18 Day Atlantic Maritimes and Newfoundland & Labrador's Viking Trail
34 Meals, including 2 lobster dinners
Fresh salt air, sandy beaches, rocky coves, cosmopolitan cities, remote lighthouses, rich history, warm hospitality, rustic fishing villages, succulent seafood, unspoiled nature, varied activities, first-rate facilities and travel routes...
all of these things and more make Canada’s Maritime Provinces one of the world’s most popular destinations. Your Atlantic Canadian journey continues to Newfoundland & Labrador where thousands of years of history come alive as you explore the West Coast. Learn about ancient peoples-the Maritime Archaic and Dorset Indians at Port au Choix, the Vikings in L’Anse aux Meadows, and the Basque Whalers in Red Bay - as you meet the hospitable and friendly people of today. See the beauty of Gros Morne National Park – a UNESCO World Heritage Site and coastal fishing communities. Take a boat tour in St. Anthony (weather permitting) where you may see whales and, depending on the time of year, icebergs!
Day 1: Arrive Halifax
Arrive in Halifax and check in to our accommodations which are ideally located in the downtown core of this vibrant and cosmopolitan urban centre on the Atlantic Ocean. Meet our Tour Director and fellow travelers this evening at a Meet & Greet.
Option: You may wish to add additional nights in Halifax or a city tour to your vacation package. Bursting with culture and rich history, Nova Scotia’s capital city has much to offer.
Day 2: Halifax, NS to Moncton, NB
Explore the Bay of Fundy and learn about the world’s highest tides as we meander its colourful coastline to New Brunswick’s bilingual city of Moncton. En route, explore the Joggins Fossil Cliffs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See magnificently exposed layers of rock revealing the world’s most complete fossil record of life in the “Coal Age” of 300 million years ago. After crossing into New Brunswick, an unforgettable culinary experience awaits as we cruise the warm waters of Shediac Bay aboard a lobster boat; learn about the fishing industry and savour a delicious lobster supper. Arrive in Moncton and check into our downtown hotel for the night.
Day 3: Moncton, NB to Saint John, NB
Experience a true natural wonder this morning as we visit the Hopewell Rocks on the coast of the Bay of Fundy. Marvel at these massive flower-pot shaped formations sculpted by the highest tides on the planet. Travel through Fundy National Park on to Canada’s first incorporated city, Saint John, on the southern New Brunswick coast. Enjoy a city tour, including the Reversing Falls, before checking into our harbourfront accommodations for a two-night stay.
Day 4: St. Andrews by-the-Sea
Enjoy a day trip to picturesque St. Andrews by-the Sea where the quaint charm of this coastal town is sure to captivate. After a Whale Watching Boat Tour (weather permitting), the afternoon is ours to experience the friendly people, beautiful architecture, and rich marine life of this seaside gem at our own pace.
Day 5: Saint John, NB to Digby, NS
Enjoy free time in Saint John this morning before we ferry back to Nova Scotia; be on the look-out for whales as we cross the Bay of Fundy. Arrive in Digby, the scallop capital of the world, where the fresh sea air and passionate Acadian culture combine to form an enchanting and historically rich town. We overnight in the Annapolis Valley.
DAY 6: Digby, NS to Halifax, NS
Travel the lush Annapolis Valley and learn about the French Acadians who established their first settlement in the early 1600’s. Visit Grand Pre World UNESCO Site where fact and fiction blend to reveal the romance of the Land of Evangeline. Visit a local winery for a tour and tasting before arriving in Halifax for a two-night stay.
DAY 7: South Shore Touring
Discover the rustic charm of the renowned fishing village of Peggy’s Cove where we will enjoy breakfast. Then, travel Nova Scotia’s South Shore and on to the UNESCO World Heritage Town of Lunenburg, renowned for her fleets of Grand Banks’ fishing schooners. Take a walking tour to fully experience one of the most remarkably preserved colonial settlements in the New World, and visit the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic to learn about the town’s famous seafaring heritage.
DAY 8: Halifax, NS to Charlottetown, PE
Learn about Mi'kmaq culture at the Millbrook Cultural and Heritage Centre before crossing the Confederation Bridge, the world's longest continuous multi-span bridge. Check into your Charlottetown accommodations for a two-night stay and enjoy a theatre performance by local entertainers at the Confederations Centre of the Arts (a substitution may be necessary due to the theatre schedule)
Day 9: Prince Edward Island Touring
Enjoy a free morning in Charlottetown, Canada birthplace, or join a complimentary walking tour of the city. This afternoon, we drive by red cliffs, white beaches, gently sloping sand dunes and green fields as we make our way to Prince Edward Island National Park. Before returning to Charlottetown, we visit Green Gables Heritage Site, the alluring inspiration of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s classic Anne of Green Gables books. Exoerience true Maritime hospitality this evening at a traditional hall-style lobster supper.
Day 10: Charlottetown, PE to Baddeck, NS
Ferry over the Northumberland Strait back to Nova Scotia and proceed to Cape Breton Island - the Scotland of North America – via the Canso Causeway. Visit the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site in Baddeck to learn of the many accomplishments of this genius who made his home on the island. Arrive at our accommodations on the Bras d’Or Lake where we will spend two nights.
Day 11: Cabot Trail Touring
We’re off to experience one of the most stunningly picturesque drives in North America. The Cabot Trail winds around the rocky splendor of Cape Breton’s northern shore, ascending to the incredible plateaus of Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Look-offs offer unforgettable vistas of Cape Breton’s rugged coastline so be sure to have your camera on hand. Our day is complimented by a Whale Watching Boat Tour (weather permitting).
Day 12: Baddeck, NS to Halifax, NS
The Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site awaits us today. Words cannot do justice to this reconstruction depicting one fifth of the settlement of 1744 New France. Roam the streets and chat with authentically costumed guides. At North Sydney, board a Marine Atlantic ferry for a relaxing overnight crossing* to Port aux Basques, your port of entry on the island of Newfoundland..
*The Marine Atlantic ferry schedule changes from year to year. As such, a day crossing may be necessary and we would overnight in Port-aux-Basques.
DAY 13 - Port-aux-Basques – Port au Choix
Drive through the Codroy Valley and through Gros Morne National Park – to be enjoyed later on during your tour – to the fishing community of Port au Choix to learn of the ancient cultures. The Port Au Choix Peninsula juts slightly out into the Gulf of St. Lawrence on Newfoundlands' northwest coast and people have lived here for 5,500 years.
DAY 14 - Port au Choix – L’Anse au Clair
Board the ferry from St. Barbe to cross the Strait of Belle Isle to Labrador. Continue to Red Bay National Historic Site where the Basques had a whaling station in the 16th century. Spend the night in Labrador.
DAY 15 - L’Anse au Clair – St. Anthony
Return to Newfoundland and travel to L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site, the first cultural discovery in the world to receive recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hear of the Vikings who walked here over a thousand years ago.
DAY 16 - St. Anthony – Cow Head
Enjoy a morning whale watching boat tour in St. Anthony (weather permitting)* before travelling to Cow Head for a two-night stay.
*June and early July are the best time to see Titanic-size icebergs!
DAY 17 - Gros Morne Touring
Discover why Gros Morne National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is truly one of the highlights of your trip with a scenic boat tour on Bonne Bay; be on the look-out for bald eagles that frequent the deep waters of the fjord. Also, visit the Tablelands; this mountain of flat-topped rock of a kind usually found only deep in the earth's mantle is an awe-inspiring sight. Today will be an unforgettable experience; some say the scenery that Gros Morne offers is unequaled in
DAY 18 - Cow Head - Deer Lake Airport (Home)
Have your camera at the ready as you catch your final glimpse of Gros Morne National Park. Continue to Deer Lake to catch your flight. Atlantic Tours arrangements end on arrival at the Deer Lake Airport.