THE MAGNIFICENT MARITIMES

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DESTINATION CITY Halifax, St Andrews-by-the-sea, Charlottetown, Bad	DESTINATION COUNTRY Canada
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THE MAGNIFICENT MARITIMES 10-Day Tour of Canada’s East Coast This sample itinerary can be amended to suit the interests of your group The alluring and irresistible charm of the Maritimes will capture your heart on this tour of Canada’s eastern provinces. Day 01– to HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Canada Upon arrival in Halifax you will be met by your deluxe motorcoach and driver for transfer to your hotel. There will be time to freshen up before your welcoming reception and dinner. (D) Day 02 – HALIFAX This morning will be spent on a guided tour of Halifax, blessed with one of the world’s largest harbours. A visit to the Citadel, a star-shaped granite fortress, will give you a panoramic perspective of the city and waterfront from its ramparts. Other highlights of the tour include the formal Victorian landscape of the Public Gardens, the Maritime Museum housing artifacts from the Titanic, and a city cemetery where rows of black granite headstones, each inscribed with the same date, April 15, 1912, are a stark reminder of the ship’s sinking. This afternoon you’ll want your camera at the ready when you visit the nearby fishing community of Peggy’s Cove. Its granite shoreline, weatherworn docks and rustic dwellings along with sweeping views of the sea make it one of the most photographed spots in North America. Return to Halifax for the evening. (B) Day 03 – to ST. ANDREWS BY-THE-SEA, New Brunswick Depart Halifax for the picturesque resort town of St. Andrews by-the-Sea. Enjoy an afternoon ferry ride from Digby, Nova Scotia to Saint John, New Brunswick, then continue to St. Andrews where stately homes and quaint inns exude colonial charm, and reflections of the town’s English-American heritage are in historic buildings on almost every street. When the American Revolutionary War forced Loyalists to flee New England, some homeowners dismantled their homes, loaded the sections on ships and brought them to St. Andrews, where they were quickly rebuilt and remain today. Your hotel, the renowned Algonquin, is one of St. Andrews’ dominant landmarks, overlooking the town and the Passamaquoddy Bay. Relax in its spectacular setting or venture into the town centre for the evening. (B) Day 04 – to CHARLOTTETOWN, Prince Edward Island Today your transfer to Prince Edward Island will include a stop along the way at Fort Beauséjour National Park. This military post played an important part in the struggle between France and Britain as well as between Britain and the American colonies, and today’s ruins offer far-reaching views of the vast, barn-dotted Tantramar marshes and the Bay of Fundy basin. This afternoon you will cross the famous Confederation Bridge, the longest continuous span bridge in the Western Hemisphere (12 km) linking the mainland to the “island cradled in the waves”. Continue to Charlottetown P.E.I., known as the Cradle of Confederation because of the historic meeting which took place here in September 1864. Take time this evening to explore its tree-shaded squares and streets lined with Victorian homes and stately churches. Day 05 – CHARLOTTETOWN An entire day of exploration will leave you feeling like a true Prince Edward Islander by day’s end. Begin with a morning visit to Prince Edward Island National Park’s magnificent beaches and dunes, red sandstone cliffs, salt marshes and heart-stopping views. Then it’s on to Cavendish, where the old farmhouse immortalized in Anne of Green Gables is now open to the public. Anne’s Babbling Brook, the Lake of Shining Waters and the Haunted Woods will all come to life on your tour of the grounds. Return to Charlottetown for a tour of the city to include a visit to the Anne of Green Gables Museum featuring memorabilia of the author, Lucy Maude Montgomery. There will be time for some rest and relaxation before your traditional P.E.I. lobster supper this evening. (B/D) Day 06 – to BADDECK, Nova Scotia Return to Nova Scotia by ferry and continue to the province’s scenic Cape Breton Island. Travel along the pristine shores of Bras D’Or Lake (actually an arm of the Atlantic Ocean, it almost divides Cape Breton Island in two) on your way to Baddeck., Alexander Graham Bell’s beloved home in the late 1800’s. Bell once remarked, ''I have traveled the globe. I have seen the Canadian and American Rockies, the Andes and the Alps and the highlands of Scotland, but for simple beauty, Cape Breton outrivals them all.'' Tour the amazing Alexander Graham National Historic Site containing the world's largest and most comprehensive collection of the inventor’s artifacts and archives such as replicas of the first telephones and a full scale model of the HD-4 hydrofoil craft. Spend the rest of the day soaking up the ambiance of this Cape Breton town. (B) Day 07 – to SYDNEY Today’s daytrip will take you along a scenic route named after explorer John Cabot and often described as one of the most spectacular drives in North America. The Cabot Trail winds through the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, climbs mountains and plunges back down to the sea, skirts rugged coastal headlands, and passes through villages where ancient dialects can still be heard. Visit the famous St. Peter’s Church at Cheticamp and learn some Scottish traditions at St. Ann’s Gaelic College before leaving the Cabot Trail and heading for Sydney, the commercial heart of Cape Breton Island. Enjoy dinner at your hotel this evening. (B/D) Day 08 – SYDNEY This morning’s scenic drive along the Marconi Trail will include a stop at the site where the first Trans-Atlantic wireless message was sent to England on December 15, 1902. Then you are in for delightful French Colonial experience this afternoon with a visit to the great fortress town of Louisbourg. The mood is set on arrival when you will have to convince a “French soldier” that you are not a British spy. A good portion of the original fort has been reconstructed to recapture life as it was in the summer of 1744, a year before the first great British siege. After an entertaining and enlightening tour, return to Sydney for the night. (B) Day 09 – to WOLFVILLE Depart Sydney and Cape Breton Island for return to mainland Nova Scotia, where you will tour Grand Pre National Park whose old willow trees are said to date back to the 1600’s when this region was a major Acadian settlement. A small chapel and monuments commemorate the tragic history of the Acadians. Longfellow’s poem Evangeline which personifies the tragedy was set here, and statues of both Longfellow and Evangeline grace the park. Continue to the tree-lined university town of Wolfville, where you will have a chance to relax and reflect on your East Coast experience with your fellow travellers at this evening’s Farewell Dinner. (B/D) Day 10 – HOME Transfer to nearby Halifax where, if the schedule for your return flight is kind, you will have some time for last minute sightseeing and shopping before your flight home. (B) Farewell and Come Again Soon! B - Breakfast / L - Lunch / D - Dinner - denote meals included in tour cost *Itinerary is tentative and subject to final confirmation*
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