We arrive today in Halifax, capital of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia and a bustling center of commerce and shipping.  As guests’ arrival times may vary greatly, we have no group activities or meals planned for today.

This morning we encounter Nova Scotia’s South Shore, setting out early for the tiny hamlet of Peggy’s Cove.  Our destination: Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse, one of Canada’s most photographed landmarks, a red-and-white beacon perched on a granite outcropping.  Then we continue on the coastal road to Lunenburg, a UNESCO site.  Settled by the British in 1753, this historic place represents Canada’s finest surviving example of a planned British town.  We take a walking tour then have time for lunch on our own.  Later, weather permitting, we make a photo stop in Mahone Bay, known for its three centuries-old churches.  Late this afternoon, we return to Halifax for tonight’s welcome dinner.

Leaving Halifax this morning, we travel to the scenic Annapolis Valley, a network of farms, fields, and forests lying between two mountain ranges in Nova Scotia’s northwest.  We stop to tour Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens, featuring a prized collection of rhododendron, azalea, roses, and more, in a tranquil setting overlooking a tidal river valley.  The Gardens also showcase gardening methods, designs, and materials representing more than 400 years of Canadian history, including a reconstructed Acadian house circa 1671.  Next, we visit Grand-Pré National Historic Site, dedicated to the memory of the area’s original French Acadian settlers.  Then we travel to the coastal village of Digby, the “Scallop Capital of the World,” where an option for lunch will include this Maritime delicacy.  Late afternoon we board a ferry and cross the Bay of Fundy to Saint John, where dinner tonight is on our own.

This morning we embark on a walking tour of Saint John, the first incorporated city in present-day Canada.  We begin on King Street, the steepest main street in Canada; pass by landmarks including the Loyalist House, one of Saint John’s first homes; and visit the Old City Market, Canada’s longest-running farmer’s market.  Then we make our way down the coast to Saint Andrews-by-the-Sea.  From here, we embark on a whale watching cruise in the Bay of Fundy, where we’re on the lookout for the bay’s 12 species of whales.

We travel today to the head of the Bay of Fundy to tour Hopewell Rocks, famous for having the world’s highest tides.  Formed over the millennia as the seaside sandstone cliffs were slowly worn away by a combination of wind, surface water, and tide, these “Flowerpot Rocks” range from 40 to 70 feet tall.  We spend time here to view the formation, then continue on to Shediac, the “Lobster Capital of the World.”  Here we enjoy an authentic lobster dinner on board a working lobster boat and learn about this vital industry.

This morning we cross the 8-mile-long Confederation Bridge connecting mainland Canada to Prince Edward Island (PEI).  Many PEI residents trace their lineage back to the area’s first French and English settlers, and we learn about this rich historical tradition at our first stop on the island: Village Musical Acadien, which hosts cultural events, concerts, and community theater.  We continue on to Charlottetown, PEI’s capital and our home for the next two nights.  Known as the “Birthplace of Confederation,” Charlottetown hosted the Charlottetown Conference of 1864, which paved the way for Canada’s eventual independence from Britain.  Our tour passes the Greek- and Roman-influenced Province House, seat of the PEI Legislature since 1847; and the Confederation Centre of the Arts, home to Canada’s longest-running mainstage musical, Anne of Green Gables.  We dine tonight at a local restaurant.

After a morning at leisure in Charlottetown, early this afternoon we travel to the island’s scenic North Shore, where we admire the red cliffs, white-sand beaches, gently sloping dunes, and green fields of Prince Edward Island National Park. Along our drive we stop to tour Green Gables Heritage Place, the restored 19^th-century farm (and National Historic Site) that was the setting for the Anne of Green Gables novels.  Then we enjoy afternoon tea at the Prince Edward Island Preserve Company, an historic centerpiece in the quaint village of New Glasgow with lovely gardens and an outstanding selection of handmade preserves.  Dinner tonight is on our own.

This morning we board a ferry for the return trip to the mainland then travel to Cape Breton Island, one of Canada’s most beautiful spots.  Our first stop here: Baddeck, set on the shores of Bras d’Or Lake, where we tour the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site.  Then we continue on to our hotel in Sydney.

It’s a day of outstanding scenery as we drive the world-famous Cabot Trail. Named for Venetian explorer Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot) who landed in Atlantic Canada in 1497, this 185-mile route loops around the northern tip of Cape Breton Island, passing through the rugged and beautiful Cape Breton Highlands National Park.  Here, steep cliffs repel the crashing surf, river canyons carve out routes to the sea and mountainsides covered in deep green pines provide stunning photo opportunities.

Today we visit the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site, the reconstructed fortress that is now a living history museum.  Then we return to Sydney, Cape Breton’s largest town, where we have free time to explore as we wish followed by dinner at at local restaurant.

On the way back to Halifax today, we stop for lunch at the Masstown Market near Truro, a produce and fish market popular with locals.  We have some free time upon our return to Halifax before we gather tonight for a farewell dinner to celebrate our Maritimes adventure.

We transfer to the Halifax airport today for our flights home.