscape where water, stone, ambition, and settlement still hold the evidence. This private hosted day moves beyond the familiar story of the Rideau Canal to consider what was here before the canal, how the waterway was forced into being, and what followed once it took shape. It introduces travellers to the life that gathered around the canal, the village that grew from it, and the changed waters that reshaped work, industry, and recreation.

The 1000 Islands, Closer

An iconic landscape deserves more than a standard sightseeing tour. This private journey brings you closer to the people, stories, river views, and rare local access that make the 1000 Islands feel unforgettable. With a relaxed pace, a remarkable view from above, and thoughtful hosting throughout, The 1000 Islands, Closer is designed for travellers who want to experience the region with more intimacy, context, and ease.

More ways to meet the region

Regional Journey

Through The Frontenac Arch

The Frontenac Arch cannot be understood from a single viewpoint.

Regional Journey moves through the UNESCO-designated Frontenac Arch Biosphere Region, where the Canadian Shield reaches the St. Lawrence and lakes, forests, farms, and rural communities gather within one remarkable landscape.

Beginning with a guided walk alongside goats near Seeley’s Bay, the journey follows the back roads toward Westport, Spy Rock, and a local vineyard. Along the way, the landscape begins to feel connected rather than separate.

It is a day for travellers who want to leave the busiest routes behind and understand more of the region they are moving through.

Brockville:

The Court Town

Brockville is introduced through the forces that shaped it: law, commerce, railways, and its commanding position on the St. Lawrence.

This private hosted experience brings the city into focus through historic interpretation, private transportation, the grand courthouse district, the Brockville Railway Tunnel, a café stop, and a thoughtfully prepared picnic lunch. It is a more considered way to experience one of Ontario’s most storied river cities, with context, pacing, and hosting woven throughout the day.

From Bean to Brew

Around Charleston Lake, Through Its Makers

Charleston Lake anchors more than a landscape. Around it is a network of small communities, independent businesses, and people building something distinctly local.

From Bean to Brew follows that network through small-town cafés, artisan baking, and sustainable local production. Moving along the rural roads surrounding the lake, the journey reveals how enterprise, food, and community give this part of the Frontenac Arch its character.

From Bean to Brew was originally developed in partnership with 1000 Islands Rideau Canal Waterways through its Tourism Adventures Program.