Embark on a journey to discover the highlights of the Canadian Maritimes!
Our route through the Maritime offers the very best and allows you to run wild and free around the captivating coastlines and hillsides of Atlantic Canada. It’s a chance to visit tiny out-of-the-way seaside villages and stop off at traditional local inns for steaming bowls of seafood chowder. You can pause for picnics on deserted beaches or stretch your legs around lighthouses on grassy headlands. If you’ve ever heard the calling of the pipes, you’ll be instantly transported back to the Highlands of Scotland. Trips to Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island unearth the early settlers’ roots as well as the imagination of author Lucy Montgomery.
Elsewhere it will be the tragic tales of Acadian culture that spring to mind as you explore the key historical sites close to the extreme tides around the Bay of Fundy. Atlantic swells will no doubt play a hugely significant part in your journey, and perhaps none more so than those you’ll find around Cape Breton. Following the Cabot Trail into the Cape Breton Highlands National Park is an experience matched only by watching whales, seals, and dolphins dance offshore.
To experience this incredible road trip holiday in Canada, talk to our travel specialists!
What's included?
Return flights to Halifax
1 checked bag per person roundtrip
14 days fully inclusive car hire
2 NIGHTS Halifax
2 NIGHTS Western Shore
1 NIGHT Digby
1 NIGHT Touro
2 NIGHT Charlottetown
1 NIGHT Antigouish
2 NIGHTS Baddeck
1 NIGHT West Bay
1 NIGHT Liscombe
Based on 2 adults sharing
This is an indicative price, please call us to quote you for your chosen date.
Your Adventure...
Arrive in Halifax
Halifax
Halifax - Western Shore (75km)
Western Shore
Western Shore - Digby (158km)
Digby - Truro
Charlottetown
Charlottetown
Antigonish
Baddeck
Baddeck
West Bay
Liscombe Mills
Halifax
Day 1 Arrive in Halifax
Arrive at Halifax International Airport and transfer independently to your downtown hotel. The Jonview Roadbook you received will have all the information needed for your holiday/trip/journey. Remainder of the day is at leisure for exploring this bustling oceanside city. Overnight in Halifax
Day 2 Halifax
Halifax is located on one of the world’s largest natural harbours and bears all the hallmarks of both a modern and historic city. You can discover its proud maritime heritage in the many museums and along the waterfront area, which includes the restored Historic Properties. Independently visit the Citadel that has guarded the city since the 18th-century, the Public Gardens or perhaps sail on a harbour cruise aboard the Bluenose II. Overnight in Halifax.
Day 3 Halifax - Western Shore (75km)
Drive along the Lighthouse Route to the fishing community of Peggy’s Cove. This picturesque fishing village is surrounded by bare granite and coastal barrens with trails leading to its famous lighthouse. Continue along the coast and perhaps stop in the port of Lunenburg for a visit to the renowned Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic before arriving in Western Shore.
Overnight in Western Shore.Day 4 Western Shore
A day at leisure to enjoy the facilities of your hotel, or independently pay a visit to the Oak Island Municipal museum and learn how this small island is rumoured to have been a site of buried treasures for centuries. Overnight in Western Shore
Day 5 Western Shore - Digby (158km)
Take the scenic, cross-country drive linking the rocky south shore with the lush Annapolis Valley. Relish the amazing views as you traverse extensive woodlands dotted with lakes. Perhaps take some time to explore the wilderness of Kejimkujik National Park along the centuries-old Mi’kmaq canoe routes or follow the hiking trails into its forested heartland. Travel along the Annapolis Basin, boasting relics of Anglo-French colonial rivalry. Overnight in Digby
Day 6 Digby - Truro
Drive along Nova Scotia’s northern shore and admire the Bay of Fundy, world-famous for its extreme tides. The vertical range between high and low tide can be as much as 15 m, the greatest rise of water on earth. Twice a day, the tides carry 100-billion tonnes of water into the Bay of Fundy. On your way through this beautiful stretch of land, you can visit historic landmarks, such as the Annapolis Royal Area, the Grand Pré National Historic Site, and Fort Edward National Historic Site, and learn more about Nova Scotia’s Scottish, Acadian and native heritage.
Overnight in Truro.Day 7 Charlottetown
Make your way to Pictou, the “Birthplace of New Scotland”, and explore the Hector Heritage Quay where the first Scottish settlers arrived in 1773. Take the ferry from here across the Northumberland Strait to Prince Edward Island, Canada’s smallest province noted for its attractive and peaceful charm, as well as its fruitful, low rolling countryside. Arrive in the charming city of Charlottetown, the “Cradle of Canada’s Confederation.” Overnight in Charlottetown.
Day 8 Charlottetown
Your day is at leisure to explore the Victorian homes and elegant squares of Charlottetown. The city is the island's commercial centre and through its harbour, the wealth of produce from the surrounding fertile farmland is funneled for shipping. Despite the 20th-century character the city displays today, it still manages to evoke the feeling of a colonial seaport with quaint sections such as Great George Street and Old Charlotte Town. Overnight in Charlottetown.
Day 9 Antigonish
Return to Nova Scotia via the Northumberland Strait, and drive along the North Shore Drive through tranquil scenery and small communities that still celebrate Nova Scotia’s Scottish, Native and Acadian identities. Overnight in Antigonish.
Day 10 Baddeck
Today you depart your hotel and soon arrive at the narrows of the ocean and eastern reaches of the Northumberland Strait at the doorstep of the island and the commercial hub of Ports Hawkesbury near the tip of St. Georges Bay. Continue on through gentle rolling fields of the bay area as it transitions into the beautiful Bras D’Or Lake lowlands. Arrive in Baddeck, often known as the gateway to the Cape Breton Highlands.
Overnight in Baddeck.Day 11 Baddeck
With a day free in Baddeck, we suggest a scenic drive along the Cabot Trail into the highlands of northern Cape Breton. The trail runs past lochs and glens settled by Scottish Highlanders and along scenic coastlines settled by Acadians. You will meander through the rugged Cape Breton Highlands National Park, enjoying stunning views of sea-swept headlands, steep cliffs and tranquil beaches.
Overnight in Baddeck.Day 12 West Bay
Today you continue southbound, passing charming maritime communities that still celebrate their Scottish heritage. Explore one of the most important Canadian ports of World War II. Tour the Fortress of Louisburg - one of the historically most significant locations in all of North America. Children and adults alike enjoy touring the reconstructed buildings and interactive demonstrations by the staff dressed in historical costumes. You many choose to purchase lunch at 18th-century cuisine at one of the period restaurants, serving authentic meals that the original inhabitants would have enjoyed. Historical recreations and demonstrations are enacted throughout the season, giving visitors a glimpse of both the majesty and hardships of life in colonial Canada. Continue on to Bras d’Or Lake, considered to be one of the world’s best sailing and boating venues.
Overnight in West Bay.Day 13 Liscombe Mills
Depart West Bay and shores of Bras d’or Lake and travel through Port Hawksbury and over the Canso Causeway connecting eastern and western Nova Scotia. Once on the western shore, you may wish to alter your route and turn south to drive along the rugged southern Nova Scotian coastline. The coastal highway passes through great natural habitats, beach parks and dramatic shorelines along Nova Scotia's eastern Atlantic coast before arriving at Liscombe Mills.
Overnight in Liscombe Mills.Day 14 Halifax
Breakfast included. If time allows, make your way to the Liscombe Game Sanctuary, a 250-square-kilometre area encompassing stands of virgin Nova Scotian forest and an abundance of wildlife, such as moose, deer, mink and muskrat.
Follow the Marine Drive back to Halifax International Airport to check-in for your return flight.