Beaches, Islands, Lobster, Moose and More

Day 1 Halifax

Upon arrival at Halifax Airport collect your car and make your way to your downtown hotel. The day is at leisure where you can explorer Canada’s traditional gateway to the world, combining charming old wooden homes and Victorian parks with modern shopping centres. Ships, from tall ships to naval vessels, can still be seen in the harbour, and old warehouses and shipfitters’ shops have become part of the exciting boardwalk along the waterside. Overnight Halifax

Day 2 Halifax – Eastern Shore (275 km)

As you follow Marine Drive several parks provide sandy beaches and wild seascapes of rocky islands. En-route why not visit Sherbrooke Village - one of the largest “living museums” in the Maritimes which has been partially restored to its frontier days.

Day 3 Eastern Shore – Baddeck (280 km)

Today you may want to explore some of the most rugged and isolated parts of Nova Scotia’s coast, including the tiny fishing village of Canso, before crossing to Cape Breton Island by causeway and arriving at your lakeside village resort. Baddeck, on the shores of the Bras D‘Or Lake has become famous due to its most distinguished summer resident, the inventor of the telephone - Alexander Graham Bell.

Day 4 Cape Breton Island

The Cabot Trail is one of Canada’s best loved scenic drives and follows the impressive coastline from sea level up to an alpine plateau 500m above the sea. Waterfalls and swift running streams can be found near the road, and opportunities for seeing moose are excellent. Whales can often be spotted from the walking trails which overlook the coast. A side trip leads to the Fortress of Louisbourg, Canada’s largest National Historic Site, and the strongest French fortress ever built in the Americas.

Day 5 Baddeck – Charlottetown (250 km)

Follow the shores of the Bras d‘Or Lake, Canada’s great inland salt sea, to return to the mainland of Nova Scotia. Drive through the scenic hardwood hills of Eastern Nova Scotia, where it seems every little roadside stream has been dammed by beavers. Visit the historic town of Pictou, where the Scots first landed in New Scotland (Nova Scotia). A 75-minute ferry trip brings you to Prince Edward Island, Canada’s smallest province. The colour contrasts of red soil, green fields & forests and blue sky and ocean make for wonderful holiday pictures.

Day 6 Charlottetown – O‘Leary/Alberton (175km)

Explore historic Charlottetown – Province House National Historic Site, Victoria Row or the Confederation Centre of Arts, or enjoy some of Canada’s best beaches – ideal for recreation, long lonely hikes and the observation of wildlife. Prince Edward Island National Park protects miles upon miles of beautiful coastline and features a 19th century wooden farmhouse, famous as the inspiration for the classic novel “Anne of Green Gables. By evening you come to your accommodation on the island’s “North Shore”.

Day 7 Explore Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island features endless sand beaches, tiny farms, and picturesque country roads. Follow the North Cape Coastal Drive to the less-visited Western part of PEI. Here, red sandstone capes jut into the Gulf of St. Lawrence and you can dine on fine seafood overlooking the white dunes of Cedar Dunes Provincial Park.

Day 8 O‘Leary/Alberton – Richibucto (260 km)

Attractions include the historic theme park “Pays de la Sagouine” and beautiful great sand dunes which you can visit at Bouctouche and Kouchibouguac National Park.

Day 9 Richibucto – Caraquet (175 km)

Spend some time exploring and enjoying Kouchibouguac National Park before continuing along the Gulf of St. Lawrence to Caraquet, the unofficial capital of Frenchspeaking Maritimers. The islands of Lamèque and Miscou offer untouched nature with more than 250 species of birds, sandy beaches and a lighthouse. On Miscou Island you can visit the Ecological Park which includes almost every example of the Acadian Peninsula’s flora and fauna. The town of Shippagan offers Acadian culture at its best with lots of festivals and a lifestyle devoted to the sea.

Day 10 Caraquet – Fredericton (300 km)

Follow the Miramichi - Canada’s most famous Atlantic salmon River. This modern road tracks an old lumberjack route through the forested heart of New Brunswick - explore the old wood covered bridges that cross the river.

Day 11 Fredericton

Fredericton, the provincial capital is a vibrant riverside city rich in heritage, culture and nature where you can stroll along the river or explore the city by bicycle. See the Beaverbrook Art Gallery and craft shops or visit nearby Kings Landing Historical Settlement, a re-created pioneer village.

Day 12 Fredericton – St. Andrews (150 km)

Continue to the charming seaside village of St. Andrews, one of the premiere summer resort villages of Eastern Canada. The Bay of Fundy is home to the world’s highest tides. A Mecca for migrating birds, the large tidal rivers expose broad expanses of mud banks and salt marshes at low tide; hours later they are covered with 12m of water or more!

Day 13 Bay of Fundy

Today you are free to explore. Why not visit one of the famous islands nearby: Deer Island where you can see “The Old Sow”, the largest tidal whirlpool in the western hemisphere, or Grand Manan where whale watching is possible. The Bay of Fundy is one of the best whale watching areas in the world with more than 15 types of whales and dolphins are regularly seen.

Day 14 St. Andrews – Shediac (370 km)

Drive along the scenic Fundy Coastal Drive to Saint John, famous for its ”Reversing Falls”, large rapids which reverse their direction when the tides of the Bay of Fundy push the water back! Continue to Fundy National Park and Hopewell Rocks, where you can walk on the ocean bottom when the tide is out.

Day 15 Shediac – Wolfville (300 km)

Visit the Maritimes’ newest UNESCO World Heritage Site at Joggins and explore the carboniferous era along the cliffs and in a brand new visitor centre. Here, of the Bay of Fundy has exposed the largest cache of fossil bones in North America. The fossilized footprints of creatures over millions of years can be seen along the shore. Amethyst and agate can also be found on the beaches. Continue along the shores of the Bay of Fundy and past vineyards to Wolfville, an old University Town.

Day 16 Wolfville – Liverpool/White Point (160 km)

Visit Grand Pre Winery for a Tour & Wine Tasting. Drive through inland Nova Scotia and stop at Kejimkujik National Park which contains 380sq.km of forests, lakes and rivers. Rock drawings and an Indian graveyard are illustrations of an Indian life here that goes back almost 5000 years. The park is home to the greatest diversity of reptiles and amphibians in Atlantic Canada. Take a picnic lunch and enjoy a walk through a 400-year old hemlock stand or try canoeing on North America’s oldest canoe routes. Your final destination today is the South Shore of Nova Scotia - White Point Beach or Liverpool.

Day 17 Liverpool/White Point – Halifax (160 km)

Rocky harbours with hidden bays and islands have made Nova Scotia’s south shore a pirate’s and smuggler’s paradise for over 300 years. Tiny fishing villages cling to the ocean edge and white sand beaches stretch endlessly. Each day small lobster boats go out to sea and return with Nova Scotia’s most precious export. Visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site Lunenburg, picturesque Mahone Bay, elegant Chester and the much-photographed Peggy’s Cove to name but a few of the attractive coastal villages en route to Halifax.

Day 18 Halifax

Today you journey to Halifax Airport for your departure.

Please Note: Park entrance fees, bridge tools and ferry crossings to and from Prince Edward Island are not included.

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