Arrive in Halifax, pick up your rental vehicle and head downtown. After checking in to your hotel, stretch your legs with a walk along the waterfront boardwalk. Enjoy a drink in one of the cafés, explore the ships in the maritime museum and choose a restaurant for an evening meal whilst you watch the boats sail by.

Sutton Place Hotel or similar

Today is yours to explore Halifax at your leisure. Take in the view from the ramparts and preserved buildings of the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site, or tour the city by land and sea on the amphibious Halifax Harbour Hopper. Alternatively, the picturesque Peggy’s Cove, home to Canada’s most famous lighthouse, is just a 50 minute drive from the city.

Sutton Place Hotel or similar

Depart Halifax and follow the Marine Scenic Highway along the Eastern Shore. You could stop at Lawrencetown or Martinique Beach for an oceanside stroll, or at Sherbrooke Village, a collection of authentic 19th Century buildings that have been lovingly preserved as a living museum.

Continue across the Canso Causeway on to Cape Breton Island and make your way to the pretty lakeside town of Baddeck, your base for the next three nights.

Halifax > Cape Breton Island | 390 kms

Silver Dart Lodge or similar

Complete a circular drive, setting out along the scenic shores of Bras d’Or Lake en route to the historic town of Louisbourg, best known for its coastal fortress, a National Historic Site. Built by the French in the early 1700s, the fortress was twice put under siege by the British Navy, before being demolished in the 1760s. It was painstakingly rebuilt in the 1960s and is now part of a living museum, where costumed staff share stories of life in the original homes and barracks.

On the return route to Baddeck, take in the beach at Mira Gut and coastal town of Glace Bay, before following the other side of Bras d’Or Lake back to your hotel.

Cape Brenton > Louisbourg | 330 kms (return)

Silver Dart Lodge or similar

Consistently ranked as one of the world’s most scenic drives, the circular Cabot Trail weaves it way around the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, offering jaw-dropping coastal vistas.

There are 24 lookout points on the Cabot Trail, as well as 26 hiking trails, including the popular Franey Trail and Skyline Trail, which not only provide spectacular views, but a chance to spot the park’s resident moose, as well as whales, dolphins and other marine life off shore.

Louisbourg > Cabot Trail | 200 kms (return)

Silver Dart Lodge or similar

Return across the Canso Causeway to the Nova Scotia mainland and head west towards the seaside town of Pictou.

By a natural harbour that shares the same name, Pictou was a landing point for Scottish settlers around 250 years ago. One of the first ships to arrive was the Hector, a replica of which can be found along the town’s picturesque waterfront, along with a museum charting the settlers’ journey and difficulties endured.

Following the maritime theme, Northumberland Fisheries Museum highlights the importance of the fishing industry to the area. In the main building and adjacent replica 1905 wooden lighthouse, there are a variety of artefacts from shipwrecks on display, as well as a live lobster touch tank and a fisherman’s bunkhouse.

From Pictou continue to Wallace, where your resort looks across the Northumberland Strait towards Prince Edward Island.

Louisbourg > Wallace | 288 kms

Fox Harb’r Resort or similar

From Wallace head south to the town of Truro, at the very end of the Minas Basin, an inlet of the Bay of Fundy, a geological wonder. Twice each day, 160 billion tonnes of seawater flow in and out of the Bay of Fundy, creating a large tidal bore that it is possible to surf or raft on! Depending on the time of the tides, you may see the ocean floor exposed at various points along your route.

Spend the day exploring Wolfville, with its dykelands, orchards and numerous vineyards, inspiring everyone from poets of the past to some of today’s finest chefs and vintners. Continue though the Annapolis Valley, alongside the Bay of Fundy to the harbour town of Digby.

Wallace > Digby | 340 kms

Digby Pines Resort or similar

Today you can relax at the resort, enjoying a swim or round of golf, or explore Digby and its surrounds.

The Bay of Fundy is one of the best places in the world to go whale watching, with tours leaving from Digby Neck and Brier Island. Inland, Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site is a lush forested area with meandering rivers and mystical lakes, great for hiking and canoeing.

The historic coastal town of Annapolis Royal dates back to the 17th Century. In a beautiful setting overlooking a tidal river valley, the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens showcase gardening methods, designs and materials representing more than four hundred years of local history.

Digby Pines Resort or similar

Choose to follow the coast around the southern tip of Nova Scotia, or cross the centre to the South Shore and the Lighthouse Route Highway. A stop at White Point Beach for a walk along the sandy shore is recommended, before heading on to Lunenburg.

Staying in Lunenburg is like stepping back in time; its intricate, wooden detailed buildings date from the 18th Century and much of the town is now designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic to learn about the industry and the town’s shipbuilding heritage, or take a tour of the tall ship, Bluenose II, a famous schooner that has become a symbol of Nova Scotia. Then explore the town’s boutiques and craft shops around the harbour.

Digby > Lunenburg | 160 kms

Bluenose Lodge or similar

Your Nova Scotia fly drive holiday comes to end today with the short drive to Halifax Airport for your flight home.

Lunenburg > Halifax | 112 kms