10 days
- Bay of Fundy & Annapolis Valley, Cape Breton Island, Halifax Metro, Northumberland Shore, South Shore, Yarmouth & Acadian Shores
If you’re a foodie at heart, Nova Scotia is the perfect destination to please your palate!
This itinerary is designed for those who truly believe the best way to experience a new place is through local flavours and specialties that highlights what, how and where locals eat, with a few must-see attractions mixed in! You may not be able to squeeze all of these in, but this itinerary can help you build a well-rounded, foodie-focused Nova Scotia vacation.
1 Day 1: Halifax
The Halifax Waterfront in downtown Halifax is a great place to start your adventures as it is one of the most visited attractions in the province. From here you can easily begin a self-guided tour or join a guided tour to show you around the city!
- Rent a bike or take a guided segway tour on the Halifax Waterfront and explore the city at your own speed.
- Experience Halifax from a different perspective – from the water in Halifax Harbour – on a guided kayaking or watercraft tour from the Halifax Waterfront.
- Hop aboard a sightseeing boat tour for a sailing tour of the city.
- Jump on the Harbour Hopper for a little city history and a lot of fun as you tour the city by land and water!
Spend the evening exploring downtown and be sure to take in the nighttime scene around Halifax’s Argyle Street where you’ll find no shortage of evening entertainment. Grab a drink at one of the unique cocktail bars, take in a bit of live music at one of the many downtown pubs, or get a taste for the Halifax craft beer scene at one of the breweries.
Unique Experience: For a unique experience plan a Heli-Picnic Island Escape. Take a thrilling helicopter journey from Halifax Harbour over stunning Nova Scotia coastline to Sambro Island. Indulge in Nova Scotia bubbly on a private beach, explore a secluded cove and enjoy a tasting picnic by the lighthouse featuring charcuterie and cheese sourced locally and hosted by your personal sommelier.
2 Day 2: Peggy's Cove to Lunenburg
Stop at the iconic Peggys Cove Lighthouse. Wander the working fishing village of Peggy’s Cove where you can visit one of several gift shops, get a taste for the local seafood and snap a photo of one of the world’s most photographed lighthouses. From here you have a few options:
- Bike: Cycle the Rum Runners Trail, a 119 km former railbed trail stretching from Halifax to Lunenburg. Stop at award-winning restaurants, explore attractions and seaside artisan shops. Bike rentals are available at various locations along the South Shore.
- Kayak: Go on a guided sea kayaking tour in Blue Rocks, Mahone Bay, Oak Island, the LaHave Islands, or Lower Prospect.
- Nordic Spa experience: After a busy day, book a treatment and experience pure relaxation at The Hydrothermal Spa at Oceanstone Resort in Indian Harbour or Sensea Nordic Spa in Chester (reservations required).
Spend the night in the seafaring town of Lunenburg, with its vibrant waterfront, narrow streets and colourful architecture. Old Town Lunenburg is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to Nova Scotia’s famous racing schooner, Bluenose II.
While in Lunenburg be sure to visit Ironworks Distillery, Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic, and take a walking tour through the town with Lunenburg Walking Tours. Lunenburg is filled with fresh seafood that can be found at some of the best restaurants in the province: Salt Shaker Deli, The Old Fish Factory, Beach Pea Kitchen & Bar, The Grand Banker Seafood Bar & Grill, and more.
Unique Experience: For a unique experience plan a LaHave Island Glamping Adventure! Island hop by kayak, to colourful fishing communities and pristine coasts. Indulge in fresh seafood and local flavours prepared for you on the beach, try yoga on stand-up paddleboards, and glamp under the stars.
3 Day 3: Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site
Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site, offers visitors the opportunity to hike the park’s trails through backcountry woodlands and along lakes, streams and rivers or to canoe one of the waterways used by the native Mi’kmaq.
Discover rock engravings known as petroglyphs, evidence of the presence of the Mi’kmaw people who have lived here for thousands of years. Explore the traditional waterways by canoe by renting a canoe or booking a guided kayaking tour within the park from Whynot Adventure Outfitters. Hike or bike one (or more!) of Kejimkujik’s 12, day-hiking trails. The trails are open throughout the year, giving lots of opportunities to spot the park’s wild inhabitants, such as deer, foxes and the endangered Blanding’s Turtle.
After a day in the woods or on the water, visitors can set up camp at one of the many campsites throughout the park. Whether you prefer to camp in a tent or trailer in Jeremy’s Bay Campground, travel to a wilderness backcountry campsite, or stay in one of Keji’s rustic cabins, oTENTIK or Oasis accommodations, there is a Keji camping experience perfect for you!
When the sun sets, visit the Sky Circle and gaze up at brilliant celestial bodies through an on-site telescope, binoculars, or with the naked eye.
4 Day 4: Digby Neck to Long and Brier Islands
Drive along Digby Neck to head out on a whale watching tour on the Bay of Fundy! Take a short ferry ride to Long Island and a second one to Brier Island, both located at the end of Digby Neck in rich waters of the world famous Bay of Fundy. The waters in the Bay of Fundy are important feeding areas for many species of whales, seals and a wide variety of sea life and seabirds.
After your Bay of Fundy whale watching adventure, stretch your legs on a 2.5 km groomed trail that leads to a 235 step staircase that takes you down to see the Balancing Rock, a narrow column of basalt, balanced vertically on its tip.
Wolfville and area
Hike Cape Split, one of the most popular hikes in Nova Scotia. Enjoy a moderately challenging backcountry hike as the trail opens up to a panoramic view 60m (200 ft) above the rugged coast of the Bay of Fundy and its mesmerizing tides.
After your hike, explore Nova Scotia ‘wine country’. The town of Wolfville is perfectly nestled amongst the majority of Nova Scotia wineries here in the Annapolis Valley. Looking for a winery tour? The Magic Winery Bus is a hop-on, hop-off option to travel between participating wineries around Wolfville. You can also book an exclusive guided winery tour with a wine tour company OR create your very own self-guided tour to visit each of the 11 Wolfville-area wineries.
Finish your day of exploring in one of the Victorian houses in the town that have been converted into historic inns and bed & breakfasts. Each has their own unique charm and maritime hospitality along with beautiful gardens and cozy interiors that help to create an inviting atmosphere for guests.
5 Day 5: Shubenacadie
Experience Nova Scotia’s premiere, one-of-a-kind outdoor adventure: tidal bore rafting! As the 100 billion tonnes of water rushes into the Bay of Fundy at high tide, there is only so much space for it to travel which causes the outflowing water to actually reverse the flow of rivers that typically flow into the Bay. Nowhere else in the world can you find this kind of experience… and it happens in Nova Scotia twice every day!
6 Day 6: Advocate Harbour
Explore Cape Chignecto Provincial Park, Nova Scotia’s largest provincial park featuring back-country and day-use trails, magnificent beaches, and camping or discover the Bay of Fundy by taking a kayaking or boat tour on the water with NovaShores Adventures or Local Guy Adventures.
Dine in one of Nova Scotia’s highest rated restaurants, Wild Caraway Restaurant & Cafe. Open seasonally, the restaurant and café offers an authentic Nova Scotia dining experience with many of the ingredients being grown and foraged by the owners.
Unique Experience: Three Sisters Day Tour, a sea kayaking tour with NovaShores Adventures where you’ll discover sea stacks, lava tubes, coastal caves, towering arches and waterfalls along with the most impressive views of Cape Chignecto’s sea cliffs and famous “Three Sisters” rock formation.
7 Day 7: Baddeck
Baddeck has been described as the beginning – and the end – of Cape Breton Island’s world-famous Cabot Trail. Nestled along the shore of the Bras d’Or Lake in Cape Breton, the town is a favourite stop for sailors and travelers alike for the activities, attractions, accommodations and hospitality alike. Many make Baddeck their base for day trips throughout Cape Breton.
Ways to explore in and around Baddeck:
- Sail: hop aboard Sailing CBI‘s luxury catamaran to see Baddeck and the Bras d’Or Lake from the water.
- Hike to a Waterfall: If you prefer to stay on dry land, add Uisge Ban Falls Provincial Park to your must-do list. Gaelic for “white water”, the 16 meter high waterfalls are reached by a four kilometre hike through stands of old growth hardwood forest.
Baddeck and the surrounding area offers a number of places to enjoy the local seafood and authentic Cape Breton cuisine, including lobster restaurants, cafes and dining rooms.
There are a wide range of accommodations in Baddeck, from quaint bed and breakfasts to full-sized inns, motels and resorts. You’ll even find campgrounds that offer great views of the surrounding hills and Bras d’Or Lake.
8 Day 8: Cabot Trail and Cape Breton Highlands National Park
Follow the Cabot Trail to – and through – the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. A park pass (park entry fee applies) is required for everyone hiking the trails, visiting beaches, camping or using any services in the park. Check in at the Parks Canada Visitor Centres in Chéticamp and Ingonish for your pass and for information on events and activities happening throughout the park.
The world-famous Cabot Trail weaves through 950 km2 (366 sq. mi.) of magnificent highlands and coastal wilderness of this National Park. The park offers 26 hiking trails, ranging from easy strolls to strenuous hikes, camping, geocaching, golf, cycling, beaches, look-offs, and seasonal weekly activities.
Hike the park’s most popular trail, Skyline Trail. The trail will lead you out to the top of a mountain headland to one of the most spectacular panoramic views in the province, overlooking the Cabot Trail and the waters of the Northumberland Strait.
As you follow the Cabot Trail through the park, you’ll find numerous look-off points that are the perfect places to stop to get out and stretch your legs. For lunch in the park, take advantage of the Perfect Picnic program and pick up a picnic from one of the local cafes along the way.
Whale Watching
Whale watching tours in Cape Breton depart from communities along the Cabot Trail including Cheticamp, Pleasant Bay, Bay St. Lawrence and Ingonish. Look for Minke and Pilot whales along with dolphins and seabirds. During the summer, watch for unique visitors such as leatherback turtles, sunfish and more!
9 Day 9: Ingonish
Make your way towards Ingonish where you can ride Eastern Canada’s only gondola to the top of Cape Smokey, a year-round mountain playground, for incredible views over the highlands and ocean. You can also head out on a whale watching tour to see the whales that visit the North Atlantic each summer and fall.
Once you return, waste no time finding a beach – we have both fresh and saltwater beaches for you to explore with Ingonish Beach and Freshwater Lake and North Bay Beach nearby. Spend your afternoon swimming or head out kayaking along the shore to take in the scenery from the water.
Looking for a picnic to take with you on your adventures? Be sure to find out what eateries in and around Ingonish are taking part in the Parks Canada Perfect Picnic program.
Popular stops around Ingonish include:
Chalets, inns, resorts, cottages and lodges are among the many types of accommodations in Ingonish and area. Escape to the world renowned Keltic Lodge at the Highlands, golf at a Top 100 Canadian golf course at Highlands Links, hike Middle Head Trail from the Lodge’s parking lot, or enjoy a day at Keltic’s on-site spa.
10 Day 10: Liscomb
Make your way to Liscomb on Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore to spend the night at Liscombe Lodge Resort.
Hike along a portion of the 9 km of hiking trails or simply relax and enjoy the solitude of area overlooking the river at Liscombe Lodge. You can also take a boat tour along the Liscomb River. This relaxing pontoon boat ride along the Liscomb River channel takes you into the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean with Marina Supervisor and Captain, Chester.
Visit the resort’s restaurant for a true Maritime meal with a view of the Liscomb River and the rugged Eastern Shore landscape.
Step back in time – to the 1860s, in fact – when timber tall ships and gold ruled life along the St. Mary’s River and turned the community of Sherbrooke into a prosperous boom town. Today, Sherbrooke Village Museum is a living history museum that you can explore.
11 BONUS! Day 11: Liscomb to Halifax
Start to make your way back towards Halifax but stop for at least one more adventure on the way.
ATVing: Visit Porters Peak Adventure Getaway for a guided ATV tour for beginners or experienced drivers through the rolling hills and forested valleys around Porter’s Lake. Looking for an added adventure – stay the night at the camping resort in a four-season glamping safari tent or cabin!
Kayaking: Make your way to Tangier to Coastal Adventures for a sea kayaking tour. During your journey, explore the sheltered offshore islets and islands, and a fascinating world where the land meets the sea.
Boating: Explore the 100 Wild Islands archipelago which is comprised of 750+ islands stretching for over 100 kilometres along Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore. With Murphy’s Scenic Boat Tours, experience boreal rain forests, bogs, barrens, white sand beaches, sheltered coves and windswept headlands as well as wildlife that call this area, home.
Beaches: Along the Eastern Shore, popular beaches include:
- Martinique Beach Provincial Park,
- Clam Harbour Beach Provincial Park
- Lawrencetown Beach Provincial Park
- Rainbow Haven Beach Provincial Park
Surfing: Head to Lawrencetown Beach and check-in at East Coast Surf School to learn to ride the waves. If you are a true adventure seeker, try surfing in winter with Kannon Beach Wind and Surf!
Cycle: The Atlantic View Trail, Salt Marsh Trail and Shearwater Flyer Trail are sections of the Trans Canada Trail, a multi-use linked trail system on a former railbed. These linked trails provide 25 km (50 km return) of beautiful inland and water views all along the way, including the causeway through the Cole Harbour salt marsh.
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