Canadian Maritimes

Depart the UK on your chosen scheduled flight to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Upon arrival, transfer to The Prince George Hotel. This evening, join your travelling companions for a welcome reception and dinner at Citadel, a 19th-century fortress on a hilltop overlooking the city and the harbor. 

Drive to the fishing village of Lunenburg this morning, stopping en route in the maritime town of Mahone Bay. Explore Lunenburg your way, choosing from a walking tour with a local guide or a visit to the Fisheries Museum. This afternoon, spend time at leisure in the quintessential Nova Scotian village of Peggy’s Cove, where an iconic red and white striped lighthouse and colorful clapboard cottages pose for many a photograph. Return to Halifax and enjoy dinner at your hotel this evening.

A morning sightseeing tour around Halifax introduces city landmarks before a guided tour at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, a National Historic Site that was the gateway to Canada for a million immigrants between 1928 and 1971. This afternoon, visit the Millbrook Cultural & Heritage Centre to learn about the Mi’kmaq and their artistic traditions. Continue to your hotel in Moncton where dinner tonight is at your leisure.

This morning, attend an insightful talk at your hotel about the environment by expert naturalist Alain Clavette followed by lunch at a local restaurant. Meet New Brunswick’s rock stars today at Hopewell Cape on the Bay of Fundy. Soaring from 40 to 70 feet tall, the sandstone rocks, nicknamed “flowerpot rocks,” were created by tidal erosion that dates back to the Ice Age. Return to Moncton for a free evening to spend as you wish.

Seafood is an important part of the Acadian culture as you will experience it firsthand on your lobster cruise. Learn about old fishing techniques that helped shape a way of life here and enjoy onboard lunch. Disembark for a drive to Charlottetown on beautiful Prince Edward Island, where you’ll find Victorian farmsteads, rolling green fields, and red-sand beaches. Your accommodations for the next two nights are located on the water’s edge near the downtown harbor; spend the evening as you please.

Spend the morning at leisure or join us for an optional walking tour of Charlottetown before heading to Prince Edward Island National Park. View sand dunes, salt marshes, remnants of an Acadian forest, beaches, and sandstone cliffs, and visit the fishing village of North Rustico Harbour to take in its iconic lighthouse and scenic views. Step back in time on a visit to Green Gables Heritage Place, the site of the home and farm that inspired Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables novels. Go inside “Anne’s” home and view rooms set up as they were described by the author. Stroll the grounds to learn more about rural life in the early 20th century, before savoring a taste of island life over dinner at a local restaurant known for its signature lobster dishes.

Ferry to mainland Nova Scotia, where you’ll drive over a causeway to Cape Breton Island. Known to the French as “Isle Royale,” this island changed hands between colonial powers several times, creating a unique culture that blends Acadian and Gaelic traditions. Journey through a dramatic landscape that echoes the Highlands and the great shoreline cliffs of Brittany in France; enjoy some panoramic views of the Canso Causeway at lunch today. Travel along the coast of Bras d’Or Lake, which is an inland sea ringed with cliffs and rolling mountains – it’s a favorite fishing spot for bald eagles. Drive north to Ingonish and the Keltic Lodge, nestled on a cliff surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. The setting for your three-night stay is picturesque, remote, dramatic – and wildly beautiful.

Your day begins with a presentation by a naturalist who educates you on the indigenous wildlife, then the remainder of the day is spent as you please at your lodge at Ingonish Beach. You may join us for an optional afternoon “walkabout” that spotlights the fascinating history and spectacular setting of the lodge. Or, there are a variety of optional activities at the historic lodge (some at an additional cost), including links golf, tennis, and whale watching; hike the beach or the nature trail, or perhaps enjoy some time at the spa. Prior to dinner this evening you’ll get a good “taste” of what Nova Scotia cuisine is all about at a cooking demonstration; of particular note is the unique “oyster shucking” as demonstrated by a local resident.

Experience breathtaking coastal landscapes on the Cabot Trail, a serpentine highway that is one of the world’s most exciting and scenic drives. The winding road is carved into the side of mountains along unforgettable ocean vistas, ascending to the plateaus of Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Drive through a landscape rich in rugged barrens, waterfalls, cliffs, and panoramic views of canyons, highlands and seacoast. Photo stops in Acadian fishing communities lead the way to a rug hooking museum, a showcase for rugs that speak volumes about a pioneer art that was grown from seed and quietly discloses the trials and tribulations of the women who challenged the wilderness with their families and settled in new frontiers. Later stop in Chéticamp, an Acadian fishing community on Cape Breton Island, for lunch and a taste of their long-cherished cultural heritage. Return along the Cabot Trail to the Keltic Lodge where this evening you’ll take part in a unique, lively Cape Breton tradition, a ‘kitchen party’ featuring local cuisine, regional spirits, tastings, and Celtic music.

A highlight of this trip is today’s visit to the Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts at Englishtown, where you’ll learn about Nova Scotia’s Scottish Gaelic culture. Watch a kilt-making demonstration, and learn a little Gaelic – through song – while learning about the fabric milling tradition. Scottish inventor Alexander Graham Bell summered in Baddeck, Nova Scotia, after he and his family moved to Canada from Scotland, later setting up his laboratory in this picturesque village. Today’s tour of the Alexander Graham Bell Historic Site takes you inside the Bell estate, named Beinn Bhreagh, to see exhibits showcasing his inventions, from the telephone to ingenious kites, hydrofoils, airplanes and even the metal detector. Have lunch at the Inverary Resort on Baddeck Bay and perhaps some free time before continuing on for an overnight at a lovely rustic resort tucked into a wooded setting overlooking the Liscomb River. A cooking demonstration before dinner shows you the secrets of making the perfect planked salmon, a specialty of the house at the Liscombe Lodge Resort!

Depart Liscombe Lodge Resort this morning on your transfer back to the airport for your flight home from Halifax. Travel along one of the most scenic drives in North America, stopping en route in Lake Charlotte to visit a general store that takes you back in time.