Nova Scotia Great Itineraries

Don’t let the fact that Nova Scotia is Canada's second-smallest province fool you. Driving will likely take longer than you expect.

If You Have 3 Days

Spend your first full day in Halifax. Explore downtown, leaving time to linger on the harbor-front boardwalk, and have a fun evening out in one of the many pubs and clubs. Don’t stay out too late, though—you’ll need to be up early to beat the crowds to Peggy’s Cove. From there, head down to the "Holy Trinity" of South Shore towns: Chester, Mahone Bay, and Lunenburg. Take a coffee break in Chester before proceeding to lovely Mahone Bayfor lunch and boutique browsing. In Lunenburg visit the Fisheries Museum and sign up for one of the boat tours departing from its dock. Next, drive on to the Liverpool area (an hour away), where you’ll stop for the night. Depending on your preferences, you can dedicate the morning of Day 3 to blissful beaches or immediately veer northwest on Highway 8, which connects Liverpool to Annapolis Royal. Hikers can dally en route at Kejimkujik National Park and Historic Site. History buffs can drive 90 minutes straight through, thereby allowing more time to visit the heritage sites in and around Annapolis Royal and Wolfville. Given that Halifax is about 200 km (124 miles) from the former and 90 km (56 miles) from the latter, completing the loop and returning to the capital for your final night is easy.

If You Have 5 Days

Stick to the above itinerary but, rather than returning to Halifax at the end of Day 3, bed down at a Wolfville inn. As you’ve already seen the Atlantic and Bay of Fundy, it seems unsporting not to add Northumberland Strait to your itinerary. So, on the morning of Day 4, take the pretty three-hour drive cross country to Pictou. There you can visit Hector Heritage Quay, where the Scots landed in 1773, and take a dip in the strait’s warm, salty water. On the morning of Day 5, explore a bit more of the Sunrise Trail by car or kayak, then make the two-hour trek back to Halifax.

If You Have 7 Days

Cape Breton Island is a nice place to spend a week, or a lifetime, but you can cover the basics in two days. Follow the route above, but instead of spending Day 5 on the Sunrise Trail, head east via Antigonish to Port Hawkesbury. From here, follow the 107-km (67-mile) Ceilidh Trail passing through music-loving Mabou on the way to Chéticamp. Stop here for lunch, then take the Cabot Trail north, looping around Cape Breton Highlands National Park. The cliff-hugging trail ranks among the world’s most dramatic drives. There should be time for a whale-watching trip or a scenic hike along the way. Spend the night at Ingonish. On Day 6, continue on the Cabot Trail to Baddeck to explore the Alexander Graham Bell site, the Highland Village, and perhaps get out on the lovely Bras d’Or Lakes. On Day 7, get an early start for the 80-minute drive to Louisbourg. Devote the morning to the reconstructed 18th-century French fortress. After lunch, backtrack to Sydney then follow Highway 4 along the southern shore of Bras d’Or Lake to Port Hawkesbury and return to Halifax, about a five-hour drive.