Day One - Sunday, July 30: Arrive - Halifax, Nova Scotia
As we fly into Nova Scotia’s Capital City, Halifax, we will begin our journey that will take us to the treasures of Nova Scotia, Cape Breton, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. We will be greeted by our Tour Guide and deluxe motorcoach and once our baggage has been placed on the coach, we will transfer to our hotel in Halifax. It is a late arrival, and we would have eaten dinner along the way, so we will settle in to our hotel and get ready to tour in the morning.
Day Two - Monday, July 31: Peggy’s Cove and Lunenburg (B, Cocktails)
We will enjoy a leisurely breakfast in the hotel this morning. Then we will visit Peggy’s Cove where the graceful lighthouse sits high upon the smooth wave-worn granite of the coast. The tiny harbor below the lighthouse is a masterpiece of seasoned fish sheds and colorful fishing boats, making it one of the most photographed places in Canada. Following lunch on our own, we have a very special treat as we tour further down the southern shore to Old Town Lunenburg, which is one of only two “urban” communities in North America designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Seventy percent of the original colonial buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries will greet us with their colorful façades. We will have a walking tour of Old Town Lunenburg’s distinctive waterfront with its colorful buildings and listen for salty tales of seafaring and rum-running and discover acharming town filled with amazing restaurants, distilleries, breweries, artisans and unique shops. This evening upon our return to the hotel, we will have a welcome Cocktail party before enjoying dinner on our own.
Day Three - Tuesday, August 1: Halifax (B, D)
This morning we will enjoy breakfast and then have a full day in Halifax. We will begin with the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. This museum is right in the Historic Properties along the waterfront and gives a great history of the region and the nation with a terrific exhibit on the Titanic and the devastating explosion of 1917. We will drive around Citadel Hill and see the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site from the outside, as we look down upon the city. We will stroll through the Halifax Public Gardens, a Victorian era public gardens established in the year of Canada’s independence from Great Britain – 1867. It has more than doubled in size since and today is considered one of the finest examples of Victorian gardens in North America. We will finish the morning with a visit to the Fairview Lawn Cemetery, one of the most famous Canadian cemeteries. In addition to many of the city's business and cultural elite, as well as many victims of the Halifax Explosion, Fairview Cemetery contains the largest number of graves in the world from the sinking of the Titanic. The cemetery contains the graves of 121 Titanic victims, several of whom have never been identified. We will enjoy lunch on our own along the harbor and have a free afternoon to stroll the harbor and return to the hotel before heading out to dinner in Halifax.
Day Four - Wednesday, August 2: Evangeline Trail (B, L - Wine Tasting)
After breakfast, we will depart Halifax and make our way to Grand Pre National Historic Site where the Memorial Church, a stone structure of French design, stands as a memorial to the Acadians and houses an exhibit on their deportation from L’Acadie. This story has been immortalized by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s epic poem “Evangeline,” for which stands a statue in the middle of this 20-acre garden. We will have lunch and a wine tasting at Grand Pre before continuing on to Digby. Evangeline is also the name of the route we will take from Grand Pre to Digby, where we will take the ferry across the majestic Bay of Fundy to the city of Saint John. We can have dinner on our own on board the ferry as it makes its 2-1/2 hour crossing. We will check into our hotel for one night.
Day Five - Thursday, August 3: Hopewell Rocks & the Bay of Fundy (B, D)
This morning we will pack our bags, check out, enjoy breakfast and board the motorcoach for the next part of our journey. For many guests, this day’s adventures are truly the highlight of the entire visit. We will leave Saint John and follow the Bay of Fundy shoreline traveling along a new scenic route. In 2021, the Province of New Brunswick and the Canadian Federal Parks completed the incredible project known as the Fundy Trail. It began in 1995 with construction of a hiking trail that hugs the very hilly and rocky coastline for 22 miles. It then expanded to include a biking trail running parallel to the hiking trail and finally in 2021 the opening of a road for vehicular traffic. From the high position of our motorcoach, we will have excellent views and some stops at overlooks to really appreciate this magnificent drive. The route will then take us through the Fundy National Park and to the great highlight of the day and the Maritime’s most famous geological feature - The Hopewell Rocks, in the Bay of Fundy. Here we can walk on the ocean floor at low tide, and learn about the region’s natural history. We’ll discover why it was voted one of the two North American finalists in a global competition to choose the world’s top natural wonders, in good company with the Grand Canyon! This is fitting, as the 100 billion tons of sea water that flow in and out of the Bay of Fundy twice a day, every day of the year, and rise an incredible 48 feet, could fill the Grand Canyon! Tonight, dinner is included in Moncton.
Day Six - Friday, August 4: PEI - Charlottetown (B, L, E)
Following breakfast this morning, we will cross the incredible Confederation Bridge, which spans 9 miles of the Northumberland Strait and connects New Brunswick to PEI. We will enjoy touring the island on our way to its beautiful capital of Charlottetown. First we will head west on the island to the Acadian Musical Village, where we will enjoy an old Acadian tradition of a Kitchen Party. This is when families would get together in the evenings and bring their own food and instruments and eat, dance and play at the end of the day. We will enjoy lunch with traditional Acadian food and entertainment from our Acadian friends. Then it’s on to Charlottetown, where we will learn what makes this capital city such a historic gem. We’ll see why it’s also a vibrant urban centre that dances to a beat all its own. Canada was born (or perhaps more accurately, was conceived) here when the Fathers of Confederation met at Province House in 1864 to plot out the creation of Canada. We will have a walking tour of the town before checking into our hotel for two nights. Dinner is on your own this evening to enjoy early before the theatre or later after, as we will have a real treat tonight as we enjoy a production of Anne of Green Gables at the Confederation Center for the Arts Theater in the heart of downtown Charlottetown.
Day Seven - Saturday, August 5: PEI Tour (B, Lobster D)
Today, after breakfast, we will enjoy a full day on this delightful island experiencing all the things residents and visitors alike find so endearing. We will enjoy “Anne’s Land,” includiong a visit to the Prince Edward Island Preserve Company, one of the most popular stops in Prince Edward Island, the beautiful setting alone will impress you. Over the last century, millions of readers from around the world have come to know and love Anne of Green Gables™, and Prince Edward Island is where devotees come to celebrate her. Those who love the books or the TV miniseries make their way to Green Gables in pilgrimage-like fashion to visit the many sites that pay tribute to their favourite red-haired heroine and her creator, Lucy Maud Montgomery. Anne may be the principal attraction for many, but the Green Gables Shore has more beauty and mystique up its sleeve. The region is a spectacular piece of Prince Edward Island’s acclaimed scenic landscape composed of red sandstone cliffs, white sand beaches and rolling farm fields. Some of the classic coastline has been protected in the PEI National Park which hugs the central north shore. We will enjoy a Lobster Dinner this evening!.
Day Eight - Sunday, August 6: Halifax (B, D)
This morning after breakfast, we will return to Halifax for our final night. Once we arrive in the city, we will visit Pier 21 (Canada’s Ellis Island). Between 1928 and 1971 nearly 1 million immigrations landed in Canada and passed through this ocean liner terminal and immigration station. Tonight, we will have a special farewell dinner downtown before checking into our airport hotel for the final night.
Day Nine - Monday, August 7: Home
Enjoy breakfast on your own this morning. It is time to bid farewell to the Canadian Maritimes! We will catch our flight home taking with us many fond memories of our Maritime experience.
TOUR COST PER PAYING PASSENGER - All Land and Air Arrangements included
30-34 paying passengers
Double: $5,158.00
Single: $6,279.00
Triple: $4,784.00
TOUR INCLUDES:
NOT INCLUDED: