7 days
- Bay of Fundy & Annapolis Valley, Cape Breton Island, Halifax Metro, Northumberland Shore, South Shore
To get to where you’re going, you need to know where you came from. We take great pride in preserving the things that make our varied historic cultures unique and fascinating. The traditions of our Mi’kmaq, Acadian, African Nova Scotian, and Celtic and Gaelic influences live strong in our everyday.
1 Day 1 : Halifax
Halifax
For those wanting to learn a bit about the history of Halifax visit one of our museums or historic sites.
Visit the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 to learn about the experiences of some of the 1 million immigrants as they arrived in Canada. Tour the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic to see the worlds largest collection of wooden artifacts from the Titanic and learn about the tragic Halifax Explosion.
Become a soldier for a day at Halifax Citadel National Historic Site where the sounds of a modern, bustling port city are exchanged for the crack of rifle-fire and the skirl of bagpipes.
Tour Alexander Keith’s Brewery, one of the oldest working breweries in North America, then, enjoy dinner in some of Halifax’s oldest buildings at the Five Fishermen Restaurant, The Carleton, or Press Gang Restaurant and Oyster Bar.
Spend the evening exploring the nightlife of Halifax’s Argyle Street. 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 pubs, or get a taste for the Halifax craft beer scene at one of the breweries.
2 Day 2: Lunenburg, Liverpool, Shelburne & Birchtown
Lunenburg
Visit the seafaring town of Lunenburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its bustling waterfront, narrow streets and captivatingly colourful architecture. Old Town Lunenburg is home to Nova Scotia’s famous racing schooner, Bluenose II. Learn about the towns history, architecture and culture on a Lunenburg Walking Tour.
Explore the rich fishing heritage of Nova Scotia while visiting the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic. 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 Restaurant & Ice House Bar, Beach Pea Kitchen & Bar, The Grand Banker Seafood Bar & Grill, and many more.
Liverpool
Make your way to Liverpool, known as the “Port of the Privateers”. Take a stroll along the waterfront or visit Fort Point Lighthouse. We suggest you pre-order a picnic lunch from Lane’s Privateer Inn to enjoy at the picnic tables beside the scenic lighthouse.
For a true step back in history, visit Liverpool during the Privateer Days festival and visit the encampment set up next to the Fort Point Lighthouse where you can interact with the animators to learn more.
From historic B&Bs and inns, to cottages, hotels/motels, and beach side resorts, Liverpool has no shortage of wonderful accommodations for you to choose from.
Shelburne
Venture a little further and explore the loyalist town of Shelburne. Shelburne’s Waterfront Heritage District retains an aura of the 18th century. Make your way to Shelburne’s Museums by the Sea that highlight the Loyalist connections in the area.
Birchtown
Visit Birchtown, where in the late 18th century, Birchtown was the largest free Black community in British North America. It was the centre of the Black Loyalist experience in Canada and its founding represented a turning point in the history of persons of African descent in Canada. The Black Loyalist Heritage Centre honours the Black Loyalists and their ancestry.
3 Day 3: Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site
Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site
Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site, offers visitors the opportunity to hike one of the 14 trails through woodlands and along waterways or to canoe the waterways and lakes.
Discover rock engravings known as petroglyphs, evidence of the presence of the Mi’kmaw people for thousands of years. Explore these traditional waterways by canoe. Canoe rentals and tours are available within the park from Whynot Adventure Outfitters.
4 Day 4: Annapolis Royal
Annapolis Royal
After a day in the woods or on the water head to the historic town of Annapolis Royal. Be pampered at one of the luxurious historic inns and bed & breakfasts in the area, or relax in a comfortable motel or cozy cottages.
When you wake up, step foot onto Canada’s oldest National Historic Site and one of the most hotly contested pieces of land on the entire continent at Fort Anne National Historic Site. Come back after dark for the Candlelight Graveyard Tour.
Head across the bay to Port Royal National Historic Site, a reconstruction of early 17th- century buildings representing the former colony of the French who settled for a time along the Nova Scotia coast.
Looking to stretch your legs before hopping back in the car? Visit the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens, 17 acres representing more than four hundred years of Canadian history with highlights including the largest rose collection in Eastern Canada, a reconstructed 1671 Acadian House and much, much more.
Wolfville
Visit Grand Pré, home of Grand-Pré National Historic Site, one of three UNESCO Heritage Sites in Nova Scotia – once the epicentre of Acadian culture.
Spend the night in Wolfville in one of the Victorian houses in the town which have been converted to historic inns and bed & breakfasts. Each has their own unique charm and maritime hospitality.
5 Day 5: Pictou
Pictou
Pictou is a great place to explore on foot, with the Trans Canada Trail multi-use trailway that connects directly to the downtown before taking walkers out along the harbourfront. On the Pictou waterfront you can Adopt-a-Lobster at the Northumberland Fisheries Museum before heading next door to the Hector Heritage Quay, a living-history attraction that tells the story of 18th-century Scottish migration to the new world and the role of Ship Hector in making Pictou the “Birthplace of New Scotland”.
Pictou offers a number of accommodations including bed and breakfasts, inns, and cottages within the town and three campgrounds nearby.
6 Day 6: Iona & Baddeck
Iona
Visit Highland Village Museum | Baile nan Gàidheal, North America’s only living history museum for Gaelic language and culture. The breathtaking 43-acre site overlooking the Bras d’Or Lake features 11 historic buildings including a store, church, and carding mill.
Baddeck
Visit the charming town of Baddeck where you can discover the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site, home to the world’s largest collection of Bell’s inventions and artifacts, including replicas of the first telephone and a full-scale model of the HD-4 hydrofoil watercraft.
Book a behind-the-scenes White Glove Tour, to get up close and personal with Alexander Graham Bell’s photos, mementos, gadgets and gizmos!
There are a wide range of accommodations in Baddeck, from quaint bed and breakfasts to full-sized inns and motels. You’ll even find campgrounds that offer great views of the surrounding hills and Bras d’Or Lake.
7 Day 7: Louisbourg
Louisbourg
Rub shoulders with history at the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site. Step through Louisbourg’s fortress walls and time-warp back to the 1700s. French soldiers march down the streets of the town as ladies dance in formal parlours. Cannon fire shakes the ground as harpsichord tunes mingle with baking bread aromas drifting from the stone bakery.
Learn to fire a cannon as they did 300 years ago, don military regalia, or fire an exact replica of an 18th century musket.
Enjoy a traditional 18th Century lunch on site where Costumed staff in period restaurants prepare and serve delicious food and beverages based on 18th century tradition and recipes.
Discover the taste and aroma of Fortress™ Rum and the story of this drink made from sugar. Be part of a colonial tradition as rum was one of the most popular drinks of 18th century Louisbourg.
Your 18th century experience doesn’t have to end when the gates close at 5:00pm. Camp under the stars, safe inside the fortress walls, or sleep in a period house just as they did 300 years ago.
The town of Louisbourg outside the fortress walls is home to places to stay, eateries, beaches, trails and more.
Tag your travel photos to be featured.
