A Fall Foliage Voyage: Canada's Maritime Provinces and Coastal Maine

Day 1 St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada | Embark

Fly to St. John’s, founded in the mid-16th century, and transfer to the pier to embark Clelia II where you will overnight aboard ship. Explore this lovely capital city on your own.

Day 2 St. John's | Cape Spear National Historic Site

Drive along the magnificent coast to visit Cape Spear National Historic Site. Enjoy a nature walk to Petty Harbour. Board local boats to Bay Bulls for an excursion to Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, where millions of seabirds come to breed every summer.

Day 3 At Sea

Day 4 LOUISBOURG, Nova Scotia

Call today at Louisbourg, home to the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site, Canada’s largest historic park. Often called the “Williamsburg of Canada,” the French defended this massive fortified settlement many times against the British from 1713 until 1758, when they were finally defeated. Today it is a living museum that recreates 18th-century life through period costumes and reconstruction. Visitors are transported back in time to 1744 thanks to the partial reconstruction of the formerly thriving settlement, including the ramparts, the impressive King’s Bastion, period homes, businesses, and streets. In addition, actors play the roles of 18th-century inhabitants, including bakers, soldiers, musicians, and royalty.

Day 5 BADDECK, Cape Breton Island

Navigating the lake district of the Bras d’Or—the huge inland sea that almost cuts Cape Breton Island in half—Clelia II takes us through the stunning scenery of an area known as the Scottish Highlands of North America. Visit Baddeck, whose beauty motivated the great inventor Alexander Graham Bell to use it as his summer retreat. Today Baddeck is the home of the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site. Further explore Cape Breton’s scenic beauty as we discover the Cabot Trail, the historic route that linked the isolated Scottish, English, and Acadian communities during colonial times.

Day 6 CHARLOTTETOWN, Prince Edward Island

Today visit Prince Edward Island, known as the Garden of the Gulf for its pastoral landscape. Enjoy a panoramic tour of the island, including the colonial seaport of Charlottetown and its historic Province House. Continue to Prince Edward Island National Park, where we will see the Anne of Green Gables House—the inspiration for Lucy Maud Montgomery’s classic novel—and take in some of the 200 bird species inhabiting the parkland.

Day 7 HALIFAX

Arrive in Halifax, a vital port city teeming with an impressive array of cultural and historic delights. In the morning, tour the sandstone Province House; St. Paul’s Church, the oldest building in the city; the Citadel National Historic Site; and the Public Gardens. Spend the afternoon at leisure to explore the Halifax’s vibrant attractions such as Historic Properties, which mixes Canada’s oldest surviving warehouses with charming boutiques and restaurants.

Day 8 AT SEA

Day 9 BAR HARBOR, Maine

Today explore Bar Harbor, set amid Maine’s dramatic coast. Surrounded by Acadia National Park, this quaint fishing village on Mount Desert Island was a fashionable resort town in the late 1800s and the summer home of influential families, including the Astors and Rockefellers. In the afternoon, tour Acadia National Park to discover the Wild Gardens of Acadia, showcasing over 300 native plant species. Also visit the Abbe Museum’s collections chronicling Maine’s 10,000 years of Native American culture and history.

Day 10 PORTLAND

Arrive in Portland, Maine’s largest city, and explore the charming Old Port district, with boutiques and quaint restaurants lining cobblestone streets. The nearby Arts District is home to many small art galleries, antique shops, and artist studios. In the heart of the picturesque quarter is The Portland Museum of Art, home to more than 18,000 works that date back to the American Colonial era.

Day 11 GLOUCESTER, Massachusetts | DISEMBARK | FLY HOME

Disembark Clelia II and transfer to the airport for return flights home.