Maritimes Explorer

Arrive in Halifax this afternoon and check in to your hotel, ideally placed in the heart of this vibrant coastal city on the Atlantic. This evening, meet your Tour Director and fellow travellers at a Meet & Greet - a relaxed start to the journey ahead.

Halifax - Lunenburg - Mahone bay - Peggys Cove - Halifax. We begin the morning with a city tour of downtown Halifax before heading south to explore the coastline. Lunenburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is our first stop - one of the best-preserved colonial settlements in the New World.

We continue to Mahone Bay for a picture stop at its three centuries-old churches, then on to Peggy's Cove, home to one of the most photographed lighthouses in the world. There's time to explore this charming fishing village before we return to Halifax.

Halifax - Annapolis valley - Digby - St Johns. We travel through the scenic Annapolis Valley this morning, stopping at Grand Pré National Historic Site - a UNESCO-designated landscape where the story of the Acadian people comes to life through a blend of history and local legend.

We continue through the valley to the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens before pressing on to Digby, the self-proclaimed Scallop Capital of the World, where we board the ferry to Saint John.

St Johns - St Andrews - St Johns. A brief city tour of historic Saint John starts the day before we head to the charming seaside town of St. Andrews-by-the-Sea.

We join a Whale Watching Boat Tour on the bay - one of the best places in Canada to spot these magnificent animals - and there's free time to explore the town at your own pace.

St Johns - Hoepwell Rocks - Shediac. This morning we visit Hopewell Rocks on the shores of the Bay of Fundy, home to the highest tides on earth. The towering flower pot-shaped rock formations here are unlike anything else - best explored on foot at low tide.

After lunch, we continue to Shediac, where this evening we board a Lobster Boat for a Lobster Dinner out on the water - a memorable way to end the day.

Shediac - Charlottetown. We cross Confederation Bridge this morning - a remarkable feat of engineering stretching nearly 13 kilometres across the Northumberland Strait - to reach Prince Edward Island.

We enjoy Acadian music and food at Village Musical Acadien before continuing to Charlottetown, where a local guide joins us for a walking tour of the city.

Charlottetown - Prince Edward Isalnd - Charlottetown. The morning is free to explore Charlottetown at your own pace - Canada's birthplace and a city with no shortage of independent cafés, shops, and historic streets to wander.

This afternoon, we tour the scenic North Shore, passing red cliffs, white-sand beaches, and rolling dunes through Prince Edward Island National Park. We also visit Anne of Green Gables Heritage Place, the real-life inspiration behind Lucy Maud Montgomery's beloved novels.

Charlottetown - Cape Breton Island - Baddeck. We ferry back across the Northumberland Strait to Nova Scotia and make our way to Cape Breton Island via the Canso Causeway - a dramatic stretch of land known as the Scotland of North America.

We stop at the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site in Baddeck to explore the extraordinary legacy of the inventor who called this island home. Baddeck will be our base for the next three nights.

Baddeck - Cabot Trail - Baddeck. Today's drive along the Cabot Trail is widely considered one of the most scenic in North America. The road winds around the rugged northern shore of Cape Breton, climbing to the sweeping plateaus of Cape Breton Highlands National Park.

There are plenty of look-offs along the way with views across the coastline - well worth stopping for, so keep your camera close.

We spend today at the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site, a remarkable reconstruction of one fifth of the 1744 New France settlement.

Costumed interpreters, period buildings, and living history bring this place to life in a way that's genuinely impressive. The afternoon is free - spend it in Sydney or back in Baddeck as you prefer.

Baddeck - Halifax. We recross the Canso Causeway back to mainland Nova Scotia, stopping at Millbrook Cultural and Heritage Centre to learn about the history and traditions of the Mi'kmaq people.

We then continue to Halifax for one final night in the Maritimes. The evening is yours to explore before we come together for a Farewell Dinner.

Your tour arrangements end on check-out from the hotel this morning.