Itinerary in brief:
- 2 nights Halifax
- 2 nights Annapolis Royal
- 2 nights Charlottetown
- 3 nights Cape Breton Island
- 1 night Halifax
Day 1: Depart UK
Depart the UK from your chosen airport – fly to Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia and the largest city in Canada’s maritime provinces. Collect your car from the airport and drive to your hotel.
Included: Car hire, hotel
Day 2: Full day in Halifax
Spend the entire day exploring. Dominated by the Citadel, this star shaped fort complex will afford you some amazing views over the city. The Historic Properties are old warehouses by the waterfront – home to plenty of boutiques, pubs and cafes perfect for a refreshment break and people watching. The air is clean and the quality of life here is good.
Included: Hotel
Day 3: Halifax to Annapolis Royal
Get in the car today and head south. First stop is Peggy’s Cove, a small village with houses built right into the granite rock overlooking the Atlantic. Next up is Old Town Lunenburg, a lovingly restored Victorian town perfect for a nice wander. The Kejimkujik National Park is a little further on; the Canadian wilderness at its best offering hiking and canoeing on its lakes and rivers. Your final destination is Annapolis, a quaint Victorian settlement on the banks of the Bay of Fundy.
*Travel approx. 322kms
Included: Hotel
Day 4: Whale watching and fishing villages
The nutrient-rich waters of the Bay of Fundy are host to a variety of marine life, and today you’ll head along the Digby Neck to join a whale watching excursion. You’re likely to see Minkes and Humpbacks, and possibly even the rare North Atlantic right whale.
Return to Annapolis Royal for the afternoon.
Included: Hotel, breakfast, whale watching excursion
Day 5: Annapolis Royal to Charlottetown
Follow the curve of the bay towards Prince Edward Island today. Break for lunch in Wolfville and then make time to stop a little further on at the Grand-Pre historic site which celebrates the area’s history as an Acadian settlement.
*Travel approx. 475kms
Included: Hotel, breakfast
Day 6: Tour of Prince Edward Island – The Land of Anne
In 1867, Charlottetown was host to the meetings that led to Canada being formed as its own country. Visit the Province House National Historic Site and venture to the north shore to the PEI National Park where you can see sand dunes, beaches and Green Gables, the fictional home of character Anne.
*Travel approx. 100kms
Included: Hotel, breakfast
Day 7: Charlottetown to Cape Breton Island
Take the ferry back to Nova Scotia today, stopping en-route at the Orwell Corner Historic Village. Orwell is an abandoned village with a cluster of buildings restored to create a sense of life in the 19th Century. Once you’ve landed continue east to Cape Breton Island, a little piece of Scotland in North America. Stay in Baddeck.
Travel approx. 274kms
Included: Hotel , breakfast
Day 8: Cabot Trail – Cape Breton Island
For some awesome views of the Gulf of St Lawrence follow the Cabot Trail through the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. There are plenty of beautiful hiking trails to pick up and along the way you can stop at the Celtic Music Interpretive Centre, the Glenora Distillery, a college of Arts & Crafts and the Acadian Cultural Centre.
Travel approx. 187kms
Included: Hotel
Day 9: Louisbourg – Cape Breton Island
Drive north to discover the Fortress of Louisbourg, a Historical Site offering an impressive restoration of a French garrison town during the 1700s. Another must see is the Alexander Graham Bell Museum, dedicated to the life and inventions of this fascinating man who spent his summers on these shores.
Travel approx. 137kms
Included: Hotel
Day 10: Cape Breton Island to Halifax
Spend your penultimate day driving along the scenic Bras d’Or Lakes towards mainland Nova Scotia.
Travel approx. 357kms
Included: Hotel
Day 11: Depart Halifax
Your time in this beautiful region comes to an end today. Drive back to the airport to take an overnight flight back to the UK, landing in early the following morning.
Included: Hotel, international flight
Day 12: Arrive UK