Ultimate New Brunswick Fly-Drive

Begin your trip in relaxing style with a chauffeured drive to the airport and complimentary airport lounge access before taking your day flight from the UK to Halifax just over the border in Nova Scotia. On arrival, pick up your included hire car to drive to Moncton’s French Acadian charms – the restored theatre from the 1920s is a particular highlight, as well as Magnetic Hill’s puzzling phenomena, where cars seem to roll uphill. Then, check in to your historic hotel for the evening, all boutique rusticity in a charming setting.

Stay: Auberge Wild Rose Inn, Moncton 

After breakfast, depart Moncton and head on the iconic Acadian Coastal Drive, following effigy-dotted sandy beaches framed with sandstone rocks and tiny coastal villages offering ultra-fresh seafood, including some of the world’s largest lobsters. Don’t miss the empty beaches and snaking paths of Kouchibouguac National Park before joining the picturesque Miramichi river route – perhaps heading out fishing on the world-famous salmon river. This evening, be sure to sample one of the myriad seafood eateries before checking into your cosy riverside hotel.

Stay: Rodd Miramichi River, Miramichi

Explore Miramichi today, perhaps with a gentle hike around the forest trails of French Fort Cove or with a visit to the gothic spectacle of St Michael's Basilica. Then, arrive in scenic Fredericton and explore its 18-century historic Garrison District, a former British army base where art studios, an outdoor theatre and the Changing of the Guard ceremony now preside. For spectacular views head on a voyager canoe tour on Saint John River or rent some bikes and cycle around the picturesque trails, or the Fredericton Boyce Farmers Market provides a wonderful way to while away the hours with seasonal produce and craft stalls. Then, check into your hotel for tonight, the historic Quartermain House, featuring a charming outdoor deck as well as complimentary, freshly-baked treats.

Stay: Quartermain House, Fredericton

After breakfast, it’s time to head on the spectacular Fundy Coastal Drive, meandering along the entire southern shore of New Brunswick. Wind along natural wonders, coastal islands and fossil-filled mudflats, stopping along the way to enjoy excellent whale watching spots. Then, arrive at one of the marine wonders of the world, the Bay of Fundy and the 50-foot-tall Hopewell Rocks. The phenomena is a result of years of erosion, where you can walk the bay at low tide. Then, drive on to arrive in St Andrews, a picturesque maritime resort surrounded by verdure and traditional, charming houses. The historic Ministers Island and scenic Kingsbrae Gardens are further highlights, then check into your hotel, the spectacular Algonquin Resort, featuring a swimming pool and sprawling, elegant rooms.

This morning we’ve included a water taxi to the rugged Campobello Island, where lighthouses dot dense forests and provincial parks are framed by ocean teeming with breaching whales. Highlights include Friars Head, the East Quoddy Lighthouse Area and the Roosevelt Campobello International Park, where the beloved summer house of President Roosevelt is preserved. We’ve even included a ‘tea with Eleanor’ experience where you’ll hear tales of Eleanor Roosevelt, enjoying, naturally, tea and homemade cookies, before taking a water taxi back to St Andrews.

After breakfast on day six, drive to Blacks Harbour’s rocky shores and forest-carpeted atolls before heading on the local ferry to the largest island in the Bay of Fundy, Grand Manan. You’ll find a myriad of hiking trails, empty beaches, rugged cliffs and scenic fishing spots; a haven for whale watchers, bird watchers and nature lovers. Head kayaking in the pristine waters and hike the narrow footpaths, then, on day seven, we’ve included a fully narrated sailing adventure through Grand Manan’s serene waters where you'll spot dolphins, seals and sea birds as well as several whale species such as the endangered North Atlantic right whale, humpback and minke. If time permits, follow the unofficial lighthouse route of Grand Manan, spotting the famous and historic lighthouses of Swallowtail, Long Eddy, Great Duck and Long Point alongside panoramic ocean vistas. Culminate days of adventure at the charming Compass Rose hotel, enjoying barbecues on the terrace and cosy, fireplace-adorned lounges.

Stay: Compass Rose, Grand Manan

After breakfast, you’ll depart Grand Manan on the ferry to Blacks Harbour, and, on arrival, follow the stunning Fundy Coastal Drive. Stop in quaint fishing villages, the red cliffs of St Martins and Canada's oldest city Saint John, before continuing to the Fundy National Park’s coastal cliffs dotted with dense forest and undulating valleys. On arrival, check in to Falcon Ridge, a perfect base for exploring, where pine-clad ceilings and huge windows frame vistas of dense pine forests and shimmering shorelines.  

Stay: Falcon Ridge, Fundy National Park

Discover the magnificent Fundy National Park this morning, exploring forest-shaded hiking trails, cavernous valleys and rushing waterfalls with biking and hiking, spotting hundreds of bird species along the way. You’ve got another chance today to visit the Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park, one of the world's most incredible natural phenomena. Then, drive on to the ‘lobster capital of the world’, Shediac, enjoying an educational lobster cruise before checking into your hotel for this evening, Maison Tait House. This stunning 20th century mansion house looks onto the harbour, and your cosy room features heated floors and fireplaces. It's a perfect place to end your adventure before sampling the famous lobster rolls in the hotel’s onsite restaurant. 

Stay: Maison Tait House, Shediac

After breakfast, enjoy a final lobster picnic and beach stroll to round off your time in New Brunswick before driving to Moncton airport for your flight back to the UK, via Halifax.