Exploring Canada's Maritimes

Upon arrival at Halifax Airport, we will be met by our guide, and transferred to our hotel to check in. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Today we discover the beauty of the Halifax South Shore. Our journey starts with a stop at Peggy’s Cove to unveil the rustic charm of this renowned fishing village where we will see one of the most photographed lighthouses in the world. 

We enjoy lunch in Peggy’s Cove before continuing to the South Shore to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Town of Lunenburg, which is renowned for her fleets of Grand Banks’ fishing schooners. We meet our local guide for a walking tour of this breath-taking colonial settlement in the New World. A visit to the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic is also included as we learn more about the town’s famous seafaring heritage.

This morning, we travel by road to idyllic Prince Edward Island crossing over the famous Confederation Bridge, the world's longest continuous multi-span bridge that connects the two provinces. We have a stop to visit Millbrook Cultural & Heritage Centre which provides a very good opportunity to learn the history and culture of the Mi’kmaq people. Mi'kmaq, also spelled Micmac, were at one time, the largest of the North American Indian tribes. Upon arrival in Charlottetown, we check-in to our hotel for our 2-night stay and the remainder of the day is at leisure.

Today is all about discovering this magnificent island. A panoramic tour of Charlottetown takes us through the streets and includes the sights of this amazing city such as Harbour Front, Victoria Park, Government House, Providence House and St Dunstan’s Basilica. We then proceed to Confederation Bridge lookout to fully understand the amazing engineering work involved before driving through the quaint village of Victoria-by-the-Sea.

A visit of the island would not be complete without its most iconic site: the Anne of Green Gables Welcome Centre. A straw hat, red-haired braids and a pinafore define Canada’s most loved fictional character, Anne of Green Gables. Meet the head-strong orphan and re-live her youthful escapades and mishaps within the memory-filled rooms of her home – Green Gables – where images from the blockbuster 1908 novel blend with the real life experiences of local author Lucy Maud Montgomery, who drew inspiration from the idyllic farmstead and its red woodland pathways.

After enjoying lunch in a local restaurant, we continue to visit to the Cavendish Cliffs and travel along the north shore before making our way back to Charlottetown through picturesque small villages and farms.  

This evening, we enjoy a delicious lobster dinner considered an essential P.E.I island experience. 

No itinerary in the Maritimes provinces would be complete without a ferry crossing of the Northumberland Strait. This morning we take the ferry back to Nova Scotia and continue to one of Canada’s hidden gems via the Canso Causeway: Cape Breton Island, the Scotland of North America.  

We visit the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site in Baddeck for a rare glimpse into the extraordinary heart and mind of a world-famous inventor whose genius helped shape the modern world. As we pull the curtain back on Alexander Graham Bell’s interests and inventions, spanning airplanes and kites, to deaf education and artificial respiration, we find his legacy comes to life as we explore remarkable artefacts, photos and full-scale replicas that mark his masterful career as an engineer, inventor, scientist and humanitarian.

We check into our hotel later this afternoon. Time to relax before we get together for a leisurely dinner at our hotel.

Today we get our cameras ready for one of the most scenic drives we can possibly imagine as we witness the beauty of Nova Scotia’s most iconic road trip. From the rugged coastlines and majestic mountains to the charming small fishing villages, the breath taking viewpoints that will give us endless photo opportunities.

We follow the coastline as we climb and descend mountains and traverse the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. We will see typical Nova Scotian fishing villages dotting the Cabot Trail’s winding roads, hear the crash of the ocean against the craggy stone shorelines, feel the sand between our toes, and smell the salt air at the many coastal stops along the 300-kilometre journey. 

A boxed lunch is included today for us to enjoy as we travel.

We return to the hotel at in the late afternoon. Tonight, we enjoy a fun evening of Celtic music at a local pub with lots of local food, drinks and new friends to enjoy.

Before returning to Halifax, we will visit the Fortress of Louisbourg, a National Historic Site. We take a stroll down the streets of this reconstruction that depicts one-fifth of the settlement of 1744 New France. We have time to chat with guides wearing authentic costumes as we learn more about the history of the Fortress.

Afterwards we journey along the shore of the Bras d'Or Lake, before arriving at our hotel in Halifax for our last evening in the Maritimes.

Tonight we enjoy a special ‘farewell’ dinner at our hotel.

We transfer to Halifax airport today for our flight home.