Mackinac Island

Loved Chicago; I thought there was too much down time between Chicago and Mackinac Island. Maybe town time is a poor choice of words, but it appears to have moments where the trip dragged on. Mackinac Island was lovely, and I thoroughly enjoyed the Ford Museum and factory tour. We went on our own to the Motown Museum in Detroit, it might be a nice idea to see if it is doable to add to the tour. Thank you. The tour director was lovely. She was a little animated at times, but she did a great job.

We loved Chicago and absolutely loved the Grand Hotel. The porch and rooms were amazing. The meals were fabulous.

There were so many wonderful things about the trip . Somewhere in Time is one of my favorite movies so it was special to be there where it was filmed. My sister in law, Penny and I got to stay in a room with canopy beds. I grew up with a canopy bed and she had never slept in one . It brought back sweet memories:) The Grand Hotel was beautiful , and bike riding on the island and carriage rides were so much fun :) There were 10 of us from Cleveland, TN ,but we met so many new friends . There was so much laughter :) Chicago was so pretty when we took the architectural boat ride , visited the Bean , and toured the Art Institute. We had so many delicious meals , but I think my favorite was the prime rib at the Grand hotel . Our tour manager, Dawn was great , and told us so much about where we would be visiting each day, and even gave us homemade scones and air fresheners. Our bus driver, Jack was fun and always got us everywhere safely . I would highly recommend this . It was like a trip if a lifetime for me :)

Chicago was to short but great. Two days would have been much better. Everything about Macinac Island was wonderful and the right amount of time. Frederick Meier Gardens were enjoyable. The experience at the Ford Factory was great. However, the time watching the F150 assembly was way too short. Everyone wanted more time. All the rest could have been left out. Most travelers on this tour were well traveled and would have preferred whatever driving time it took to get between the above points but leave out the mundane. Colette travelers want only quality travel time.

This tour was worth every penny. Most memorable experience was coming up the hill with the first look at the Grand Hotel. The island itself is beautiful along with all the fudge shops.

We loved Mackinac and the Grand Hotel and would like to re-visit in the future. The other highlight was the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village......the staff members at the Village were exceptional, gracious and well informed.

I would have liked to have one more day in chicago and take off the frankenmuth day. Otherwise, all went perfectly. our tour manager, Chad was outstanding! He went over and above what was required. He went out of his way to walk us to dinner venues at each stop, even when he himself wasn’t dining at that particular restaurant. He printed out details of restaurants and shops at each of stops. My first collette tour. Was so impressed, I just signed up for the willow valley/collette trip to Tuscany in May 2025. I will look for more opportunities to travel with Collette. One of the best trips I’ve ever been on. Thank you so much. Loved the trip book too. Great way to share our pics with everyone. Love your cancellation policy too.

Not on actual tour, but actually a side trip - visiting the Ford Rouge assembly plant. Fascinating, would have loved to see more.

Loved Mackinac Would like another day in Chicago Loved Sculpture Garden And Dow Estate Would skip Frankenmuth Would actively suggest Ford assembly plant tour

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This was a wonderful trip! It was well planned and thought through. I had never been to Chicago and loved our hotel and its location. I visited the Chicago Art Institute on our free afternoon, which was amazing. The bus trip in the morning was great as we saw highlights of Chicago. Leaving Chicago we were treated to interesting places on our way to Mackinac Island which also broke up our time on the bus. The Grand Hotel did not disappoint. It was beautiful and great fun to explore. The carriage ride around the island was terrific. The area where we stopped to change horses had very nice shops and the prices were a bit lower than in town. I was able to visit the butterfly house 2 minutes from our stop. It was well worth the visit as I saw butterflies I’ve never seen before and took lots of photos. It’s doable if you don’t mind a quick trip through it. The meals at Grand Hotel were memorable as well. I didn’t want to leave! Again, on the way to our next destination, we were taken to interesting places such as the Alden Dow house. All of us were surprised as to how much we enjoyed the tour of this fascinating home. Frankenmuth was a fun spot, but I would recommend skipping Bronners Christmas store and spending more time in the little town. On to The Henry Ford museum. We spent more than half of our time in the outdoor area seeing the homes of famous Americans, which were transported to the town. We rode in a model T, took the train ride, and stopped for a very fun time in Mrs. D Cohen’s hat shop where you can try on hats from that time in history. Lots of photos and interesting information from the shop keepers. We went to the inside museum in the afternoon where we saw cars from history such as the car where President Kennedy was shot. There’s more there than anyone can see in a day. We had an excellent last night meal in a fun Ford restaurant. Our tour leader was great filling us in on sites we were visiting, showing informative little videos on the bus, and being a friend to each of us. We all agree, this was a marvelous trip!

This was an amazing trip and l would absolutely reccomend it. The only part l didn't care for was Frankenmuth, but some people would miss shopping at the Christmas venue. Chad was wonderful and l would consider seeking for another trip with him. Another day in Chicago and on Macinac would be wonderful.

This Tour was at a perfect pace. There were too many wonderful things that we saw, and did to point out any one singular one as my favorite. Millennium park in Chicago and the waterfront was Beautiful. What can you say about the grand Hotel on Mackinac Island except spectacular and Mackinac island itself. Of course when going to Michigan you cannot not go to Dearborn to see the Henry Ford Museum. That is a must. This is one of those tours that fulfilled everyone’s wants and wishes and went beyond most expectations.

Probably THE BEST TOURMANAGER AND DRIVER we have ever had. He was most helpful and knowledgeable.

Mackinac Island and the Grand Hotel.

Stops in Grand Rapids was spectacular at Sculpture gardens. Stay at Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island was fantastic. Disappointed in rest of Island. Just a tourist trap. Really enjoyed Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Detroit. Tour Guide was great.

The tour was well planned out. Tour guide Kevin was exceptional in keeping us on track, handling whatever came up and remaining pleasant and upbeat the entire tour. Hope to one day be on another tour with him.

Well organized.

Our tour manager, Dawn was Excellent in every way. She communicated clearly and often and was able to answer all kinds of different questions. The tour itself covers a lot of ground via bus (from Chicago to Mackinac City to Detroit) so there's lots of sitting. Be prepared for that. The visit to Mackinac Island was clearly the highlight and we were blessed with amazing weather. I could easily have spent another couple of days on the island to soak up the atmosphere and explore the island more.

It was great. We loved Dawn our tour director. She was so much fun. Loved all of the cities we visited. Would definitely use Collette again.

Best food was Harry Caray's in Chicago

Had a wonderful tour. Every place we visited was worth the time spent there. The hotel on the island is a unique and wonderful experience.

chicago river cruise, henry ford museum, art museum in chicago and millieum park

We had an excellent time and Chad was wonderful!

Fabulous tour guide, friendly and knowledgeable. Lots of fun.

definitely The Grand Hotel!

Excellent tour. Loved Grand Hotel and Hyatt-Canopy and Courtyard ok. Not impressed with Frankenmuth or Christmas store. Loved the rest.

Below average, never collett again, we were left in an airport with no transportation from 2 am till 9am , only a security guard in her office, all doors unlocked. Never again with collect travel

Secret Garden

Really enjoyed the Bavarian village and Christmas shop. Had problems with accommodations.

Everything was just great. Well planned trip. Jen was the best tour manager .

If anyone is thinking of going on a bus tour I highly recommend this year. Wow ! What a fantastic trip. We were there in May and were lucky enough to see the northern lights as a xtra bonus. Everything about the trip was wonderful. Thanks again to Jen and Phil. They were the best

Staying at the Grand Hotel

It was a great experience to see Mackinac Island and the Grand Hotel. Loved it.

The tour was very well planned and exceptionally well lead by our tour director. Everything was made very clear and we felt very well cared for. If I had one recommendation it would be to list optional side experiences for our free time well in advance of our departure for the tour. We had a wonderful time shared with wonderful fellow travelers.

A Chicago River Cruise should be included in the tour. A warm Spring caused tulip time to have lack of fresh flowers. Have local tour guides recommend getting off the bus at the central park of Holland to see blooming, fresh tulips so not disappointed at the Windmill area when the spring is warm. Machinac Island: The carriage rides in carriage wagons need to have personnel to help people ON as well as OFF the high carriages so no one falls. Large distance beween the two precariously positioned steps & no handrails is not acceptable. ADA upgrade for the carriage rides if the company is not using the lowboy. Offering a handicapped tour of the Secret Garden would be thoughtful! Need more time at Frankenmuth. There was only time to eat or time to explore. We could not do both! More time is needed at Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village. Need at least a day & 1/2. Model T rides need ADA upgrade & personnel that are capable to help people in & out of the Model T. The personnel at Canopy by Hilton Downtown Grand Rapids were extremely accommodating & made us feel like family. The VARIETY in the tour was my favorite part.

The complete trip was fantastic. Sightseeing in Chicago wonderful. “The Grand Hotel”. Icing on the cake. Henry Ford Museum and dinner that night what a great was to finish the trip.

Every thing was good. My favorite other than the island was the boat tour in Chicago.

It got off to a bad start in our conversation in fort worth. We were delayed and and missed our flight out because of a storm. After sitting on the tarmac for 2 hours we had to get off the plane again and couldn't leave until the next morning Leaving all of us seniors to try get some sleep on those hard chairs so we were all stiff and sore by morning. Very unpleasant.

Collette should have knowing that the Grand Hotel was the destination for high and elementary students during the time we were there. Also, the five star rating was not what we expected due to the employees arriving just a few days earlier

Holland, MI tulip festival and Frankenmuth were less than I expected (could have done without). Grand Rapids hotel was disappointing (understaffed)

Tulip festival was extremely crowded, tulips were pretty much over...Frankenmuth was a bit disappointing... good chicken dinner for lunch though. Grand Rapids hotel was stark and understaffed. Restaurant was closed and we had to walk around to find something opened for dinner. Not many decent options.

I can't say enough about this trip. There was plenty to see and time for shopping, looking around etc. The tour manager was one of the best!! She was always available when necessary.

Absolutely beyond our expectations. First, Jen went above and beyond in organization and knowledge. She and our bus driver Andy were the best! We had a great mix of planned activities and free time. The Grand Hotel and all of Mackinac were like a fairy tale. The restaurant choices were outstanding. I chose Collette because it also included Frankenmuth and we were not disappointed. However, more time in the Christmas store would have been good , but that’s just me. Our rides were spaced wonderfully with stops in between that made them feel much shorter. My only complaint. The bus needs cupholders and a pouch on the back of the seat.

The airline travel was poorly planned. We had 20 minutes to change planes is Dallas....and we're OLD!!! Dallas is known for storms...our flight was cancelled....and WHY did we have to go to Dallas to get to Chicago.?? We spent the night in the airport and missed the first day of our Chicago tour

The tour guide was very good and active all the time. The Grand Hotel was a bonus.

Loved the tour but wasn't happy with having to change planes on the way home when many direct flights were available.

The car you picked us up in in Chicago was not the right car to be picking up six singers in. We had to climb over the backseat to get to the third one row of seats. It should’ve been more like the van, that picked us up in Stockton and took us to San Francisco.

Breakfast meals generally were disappointing, fake eggs, no pancakes, no French toast at some. Didn't care for Grand Hotel buffet breakfast, but off menu was good. Dinner meals could have been better, except for Welcome Dinner. Didn't care for dinner choices. Was disappointed with Grand Hotel meal first night. I've had better elsewhere. Didn't like that dinner was so late in evening. Too close to bedtime. Didn't like that had to dress up so formally each evening. Farewell Dinner was disappointing, didn't care for dinner choices. Would have thought a better restaurant. Didn't care for Chicago bus tour. Guide needed to use megaphone when off bus or ear buds/radio, we couldn't see what she was talking about most of the time. Tour manager suggested we go on river boat tour. It was expensive and covered the same things we heard on bus tour. Meijer Gardens was good, disappointed that Japanese gardens were under renovations. Alden Dow tour was awesome. Would have liked to be able to take pictures inside though. Ford Museum was very good. Much more than expected. We had trouble finding some things even with the map, very few employees around to get assistance. Greenfield Village wasn't exciting, we have way better one at home. Mackinac island was fun, nice town, great shops and museums. However, after our carriage ride tour, the driver was supposed to let us off at one of 3 places -the Fort, downtown or back at Grand Hotel. He stopped at the Fort, but made everyone get off downtown except girl scouts. **** has heart condition and can't was far at a time. He didn't have phone number to call for a taxi and had to walk all the way back, stopping many times to rest. He was exhausted by the time he got back. Tour guide was pleasant, but didn't rotate seats on bus much, hard to understand what she was explaining. She was at front of bus explaining things, pointing out things, we couldn't hear, or see what she was pointing out. I had hard time figuring out what she was explaining. Seat rotation was one seat at a time. We started in middle on one side and ended up in rear on same side, never made it to front. Other tours rotate 4 at a time. Bus driver didn't explain bus procedures, emergency procedures, bathroom procedures, etc. WHY DON'T YOU HAVE LONGER SURVEY TO RATE EACH HOTEL, EACH RESTAURANT, EACH TOUR ETC, LIKE FOR PAST TRIPS WE'VE TAKEN? Hotels were generally good. Westin was too far from other restaurants and it was dangerous to walk to them. While we were in the restaurant an alarm went off. The staff had no idea what to do. They said it never happened before. They didn't have us evacuate. The staff needs to be trained. Collette might want to suggest book to read before trip: Devil in the White City, by Eric Larson.

Didn't care for most dinners, except Welcome Dinner. Tour director could have been clearer when explaining on bus. Didn't like having to dress up formally at Grand Island.

I liked Chicago very much. The hotel was my favorite. I could have spent at least another day there.

Excellent trip with the right amount of excursions and free time!

Excellent tour with knowledgeable tour guide. Excellent time allotment at all of the sites. Only improvement— suggest a wider variety of food places to eat at the smaller cities like Grand Rapids -felt like all of the choices were pub food as it was always focused on walking distance vs better places via an Uber

Always had wanted to see the Grand Hotel, having 2 nights there was great.

2 Hotels did not accommodate Handicap bathrooms a total of 3 nights.

The Island the hotel are wonderful. I would have liked to see more of Chicago.

Enjoyed tour but a lot of time on bus.

Different from other trips.

spending time at the Grand Hotel. Stepping back in time.

Chicago was greatto see from the ground.

Chicago city tour, mushroom houses, Machenac Island/Grand Hotel and Ford Museum.

Staying in the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island

The Grand Hotel is a once in a lifetime experience. From the beautiful room with the canopy beds (each room decorated differently) to the staff made us feel like valuable guests. The dinners were unbelievable with white glove service!

Mackinac Island absolutely gorgeous, Chicago fantastic, Henry Ford Museum lots of fun. Everything was well out together and wonderful. My family and I fully enjoyed everything about this tour. Highly recommend

Sitting on the porch looking out to see Lake Huron.

To stay in the Grand Hotel at least one night was my dream, this tour make my dream came true.

I enjoyed the local guide in Chicago. She was very informative and entertaining The weather in Holland was nice and the Tulips were gorgeous I truly enjoyed Mackinec Island. It was a step back in time. I enjoyed the Grand Hotel. The Christmas store in Franenmuth was amazing. Greenfield Village was interesting and The Henry Ford Museum was also interesting as it had so much more than cars.

I would have liked to have one more day in Chicago and more time on Mackinac Island.

Chicago. So much to see and do. Did not need a guide in Holland. Did not need to see their post office, fire station, etc. Would have preferred to have seen the other tulip farm. Getting off the bus could have been done in order. We basically sat in one place and never rotated any closer to the front.

The Grand Hotel for Mothers’ Day. The beautiful character of the Inn, the meals provided were superb, the ambiance of the island made it a perfect day.

The Grand Hotel was amazing!

I felt the overall pacing was too fast. The hotel in Grand Rapids was the pits. Surely Collette could find another one that didn’t need total renovation. That said, Mackinac Island and the Henry Ford experience were top notch and well worth the trip. More time in either of those would have been great.

The time in Chicago was wonderful and could have been a day longer. Mackinaw Island was also a special treat!

I loved going to the Tulip Festival and seeing the local high schoolers in Dutch clothing performing dances.

I had taking a trip to the Grand Hotel with you before, however, this was a very special trip as I was to and did meet a new cousin that we connected thru Ancestry.com. Also traveled with dear friends, having just lost my partner....

Hard to pick a favorite-every stop had something to amaze us..Of course we loved Mackinac Island but we also enjoyed Chicago, Holland, Frankenmuth and Dearborn

The Grand Hotel was an experience I would not have experienced on my own.

The mushroom houses was fun. Driving on the suspension bridge was exciting. How nice to sit back in a comfortable seat and just enjoy the journey.

Great itinerary. Travel arrangements were excellent.

Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island

17 fudge shops on the island!

Staying on the Island at the Grand Hotel. Such a wonderful experience.

Stay at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island

I noted previously that I felt the stops in Traverse City and Frankenmurth arrived too late to enjoy the town. We were steered to a winery and a Christmas Store, making these trips optional could have allowed more time in the towns

The one day I was on my own in Chicago. Had a marvelous time!

The whole group showed up for ballroom dancing first night, and of course Cathy Donahues experience at that hotel and sharing all the little insights with us.

The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.

It was all that was advertised.

See above answer. Mackinac Island was my favorite experience.

The Grand Hotel experience was Grand!!!

Great trip Great time well done

We had never been to Chicago or Michigan. We enjoyed each town we visited. We traveled with friends we met on the National Parks Tour in 2015. This was our 9th tour with Collette!

The Ford Museum and village, 6hrs was not enough time, could spend 5 days there.

Everything Great !! The tour was more that I had hoped for.

Enjoyed Chicago and Greenfield village, grand hotel! And the music box museum

Staying at the Grand Hotel! Also the horse and buggy rides and the glorious scenery.

The natural beauty combined with the old fashioned hotel was a wonderful experience.

I needed more guidance on where the best shoppong areas were located. My room was beautiful.

All the hotels where we stayed were really nice. Loved getting to stay at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island for 2 nights. Loved seeing the Henry Ford Museum & hope sometime I can go back to visit the Village in Dearborn also.

The town itself was a T-shirt haven. Even the carriages were in a muddle at times

It would have been five if not for Bernice Hill

Music Museum and Macinac Island

Everything was great with the exception of the hotel in Frankenmuth. Breakfast was not very good nor was the housekeeping in the hotel.

Got to see great highlights of each place, had good hotels, nice meals. My favorite was the Island. So beautiful!

The stops on our tour were wonderful! We had a day to ourselves to tour Chicago; the Navy Pier. Collette guided us around the city with a very knowledgeable historian. Frankenmuth was so unique, with its Bavarian atmosphere. And of course, the cherry on top was Mackinac Island. The Grande Hotel is so magically beautiful. We arrived during Lilac Festival and enjoyed the aroma of the blooms everywhere!

Chicago - What a wonderful surprise! Frankenmuth - Had a festival and was a lot of fun Mackinac Island - The Grand Hotel was truly grand

Most enjoyable but nothing is perfect.

The Grand Hotel of Mackinac Island, its amenities, its food, and the service are just over the top. The carriage ride through the park was so much fun!

The days on Mackinac Island was the reason I took the tour but all other locations were a bonus. Enjoyed it all. Thanks for having a comfortable bus with clean windows ( mostly) to take pictures!!😀

The guide were well informed and enjoyable. The horses were the best. The horses worked hard and enjoyed making us happy.

the Ford museum The Grand Hotel and Mackinac Island Chicago and Wrigley field

It was a beautiful & charming place. The Grand Hotel lived up to expatations. Enjoyed lots of fudge in town!

The accomodations and meals and service were all excellent. The taxi rides and tour of the state park were fun. It was a thrill to get to dance in the ballroom of the Grand Hotel.

Too much time on the bus. We traveled 1200 miles in the week. The Grand Hotel was a great experience.Other hotel were excellent. I was surprised how so few meals were included. I have taken tour dozens of tours (including Collette), and meals were mostly included, resulting in less out of pocket expenses. The stop at the Ford Museum and Greenville Village were not included -all for $15 a day. Cheap!

Loved the Ford Museum and Greenfield Village, plus the Grand Hotel tour and Chicago tour. To much time on the bus with nothing to keep us engaged. Would have liked more history of Michigan and Wisconsin as we motored along. Wasn't impressed with the accommodations in Detroit and Green Bay but the Grand Hotel and Chicago accommodations were great with their rooms and breakfast. Of course the Grand Hotels dining was five star.

Great tour. Grand Hotel and all of Mackinac Island were memorable

The Grand Hotel was Excellent, the Marriott Chicago was very good, but the Best Western Greenfield and the Tundra were only fair. The Edsel Ford House was amazing, but I was NOT pleased that our tour was cut short and we diid not get to see everything we should have. Very disappointing!!!

The view of the Grand Hotel as we approached by horse drawn carriage was very spectacular., while the optional river tour of Chicago was really breath taking.

Tour was good. Mackinaw Island was the best value of tour. Beautiful hotel, room, dining, service. Favorite experience was island & views of Chicago city views. Fair well dinner was good but we were to spread out to visit & say goodby.

Visiting the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village, along with a stay at the charming Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island were the highlights of the trip!

Tundra Lodge was not up to Collette standards Macinac&Chicago were splendid tours great accommodations

Highlight of the tour was the stay at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. It was wonderful, even if a bit on the cold side. I would like to return some day at a different time of year when it is not so cold!

I enjoyed our two night stay in the Grand Hotel - sort of a life time dream. However the stores in the hotel were a disappointment. My travel companion can always find some memento of a trip and she didn't buy anything! A first for her! I think the sunlight at the tulip gardens made it a spectacular day. I loved walking among all the flowers. I think that Chicago was the most unexpected, but really a most interesting part of the trip. The visit to Millennial Park was fun. The Navy Pier was a disappointment. Not a necessary stop at all. A river cruise would have been more pleasurable.

I would have to say the Henry Ford museum and Greenfield village went beyond my expectations. Mackinaw was just awesome and Chicago was really great too. Had a blast.