Day 1: Arrive Halifax
Airport transfer and hotel check-in. Evening orientation meeting. Overnight Halifax.
Day 2: Halifax to Fundy National Park
Morning: Halifax city tour — Citadel, waterfront, Public Gardens. Drive along the Bay of Fundy coast to Fundy National Park — New Brunswick’s coastal wilderness of Acadian forest, waterfalls, and the world’s highest tides. Hike to Dickson Falls or explore the tidal flats at low tide. Evening: salmon dinner at a park lodge. Overnight Fundy area.
Day 3: Saint John & Bay of Fundy
Morning: Reversing Falls Rapids in Saint John — watch the Bay of Fundy’s incoming tide reverse the Saint John River’s flow. Visit the Saint John City Market — Canada’s oldest continuously operating farmers market (1876), with its ship’s-hull ceiling. Afternoon: drive to Saint Andrews-by-the-Sea — a charming historic resort town. Visit Kingsbrae Garden — 27 acres of themed gardens, including a sculpture garden and an Acadian heritage garden. Overnight Saint Andrews.
Day 4: Saint Andrews to PEI
Morning coastal drive into Prince Edward Island via Confederation Bridge. PEI — rolling green hills, red soil, and the warmest water north of the Carolinas. Afternoon: Charlottetown tour — Province House, Victoria Row, and the Confederation Centre. Evening: PEI lobster supper — a Maritime tradition of fresh lobster, chowder, mussels, and homemade pie. Overnight Charlottetown.
Day 5: PEI — Anne & the North Shore
Morning: Green Gables Heritage Place in Cavendish — walk through Anne’s world. Prince Edward Island National Park’s dunes and beaches. North Rustico fishing village for fresh fish and chips. Afternoon: Cow’s Creamery for Canada’s best ice cream. Evening: optional Anne of Green Gables musical. Overnight Charlottetown.
Day 6: PEI to Cape Breton
Ferry from PEI to Caribou, Nova Scotia. Drive through the pastoral Antigonish Highlands to Cape Breton Island. Arrive in Baddeck on Bras d’Or Lake. Afternoon: Alexander Graham Bell Museum. Evening: Cape Breton Celtic music and fiddle. Overnight Baddeck.
Day 7: Cabot Trail — Full Circuit
A complete day on the Cabot Trail. Cape Breton Highlands National Park — Skyline Trail (clifftop boardwalk, whale watching from the lookout), Cheticamp’s Acadian culture and rug-hooking, and Margaree Valley’s salmon rivers. Stop at every viewpoint — the Cabot Trail demands it. Overnight Baddeck.
Day 8: Cape Breton to Halifax
Scenic return to the mainland. Afternoon free in Halifax — optional brewery tour, waterfront stroll, or visiting the Immigration Museum at Pier 21. Overnight Halifax.
Day 9: South Shore — Peggy’s Cove to Lunenburg
Morning: Peggy’s Cove — the iconic lighthouse and wave-washed granite. Continue the Lighthouse Route to Chester — a charming sailing village with Millionaires’ Row mansions. Mahone Bay’s three churches. Lunenburg — UNESCO Old Town, Fisheries Museum, and Bluenose II. Farewell dinner: Digby scallops and Blue Lobster cocktail at a Lunenburg inn. Overnight Halifax.
Day 10: Departure
Airport transfer with a final taste of Nova Scotia — a Tim Hortons on the way. Depart with the Maritimes in your heart.
