Get acquainted with the local culture and the seafaring traditions of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Maine on this fascinating 12-day vacation. After sightseeing in Boston with a local expert, head north along Maine’s rocky coast to Portland. The next two nights are in Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island, the state’s oldest summer resort. Visit Acadia National Park, then board a catamaran ferry from Bar Harbor to Yarmouth. Stop at the Fisheries Museum and continue to Halifax and Peggy’s Cove. Then visit Sherbrook Village, whose renovated buildings recall the 1860s. Via the Canso Causeway, cross over to Cape Breton Island. In Baddeck, visit the Alexander Graham Bell Museum and enjoy a drive along the Cabot Trail. A ferry whisks you over to Prince Edward Island, where you'll enjoy a two-night stay in Charlottetown before traveling through New Brunswick to Saint John. Pass quiet fishing villages along the coastline into Maine where you'll visit FDR's Compobello before ending your vacation in Boston.

This tour is also offered with an extension to Boston

Day 1 Boston (Sat.)
Welcome to “Bean Town!” This evening, mix and mingle with your traveling companions at the 6 p.m. WELCOME RECEPTION. Your Tour Director will prepare you for your upcoming adventure. (WR)

Day 2 Boston–Portland–Bar Harbor (Sun.)
From Massachusetts, head north via New Hampshire’s shoreline and along Maine’s rocky coast to Portland, one of New England’s most famous cities. Stroll down the cobblestone streets of Portland’s famous Old Port Exchange, lined with many boutiques, coffee houses, and art galleries. The next two nights are in Bar Harbor, Maine’s oldest summer resort. Your dinner this evening is a typical LOBSTER BAKE featuring Maine lobster, steamed mussels, and delicious corn on the cob. (B,D)

Day 3 Bar Harbor (Mon.)
Nowhere along the Atlantic seaboard is the rock-bound coast as picturesque as in ACADIA NATIONAL PARK, one of America’s most visited national parks. Take the scenic park road and enjoy the spectacular panorama from the summit of Cadillac Mountain, the first place in the continental United States to see the sunrise. Afternoon is at leisure to pursue your favorite interests and activities. Maybe join an optional whalewatching expedition or stroll around the charming Bar Harbor waterfront with its many shops, galleries, and boutiques. This evening, choose from the many fine specialty restaurants this quaint seaside community has to offer. (B)

Day 4 Bar Harbor–Yarmouth–Halifax (Tue.)
This morning, board a catamaran FERRY from Bar Harbor to Yarmouth. Travel Nova Scotia’s rugged Atlantic shore to Halifax, the provincial capital and your home for the next two nights. (B,L)

Day 5 Halifax (Wed.)
Your guided city sightseeing tour this morning includes a visit to CITADEL HILL with its early 19th-century star-shaped fort; the tree-shaded walks of the public gardens; and the harbor area, which evokes the port’s former strategic importance. You’ll also see the Fairview Cemetery, the final resting place for more than 100 people who perished on the ill-fated voyage of the Titanic. Hugging the craggy and winding shoreline, continue to Peggy’s Cove, a charming fishing village with a famous lighthouse perched on a massive granite ledge (it is one of the most photographed places in the world). Also stop at Lunenburg with a visit to the FISHERIES MUSEUM. This evening, enjoy an optional comedy dinner outing as actors and musicians entertain and serve up a 4-course feast. (B)

Day 6 Halifax–Sherbrooke Village–Baddeck (Thu.)
Take the scenic Marine Drive north along the Atlantic shoreline through picturesque fishing villages. Visit SHERBROOKE VILLAGE, whose renovated buildings recall the boom years of the 1860s. Via Canso Causeway, cross over to Cape Breton Island, one of the first footholds of European settlement in the New World. Continue to Baddeck. (B,D)

Day 7 Baddeck. The Cabot Trail (Fri.)
Morning visit to the ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL MUSEUM. Study exhibits tracing the achievements of the great inventor, who spent the last years of his life on Cape Breton. Then drive along the CABOT TRAIL, the area explored by John Cabot in the late 15th century, while savoring magnificent vistas of the rocky shoreline and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. At the Acadian village of Cheticamp, check out the famous handhooked rugs. Finally, see CAPE BRETON HIGHLANDS NATIONAL PARK at the northern tip of the island, a landscape which strikingly resembles Scottish coastal regions. Return to Baddeck. (B,D)

Day 8 Baddeck–Charlottetown (Sat.)
Head back to the peninsula and continue north to Caribou, where a ferry whisks you across the Northumberland Strait to Prince Edward Island. For the next two nights, you are in Charlottetown, the provincial capital. Get acquainted with this colonial town on a stroll through colorful Great George Street and along the restored waterfront. This evening, you may join an optional excursion to Canada’s favorite musical, Anne of Green Gables, which follows the adventures of an orphan girl growing up on Prince Edward Island. (B)

Day 9 Charlottetown (Sun.)
Morning at leisure. Enjoy a guided afternoon tour of the island including PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND NATIONAL PARK; and visit GREEN GABLES farmhouse, the setting for the famous novel Anne of Green Gables, celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2008. This evening, enjoy dinner at FOUNDER'S HALL, Canada’s Birthplace Pavillion which pays tribute to Charlottetown’s important role in Canadian history. (B,D)

Day 10 Charlottetown–Saint John (Mon.)
Travel across the 8-mile Confederation Bridge to New Brunswick. Visit the HOPEWELL ROCKS and see the FLOWER POT ROCKS, famous formations carved by the Bay of Fundy’s dramatic tides that rise more than 50 feet, before driving through FUNDY NATIONAL PARK. Upon arrival in Saint John, enjoy a city orientation tour. (B)

Day 11 Saint John–Camden (Tue.)
Journey to Campobello Island in the Bay of Fundy, the retreat of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Visit the SUMMER HOME OF FDR in a 3,000-acre memorial park. Later, view sheltered coves and quiet fishing villages along the Maine coastline on the way to Camden. This evening, your Tour Director hosts a special FAREWELL CELEBRATION DINNER featuring lobster and other local specialties. Wonderful conversation and cuisine make the perfect finale for your vacation. (B,D)

Day 12 Camden–Boston (Wed.)
Depart this morning for Boston with a break in one of Maine’s coastal cities while en route. Arrive in the afternoon with a stop at the airport for guests with homebound flights. Please schedule flights after 3:30 p.m. Then the motorcoach continues to the hotel where the vacation ends. (B)