How to Plan Your Perfect Nova Scotia Road Trip

Located on the Atlantic coast of Canada, Nova Scotia is a small province full of wildlife and interesting maritime history. With plenty of wide open spaces, jaw dropping views and mild summer temperatures there’s no better place to do a road trip Visiting Nova Scotia is all about it’s connection to the sea, in fact there is nowhere on Nova Scotia that is more than 42 miles from the Atlantic. You could spend months exploring this charming maritime land but a six-day Nova Scotia road trip is great for getting a feel this wild seaside seaside province. With these tips planning your perfect Nova Scotia road trip couldn’t be easier.

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Starting Your Nova Scotia Road Trip

Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) is the main airport available for international flights into Nova Scotia, and non-stop flights are available from major cities on the eastern seaboard in both the United States and Canada. Car rental is available with most major car rental agencies at Halifax Airport.

Day 1 – Halifax to Sydney

Located in northern Nova Scotia, Sydney is a 4.5 hour drive from Halifax. Your journey will take you along the Bras d’Or Lakes, a UNESCO biosphere reserve whose calm waters are a haven for boaters. Once in Sydney, take advantage of the beautiful waterfront with a pedestrian boardwalk. Here you’ll find beautiful views out over the water, as well as access to the Big Fiddle at the cruise ship terminal and the Merchant Mariner Monument.

Day 2 – Sydney, Cape Breton and Baddeck

From Sydney, make your way to Baddeck on the Cabot Trail, an impossibly scenic drive which runs around Cape Breton Highlands National Park.This leg takes 4.5 hours if you’re driving straight through but make sure to take the opportunity to stop for a bit of hiking or just to admire the views. The loop around Cape Breton Highlands National Park is one of the most scenic drives in Canada according to Reader’s Digest. You might find moose or fox running near the trails, or wild blueberries to pick and eat, or spot a bald eagle soaring overhead. If you feel like camping, many campsites are available, you might even find a spot overlooking the Gulf of St Lawrence to spot whales and seals! If you really like camping and hiking, you can stretch it out to a three-day road trip on the Cabot Trail.

Day 3 – Baddeck to Annapolis Valley

Baddeck is the former home of Alexander Graham Bell, and the museum located in Baddeckexplores his life and the many inventions he created, including the telephone and hydrofoils.The museum has a variety of exhibits and original inventions on display. From Baddeck, you can drive along the western coast of Nova Scotia to Annapolis Valley. The later part of your drive will be along the Bay of Fundy, which has one of the world’s largest tidal ranges at up to 42 feet. A visit to the Fundy Tidal Interpretive Center will teach you about the tides and the history of the area, or you can book a trip whitewater rafting the rivers that feed into the Bay of Fundy or an excursion out into the bay to go whale watching.

Day 4 – Annapolis Valley to Lunenburg

Annapolis Valley is Nova Scotia’s premier wine region. It was one of the first regions in North America to cultivate wine and even has it’s own appellation wine called Tidal Bay. There are dozens of wineries in the region with spectacular views and gourmet dining. Port-Royal National Historic site commemorates one of the earliest settlements in North America. The site has been reconstructed, and houses exhibits on the original settlers and the Mi’kmaw First Nations people.

Day 5 – Lunenburg

Lunenburg is a colorful seaside town and a UNESCO World Heritage site, and many of the buildings are original to the 18th and 19th centuries (you can take a walking tour or explore on your own. There is a maritime museum and a historic sailing vessel named the Bluenose II, a replica of the original Bluenose schooner that was built in Lunenburg in 1921. Lunenburg is also a great location to explore local seafood and drinks. You can take a tour of the Iron Works Distillery, a former blacksmith’s shop turned into a craft distillery and have a tasting of their spirits or if beer is more your style a meal at the Shipwright Brewery is not to be missed.

Day 6 – Halifax

Halifax is only a one-hour-and-fifteen-minute drive from Lunenburg. As the capital of Nova Scotia, Halifax is the largest city with nearly half a million people. The waterfront has been developed into a beautiful boardwalk with plenty of restaurants and museums easily accessible by walking. You can visit both the Canadian Museum of Immigration and the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in the morning to learn about the Halifax explosion and the rescue of the survivors of the Titanic. Grab lunch (poutine, perhaps?) at one of the kiosks on the waterfront before hiking up to the Halifax Citadel, a star-shaped fort that looks down upon the harbor and downtown.

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This guest post was written by Amy from Out Chasing Stars. Since 2014, she’s been sailing around the world on hersailboat with her husband, David. They finished their world cirumnavigation in March of 2020. You can follow along at OutChasingStars.com or Facebook.