Highlights of the Maritimes – 13-Day Self-Launched Adventure

Fly into Halifax Stanfield International Airport and make your own way into the city centre — the Metrolink Route 320 airport bus runs to downtown for around CAD $4 (£2.50). Check into your hostel or budget hotel in the South End and spend the evening exploring the Historic Properties waterfront, grabbing a craft beer at one of the many breweries on Argyle Street, and picking up a rental car for the journey ahead (book in advance — expect around £35–45/day from Enterprise or Budget).

🚌Fly to Halifax Stanfield Airport; Metrolink Route 320 bus to downtown (~£2.50). Arrange car rental pickup for Day 2.

🛏HI Halifax Hostel (dorm ~£25/night) or The Halliburton boutique hotel (~£80/night)

• →Explore the Historic Properties waterfront
• →Visit the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site (self-entry ~£10)
• →Stroll along the Halifax Boardwalk
• →Grab dinner and craft beer on Argyle Street

Pick up your rental car and head west along the Trans-Canada. Detour to the Joggins Fossil Cliffs UNESCO World Heritage Site — self-entry to the Fossil Centre is around CAD $20 (£12) and guided beach walks are included. Continue to the Bay of Fundy shore, then drive into Moncton (~3.5 hrs total driving). In the evening, book yourself onto a lobster dinner cruise on Shediac Bay independently via local operators such as Shediac Bay Cruises (~£55 per person).

🚌Drive Halifax to Moncton via Joggins (~3.5 hrs, ~£18 fuel). Rental car.

🛏Château Moncton or Rodd Moncton (~£70–85/night) or Quartier Hostel (~£25/night)

• →Visit Joggins Fossil Cliffs UNESCO World Heritage Site (entry ~£12)
• →Walk the fossil-rich beach at low tide
• →Lobster dinner cruise on Shediac Bay (~£55pp, book direct)

Rise early for low tide at Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park — one of the world's most dramatic tidal phenomena. Entry is CAD $12 (£7) and you can walk the ocean floor among the towering flowerpot rocks. Drive to Saint John (~1.5 hrs) and explore independently: the famous Reversing Falls is free to view from the Visitor Centre bridge, and the uptown Saint John area has great independent eateries and the quirky Saint John City Market.

🚌Drive Moncton to Hopewell Rocks then Saint John (~2 hrs total, ~£10 fuel). Rental car.

🛏HI Saint John Hostel (~£25/night) or Delta Hotels by Marriott Saint John (~£85/night)

• →Walk the ocean floor at Hopewell Rocks (entry ~£7, time to low tide carefully)
• →View the Reversing Falls at Saint John (free from Visitor Centre)
• →Explore the historic uptown Saint John and City Market
• →Self-guided walk of the Loyalist Trail

Day trip from Saint John to the charming seaside village of St Andrews by-the-Sea (~1 hr drive). Book a whale watching tour independently through Fundy Tide Runners or Whale and Seabird Research Station — tours run ~2.5 hours and cost around CAD $80 (£47). Spot minke whales, harbour porpoises and seals in the rich Bay of Fundy waters. Browse the boutique shops and grab fresh seafood chowder before returning to Saint John.

🚌Drive Saint John to St Andrews by-the-Sea and back (~2 hrs total, ~£9 fuel). Rental car.

🛏Same as Day 3 (Saint John)

• →Whale watching tour from St Andrews (book via Fundy Tide Runners, ~£47pp)
• →Explore St Andrews by-the-Sea village and Centennial Park
• →Visit Ministers Island at low tide (optional, ~£10)
• →Fresh seafood lunch at a local restaurant

Take the iconic Bay of Fundy ferry crossing from Saint John to Digby — a 2.5-hour sail across one of the world's great bays. Bay Ferries operates this route; book your car + passenger ticket in advance (~CAD $90 / £53 per car, plus ~CAD $40 / £24 per passenger). Arrive in Digby — the scallop capital of the world — and enjoy a leisurely dinner of fresh Digby scallops. Explore the Annapolis Basin waterfront before settling in for the night.

🚌Bay Ferries: Saint John to Digby (~£53/car + £24/person). Rental car on ferry.

🛏Digby Pines Golf Resort & Spa (rooms from ~£100/night) or Admiral Digby Inn (~£70/night)

• →Bay of Fundy ferry crossing: Saint John to Digby (~2.5 hrs, book in advance ~£53/car + £24/person)
• →Explore Digby waterfront and fishing wharves
• →Dinner of fresh Digby scallops at Boardwalk Café or local restaurant

Drive through the picturesque Annapolis Valley, stopping at Grand Pré National Historic Site (CAD $8 / £5 entry) — the moving story of Acadian heritage and expulsion. Continue through the Valley wine country: the Annapolis Valley has a thriving wine scene. Book a self-guided tasting at Benjamin Bridge or Domaine de Grand Pré winery (~CAD $20 / £12 for a tasting flight). Return to Halifax for the night.

🚌Drive Digby to Halifax via Annapolis Valley (~2.5 hrs, ~£13 fuel). Rental car.

🛏HI Halifax Hostel (~£25/night) or Cambridge Suites Halifax (~£90/night)

• →Visit Grand Pré National Historic Site (entry ~£5)
• →Wine tasting at Domaine de Grand Pré or Benjamin Bridge (~£12/person)
• →Drive the Scenic Annapolis Valley route
• →Explore Wolfville town and its independent cafes

One of the most iconic days in all of Nova Scotia. Drive out early to Peggy's Cove (~45 min from Halifax) for sunrise or breakfast at the Sou'Wester Restaurant with lighthouse views — a full breakfast is around £10. Then head to UNESCO-listed Lunenburg for a self-guided walking tour of its colourful wooden architecture and visit the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic (entry ~CAD $15 / £9). Pick up smoked fish and locally made preserves from the waterfront. Return to Halifax by evening.

🚌Drive Halifax–Peggy's Cove–Lunenburg–Halifax (~3 hrs total driving, ~£14 fuel). Rental car.

🛏HI Halifax Hostel (~£25/night) or Cambridge Suites Halifax (~£90/night)

• →Sunrise visit to Peggy's Cove Lighthouse (free, parking ~£5)
• →Breakfast at Sou'Wester Restaurant with lighthouse views (~£10)
• →Self-guided walking tour of Lunenburg UNESCO Old Town (free)
• →Visit Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic, Lunenburg (entry ~£9)

Drive north across Nova Scotia and cross the stunning 12.9 km Confederation Bridge onto Prince Edward Island — there's no toll going onto PEI, but you'll pay ~CAD $50 (£29) when you leave. Stop at the Millbrook Cultural & Heritage Centre in Truro (~CAD $7 / £4 entry) to learn about Mi'kmaw culture before continuing. Arrive in Charlottetown and explore the charming downtown. Book a seat at the Confederation Centre of the Arts for an evening performance of Anne of Green Gables – The Musical (from ~CAD $50 / £29).

🚌Drive Halifax to Charlottetown via Confederation Bridge (~2.5 hrs, ~£15 fuel). Confederation Bridge toll payable on exit from PEI.

🛏HI Charlottetown Hostel (~£25/night) or Rodd Charlottetown (~£95/night)

• →Visit Millbrook Cultural & Heritage Centre, Truro (entry ~£4)
• →Drive across the iconic Confederation Bridge to PEI
• →Explore downtown Charlottetown's Victoria Row
• →Evening performance at Confederation Centre of the Arts (~£29, book in advance)

Full day exploring the best of Prince Edward Island. Drive to the North Shore and PEI National Park — entry via Parks Canada day pass (~CAD $9 / £5). Visit Anne of Green Gables Heritage Place at Cavendish (~CAD $8 / £5 entry), the beloved home of L.M. Montgomery's fictional Anne. Swim or stroll the famous red-sand beaches. In the evening, head to a traditional community hall lobster supper — New Glasgow Lobster Suppers is a classic (from ~CAD $70 / £41 for a full lobster meal with chowder and dessert).

🚌Drive Charlottetown to North Shore and back (~1 hr each way, ~£8 fuel). Rental car.

🛏Same as Day 8 (Charlottetown)

• →PEI National Park North Shore: red sand beaches and dunes (Parks Canada day pass ~£5)
• →Visit Anne of Green Gables Heritage Place, Cavendish (~£5 entry)
• →Self-guided walk of Cavendish Beach
• →Traditional hall-style lobster supper at New Glasgow Lobster Suppers (~£41pp)

Leave PEI via the Confederation Bridge (toll collected on exit, ~CAD $50 / £29 per car — paid here). Drive across Nova Scotia to the beautiful Bras d'Or Lake and the village of Baddeck on Cape Breton Island (~4 hrs). Visit the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site (entry ~CAD $8 / £5) — the inventor spent his summers here and the museum is fascinating. Grab dinner at a local Baddeck restaurant and enjoy the peaceful lake setting.

🚌Drive Charlottetown to Baddeck via Confederation Bridge (~4 hrs, ~£20 fuel including toll). Rental car.

🛏Inverary Resort, Baddeck (~£90/night) or Silver Dart Lodge (~£75/night)

• →Pay Confederation Bridge exit toll (~£29/car)
• →Visit Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site, Baddeck (~£5 entry)
• →Stroll Baddeck village waterfront on Bras d'Or Lake
• →Dinner at Telegraph House or local Baddeck restaurant

Morning boat tour on the beautiful Bras d'Or Lake — book with Amoeba Sailing Adventures or the Baddeck Sailing Club for a guided sightseeing sail (~CAD $50 / £29). After lunch, drive the world-famous Cabot Trail loop through Cape Breton Highlands National Park — a 298 km scenic drive with jaw-dropping ocean cliffs and highlands. Stop at the Skyline Trail for a short hike to breathtaking headland views. Parks Canada entry ~CAD $9 (£5) per day.

🚌Rental car for full Cabot Trail loop (~298 km, ~£22 fuel). Parks Canada day pass ~£5.

🛏Same as Day 10 (Baddeck)

• →Bras d'Or Lake morning boat tour (~£29pp, book with Amoeba Sailing or local operators)
• →Drive the Cabot Trail scenic loop through Cape Breton Highlands National Park
• →Hike the Skyline Trail (free with Parks Canada pass, ~2 hrs return)
• →Stop at Pleasant Bay for a whale watching opportunity or fresh seafood

Head south and east for the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site — the largest reconstructed 18th-century French fortress in North America and a truly spectacular living-history experience. Entry is ~CAD $20 (£12) and costumed interpreters bring the 1744 town to life. Allow 2–3 hours to explore fully. Then continue the drive back to Halifax (~3 hrs from Louisbourg) for a final overnight.

🚌Drive Baddeck to Louisbourg to Halifax (~4.5 hrs total, ~£23 fuel). Rental car.

🛏HI Halifax Hostel (~£25/night) or The Halliburton (~£85/night)

• →Visit Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site (~£12 entry, allow 2–3 hrs)
• →Interact with costumed historical interpreters
• →Drive back to Halifax along the Fleur-de-lis Trail
• →Final Halifax dinner — try Five Fishermen or The Bicycle Thief for a treat

Final morning in Halifax — grab a leisurely breakfast at Argue's Bakery or Café Lunette before returning your rental car. The airport is a 30-minute drive from downtown, or hop on the Metrolink Route 320 bus (~£2.50). Halifax Stanfield Airport has plenty to do if you have time before your flight. Safe onward travels!

🚌Return rental car to Halifax Airport. Metrolink bus from downtown ~£2.50 or drive rental car direct.

🛏N/A (departure day)

• →Final breakfast at a Halifax café or bakery (~£8–12)
• →Last stroll along the Halifax waterfront boardwalk
• →Return rental car at Halifax Stanfield Airport
• →Depart Halifax