Your 13-night route through the Maritime offers the very best of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. You will begin in Halifax before traversing Nova Scotia's picturesque fishing villages and rugged coastal landscapes at the Bay of Funday. travel to charming Prince Edward Island and admire the beauty of the low rolling countryside of Canada's smallest province and cradle of the Canadian confederation. Make your way to Cape Breton and enjoy breathtaking views on the Cabot Trail. Learn all about Nova Scotia's Scottish, Indigenous and Acadian heritage on your historic and cultural explorations of the energetic Maritime Province.
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Arrive at Halifax International Airport and transfer independently to your downtown hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure for exploring this bustling oceanside city. Overnight in Halifax.
Halifax is located on one of the world’s largest natural harbours and bears all the hallmarks of both a modern and historic city. You can discover its proud maritime heritage in the many museums and along the waterfront area, which includes the restored Historic Properties. Visit the Citadel that has guarded the city since the 18th-century, the Public Gardens or sail on a harbour cruise aboard the Bluenose II. Today you also take a fully-narrated Harbour Hopper amphibious tour, featuring sights such as the Halifax Public Gardens, Citadel Hill National Historic Site, St. Paul’s Church and bustling Spring Garden Road; followed by a harbour tour in the same vehicle, offering unique views of George’s Island, Cable Wharf, the waterfront boardwalk, and Historic Properties. Overnight in Halifax.
Today you travel west along the Nova Scotia coast through the outlying skirts of Halifax. Traversing the northern shore of beautiful St. Margaret’s Bay, you arrive in the picturesque Western Shore area, just across the water from magnificent and mysterious Oak Island. Overnight in Western Shore.
Your resort is located on the beautiful southern shores of Nova Scotia with breath-taking views of Mahone Bay and legendary Oak Island. Go for a stroll along the resort’s seaside trail and observe humpback and fin whales as they play off Tancook Island. Perhaps try a traditional Nova Scotia dish while enjoying the spectacular views of the water as sailboats glide gently across the bay. Overnight in Western Shore.
Today you head west and cross the heart of Nova Scotia and the near-pristine wilderness that is home to a wide variety of woodland animals. You may wish to make a stop for a day hike at Kejimkujik National Park and Historic Site. The hiking trails and canoe routes are accessible from Kejimkujik Lake and lead deep into the park’s interior and to its remote island-dotted lakes. On several locations on the shores of Kejimkujik Lake, the soft slate has been decorated with petroglyphs reflecting life prior to and following the arrival of Europeans. Arrive in Digby on the southern shores of the Bay of Fundy. Overnight in Digby.
Drive along Nova Scotia’s northern shore and admire the Bay of Fundy, world-famous for its extreme tides. The vertical range between high and low tide can be as much as 15 m, the greatest rise of water on earth. Twice a day, the tides carry 100-billion tonnes of water into the Bay of Fundy. On your way through this beautiful stretch of land, you can visit historic landmarks, such as the Annapolis Royal Area, the Grand Pré National Historic Site, and Fort Edward National Historic Site, and learn more about Nova Scotia’s Scottish, Acadian and native heritage. Overnight in Truro.
Make your way to Pictou, the “Birthplace of New Scotland”, and explore the Hector Heritage Quay where the first Scottish settlers arrived in 1773. Take the ferry from here across the Northumberland Strait to Prince Edward Island, Canada’s smallest province noted for its attractiveness and peaceful charm, as well as its fruitful, low rolling countryside. Arrive in the charming city of Charlottetown, the “Cradle of Canada’s Confederation.” Overnight in Charlottetown.
Your day is at leisure to explore the Victorian homes and elegant squares of Charlottetown. The city is the island's commercial centre and through its harbour, the wealth of produce from the surrounding fertile farmland is funnelled for shipping. Despite the 20th-century character the city displays today, it still manages to evoke the feeling of a colonial seaport with quaint sections such as Great George Street and Old Charlotte Town. Overnight in Charlottetown.
Return to Nova Scotia via the Northumberland Strait, and drive along the North Shore Drive through tranquil scenery and small communities that still celebrate Nova Scotia’s Scottish, Native and Acadian identities. Overnight in Antigonish.
Today you depart your hotel and soon arrive at the narrows of the ocean and eastern reaches of the Northumberland Strait at the doorstep of the island and the commercial hub of Ports Hawkesbury near the tip of St. Georges Bay. Continue on through the gentle rolling fields of the bay area as it transitions into the beautiful Bras D’Or Lake lowlands. Arrive in Baddeck, often known as the gateway to the Cape Breton Highlands. Overnight in Baddeck.
With a day free in Baddeck, we suggest a scenic drive along the Cabot Trail into the highlands of northern Cape Breton. The trail runs past lochs and glens settled by Scottish Highlanders and along scenic coastlines settled by Acadians. You will meander through the rugged Cape Breton Highlands National Park, enjoying stunning views of sea-swept headlands, steep cliffs and tranquil beaches. Overnight in Baddeck.
Today you continue southbound, passing charming maritime communities that still celebrate their Scottish heritage. Explore one of the most important Canadian ports of World War II. Tour the Fortress of Louisburg - one of the historically most significant locations in all of North America. Children and adults alike enjoy touring the reconstructed buildings and interactive demonstrations by the staff dressed in historical costumes. You may choose to purchase lunch at 18th-century cuisine at one of the period restaurants, serving authentic meals that the original inhabitants would have enjoyed. Historical recreations and demonstrations are enacted throughout the season, giving visitors a glimpse of both the majesty and hardships of life in colonial Canada. Continue on to Bras d’Or Lake, considered to be one of the world’s best sailing and boating venues. Overnight in West Bay.
Depart West Bay and shores of Bras d'Or Lake and travel through Port Hawksbury and over the Canso Causeway connecting eastern and western Nova Scotia. Once on the western shore, you may wish to alter your route and turn south to drive along the rugged southern Nova Scotian coastline. The coastal highway passes through great natural habitats, beach parks and dramatic shorelines along Nova Scotia's eastern Atlantic coast before arriving at Liscombe Mills. Overnight in Liscombe Mills.
Breakfast included. If time allows, make your way to the Liscombe Game Sanctuary, a 250-square-kilometre area encompassing stands of virgin Nova Scotian forest and an abundance of wildlife, such as moose, deer, mink and muskrat. Follow the Marine Drive back to Halifax International Airport to check in for your return flight.