Coastal New England and Canada's Maritimes (Summer 2015)

Highlights

Boston: Follow part of Boston's red-brick Freedom Trail which brings to life the story of the American Revolution.

Bar Harbour: Experience the natural beauty of Acadia National Park.

Digby: Meet Chef Dale Nichols for a culinary demonstration par excellence featuring Digby's famous scallops.

Halifax: Wander the Citadel's corridors and learn about the fortress' history and Halifax's involvement in major wars.

Truro: Discover Mi'kmaw heritage and Glooscap legends, gaze upon the giant statue of Glooscap and meet aboriginal interpreters for a guided tour of the stunning displays.

Ingonish Beach: Join a local naturalist for an informative presentation about Nova Scotia's coastal inland habitats.

Cape Breton: Explore the National Park blessed with spectacular scenery and abundant wildlife.

Charlottetown: Turn back the pages of history - visit Founders' Hall and enjoy a walking tour of the town.

Prince Edward Island: Explore the National Park and visit the Green Gables farm house.

Boston: Walk part of the Freedom Trail. Orientation tour.

Portland: View the historic Old Port and waterfront district.

Bay of Fundy: Visit the Reversing Falls and Hopewell Rocks.

Prince Edward Island: Cross the 9-mile-long Confederation Bridge. Take a ferry across the Northumberland Strait.

Halifax: Discover its highlights on a morning sightseeing tour; Visit the picturesque village of Peggy's Cove.

Bangor: View sites on the National Register of Historic Places.

Scenic Drives: The Cabot Trail. Drive along Kennebunkport's scenic Ocean Drive and see the local elite's grand estates.

Halifax: Get together for an exclusive, after hours tour of the Halifax Maritime Museum, followed by a delicious dinner.

Shediac Bay: Enjoy a fisherman's feast, washed down with a cold beverage, as you cruise the warm waters of the bay, taking in the scenery and warm Acadian hospitality.

Moncton: Enjoy an end-of-tour Celebration Dinner with wine.

Welcome Reception (WD), 13 Full Breakfasts (FB), 1 Highlight Dinner (HD), 1 Highlight Lunch (HL), 4 three-course table d’hote dinner (D) and 1 Celebration Dinner (CD)

This tour draws its inspiration from the sea, so you are assured scenic waterfront properties in Kennebunkport, Bar Harbor, Halifax and Ingonish Beach. Experience only the highest standards of comfort and service in Boston and Charlottetown.

ADDITIONAL FIVE STAR SERVICES

Your expert Insight Tour Director will smooth your way throughout your vacation. Acting as a 'travelling concierge', he or she is also an expert guide, a consummate organiser and your friend in a foreign land

The majority of Insight hotels have free WiFi access in lobby or bedroom areas and WiFi is also generally available on most touring coaches.

We include Personal radio headsets - these give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights without missing any of your local expert's fascinating insights and commentaries

Insight Flourishes - from time to time, your Tour Director will enchant you with local tidbits, each representing an authentic food or beverage of the region

We'll handle your Baggage everywhere, with seamless and prompt delivery to your door at every hotel

Your Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency

Coastal New England and Canada's Maritimes (Summer 2015)

Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive Boston

Welcome to Boston! Upon arrival at Boston Logan International Airport, your transfer takes you to your downtown hotel. At 6.00 pm, join your Tour Director for a Welcome Reception and an opportunity to mingle and get to know each other over a pleasant evening with drinks and a light meal..

Welcome Dinner

Day 2 Boston and Scenic Kennebunkport

This morning, enjoy a city sightseeing tour of Boston including the downtown financial district and waterfront, Back Bay and numerous sites along the historic Freedom Trail. Travel north through New Hampshire into Maine and stop for the night in the quaint seaside town of Kennebunkport.

Full Breakfast

Day 3 Coastal New England and Bar Harbor

Follow the rocky Maine coastline north from Kennebunkport through verdant forests, to arrive in Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure. This evening, feast on authentic Maine lobster with all of the traditional ingredients.

Full Breakfast, Dinner

Day 4 Acadia National Park Sightseeing

After a peaceful night's rest, take in the surrounding beauty of Acadia National Park, with its dramatic rocky shoreline, beaver ponds and spectacular views from the top of Cadillac Mountain. Then it's time to enjoy Bar Harbor at your own pace.

Full Breakfast

Day 5 Campobello Island, FDR and the 'Loyalist City' of Saint John

Follow the Gulf of Maine and cross the Canadian Border to Campobello Island, summer retreat of the Roosevelt family. Learn about the history of FDR and his association with his "Beloved Island". Continue through New Brunswick to see the amazing Reversing Rapids before reaching the charming seaside port of Saint John. Your hotel is located right on the harbour.

Full Breakfast

Day 6 The Delicacies of Digby

After the American Revolution, Saint John welcomed some 14,000 American British supporters and was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1785, making it Canada's first incorporated city. Explore its vibrant past this morning with a tour through the charming streets of the beautiful waterfront Uptown. Then board your comfortable ferry bound for the opposite side of the Bay of Fundy and Saint John's sister community of Digby, Nova Scotia. Digby is famous for delicious scallops harvested from its waters. This evening, meet Chef Dale Nichols for “A Taste of Digby”, a culinary demonstration of Canadian haute cuisine, featuring the highly prized local seafood.

Full Breakfast, Dinner

Day 7 Along the Lighthouse Route to Halifax

Join the Lighthouse Route along Nova Scotia's South Shore as it winds through historic shipbuilding communities and traditional fishing villages. Lunchtime finds you in the narrow streets of Lunenburg, its pastel coloured buildings arranged according to the original town plan of 1753. Continue through windswept scenery, past granite boulders and rocky outcrops sculpted by the ocean, to picturesque Peggy's Cove. With boats bobbing in the bay, colourful fishermen's shacks and dramatic lighthouse atop huge stone granite boulders, this could possibly be North America's most idyllic seaside village. Now on to Halifax, Nova Scotia's lively harbourfront capital.

Full Breakfast

Day 8 Halifax, the quintessential Maritime Destination

Today, enjoy a sightseeing tour including the Public Gardens, waterfront and Spring Garden Road. Learn about the Halifax Explosion and the city's connection to the Titanic. Towering over downtown Halifax, the Citadel is a testament to the city's military past. Visit this National Historic Site and marvel at the panoramic views. Then perhaps explore the boutiques and restaurants nestled in the three square blocks of Historic Properties, Canada's oldest shipping warehouses. Tonight, tour the Halifax Maritime Museum and raise a glass to your new-found friends during a lively Highlight Dinner.

Full Breakfast, Highlight Dinner

Day 9 Mi'kmaq Culture, Blooming Baddeck and Ingonish Beach

Visit the Glooscap Heritage Centre and Mi'kmaw Museum in Truro this morning to gaze at the 40-foot statue of Glooscap, a mythical hero of the Wabanaki people. Meet aboriginal interpreters for a guided tour of the stunning displays of Mi'kmaq quillwork, beadwork, clothing and artifacts. Continue across the Canso Strait to Baddeck on the tranquil shores of the beautiful Bras d'Or Lakes. At this time of year the village is in full bloom with a kaleidoscope of colours displayed in floral baskets, boxes and gardens. Now on to Ingonish Beach at the foot of the Cape Breton Highlands. Settle into your hotel, superbly located on a promontory overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. After dinner, learn about the diversity and ecology of Nova Scotia's coastal and inland habitats at an enlightening slideshow presentation by a naturalist.

Full Breakfast

Day 10 Cabot Trail and Cape Breton Highlands National Park

Today is devoted to the Cabot Trail, one of the most spectacular drives on the continent. Enjoy stunning vistas of rust-coloured cliffs, the deep blue ocean and postcard-perfect fishing harbours. Explore Cape Breton Highlands National Park, an exceptional wilderness area where you may spot a moose among the lakes and streams. Continue to Inverness.

Full Breakfast, Dinner

Day 11 Charming Charlottetown

Rejoin the mainland and cross the Northumberland Shore region, where the cultural roots of early Scottish settlers still run deep. In 1773, the first of many waves of Gaelic immigrants arrived on the 'Hector' and a replica of this three-masted ship is moored at Pictou. Cross the Northumberland Strait by ferry to arrive at Prince Edward Island. Continue to the pretty capital of Charlottetown.

Full Breakfast, Dinner

Day 12 Charlottetown and Prince Edward Island Sightseeing

This morning, walk through the ‘Time Travel Tunnel' of Founders' Hall and enjoy a guided walking tour of Charlottetown. Travel up the north shore to the wind-swept dunes, beaches and broad inlets of Prince Edward Island National Park. Take a guided tour of the farm house that inspired the setting for L.M. Montgomery's 'Anne of Green Gables.' The evening is at leisure.

Full Breakfast

Day 13 A Lobster Lunch, the King of Tides and Moncton

Drive across the modern Confederation Bridge to Shediac where an unforgettable culinary experience awaits as you cruise the warm waters of Shediac Bay. Gain an insight in to the fascinating world of lobster, while dining on a delicious meal, served up with your favourite beverage. After your Highlight Lunch, head for Hopewell Rocks. The phenomenal Bay of Fundy is home to the world's highest and wildest tides. Depending on when you visit, the Hopewell Rocks can be stories high or nearly swallowed by the sea. This evening enjoy the culmination of your tour with a Celebration Dinner at your Moncton hotel.

Full Breakfast, Highlight Lunch, Celebration Dinner

Day 14 Au Revoir Halifax

After breakfast, transfer to Halifax Airport where your tour draws to a close. Please do not schedule flights before 3:00 pm.

Full Breakfast

***Accommodation***
Insight Vacations have top class hand picked hotels in the best locations, in all their destinations.
The majority of Insight hotels have free WiFi access in lobby or bedroom areas

Please enquire now for full listing of accommodation included on this itinerary.

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