Tour Guide Jack's Teacher Package

Ready to share with you - excerpts of our sample itinerary for Tour Guide Jack's Teacher Package! Why is it called the Teacher Package? Because we can't help but give you thoughtful recommendations, suggestions for accommodations, lists of must-see activities, advice about local transportation, and helpful travel tips. You can take the tour guide out of the teacher but you'll never take the teacher out of Tour Guide Jack!

 

Tour Guide Jack’s Teacher Package

7 Night Road Trip, Nova Scotia, Canada

Accommodations and suggested itinerary: 1 night Halifax at the Waverley Inn, 1 night Maitland at Foley House, 2 nights Annapolis at the Royal King George Inn, 1 night Lunenburg at the Boscawen Inn, 2 nights Halifax at the Atlantica Hotel. All of these hotels, with the exception of the Atlantica, include parking and breakfast. The Atlantica offers a pool, sundeck and sauna. Parking is $20 Ca. per night. All of these accommodations offer free WIFI, and average about $110 C. per night.

Suggested Activities

Halifax: the capital of Nova Scotia

·       Waverley Inn puts you in walking distance of the harbourfront area, with many restaurants/patios, shops and boat tours/cruises

·       Visit Pier 21 for the history of immigration in Canada. See if you can pass Canada’s citizenship exam!

·       Tour Alexander Keith’s Brewery. Tour includes entertainment and refreshments.

·       The Maritime Museum of the Atlantica, includes Titanic memorabilia, and displays about the great explosion of 1917

·       Visit Fairview Cemetery, the final resting place for many of the bodies recovered from the Titanic

·       Dinner and Show at Grafton Street Dinner Theatre

·       Visit the Citadel

·       Join a ghost tour

Maitland: an hour’s drive north, to the mouth of the Shubenacadie River

·       Ride the tidal bore, an experience unique to the Bay of Fundy

·       Visit the Blue Beach Fossil Museum, home of the world’s oldest tetrapod footprints

·        Tour the National Historic Site of Grand Pre, a former Acadian settlement

Annapolis Royal: a 2 ½ hour drive west from Maitland, with Grand Pre and Blue Beach on route

·       Explore the Historic Gardens

·       See history come to life at Port Royal, the site of Champlain’s trading post, dating from 1605

·       Visit Fort Anne, the most hotly contested piece of property in all of North America

·       Tour the Annapolis Tidal Generating Station, the only tidal generating station in North America

·       Join a guided tour of the Annapolis graveyard by candlelight

·       Visit nearby Digby for a peek into the tidal pools with Gael Tours, or join Greg for the walking tour Stones, Steeples, Ships and Seafood

·       Zip line at Upper Clements Amusement and Tree Topper Adventure Park

·       Explore the haunted Sinclair Inn if you dare

·       Watch live theatre at the King’s Theatre

·       Take a walking tour and “stroll through the centuries”

·       Tour and taste at the Annapolis Highland Vineyards

Lunenburg: 1 hour and 45 minutes south from Annapolis Royal

·       Visit the home of the Bluenose, Canada’s most famous schooner

·       Explore the Fisheries Museum

·       Take a horse and buggy ride

·       Join a Lunenburg walking tour

·       Visit the Blacksmith’s Shop and sample the products of the Ironworks Distillery

·       Visit the lighthouse at Peggy’s Cove – an hour and 15 minutes east/south

·       Peggy’s Cove is less than an hour from Halifax

Helpful hints and things worth knowing:

·       The currency is Canadian, banks are plentiful, Visa/MC/Amex are widely accepted

·       There are many car rental agencies inside the airport. Driving is on the right-hand side. Right hand turns are permitted at a red light after coming to a complete stop first.

·       The Halifax airport is quite far from the downtown area. Give yourself at least 45 minutes travelling time

·       English is the language most widely spoken, with some French, particularly around Annapolis Royal

·       Summer is tourist season, with late spring and early fall offering most of the same activities

·       The roads are paved, mostly one lane in either direction with opportunities to pass. The highway speed limit varies from 80-110 km/hour. Traffic is generally light and gas stations plentiful. Gas stations accept cash, debit and most major credit cards

·       Bed and Breakfasts are a great way to meet the locals as well as other travellers. Most offer either a queen/king size bed or two twins. Most suitable for two people sharing a room

·       Many activities depend on tide times. Be sure to check ahead of time, particularly for tidal bore rafting which leaves on high tide

·       River Runners, one of the tidal bore rafting companies offers a steak dinner with their three hour tour – particularly handy in a town too small for restaurants

·       River Runners provides boots and raincoats – your own waterproof shoes may be more comfortable but be sure they will stay fastened – this is a wild ride

·       If it’s too wild, bail and sit in the emergency boat and watch the show – no shame!

·       Ghost tours are an excellent (though seldom scary) way to get your bearings. Then revisit areas of interest later

·       Take bug spray; evenings are buggy

·       Be prepared for bus tours at Peggy’s Cove – it will be crowded. There is a restaurant and enormous gift shop on site.

·       The people are friendly and the seafood chowder is out of this world!!