Arrive at Halifax International Airport and transfer independently to your centrally-located hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure. Overnight in Halifax.

Climb aboard a double decker bus and view the city in style as you cruise through the historic city of Halifax. Your kilted driver will guide you through the city’s highlights including the Titanic Burial site, the Spring Garden Road area, Province House, Government House, the busy port, and many more intriguing sites. The tour also includes the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site, as well as an overview of the devastating Halifax Explosion. Continental breakfast included.

Take this day to explore the city at your own pace, or to just relax and enjoy the scenic beauty or cruise down the Halifax harbour. This evening we become better acquainted with our travelling companions at an evening welcome reception. Continental breakfast included.

* Start of 9-day Atlantic Maritimes Tour

We will have a relaxing breakfast in Peggy’s Cove before visiting Lunenburg where you will have a choice between admission to the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic, or a walking tour of the historic town. We continue to Champlain’s Habitation, Canada’s oldest permanent settlement, and then on to the overnight hotel. Overnight in Digby. Breakfast and dinner included.

The morning is at our leisure to explore the picturesque fishing port of Digby, the largest scallop fishing fleet in the world. We’ll travel towards Moncton along the lush Annapolis Valley, one of the oldest European settlements, and through Grand Pre, the site that inspired Longfellow’s famous and tragic poem “Evangeline.” Continue past Nova Scotia’s thriving communities of Truro and Amherst as we cross into New Brunswick. Overnight in Moncton. Breakfast included.

The journey continues on to Hopewell Rocks, known for its ancient geography and powerful tides. After lunch, continue to Prince Edward Island as we drive over Confederation Bridge, the world’s longest continuous multi-span bridge, and enjoy a delicious east coast lobster dinner before checking into the hotel. Overnight in Charlottetown. Breakfast and dinner included.

This morning is free to explore Charlottetown and surroundings. On a brief sightseeing tour in the afternoon, we see Charlottetown, “the cradle of Canadian confederation”. Then we tour the idyllic countryside and visit Prince Edward National Park, Canada’s smallest, but also one of its most popular national parks. The park is renowned for its white sand beaches, some of which lie at the base of sandstone cliffs over 30 metres high. We continue our tour to the Green Gables House, famous for being the setting of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s “Anne of Green Gables” novels and the home to the heroine of the series, Anne Shirley Overnight in Charlottetown. Full breakfast and lunch included. Arrivals from mid-June to mid-September attend the musical “Anne” at the Charlottetown Festival or Mariner's Feast Dinner Show.

Today we take the ferry across the Northumberland Strait entering back into Nova Scotia. We drive through tranquil scenery and small communities that still celebrate Nova Scotia’s Scottish, Indian and Acadian heritage. We continue into Cape Breton Island through the magnificent highland scenery that surrounds Bras d’Or Lake, and drive to the delightful resort community of Baddeck. We visit a fascinating museum dedicated to the life and works of Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone. Overnight in Baddeck. Full breakfast and dinner included.

A scenic highlight of this trip is our drive along the Cabot Trail into the highland of northern Cape Breton. The trail runs past lochs and glens settled by Scottish Highlanders and along scenic coastlines settled by Acadians. We will meander through rugged Cape Breton Highlands National Park enjoying stunning views of sea-swept headlands, steep cliffs and tranquil beaches. We return to Baddeck through the lush Margaree Valley. Tonight we enjoy a “Farewell to Nova Scotia” dinner. Overnight in Baddeck. Full breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner included.

Arrivals in July, August and September: enjoy a whalewatching boat tour (weather permitting).

On our way back to Halifax, we explore the eastern part of Cape Breton by circumnavigating the great inland sea of Bras d’Or Lake and touring the Fortress of Louisburg. The site is one of the historically most significant locations in all of North America. Children and adults alike enjoy touring the reconstructed buildings, interactive demonstrations by the staff dressed in historical costumes and sampling 18th century cuisine. We continue along the shores of Bras d’Or to the mainland making our way back to Halifax. Overnight in Halifax. Full breakfast .

A time for last-minute shopping and farewells. Individual transfer to Halifax International Airport in time to check in for your return flight. Continental breakfast included.