Acadian Adventure Fly Drive

Day 1 - Fly UK to Halifax

Arrive in Halifax and collect your car. The rest of the day is free to explore this true maritime city. First settled in 1749, Halifax today is Nova Scotia's capital and the largest city in Canada's Maritime Provinces.

Day 2 - Halifax Exploring

The day is free to explore the boutiques, pubs and cafes of Privateers Warehouse and the Historic Properties. Get a terrific view of the city from the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site and visit York Redoubt National Historic Site, a 200-year-old fortification overlooking Halifax Harbour.

Day 3 - Halifax to Annapolis Royal (322kms)

Start the day traveling along the Atlantic Ocean. This region is home to some of the most scenic coastal vistas and historical attractions. Along the way visit Peggy’s Cove, a small fishing village famous for its picturesque and typical East Coast style, with houses perched along a narrow inlet and on wave-washed boulders facing the Atlantic. The famous Peggy’s Point Lighthouse, built in 1915 atop a giant rock, may be the most-photographed in Canada, especially with the ocean waves crashing in. Continue along the coastal road towards Lunenburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, featuring the colourful waterfront and narrow streets. Depart west to Highway 8 which leads you into the solitude and serenity of Nova Scotia’s interior and Kejimkujik National Park, renowned for its hiking trails and incredible canoeing on wilderness lakes and rivers. After a day full of expected and unexpected discoveries arrive in Annapolis Royal.

Day 4 - Whale Watching and Fishing Villages (200kms rtn)

Today drive 65 km along the Digby Neck to experience a whale watching excursion in the nutrient rich waters of the Bay of Fundy. You will likely see finback and minke whales, humpbacks or even the rare North Atlantic right whale. Spend the afternoon exploring Annapolis Royal and Fort Anne.

Day 5 - Annapolis Royal to Charlottetown (475 kms)

Bound for Prince Edward Island today, follow the curvature of the Bay of Fundy and stop for lunch at ‘the Library’ in the university town of Wolfville. Make time to stop at the Grand-Pré National Historic Site, commemorating the Grand-Pré area as a centre of Acadian settlement from 1682 to 1755 and the Deportation of the Acadians, which began in 1755 and continued until 1762.

Day 6 - Exploring PEI - The Land of Anne of Green Gables (100km)

Explore Charlottetown, site of Canada’s birthplace - Province House National Historic Site was the scene of meetings that led to the formation of Canada as a country in 1867. You can explore picturesque Prince Edward Island National Park on the island’s north shore - see sand dunes, beaches and Green Gables, fictional home of Anne, the character created by Canadian writer Lucy Maud Montgomery and beloved by millions worldwide.  

Why not ask one of Canada Experts to add in a 3rd or even a 4th night on Prince Edward Island and extend your stay to take in some of the other many highlights this Island has to offer. You don't want to miss out :

* The land and shores surrounding Skmaqn-Port-la-Joye-Fort-Amherst, which have been part of historic Mi'kma'ki since time immemorial. The first permanent European Settlements on the Island - then called Epekwitk by the Mi'kmaq or Isle Saint-Jean by the French - established here in 1720. * The Farmers Bank in Rustico is one of the oldest communities established in "La Nouvelle Acadie" following the Treaty of Paris in 1763 and is the oldest Acadian settlement in Prince Edward Island. * Room at 3 Rivers - this historic site brings to life the story of Jean Pierre Roma, the French merchant who in 1732 established an international tradiong post at Trois Rivieres.

Day 7 - Charlottetown to Cape Breton Island

Depart Charlottetown stopping at the Orwell Corner Historic Village 30 km to the east. Orwell, an abandoned village contains a historic graveyard and a cluster of buildings which have been restored to create a sense of life in the 19th century. And/or perhaps even take in the Acadian Museum - Acadian history spanning more than four centuries waits to be discovered. Continue to the Wood Islands Ferry crossing to Caribou, Nova Scotia then make your way east to Cape Breton Island, a little piece of Scotland in North America. Arrive in Baddeck.

Day 8 - Cabot Trail

Day 9 - Louisbourg Sightseeing (220 km return)

This morning head north to discover the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site - this incredible “living museum,” the largest historical reconstruction in North America, is an impressive restoration of a French garrison town dating from the 1700’s, complete with costumed interpreters who re-enact the daily life from the French colonial period. You can even sample period food in the restaurant, or take part in a mock battle. Also, don’t miss a visit to the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site, a museum dedicated to the life and inventions of this fascinating man who spent his summers on the shores of the Bras d’Or. Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site is located in a residential area on the eastern edge of Baddeck.

Day 10 - Baddeck to Halifax (357 km)

A full day for the return trip to Halifax along the scenic Bras d’Or Lakes. Drive to the Canso Causeway to enter mainland Nova Scotia. At the community of Antigonish, travel southwest along Marine Drive to Halifax.

Day 11 - Halifax to UK