Canadian Maritimes Explorer

Canadian Maritimes Explorer

At more than 5,500km east to west, Canada is not a country to be taken lightly. Our 17-day tour is the perfect introduction to a land full to the brim with French colonial grandeur, maritime charm, old-world wonder, fascinating cities and dramatic scenery. As we travel from Montréal to the Pacific coast, we’ll tick off mighty Niagara Falls, tour Toronto and Québec City, and experience a scenic drive through the Rocky Mountains. Rounding our grand tour of Canada off is a stay in laid-back Vancouver.

What’s Included:

• 1 meals
• Accommodation (12 nights in hotels)
• 12 excursions & visits
• Tour manager
• Transport from the UK
• 2 days free time
• Porterage

Included Excursions:

• Tour of Halifax (including Citadel National Historic Site)
• Excursion to Peggy’s Cove
• Visits to Alexander Graham Bell Historic Site; Anne of Green Gables House; Hopewell Rocks; and Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens
• Cabot Trail drive with local guide
• Charlottetown orientation tour
• Lobster Tales boat tour with lunch
• Bay of Fundy whale and wildlife cruise
• Kejimkujic National Park scenic drive
• Walking tour of Lunenberg

Day 1 UK - Halifax

Our nationwide shared chauffeur service collects you from home for your flight to Halifax. Touching down in the mid-afternoon, we’ll transfer to our hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax and settle in.

Day 2 Halifax

This morning we’ll set out on a guided tour of Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia. It’s a city steeped in seafaring history which we’ll learn more about on a visit to the star-shaped fortress which dominates the harbour, now the Citadel National Historic Museum. Later this afternoon, we’ll drive out to Peggy’s Cove, a small fishing village whose pillar-box red and white striped lighthouse is one of the most photographed sights in Canada.

Day 3 Halifax - Baddeck

Out on the road today we leave Halifax and cross the dramatic Canso Causeway to Cape Breton Island. Driving on we head to Baddeck, a lovely town on the shore of lake Bras d’Or, where scientist and inventor Alexander Graham Bell had a summer home. After settling into our hotel, we’ll visit the museum devoted to his life and work.

Day 4 Cabot Trail

Baddeck has another claim to fame - it’s the start of the famous Cabot Trail and today we’ll take this stunning coastal drive in the company of a local guide. With plenty of stops for photo ops and taking in the views, this legendary round-island route is one of the world’s most famous scenic drives.

Day 5 Baddeck - Charlottetown

Nova Scotia means ‘New Scotland’, and we’ll find out why the province took this name on today’s drive to Charlottetown. Many of its earliest settlers were Scottish, and a stop in Pictou gives us opportunity to learn about the people who arrived here 250 years ago. Later we’ll take the ferry to Prince Edward Island, arriving in the capital Charlottetown in the late afternoon. The rest of the day is free.

Day 6 Charlottetown

This morning we’ll visit Green Gables Heritage Place, the setting for Canada’s most beloved literary work, Anne of Green Gables. There’s time to tour the beautifully preserved green and white gabled farmhouse and gardens, before we head back to Charlottetown for a short orientation tour. Our walk reveals leafy avenues and Victorian clapboard houses, and we’ll learn about Charlottetown’s unique place in Canadian history - the Canadian Confederation was agreed here in 1864. The rest of the day is free.

Day 7 Charlottetown - Moncton

You’ll need your sea legs for today’s excursion as we embark on a Lobster Tales boat tour. Against the lovely backdrop of Shediac Bay, we’ll learn the history and secrets of lobster fishing before sitting down to lunch on board - a delicious lobster feast (other options are available). Later we’ll take the ferry back from Prince Edward Island to New Brunswick and continue our journey by road to Moncton where the rest of the day is free.

Day 8 Moncton - Fundy National Park - Saint John

This morning we’ll drive south to the eastern tip of the Bay of Fundy, which famously experiences the highest tides in the world. Our destination is Hopewell Rocks - huge, tide-weathered outcrops that are almost covered by water at high tide but are exposed right down to the sand when the tide is out. If you’re feeling fit, you can take the 99 stairs to the ‘ocean floor’ or take the ramp for a more leisurely stroll down. Later today, we’ll drive west to Saint John. After settling into our hotel there’s an optional afternoon walking tour, popping into a brewery or two to sample local craft beers along the way.

Day 9 Saint John

Leaving our hotel this morning we’ll drive to Saint Andrews by the Sea, a town close to the Canada USA border. From here we’ll head out into the Bay of Fundy on a whale and wildlife watching cruise. The trip is fully guided with expert commentary helping us spot and identify the abundant wildlife and enlighten us with tales of local history and culture. Back on dry land, we’ll return to Saint John where the rest of the day is free.

Day 10 Saint John - Digby

We’ll get another chance to witness the power of the sea on this morning’s visit to Fallsview Park. Here we’ll witness the dramatic Reversing Falls Rapid, a daily event caused by the Bay of Fundy’s immense high tide hitting the incoming flow of the mighty Saint John River, pushing it into reverse. Afterwards, we’ll take a scenic ferry ride across the Bay of Fundy to Digby on Nova Scotia, keeping a look out for whales and other wildlife as we go.

Day 11 Digby - Oak Island

We’ll swap giant tides for horticultural history on today’s excursion to Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens. Spread over 17 acres, the various gardens represent different periods in local history, such as a knot garden from the Middle Ages and 17th century-inspired vegetable plot. This afternoon we take our seats for a scenic drive, crossing Nova Scotia and winding past the lakes and forests of Kejimkujic National Park to Oak Island on the Atlantic Coast.

Day 12 Lunenberg

Today we’ll visit UNESCO World Heritage-listed Lunenberg, one of the best-preserved colonial settlements in all of North America. After a walking tour around the historic district with its colourful old buildings and weatherboarded wharfs, we’ll head to the harbour to see Bluenose II, an exact replica of a 1921 fishing and racing schooner. Returning to the 32-acre Oak Island Resort, there’s time to relax and enjoy the facilities before tomorrow’s flight home.

Day 13 Oak Island - Halifax - UK

An early start sees us on the road back to Halifax, where we’ll head to the airport for the return flight. On arrival this evening, your vehicle will be waiting to take you home.