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Landscapes of the Canadian Maritimes

12 Day guided tour of Canada | Operated by InsightVacations

  • 12 Days

  • 1 Country

    Canada
  • 9 Cities

    Halifax, Lunenburg, Baddeck, Cabot Trail, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Shediac, Moncton, Digby
  • 18 Meals

    4 Dinner with Wines, 11 Breakfasts, 3 Lunchs
  • Pace: Comfortable

    Mainly 2–3-night stays in each location. Comfortable travel days with numerous stops. Requires 1-3 miles of walking per day that might involve some uneven surfaces, such as cobblestones and stairs.

Trip Itinerary

Day 1: Welcome to Halifax

A mix of sea breezes and cultural charms, Halifax is a quintessential maritime destination evident in its waterfront, historic sites and ongoing maritime activities. Learn how it became a maritime destination due to its strategic natural harbor, making it a crucial naval and trading hub. Relax at your downtown hotel next to the waterfront. Perhaps get out and explore this capital city, home to five National Historic Sites including The Halifax Citadel, Georges Island, Fort McNab, York Redoubt and the Prince of Wales Tower. This evening, meet your Travel Director for a Welcome Dinner.

Hotel: Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel
Included Meals: Dinner with Wine
Authentic Dining: Welcome Dinner in Halifax Relax next to the waterfront before meeting your Travel Director and fellow travelers for a Welcome Dinner at 18:00. You’ll soon see why Halifax truly is a foodies’ town. The Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market, established in 1750, is the longest continuously operating market in North America.
Notes
Day 2: Sightseeing and Relaxation in Halifax

From British rule to naval battles, Halifax is a historical haven. Kick off your Canada guided tour and delve into the city's nautical history at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic where your Local Expert shares stories of key historic events. Learn about the Halifax Explosion in 1917, the world’s largest man-made explosion prior to Hiroshima, and the tragic sinking of the Titanic in 1912. Your Local Expert then reveals eclectic Halifax before an afternoon of Insight Choice. Visit the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site exploring the history of the fortress and the soldiers who were stationed there. Art lovers will want to explore the Maud Lewis Gallery to see the artist's famous carefully restored painted house. Or, choose to visit to the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, historically the nation's primary immigration gateway, shedding light on Canada's intricate relationship with the immigration process.

Hotel: Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast
Top Rated Highlights: Visit the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax Immerse yourself in Nova Scotia's rich maritime heritage at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Discover history, including the Halifax Explosion and the sinking of the Titanic through an immersive visit. History comes alive as you sit in a replica Titanic deck chair or climb aboard the CSS Acadia. Learn about Halifax’s connection to the Titanic: When ship owners in New York heard the ship hit an iceberg, they thought it would travel to Halifax. In the end, 150 of the 1518 lives lost were buried in Halifax. You’ll appreciate gaining insights into history exploring exhibits from a small craft boat building to World War Convoys, the Titanic to the Halifax Explosion, events and people who have defined Nova Scotia and its relationship with the sea.
Top Rated Highlights: Halifax Guided Tour Embark an exploration of this cosmopolitan, eclectic port city of Halifax with your Local Expert. Travel to the local cemetery where many of the Titanic victims were laid to rest before a visit to the Victorian-era inspired Halifax Public Gardens and bustling harbor front. Learn how the growth of this maritime hub can be attributed to its economic ties with the fishing industry, shipbuilding and trade, fostering a maritime culture that persists today. Your in-depth city tour will end at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic for a docent-led tour.
Insight Choice: Visit the Halifax Citadel Halifax’s historic citadel will inspire the mind of any curious traveler. This strategic hilltop location with a  commanding view of the Halifax harbor was chosen in 1749 as the location for the fort that would protect the city. Learn the roles that the fort and its inhabitants played over time visiting this fort as it stood in its Victoria era and as it's been restored as well as enjoying sweeping views of downtown Halifax.
Insight Choice: Visit the Maud Lewis Gallery History and folk art. Visit the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia aimed at collecting, preserving and exhibiting visual arts of nearly 19,000 works in the Permanent and Study Collections. Visit the home and gallery of Maud Kathleen Lewis, a Canadian folk artist from Nova Scotia who lived most of her life in poverty in a small house in Marshalltown, Nova Scotia and achieved national recognition in 1964 and 1965. You’ll love a peek into the artist's famous painted house, which was carefully restored and conserved by the Federal Department of Canadian Heritage.
Insight Choice: Visit of the Canadian Museum of Immigration Get up close and personal with the Canadian Immigration story through interactive exhibits, personal stories and archival materials at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21. Pier 21 was an ocean liner terminal and immigration shed from 1928 to 1971 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada where nearly one million immigrants came to Canada through. This last surviving seaport immigration facility in Canada is often compared to the landmark American immigration gateway Ellis Island.
Notes
Day 3: Historic Lunenburg and Peggy's Cove

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Lunenburg conjures up images of brightly painted houses and a picturesque waterfront. Join a Local Expert for a walking tour of one of the best surviving examples of a planned British Colonial settlement in North America. Gain insights into the fishing industry's impact on the region at the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic before visiting Peggy's Cove, a small rural community located on the eastern shore of St. Margarets Bay and the site of Peggy's Cove Lighthouse, an iconic Canadian image. 

Hotel: Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Top Rated Highlights: Lunenburg City Tour The hand-picked UNESCO World Heritage Site of Lunenburg invites you to discover its storied streets. Experience one of the best surviving examples of a planned British Colonial settlement in North America before meeting a Local Expert for a walking tour. Your guided tour will make sites come alive with cultural wonders like superstitions, folklore and local facts. All will be woven together with unique personal stories as you stroll past its brightly painted houses.
Top Rated Highlights: Visit to Peggy's Cove Visit scenic Peggy's Cove, a small rural community located on the eastern shore of St. Margarets Bay southwest of downtown Halifax. Take in the breathtaking coastal scenery, including its iconic Peggy's Cove Lighthouse perched on rugged granite rocks. Embrace this area's serene beauty, fishing village and artistic community that make it one of Nova Scotia's most favorite destinations.
Notes
Day 4: Cape Breton Island and Blooming Baddeck

The legends & traditions of the Mi'kmaq people will inspire the mind of any curious traveler. At Millbrook Cultural & Heritage Center, join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience on your Canada guided tour as interpreters share insights of history and culture as they weave stories relating artifacts to a way of life, cosmology and a changing relationship with European settlers. Further your discovery this afternoon on a guided cruise across Bras d'or Lake spotting iconic lighthouses, a bird estuary and historic properties including the mansion of Alexander Graham Bell. After a big day of exploring, experience warm hospitality and Cape Breton-style home cooking at your waterfront hotel, featuring tempting seafood favorites and hearty dishes that are sure to satisfy. Continue your night with traditional music and song at a Ceilidh, a Celtic Evening full of Acadian hospitality and entertainment.

Hotel: Inverary Resort
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Make Travel Matter: Millbrook Cultural & Heritage Center Enrich your journey exploring the history and culture of the Mi'kmaq people at the Millbrook Cultural & Heritage Center. You will be greeted with tea and coffee, the sound of Mi'kmaq music and art on display. A multimedia presentation provides an overview of Mi'kmaq history in their nature themed theater. Then take part in a guided tour seeing artifacts that date back 7,500 years and touching fur, porcupine quills, sweetgrass, birch bark and traditional instruments as you listen to interpreters weave stories. You’ll value learning about Mi'kmaw peoples, whose language has been recognized as Nova Scotia’s original language by 2022’s Mi'kmaw Language Act. This experience supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 10: reducing inequalities within the country and Goal 11: educating our guests on the sustainability and resiliency of community, and contributing to making the destination inclusive, resilient and sustainable for generations to come.
Top Rated Highlights: Bras d'Or Lake Cruise Sail aboard the Winstar, a new double decker Catamaran, for an educational tour of the Bras d'Or Lakes. Take in unparalleled views of Baddeck and area's shoreline spotting iconic lighthouses and the historic properties along Beinn Bhreagh, including the mansion of inventor Alexander Graham. Look for a bird estuary and - surely a highlight -- bald eagles swoop down and feeding next to the boat.
Insight Experiences: Celtic Evening Cape Breton Island’s music and traditions of its Gaelic settlers has been preserved and shared since the early 1800's. Become part of the story as you explore the Celtic Heart of North America with an authentic Ceilidh night of Acadian hospitality and entertainment. You’ll be tapping your toes to the fiddle and bagpipe’s Celtic music.
Notes
Day 5: The Natural Beauty of the Cabot Trail

Gaelic and Celtic cultures are revealed over a unique experience at The Gaelic College, devoted to the study and preservation of these rich cultures. At this school offering traditional arts, including Cape Breton fiddle, piano, guitar, step-dancing, and piping, highland dancing, weaving and Gaelic language, you have the opportunity to learn about the tradition of fabric milling and get up close and personal watching a kilt-making demonstration in action. After this one-of-a-kind learning experience, drive along the Cabot Trail, a world-famous highway running along coastal borders on both sides of Cape Breton Highlands National Park and crossing highlands. With views of dramatic cliffs and mountains abound passing charming coastal villages, you’ll love reflecting on another grand day of hand-picked sights.

Hotel: Inverary Resort
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Top Rated Highlights: Visit The Gaelic College in Baddeck Satisfy your curiosity as you immerse yourself in a unique experience at The Gaelic College, devoted to the study and preservation of the Gaelic and Celtic cultures and the only institution of its kind in North America. Learn about the tradition of fabric milling and see a kilt-making demonstration in action at this educational non-profit institution, offering year-round programming in the culture, music, language, crafts, customs and traditions of the immigrants from the Highlands of Scotland. Discover the history of the college when it was founded in St. Ann’s, Nova Scotia in 1938, by community members who wanted to create a memorial for theGaelic speaking pioneers of Cape Breton.
Top Rated Highlights: Cabot Trail The Cabot Trail, a world-famous scenic highway, offers a spectacular driving experience through the stunning landscapes of Cape Breton Island. Enjoy a relaxing drive along the Cabot Trail, keeping an eye out for moose and bald eagles. Then stretch your legs at Cheticamp fishing village where Acadian culture remains strong, and you may be able to hear Acadian language spoken by the locals. Then visit a local beach where you can dip your toes in the water.
Notes
Day 6: Baddeck and Charlottetown

Go behind the scenes on your Canada guided tour with a Local Expert at the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic site to discover the stories behind the inventor of the telephone and one of history's most influential members. Ferry across the Northumberland Strait to Prince Edward Island and quaint Charlottetown, where you'll spend the next three nights. In this nautical gem, colorful fisherman’s cottages and picturesque harbor. Your hotel, The Delta Prince Edward is Charlottetown’s only waterfront hotel and just steps away from enticing shops and restaurants.

Hotel: Delta Hotels by Marriott Prince Edward, Charlottetown
Included Meals: Breakfast
Top Rated Highlights: Visit the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site Embark on an insightful visit to the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site in Baddeck, Nova Scotia. Overlooking Bras d'Or Lake, take a glimpse into the world-famous inventor's interests and inventions from airplanes and kites to deaf education and artificial respiration. From your guide's insights to a multi-media presentation featuring artifacts and photographs from their time together, you’ll appreciate this deep study into an important historical figure.
Notes
Day 7: Prince Edward Island Sightseeing

No trip to Prince Edward Island is complete without a visit to Green Gable's Heritage Place including the Green Gables House, the fabled home that provided inspiration for L.M. Montgomery's children's classic, 'Anne of Green Gables'. With your Local Expert, discover the cliffs, wind-whipped dunes and Covehead lighthouse of Prince Edward Island National Park before heading on to Cavendish. This afternoon is free to explore Charlottetown at your leisure. Perhaps tour the Victorian Beaconsfield Historic House and feel like you’ve stepped into Downton Abbey. Or, visit nearby Victoria Park’s boardwalk taking you past the Prince Edward Battery and the Victoria Floating Dock and Brighton Beach lighthouse.

Hotel: Delta Hotels by Marriott Prince Edward, Charlottetown
Included Meals: Breakfast
Top Rated Highlights: Prince Edward Island Sightseeing Discover picturesque Prince Edward Island with a Local Expert. Visit Prince Edward Island National Park with its sand dunes adorned by beach grass and red sandstone cliffs as well as the rich, red soil that produces PEI’s famous potatoes. Continue onto Cavendish to visit the Green Gable Heritage Place with the chance to see Green Gables House, the fabled home that provided inspiration for L.M. Montgomery's children's classic, "Anne of Green Gables." Take a stroll on the Haunted Wood or Balsam Hollow Trail, which begins as Lover's Lane. Feel like Anne herself as signs highlighting the inspirational sources for Montgomery's writing enhance your discovery. Re-live Anne’s youthful escapades and mishaps within the memory-filled rooms of her Victorian home - where images from the blockbuster 1908 novel blend with the real-life experiences of local author who drew inspiration from the idyllic farmstead, scenery and people.
Notes
Day 8: Flavors of Charlottetown

The flavors of Prince Edward Island will delight your palate today in the quaint seaside fishing village of Georgetown. Meet a local fisherman and exceptional storyteller who will regale you with tales of life at sea and teach you all about the area's lobster and mussel industry. Then taste the flavors over a delicious Highlight Lunch of island blue mussel cooked fresh by the fisherman. A visit to a maritime province wouldn't be complete without a lighthouse tour. Head out to the first lighthouse on Prince Edward Island, Point Prim, and end your day with a tasting at Rossignol Winery, the first winery on Prince Edward Island specialising in table and fruit wines.

Hotel: Delta Hotels by Marriott Prince Edward, Charlottetown
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Authentic Dining: Meet a Fisher Highlight Lunch Delicious cuisine in a quaint seaside village. In Georgetown in eastern Prince Edward Island, you will be greeted by a local fisher who shares their experiences at sea and enlightens you about PEI’s famous lobster and mussel industry. Learn how these cultured mussels from the cool water surrounding PEI have become a popular seafood. Because they are grown in mesh stockings suspended ropes in the water and never touch the ocean bottom, they taste sweeter, more tender and are plumper, meatier and more nutritious. Then feast on a delicious lunch of Island Blue Mussel cooked by the fisher featuring fresh, locally grown produce.
Top Rated Highlights: Lighthouse Tour and Wine Tasting The east coast conjures up notions of lighthouses and fine food and drink. Experience both today visiting a winery and two lighthouses. At Rossignol Estate Winery, tour the winery and savor a tasting of four wines produced in their pure oak barrels, along with Prince Edward Island cheese and crackers. Make your way to Wood Islands Lighthouse, built in 1876. Then visit the Point Prim Lighthouse located at the end of Point Prim on a point of land extending into the Northumberland Strait and the first lighthouse on PEI. This the ideal opportunity to snap a picture of a quintessential maritime lighthouse.
Notes
Day 9: The Tides of Hopewell Rocks

A highlight awaits this morning as you cross the Confederation Bridge. This engineering feat connects Prince Edward Island to the mainland and, spanning eight miles, is longest bridge in the world over ice-covered waters. With the waters of Shediac Bay as your playground, board a lobster boat (weather permitting) for insights into the fascinating world of these sea creatures and the lobster industry. Further your discovery indulging in a delicious lobster Highlight Lunch as you cruise the waters of the bay, taking in the scenery and warm Acadian hospitality. Your coastal exploration continues at Hopewell Rocks on the shores of The Bay of Fundy where you'll meet your Local Expert who introduces you to the bay, one of seven wonders of North America boasting the highest tides on Earth because of its specific shape. This remarkable tidal range not only shapes the area's landscape but also creates a rich ecosystem. Conclude this day of your Canada guided tour arriving in the fun hub city of Moncton.

Hotel: Crowne Plaza Moncton Downtown
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Top Rated Highlights: See Hopewell Rocks The Bay of Fundy is one of the seven wonders of North America. The highest tidal range on earth, the rarest whales in the world, semi-precious minerals and dinosaur fossils. Twice each day, 160 billion tons of seawater flow in and out of the Bay of Fundy - more than the combined flow of the world's freshwater rivers. Hopewell Rocks, also called "Flowerpots Rocks", are rock formations caused by tidal erosion and stand 40-70 feet tall located on the shores of the Bay of Fundy. Enjoy a visit to Hopewell Rocks with a step-on guide and, if you like, walk down to the water to walk on the ocean floor where – just hours later – the Bay of Fundy will return.
Notes
Day 10: Lively Moncton to Digby

Embark on a coastal drive on the Fundy Trail Parkway, nestling you between the greens of the forest and the blues of the coast with stunning views in every direction. This important thoroughfare, completed in 2020, connects Alma to St Martin lined with hiking trails, beaches, overlooks and an Interpretive Center. Take to the water crossing the Bay of Fundy from St. John to Digby by ferry. Breathe in fresh salt air from the outdoor area and keep a keen eye on the Bay of Fundy for whales and other marine life. Arrive at the Digby Pines Golf Resort and Spa, overlooking the Bay of Fundy since 1929, known for its incredible tides. Grab a local craft beer or wine at the 19th Hole restaurant overlooking the Stanley Thompson designed course or treat yourself to a service in their spa featuring sustainable and green practices to create natural, organic and Biodynamic products.

Hotel: Digby Pines Golf Resort and Spa
Included Meals: Breakfast
Top Rated Highlights: Fundy Trail Parkway The Bay of Fundy’s natural, unspoiled beauty will inspire the mind of any nature-lover. Travel the Fundy Trail Parkway, which nestles you between the greens of the forest and the blues of the coast, for stunning views in every direction. You’ll witness the highest tides on the planet -- because of its shape which intensifies the gravitational pull from the moon -- and enjoy the coastal access network including scenic lookouts, beaches, waterfalls and interpretive center.
Notes
Day 11: Delightful Digby and Annapolis Royal

The Bay of Fundy conjures up images of a rugged coastline and high tides. Explore it for yourself on a once-in-a-lifetime whale watching cruise (weather permitting) in search of rare species of whale while learning about these majestic sea mammals. In the historic town of Annapolis Royal, join a Local Expert and costumed interpreter for a stroll in the National Historic District learning about the cultural heritage of Annapolis Royal before returning to your spa resort in Digby. In the evening, meet a former scallop fisherman for a culinary demonstration and Celebration Dinner of your Canada guided tour featuring the highly prized Digby scallops over a fresh, sea-to-table scallop dinner.

Hotel: Digby Pines Golf Resort and Spa
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Top Rated Highlights: Experience a Whale Watching Cruise in the Bay of Fundy Embark on a once-in-a-lifetime whale watching cruise (weather permitting) on the Bay of Fundy. In your cozy boat, you can get closer than in a larger vessel should you have the opportunity to spot rare species of whales while learning about these majestic sea mammals. The Bay of Fundy is exceptional for its diverse marine life, including unique whale behaviours. And due to being the site of the highest tides globally, it’s an ideal feeding environment.
Top Rated Highlights: Visit the National Historic District in Annapolis Royal with a Costumed Interpreter Victorian homes, quaint shops and oak, elm and chestnut trees dotting the lawn of the historic courthouse, it must be Annapolis Royal. Take a stroll through the National Historic District with a costumed Local Expert and discover a cultural mosaic of history. Learn how it was the colonial capital before the founding of Halifax, a center of early European colonization in North America and a pivotal player in the struggle for empire between the English and French.
Authentic Dining: Celebration Dinner in Digby Digby, Nova Scotia, is known as "The Scallop Capitol of the World." The town is famous for the scallops harvested from the local waters and thus contributing to industries of fishing and tourism. Scallops are Nova Scotia's most valuable seafood catch and Digby is home to the world's largest inshore scallop fleet. Celebrate all things local and meet a former scallop fisherman for a culinary demonstration and Celebration Dinner par excellence, featuring these famous scallops.
Notes
Day 12: Farewell Halifax

It’s time to wave goodbye to Halifax and your fellow travelers as your trip comes to an end. A complimentary Airport transfer will be made at Halifax International Airport at 12:00pm, followed by a stop at the Marriott Harbourfront Halifax for guests wishing to extend their stay.

Included Meals: Breakfast
Notes
This itinerary is for reference only. Upon booking with GET, guests will receive tour documents which will list all confirmed hotels and itineraries based upon the guest's departure date.

Price Includes

Dining Summary
  • - 4 Dinner with Wines (DW)
  • - 11 Breakfasts (B)
  • - 3 Lunchs (L)
Authentic Dining
  • Relax next to the waterfront before meeting your Travel Director and fellow travelers for a Welcome Dinner at 18:00. You’ll soon see why Halifax truly is a foodies’ town. The Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market, established in 1750, is the longest continuously operating market in North America.
  • Delicious cuisine in a quaint seaside village. In Georgetown in eastern Prince Edward Island, you will be greeted by a local fisher who shares their experiences at sea and enlightens you about PEI’s famous lobster and mussel industry. Learn how these cultured mussels from the cool water surrounding PEI have become a popular seafood. Because they are grown in mesh stockings suspended ropes in the water and never touch the ocean bottom, they taste sweeter, more tender and are plumper, meatier and more nutritious. Then feast on a delicious lunch of Island Blue Mussel cooked by the fisher featuring fresh, locally grown produce.
  • Digby, Nova Scotia, is known as "The Scallop Capitol of the World." The town is famous for the scallops harvested from the local waters and thus contributing to industries of fishing and tourism. Scallops are Nova Scotia's most valuable seafood catch and Digby is home to the world's largest inshore scallop fleet. Celebrate all things local and meet a former scallop fisherman for a culinary demonstration and Celebration Dinner par excellence, featuring these famous scallops.
Top Rated Highlights
  • Immerse yourself in Nova Scotia's rich maritime heritage at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Discover history, including the Halifax Explosion and the sinking of the Titanic through an immersive visit. History comes alive as you sit in a replica Titanic deck chair or climb aboard the CSS Acadia. Learn about Halifax’s connection to the Titanic: When ship owners in New York heard the ship hit an iceberg, they thought it would travel to Halifax. In the end, 150 of the 1518 lives lost were buried in Halifax. You’ll appreciate gaining insights into history exploring exhibits from a small craft boat building to World War Convoys, the Titanic to the Halifax Explosion, events and people who have defined Nova Scotia and its relationship with the sea.
  • Embark an exploration of this cosmopolitan, eclectic port city of Halifax with your Local Expert. Travel to the local cemetery where many of the Titanic victims were laid to rest before a visit to the Victorian-era inspired Halifax Public Gardens and bustling harbor front. Learn how the growth of this maritime hub can be attributed to its economic ties with the fishing industry, shipbuilding and trade, fostering a maritime culture that persists today. Your in-depth city tour will end at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic for a docent-led tour.
  • The hand-picked UNESCO World Heritage Site of Lunenburg invites you to discover its storied streets. Experience one of the best surviving examples of a planned British Colonial settlement in North America before meeting a Local Expert for a walking tour. Your guided tour will make sites come alive with cultural wonders like superstitions, folklore and local facts. All will be woven together with unique personal stories as you stroll past its brightly painted houses.
  • Visit scenic Peggy's Cove, a small rural community located on the eastern shore of St. Margarets Bay southwest of downtown Halifax. Take in the breathtaking coastal scenery, including its iconic Peggy's Cove Lighthouse perched on rugged granite rocks. Embrace this area's serene beauty, fishing village and artistic community that make it one of Nova Scotia's most favorite destinations.
  • Sail aboard the Winstar, a new double decker Catamaran, for an educational tour of the Bras d'Or Lakes. Take in unparalleled views of Baddeck and area's shoreline spotting iconic lighthouses and the historic properties along Beinn Bhreagh, including the mansion of inventor Alexander Graham. Look for a bird estuary and - surely a highlight -- bald eagles swoop down and feeding next to the boat.
  • Satisfy your curiosity as you immerse yourself in a unique experience at The Gaelic College, devoted to the study and preservation of the Gaelic and Celtic cultures and the only institution of its kind in North America. Learn about the tradition of fabric milling and see a kilt-making demonstration in action at this educational non-profit institution, offering year-round programming in the culture, music, language, crafts, customs and traditions of the immigrants from the Highlands of Scotland. Discover the history of the college when it was founded in St. Ann’s, Nova Scotia in 1938, by community members who wanted to create a memorial for theGaelic speaking pioneers of Cape Breton.
  • The Cabot Trail, a world-famous scenic highway, offers a spectacular driving experience through the stunning landscapes of Cape Breton Island. Enjoy a relaxing drive along the Cabot Trail, keeping an eye out for moose and bald eagles. Then stretch your legs at Cheticamp fishing village where Acadian culture remains strong, and you may be able to hear Acadian language spoken by the locals. Then visit a local beach where you can dip your toes in the water.
  • Embark on an insightful visit to the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site in Baddeck, Nova Scotia. Overlooking Bras d'Or Lake, take a glimpse into the world-famous inventor's interests and inventions from airplanes and kites to deaf education and artificial respiration. From your guide's insights to a multi-media presentation featuring artifacts and photographs from their time together, you’ll appreciate this deep study into an important historical figure.
  • Discover picturesque Prince Edward Island with a Local Expert. Visit Prince Edward Island National Park with its sand dunes adorned by beach grass and red sandstone cliffs as well as the rich, red soil that produces PEI’s famous potatoes. Continue onto Cavendish to visit the Green Gable Heritage Place with the chance to see Green Gables House, the fabled home that provided inspiration for L.M. Montgomery's children's classic, "Anne of Green Gables." Take a stroll on the Haunted Wood or Balsam Hollow Trail, which begins as Lover's Lane. Feel like Anne herself as signs highlighting the inspirational sources for Montgomery's writing enhance your discovery. Re-live Anne’s youthful escapades and mishaps within the memory-filled rooms of her Victorian home - where images from the blockbuster 1908 novel blend with the real-life experiences of local author who drew inspiration from the idyllic farmstead, scenery and people.
  • The east coast conjures up notions of lighthouses and fine food and drink. Experience both today visiting a winery and two lighthouses. At Rossignol Estate Winery, tour the winery and savor a tasting of four wines produced in their pure oak barrels, along with Prince Edward Island cheese and crackers. Make your way to Wood Islands Lighthouse, built in 1876. Then visit the Point Prim Lighthouse located at the end of Point Prim on a point of land extending into the Northumberland Strait and the first lighthouse on PEI. This the ideal opportunity to snap a picture of a quintessential maritime lighthouse.
  • The Bay of Fundy is one of the seven wonders of North America. The highest tidal range on earth, the rarest whales in the world, semi-precious minerals and dinosaur fossils. Twice each day, 160 billion tons of seawater flow in and out of the Bay of Fundy - more than the combined flow of the world's freshwater rivers. Hopewell Rocks, also called "Flowerpots Rocks", are rock formations caused by tidal erosion and stand 40-70 feet tall located on the shores of the Bay of Fundy. Enjoy a visit to Hopewell Rocks with a step-on guide and, if you like, walk down to the water to walk on the ocean floor where – just hours later – the Bay of Fundy will return.
  • The Bay of Fundy’s natural, unspoiled beauty will inspire the mind of any nature-lover. Travel the Fundy Trail Parkway, which nestles you between the greens of the forest and the blues of the coast, for stunning views in every direction. You’ll witness the highest tides on the planet -- because of its shape which intensifies the gravitational pull from the moon -- and enjoy the coastal access network including scenic lookouts, beaches, waterfalls and interpretive center.
  • Embark on a once-in-a-lifetime whale watching cruise (weather permitting) on the Bay of Fundy. In your cozy boat, you can get closer than in a larger vessel should you have the opportunity to spot rare species of whales while learning about these majestic sea mammals. The Bay of Fundy is exceptional for its diverse marine life, including unique whale behaviours. And due to being the site of the highest tides globally, it’s an ideal feeding environment.
  • Victorian homes, quaint shops and oak, elm and chestnut trees dotting the lawn of the historic courthouse, it must be Annapolis Royal. Take a stroll through the National Historic District with a costumed Local Expert and discover a cultural mosaic of history. Learn how it was the colonial capital before the founding of Halifax, a center of early European colonization in North America and a pivotal player in the struggle for empire between the English and French.
Insight Choice
  • Halifax’s historic citadel will inspire the mind of any curious traveler. This strategic hilltop location with a  commanding view of the Halifax harbor was chosen in 1749 as the location for the fort that would protect the city. Learn the roles that the fort and its inhabitants played over time visiting this fort as it stood in its Victoria era and as it's been restored as well as enjoying sweeping views of downtown Halifax.
  • History and folk art. Visit the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia aimed at collecting, preserving and exhibiting visual arts of nearly 19,000 works in the Permanent and Study Collections. Visit the home and gallery of Maud Kathleen Lewis, a Canadian folk artist from Nova Scotia who lived most of her life in poverty in a small house in Marshalltown, Nova Scotia and achieved national recognition in 1964 and 1965. You’ll love a peek into the artist's famous painted house, which was carefully restored and conserved by the Federal Department of Canadian Heritage.
  • Get up close and personal with the Canadian Immigration story through interactive exhibits, personal stories and archival materials at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21. Pier 21 was an ocean liner terminal and immigration shed from 1928 to 1971 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada where nearly one million immigrants came to Canada through. This last surviving seaport immigration facility in Canada is often compared to the landmark American immigration gateway Ellis Island.
Make Travel Matter
  • Enrich your journey exploring the history and culture of the Mi'kmaq people at the Millbrook Cultural & Heritage Center. You will be greeted with tea and coffee, the sound of Mi'kmaq music and art on display. A multimedia presentation provides an overview of Mi'kmaq history in their nature themed theater. Then take part in a guided tour seeing artifacts that date back 7,500 years and touching fur, porcupine quills, sweetgrass, birch bark and traditional instruments as you listen to interpreters weave stories. You’ll value learning about Mi'kmaw peoples, whose language has been recognized as Nova Scotia’s original language by 2022’s Mi'kmaw Language Act. This experience supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 10: reducing inequalities within the country and Goal 11: educating our guests on the sustainability and resiliency of community, and contributing to making the destination inclusive, resilient and sustainable for generations to come.
Insight Experiences
  • Cape Breton Island’s music and traditions of its Gaelic settlers has been preserved and shared since the early 1800's. Become part of the story as you explore the Celtic Heart of North America with an authentic Ceilidh night of Acadian hospitality and entertainment. You’ll be tapping your toes to the fiddle and bagpipe’s Celtic music.