Kingston is a limestone city on Lake Ontario where the St. Lawrence River begins, and the 1000 Islands start just to the east. This guide covers the city, the cruise from Gananoque, Boldt Castle and the town of Gananoque, and it is written for a first visit. Toronto has its own guide, so we leave it aside here.
Know the seasons first
Much of what makes the area famous is seasonal. Fort Henry is closed for the season now, and its 2027 opening date has not been announced; its 2026 main season began on 16 May. Canada's Penitentiary Museum is closed and reopens in May 2027. Bellevue House is closed from 15 October 2026 to 15 May 2027. Boldt Castle's published hours for 2027 run from 8 May to 11 October. Kingston City Hall's free guided tours ran from 19 May to 9 October in 2026, while its first and second floors stay open for self-guided visits in business hours. The cruise operator in Gananoque gives no season dates on the pages we could read, so check its schedule. Plan a warm-season trip, roughly May to October, if you want the full list.
What stays open in the off-season
The Kingston Public Market runs year round on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, with winter hours of 9 am to 5 pm from 1 November to 31 March. City Hall's self-guided floors, the downtown shops and restaurants and the evening ghost tour carry on, and Gananoque is quiet but not closed. A November trip is a calm, low-cost option built around the market, the old town and a spa or a good meal.
What to book ahead
In July and August, reserve your hotel, the 1000 Islands cruise and any evening tours before you leave home. The cruise and the ghost tour are the first things to reserve, and the bike tour runs on set dates. City Hall, the market, Bellevue House and the grounds of the sights need no booking, but check each site's current hours first. If you plan to land at Boldt Castle, which is on United States soil, carry a passport or a NEXUS card for every traveller.
Getting around
Downtown Kingston is compact and walkable: the waterfront, City Hall, Springer Market Square, the cruise docks and many restaurants sit within a few hundred metres of each other. Fort Henry and the Penitentiary Museum are short drives or taxi rides from downtown, and Bellevue House is a short drive or bike ride along the lakeshore. Gananoque is about 30 minutes east by road, and a car is the easiest way to get there, though the town has a VIA Rail station. Toronto is about three hours from Gananoque by road and Ottawa about two.
How many days
Two days is a good first visit in season. Spend the first day in Kingston with City Hall, the market, Fort Henry and Bellevue House, finishing with the evening ghost walk. Spend the second day in the 1000 Islands: drive to Gananoque, take the three-hour cruise, and have lunch and a walk by the river. Add a third day if you want to land at Boldt Castle with a stopover cruise, or to cycle the waterfront with the guided bike tour.
Where the headline sights fit
Fort Henry is the defining fortress and belongs with a downtown day. The cruise is the heart of the 1000 Islands experience, and Boldt Castle is its landmark, seen from the water on the three-hour cruise or visited on foot with a stopover. The Penitentiary Museum and Bellevue House are shorter, quieter stops that suit a wet afternoon in the open season.
Weather and packing
Wind off the lake and the river is constant, so pack a windproof layer even in summer, and a warm coat from late autumn. Comfortable shoes suit the stone floors and the hill at Fort Henry. A passport is worth carrying in any case if you might join a Boldt Castle cruise.
