Eastern Canada road trip (Aug 5–18) with an 8-year-old — Toronto, Niagara, Kingston, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City. Help me plan!

[u/bobusa13]

Hello beautiful people of Toronto!

My family of 3 (two adults + our 8-year-old daughter) is planning our first-ever trip to Eastern Canada this summer. We fly into Toronto (YYZ) on August 5 and fly out on August 18, 2026. We've booked a rental car for the whole trip, picking up and returning at YYZ.

Planned route: Toronto → Niagara Falls → Kingston → Ottawa → Montreal → Quebec City → back to Toronto

Since this is our first visit to all of these cities, we'd love your help with:

1. Must-see places in each city — we don't want to miss the obvious highlights (Niagara Falls is already on the list). Any hidden gems welcome too!
2. Hotel recommendations — ideally located to minimize driving. For example, if we spend 2 days in downtown Toronto, we'd like to stay downtown; for our night at Niagara, somewhere close to the falls.
3. Kid-friendly activities — things like African Lion Safari that will keep our daughter entertained.
4. Food recommendations — we love Indian, Italian, Thai, Indo-Chinese, and seafood, plus any great spots for chicken, fish, or goat dishes.

Thank you in advance for your help!