Canada's New Brunswick self-drive tour

Enjoy a day independently exploring the historic city of Halifax. We recommend a visit to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, and heading out of the city to see the famed lighthouse at Peggy's Cove. We also suggest Halifax Citadel, a National Historic Site that provides an excellent vantage over the city and an excellent interpretation of its history. Included today is a harbour cruise to see the Halifax skyline with a local captain on an eight-person fully electric boat.

Make your own way to Halifax Airport to collect your hire car — an additional driver and all insurance are included. Your route takes you north to the adjacent province of New Brunswick. Your destination is the lovely coastline along the Northumberland Strait. Nearby Shediac is known as the lobster capital of the world, and this afternoon, you're booked on a two-and-a-half-hour cruise with an experienced local fisherman, who will teach you about the physiology and the life of the lobster and show you how they are fished. You'll then enjoy a full lobster meal, using the fresh catch you have helped secure.

Explore the pretty Acadian coast today, delving into the fascinating, and often tragic, history of the Acadian settlers. We recommend a stop at the 12 km (7.5 miles)-long Dune de Bouctouche, where a wooden boardwalk enables easy exploration of the dune's salt marshes and sensitive ecosystems. Also highly recommended is a visit to nearby Kouchibouguac National Park, where you can explore mixed woodlands, dunes, and a dark sky preserve.

The heart of New Brunswick's Acadian coast is centred on the small town of Caraquet. Spend the day exploring this pretty coastal region and learning more about the Acadian people. Take the bridge to unspoilt Miscou Island, a remote land of peat bogs, dunes, lagoons and small fishing communities. Visit the Village Historique Acadian to learn all about the history and culture of the Acadian people, and don't miss a visit to the nearby Grande Anse Lighthouse.

Your destination today is picturesque Fredericton, New Brunswick's riverside provincial capital. There is plenty to explore, including the Beaverbrook Art Gallery and Old Government House, while Officers' Square, the Garrison District and nearby King's Landing tell of the city's colonial heritage. There are plenty of river-side paths to explore on foot or by bicycle, and a good range of microbreweries and lively restaurants.

Drive to the charming small town of St. Andrews by-the-Sea, which is a delight to stroll around at your own pace. This afternoon, embark on a half-day whale-watching cruise to the nearby Bay of Fundy. The bay has been compared in marine biodiversity to the Amazon Rainforest and is renowned for its ecology, geology, tidal energy currents and diverse habitats. Afterwards, you may wish to visit Kingsbrae Garden, which covers 10.9 ha (27 acres) and features a working windmill, sculptures, and peacocks.

Enjoy a self-guided tour of Minister Island, which is just a short one-kilometre drive across the ocean floor at low tide. The island is named after the Loyalist Anglican minister, Reverend Samuel Andrews, who first settled on the island in 1786, and you'll be able to see the original stone house where Rev. Andrews lived with his family, and visit the summer estate of Canada’s visionary railway builder, Sir William Van Horne.

Travel by water taxi from St. Andrew's wharf to Campobello Island and enjoy a guided tour of the island's delightful scenery and lighthouses while learning about the island's history and way of life. Enjoy an included lunch at a local restaurant before heading to Roosevelt Campobello International Park. Visit Franklin D. Roosevelt's beautiful summer residence as you make your way around the park, before taking afternoon 'tea with Eleanor', featuring an interpretive talk and Eleanor Roosevelt's own recipe for ginger cookies. After the tour, return to the water taxi terminal for the cruise back to St. Andrews.

Make your way east along New Brunswick's rugged southern coastline to Saint John, Canada’s oldest incorporated city. There is plenty to explore, including the Reversing Falls Rapids (where the Bay of Fundy tides reverse the flow of the water in the river twice a day), historic Saint John City Market, fine examples of Victorian red-brick buildings or the vibrant Area 506 Waterfront Container Village.

Enjoy the beautiful drive along the coast to Alma on the edge of Fundy National Park. Much of this coastal route lies within the recently-formed Fundy Trail Provincial Park. There is a lot to explore, with plenty of hiking trails, scenic lookouts, pristine beaches and tumbling waterfalls. Your destination, the small village of Alma, lies on the eastern edge of the spectacular Fundy National Park.

Spend the day walking in Fundy National Park or visiting nearby Hopewell Rocks. An icon of New Brunswick, Hopewell Rocks is where the immensity of the Bay of Fundy’s tidal range can best be seen. We recommend spending at least six hours there to enable time to walk on the ocean floor at low tide and then perhaps take a sea-kayaking trip around the tops of the ‘flower pot’ rocks at high tide.

Depart Fundy National Park and drive to Halifax Airport. There is time to do some exploring en route and an excellent place to visit is Joggins Fossil Centre near Amherst in Nova Scotia. This UNESCO World Heritage Site has cliffs and beaches rich with fossils and geological history. Take a tour, have some lunch, and then continue your drive to Halifax Airport. Drop off your hire car, then check in to your hotel for the night.

Depart Halifax on your onward flight. Typically, these are mid-late morning, landing on the same day. Your return flight will arrive the same day.