Enchanting Canadian Maritimes

Learn the art of living the good life as you brace yourself for crisp sea breezes and hearty Nova Scotian hospitality in Halifax, your launch pad to an effortless discovery of Canada's Maritimes. Join your Travel Director and fellow travellers this evening for a Welcome Reception at your landmark 'Stay with Stories' overlooking the famous Public Gardens.

Enjoy a guided visit of the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. From small craft boatbuilding to World War Convoys, the Days of Sail to the Age of Steam, the Titanic to the Halifax Explosion, you'll discover the stories, events and people that have come to define Nova Scotia and its relationship with the sea. Then, join your Local Specialist for an exploration of Halifax's sights including the Citadel National Historic Site, built in the mid-18th century to defend the town from various enemies. Spend the rest of the day at leisure.

Explore the legends and traditions of the Mi'kmaq people during a visit to the Millbrook Cultural and Heritage Centre. Traverse the Canso Causeway to Cape Breton Island and arrive in the village of Baddeck. Later, get ready for a foot-stomping Ceilidh celebration this evening as you encounter first-hand the Celtic heritage of the area as you 'Dive into Culture' with an evening of traditional music and songs.

Today, enjoy the dramatic coastal views and highland scenery offering an endless source of artistic inspiration as you wind through Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Unspoiled natural beauty and sweeping coastal vistas provide a mesmerising backdrop for our drive along the Cabot Trail. We keep an eye out for moose and bald eagle as we travel in search of whales in the Gulf of the St. Lawrence. Return to Baddeck later for some time at leisure.

This morning, we pay tribute to one of the world's most famous inventors at the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site, then cross the Northumberland Strait to Prince Edward Island. Pass pastoral landscapes and gabled farmhouses en route to Charlottetown where we enjoy a full evening at leisure, perhaps to discover the town's vibrant dining scene. Our 'Stay with Stories' was built in 1931 and reflects such luxurious features as barrel-vaulted ceilings and a grand lobby. Tonight, enjoy a Regional Dinner at the PEI Preserve Company.

Join a Local Specialist for an exploration of the 'Cradle of Confederation' - its red beaches, waving beach grass and green pastures that inspired the beloved children's classic Anne of Green Gables. Take a step back in time as we visit the grounds of the historic Shaw's Hotel, a National Historic Site of Canada. When Grandfather Shaw opened his inn on the family's pioneer farm in 1860, he wanted to provide relaxing country lodging for visitors. Today (four generations later), the Shaw family continues to run the property. During your visit you will step back in time to a simpler way of life. 'Connect with Locals' and meet your host, the current proprietor of the Inn, Robbie Shaw, before settling in for a 'Be My Guest' lunch with influences from the land and sea, surrounded by the beauty of Brackley Bay.

We return to New Brunswick, crossing the Northumberland Strait via the engineering feat that is Confederation Bridge. Head to the waters of Shediac Bay, where we'll celebrate all things lobster with our Local Specialist. Get a closer look at Acadian culture while diving into the lobster fishery, learning about old fishing techniques that helped shape the way of life of the region. Then, enjoy a delicious lunch of lobster served local style on board the boat (weather permitting). We journey south to the Bay of Fundy in search of the world's highest tides. Join another Local Specialist to visit the magnificently eroded Hopewell Rocks and enjoy a rare opportunity to walk on the ocean floor (tide permitting). Our overnight stop is in the port city of Saint John.

We leave the cliffs and coves of Saint John behind this morning to board a ferry to cross the Bay of Fundy to Digby. Stopping at Grand-Pré National Historic Site, a UNESCO Heritage Site, we delve into the history of the Le Grand Dérangement, a tragic event in Acadian history that has shaped the vibrant culture of modern-day Acadians. Later, we'll'Dive Into Culture' with a tour and tasting at a winery in the LaHave River Valley, one of the earliest grape-growing territories in North America.

Join a Local Specialist who will reveal insights into the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Lunenburg. Delve into the rich fishing heritage of Nova Scotia when you visit the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic with a guide from the local fishing community, then explore the decks and passageways of real Tall Ships. Enjoy a Farewell Dinner this evening.

This morning, breathe in the fresh ocean air and share in the inspiration enjoyed by painters and photographers who visit Peggy's Cove on St. Margaret's Bay. We arrive back in Halifax and take our transfer to the Stanfield International Airport where our trip comes to an end or consider extending your stay in Halifax.