17 September – 14 October 2026 · 27 nights

Nova Scotia to Québec

Lyndzi, Silvio, baby Chloe, Lynn & Keith. Zurich to the Atlantic coast, then west with the autumn colour. Everything below is a menu, not a schedule.

Car Ferry Flight

Tap a pin for what it is and directions · hover or tap a line to follow one leg end to end · pick a stop to zoom in · tap the map to drag it with one finger, tap outside it to scroll on.

Turn-by-turn navigation: east route in Google Maps · west route in Google Maps · drive times are Google’s, without traffic

What’s booked

Every night of the trip in one list, so the ones still open are as easy to see as the ones that are paid for. Open a row for the detail.

Four weeks, nine stops, four rental cars, one ferry — moving west at roughly the speed of the season.

Three flights
Flight1of 3
ZRH → YHZ

Zurich → Halifax · Edelweiss WK 18, Airbus A350 · booked

17:00 → 19:10Thu 17 Sep · 7 h 10 nonstop
Flight2of 3
YYG → YYZ

Charlottetown → Toronto · still to book · drop both Maritime cars at the airport

2 h 15 nonstopFri 2 Oct
Flight3of 3
YUL → ZRH

Montréal → Zurich · Edelweiss · drive back from Québec City that morning

16:50 → 06:20Wed 14 Oct, arrives Thu 15 Oct · ≈ 7 h 30 overnight
On the ground
≈ 2 700 km across five provinces
4 cars two in the Maritimes, two from Toronto
1 ferry Caribou → Wood Islands, 75 min
27 nights 17 September – 14 October

Overview

The 27 nights in order, each block as tall as the time we spend there and coloured like the leaves will be.

1 · The South Shore Thu 17 – Tue 22 Sep · 5 nights 2 · Halifax Tue 22 – Thu 24 Sep · 2 nights 3 · Pictou Thu 24 – Sat 26 Sep · 2 nights 4 · Prince Edward Island Sat 26 Sep – Fri 2 Oct · 6 nights 5 · Toronto Fri 2 – Mon 5 Oct · 3 nights 6 · Niagara Falls Mon 5 – Thu 8 Oct · 3 nights 7 · Kingston Thu 8 – Fri 9 Oct · 1 night 8 · Montréal Fri 9 – Sun 11 Oct · 2 nights 9 · Québec City Sun 11 – Wed 14 Oct · 3 nights

Top to bottom is the trip: each block is a stop, its height the nights we spend there, its colour where the leaves will be. The Maritimes are still green while we're there; Québec turns maple red the very week we arrive. We are driving into the colour.

Ask about the trip

Our own travel assistant — it knows the whole route and can search the web for current tips. Tap a question or type your own.

Answers are AI-generated — double-check times and bookings before relying on them. Change API key

The stops, one by one

Temperatures are long-term averages — a packing guide, not a forecast. Tinted entries are the headline acts; skim the icons to find your own reason to be excited.

✈️ Thursday 17 September · Zurich → Halifax, lands 19:10, night at the airport hotel
The painted waterfront of Lunenburg from above Stop 1 · 5 nights

Thu 17 – Tue 22 September · Nova Scotia

The South Shore

Fishing villages, painted clapboard, the last warm week of the Atlantic year.

☀️ 19° day🌙 11° night🌊 16° sea

Things to experience

  • ⚓
    Lunenburg's UNESCO old town and the Bluenose II; Blue Rocks at the end of the road; Mahone Bay and Chester, both worth a wander
  • 🥾
    Gaff Point loop from Hirtle's Beach — 6 km of cliffs and surf, carrier rather than pram
  • 🐋
    Digby Neck whale day trip — humpbacks and finbacks. The season closes end of September, so this is the trip's whale moment More ↗
  • ⛳
    Chester Golf Club — historic 1914 course on Chandlers Cove, ocean views from most holes More ↗
  • 🪨
    Peggy's Cove at dawn, before the coaches arrive
  • 🏝️
    Big Tancook Island on the passenger ferry; Kejimkujik Seaside for the white-sand walk
📍 Google Maps 💡 Things to do on TripAdvisor

To eat

  • 🦞
    Rope Loft, Chester — waterfront seafood on two harbour-view decks, known for the chowder Website ↗
  • 🥃
    Ironworks Distillery in Lunenburg; South Shore Fish Shack and Salt Shaker Deli for the lobster roll
🍽️ Restaurants on TripAdvisor

To stay

Booked ✓ — the Rose Bay house, 18–22 September, and the airport hotel for the landing night of the 17th.

🏠 Our Airbnb ↗ 🏨 Holiday Inn Express ↗
✈️ Monday 21 September, Lynn lands at Halifax airport in the evening  ·  🚗 1 h 30 each way from Rose Bay to collect her  ·  up to the city on the 22nd
Halifax harbour and skyline seen across the water Stop 2 · 2 nights

Tue 22 – Thu 24 September · Nova Scotia

Halifax

Two nights in the city, now five of us — the harbour, the hill and the beaches east of town.

☀️ 19° day🌙 11° night

Things to experience

  • 🪁
    Kitesurfing for Lyndzi & Silvio at Lawrencetown or Martinique Beach — lessons run into October, thick wetsuit needed
  • 🏰
    Halifax Citadel on the hill, and the noon gun
  • ⚓
    The waterfront boardwalk end to end; Maritime Museum of the Atlantic for the Titanic room — the rainy-day answer
  • 🌷
    Public Gardens — Victorian, flat, made for a pram
  • 🍇
    Annapolis Valley wineries, an hour west and mid-harvest
📍 Google Maps 💡 Things to do on TripAdvisor

To eat

  • 🦞
    Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market on Saturday morning — the oldest continuously running market in North America
  • 🍽️
    The Five Fishermen and Waterfront Warehouse for a proper dinner
🍽️ Restaurants on TripAdvisor

To stay

Nothing booked yet — 2 nights, 22–24 September, in Halifax. Car two gets picked up here before we leave.

🏨 Booking.com 🏠 Airbnb
🚗 1 h 40 Halifax → Pictou  ·  two cars from here on
Pictou's waterfront and harbour from the air Stop 3 · 2 nights

Thu 24 – Sat 26 September · Nova Scotia

Pictou

The warmest sea north of the Carolinas, two nights before the ferry to the island.

☀️ 18° day🌙 10° night🌊 18° sea

Things to experience

  • 🏊
    Swim at Melmerby Beach or Caribou & Munroes Island — the one real swim window of the trip, and it closes fast after September
  • ⛵
    Hector Heritage Quay — the replica of the ship that carried the first Scottish settlers, tied up on the waterfront
  • 🚂
    Northumberland Fisheries Museum — lobster hatchery in the old town jail, short and pram-friendly
  • ⛴️
    Caribou–Wood Islands ferry is booked — the 26 September crossing, car and all five of us Book ↗
📍 Google Maps 💡 Things to do on TripAdvisor

To eat

  • 🦞
    Sharon's Place for chowder and a lobster roll; Pictou Brewing a block from the water
🍽️ Restaurants on TripAdvisor

To stay

Nothing booked yet — 2 nights, 24–26 September, in Pictou:

🏨 Booking.com 🏠 Airbnb
🚗 15 min Pictou → Caribou  ·  ⛴️ 75 min ferry to Wood Islands, booked Ferry ↗  ·  🚗 45 min to Charlottetown
Red sandstone cliffs above a beach on Prince Edward Island Stop 4 · 6 nights

Sat 26 September – Fri 2 October · Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island

Red cliffs, oysters, and a whole island in a state of harvest — the longest stay of the trip.

☀️ 18° day🌙 10° night🌊 17° sea

Things to experience

  • ⛳
    Crowbush Cove, Dundarave or Brudenell — top-ranked courses, quiet by late September
  • 🏊
    Basin Head singing sands; Panmure Island; Thunder Cove and Brackley Beach
  • 👶
    Confederation Trail — flat former railway, the one cycle route that works with a baby trailer
  • 🏘️
    Green Gables Heritage Place (open all October); Victoria Row; Point Prim lighthouse More ↗
  • 🎭
    Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlottetown for a rainy afternoon
📍 Google Maps 💡 Things to do on TripAdvisor

To eat

  • 🦪
    Fall Flavours festival (24 September – 10 October): lobster boils, oyster shucking, chef dinners island-wide. We are here for most of it. Ticketed — book now Book ↗
🍽️ Restaurants on TripAdvisor

To stay

Nothing booked yet — 6 nights, 26 September – 2 October, on the island:

🏨 Booking.com 🏠 Airbnb
🚗 To Charlottetown airport, drop both Maritime cars  ·  ✈️ 2 h 15 Charlottetown → Toronto
The Toronto skyline seen from the islands Stop 5 · 3 nights

Fri 2 – Mon 5 October · Ontario

Toronto

A city weekend: hockey on the Saturday, all-night art, and the markets.

☀️ 17° day🌙 9° night

Things to experience

  • 🏒
    Maple Leafs at home, Saturday 3 October versus Ottawa — the derby, and the only home game inside our three nights Tickets ↗
  • 🎨
    Nuit Blanche, night of 3–4 October — free installations city-wide till sunrise. An early-evening round works with the baby asleep in the carrier More ↗
  • 👶
    Ripley's Aquarium and the Toronto Islands ferry — both easy with the pram
  • 🏛️
    Royal Ontario Museum; the Distillery District for an afternoon
📍 Google Maps 💡 Things to do on TripAdvisor

To eat

  • 🥯
    St Lawrence and Kensington markets for everything else
  • 🍣
    Sushi Masaki Saito if we want one extravagant dinner
🍽️ Restaurants on TripAdvisor

To stay

Nothing booked yet — 3 nights, 2–5 October, in Toronto:

🏨 Booking.com 🏠 Airbnb
🚗 Pick up cars three and four in Toronto  ·  1 h 50 down to Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls framed by red autumn maples Stop 6 · 3 nights

Mon 5 – Thu 8 October · Ontario

Niagara Falls

The falls, the gorge below them, and a wine region in the middle of harvest.

☀️ 17° day🌙 9° night

Things to experience

  • 💦
    Journey Behind the Falls plus the boat to the base — the two that are worth the queue Book ↗
  • 🥾
    Niagara Glen — the hike down into the gorge, carrier not pram
  • 🍇
    Niagara-on-the-Lake for the afternoon; Queenston Heights for the view back down the river
  • 🥾
    Dundas Peak & Tews Falls near Hamilton — reservation required in autumn Reserve ↗
  • 🌿
    Royal Botanical Gardens and Devil's Punchbowl on the way in or out
📍 Google Maps 💡 Things to do on TripAdvisor

To eat

  • 🍷
    Niagara-on-the-Lake wineries at harvest — Pearl Morissette, Trius, Peller Estates, Southbrook and Queenston Mile all do lunch
🍽️ Restaurants on TripAdvisor

To stay

Nothing booked yet — 3 nights, 5–8 October, at the falls:

🏨 Booking.com 🏠 Airbnb
🚗 4 h Niagara Falls → Kingston, back past Toronto and up the 401
Kingston's limestone waterfront on the St. Lawrence Stop 7 · 1 night

Thu 8 – Fri 9 October · Ontario

Kingston

One night of limestone and water, breaking the drive east at the head of the Thousand Islands.

Things to experience

  • 🛥️
    Thousand Islands cruise — an hour on the St. Lawrence between the islands, and the reason to stop here at all
  • 🏰
    Fort Henry above the harbour, and the best view over the town
  • 🧱
    Springer Market Square and the limestone downtown — a flat waterfront walk that suits a pram
📍 Google Maps 💡 Things to do on TripAdvisor

To eat

  • 🍽️
    Chez Piggy, the long-running courtyard restaurant tucked off Princess Street
🍽️ Restaurants on TripAdvisor

To stay

Nothing booked yet — 1 night, 8–9 October, in Kingston:

🏨 Booking.com 🏠 Airbnb
🚗 3 h Kingston → Montréal, along the river
The Montréal skyline with Mont-Royal behind Stop 8 · 2 nights

Fri 9 – Sun 11 October · Québec

Montréal

French, scruffy, delicious — and peaking in colour exactly as we arrive.

☀️ 13° day🌙 5° night

Things to experience

  • 🏒
    Canadiens at the Bell Centre — Saturday 10 October falls inside these two nights; the Tuesday 13 October game would mean driving back from Québec City Tickets ↗
  • 🍁
    Mont-Royal up to the Kondiaronk lookout; the Botanical Garden's autumn lantern illuminations after dark More ↗
  • ⛪
    Old Montréal and the Notre-Dame basilica
  • 🧖
    Bota Bota, the Nordic spa on a moored boat — over-18s only Book ↗
📍 Google Maps 💡 Things to do on TripAdvisor

To eat

  • 🥯
    Jean-Talon and Atwater markets; bagels and smoked meat in Mile End — St-Viateur, Fairmount, Schwartz's
🍽️ Restaurants on TripAdvisor

To stay

Nothing booked yet — 2 nights, 9–11 October, in Montréal:

🏨 Booking.com 🏠 Airbnb
🚗 3 h Montréal → Québec City
Old Québec and the Château Frontenac in full autumn colour Stop 9 · 3 nights

Sun 11 – Wed 14 October · Québec

Québec City

A walled town on a cliff above the river, in the exact week the maples turn — and the last stop.

☀️ 11° day🌙 3° night

Things to experience

  • 🍁
    Parc de la Jacques-Cartier — glacial valley at full colour, 40 minutes north More ↗
  • 🏰
    Old Québec inside the walls, Petit-Champlain, Plains of Abraham. Cobbles: carrier beats pram
  • 💦
    Montmorency Falls (higher than Niagara); Wendake Huron-Wendat site
  • 🚶
    Lynn's pick: Old Town walking tour with a local guide — 2 hours, customisable pace, 4.6 stars Book ↗
  • 🛳️
    Lynn's pick: guided sightseeing cruise on the St. Lawrence — 90 minutes past the Château Frontenac, Île d'Orléans and Montmorency Falls Book ↗
  • 🦃
    Thanksgiving is Monday 12 October — book restaurants ahead and expect some closures
📍 Google Maps 💡 Things to do on TripAdvisor

To eat

  • 🍎
    Île d'Orléans cider farms and roadside stands, 15 minutes from the old town; poutine done properly in the Petit-Champlain
🍽️ Restaurants on TripAdvisor

To stay

Nothing booked yet — 3 nights, 11–14 October. Thanksgiving weekend, so book early:

🏨 Booking.com 🏠 Airbnb
🚗 3 h back to Montréal  ·  ✈️ Wednesday 14 October · Montréal → Zurich with Edelweiss, 16:50 → 06:20, ≈ 7 h 30 overnight

Notes to the crew

Worth knowing

  • Hurricane season peaks in September in Atlantic Canada — keep a flex day per leg, avoid non-refundable boats.
  • Flights: out on Thursday 17 September, home on Wednesday 14 October at 16:50 from Montréal — which means driving back from Québec City that morning.
  • Car seat: rear-facing is the law and rental-agency seats are unreliable. We bring our own.
  • Cars: two in the Maritimes (car two from Halifax on the 24th, both dropped at Charlottetown airport), two more picked up in Toronto on 5 October and left at Montréal airport.

Book early — in this order

  1. Fall Flavours event tickets, Prince Edward Island
  2. Digby Neck whale trip — season ends late September
  3. Hockey tickets — Leafs 3 Oct, Canadiens 10 Oct
  4. Thanksgiving-weekend rooms, Québec City
  5. PEI tee times — Crowbush, Dundarave, Brudenell

The colour, timed

The Maritimes peak in the second week of October — after we leave, so expect green with early edges. Ontario turns through the first week; Québec is at its best exactly when we get there, Montréal mid-month and the Jacques-Cartier valley the same week. We're moving west at roughly the speed of the season, which is the right direction.

Wishlist → where it happens

  • Golf → Chester (stop 1) or Prince Edward Island (stop 4)
  • Kitesurfing → Lawrencetown, from Halifax (stop 2)
  • Whales → Digby Neck (stop 1) — the season closes end of September
  • Swimming → Northumberland Strait at Pictou (stop 3), the one warm window
  • Hiking → every stop; carrier beats pram everywhere but Prince Edward Island
  • Hockey → Toronto (stop 5) or Montréal (stop 8)