Summer Travel in Canada 2025: Exploring Atlantic Canada with Kids

With summer around the corner, many families are looking closer to home for their next adventure and there’s no better time to rediscover the beauty of Canada. From coast to coast, the country offers a diverse landscape of experiences perfect for family travel, whether you’re chasing waterfalls, exploring charming small towns, enjoying the great outdoors, or just wanting to unwind at a resort.

In this multi-part series, let’s break it down by journeying across the country, exploring family-friendly destinations region by region, from the coastal charms of the East coast to the rugged beauty of the West. I’ll share some of the fun experiences my family has enjoyed, along with destinations that are still on our hit list.

Let’s start off with Atlantic Canada, where if you love the great outdoors, there’s definitely a lot to see and explore.

Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island delights families with its iconic red sand beaches and a touch of literary magic. At Green Gables Heritage Place in Cavendish, kids can step into the world of Anne of Green Gables and bring the beloved story to life.

Of the numerous beaches that dot the island, my top picks are:

• Cavendish Beach. which provides perfect sandcastle-building with supervised swimming areas
• Basin Head Provincial Park, nicknamed “Singing Sands Beach”, which features unique squeaking sand and a maritime museum
• Thunder Cove Beach. which offers secluded red cliffs and a famous sandstone arch perfect for exploring during low tide.

Recommended Stay: Delta Hotels Prince Edward in downtown Charlottetown offers spacious, no-frills accommodations with an indoor pool, all within an hour’s drive of most of Prince Edward Island’s top attractions.

Nightly rates this summer range from $300–400 (all prices in CAD) or 39,000–50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, which means you could use a 35K Free Night Award (with a points top-up) that comes annually with the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card.

Paying for your Marriott stay with your card will earn 5 Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar spent, helping you rack up rewards faster for your next redemption.

Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia

Cape Breton Island enchants visitors with its breathtaking coastal views, best experienced along the scenic Cabot Trail. Cape Breton Highlands National Park offers beaches, hiking trails, wildlife spotting and spectacular views.

One family-friendly hike not to miss is the Skyline Trail—easy, rewarding, and offering sweeping vistas.

For something different that celebrates Canadian heritage, head to the seasonal Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site, where kids can get hands-on with interactive exhibits and explore the world of invention.

On the south side of the Cape Breton, visit the Fortress of Louisbourg where history comes alive with costumed interpreters and demonstrations. 

Recommended Stay: Cape Breton Villas is a great vacation rental property to explore the northern part of the Cabot Trail from. It’s right close to the coast and offers up to 4-bedroom villas. Prices start at just over $300 per night for a 2 bedroom villa during the summer.

If you have golfers in the family and are up for a splurge, the Cabot Cape Breton offers luxurious but pricey rooms and villas with stunning coastal views. I stayed here a few years ago on a couples’ golf trip and while I’m not a golfer myself, I’d go back just for the setting.

Holiday Inn Sydney-Waterfront, located further south, provides comfortable accommodations with an indoor pool and waterslide and easy access to downtown attractions for under $200–300 per night, or a reasonable 26,000–40,000 IHG One Rewardspoints per night.

St. Andrews By-the-Sea, New Brunswick

If you’re looking for a resort-style escape in a picturesque coastal town, St. Andrews by-the-Sea in New Brunswick is a fantastic choice. One of Eastern Canada’s most charming small towns, it’s full of boutique shops, art galleries, and a laid-back seaside vibe.

In town you’ll also find the Kingsbrae Garden, where kids can interact with alpacas while enjoying the floral displays. When the tide goes out, you can even drive across the ocean floor to reach Minister’s Island, once home to Canadian Pacific Railway President Sir William Van Horne.

For an up-close look at the region’s marine life, visit the Fundy Discovery Aquarium for hands-on exhibits great for kids. Older kids and adults can join one of their Huntsman Marine Experiences – land and boat day tours led by professional naturalists–for an immersive, fun, and educational dive into the region’s sealife.

If you’re already in New Brunswick, it’s well worth making the 3.5-hour drive to Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park, where you can walk on the ocean floor at low tide and marvel at the towering rock formations.

Recommended Stay: The Algonquin Resort St. Andrews by-the-Sea, Autograph Collection is where you’ll want to stay with your family. This full-service resort has all the amenities you would want for a fun, laid back family vacation, with an indoor pool and waterslide, outdoor pool, and Playzone games room.

Nightly rates this summer range from $300–500 per night. Base room redemptions range from 37,000–50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night, but unfortunately only accommodate up to two guests.

If you’re booking a cash rate, be sure to get in touch with our travel agency, Prince Collection, for a quote. This property participates in Marriott Luminous, and we’re able to offer additional perks such as complimentary breakfast, a $100 USD resort credit, and more, all at no additional cost to you.

Sable Island, Nova Scotia

If you’re up for a splurge and a unique adventure, Sable Island sits 300 km southeast of Halifax. This remote sandbar is famous for sand dunes and wildlife. Access requires chartered flights or boat tours from Halifax with advance Parks Canada permits. 

Attractions include observing wild horses, beachcombing pristine shores, and photographing diverse bird populations and seal colonies. With no on-island accommodations, families should base in Halifax. 

Although the hotels in Halifax are reasonable, the island experience doesn’t come cheap, with transfers costing at minimum $2,000 per person, but it will be a memorable one. This premium excursion offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see one of Canada’s most protected ecosystem.

While you’re in Halifax, check out the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. It’s an educational and engaging stop for kids who love ships, stories, and hands-on discovery. They can explore real boats, learn about pirates and the Titanic. Afterwards, grab lunch and let the kids burn off some energy at the harbourfront play area.

Recommended Stay: Muir, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Halifax  provides a luxurious option along the harbour for ~$700 or 72,000–80,000 Bonvoy points per night for a room with two queen beds. This property is also a part of Marriott STARS, a preferred partner program available through our in-house travel agency, Prince Collection.

For more economical options, there’s the new Moxy Halifax Downtown for under $300 or 25,000–33,000 Bonvoy points per night, or a full-service hotel with a pool, consider the Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel for ~$400 or 42,000–49,000 Bonvoy points per night. 

Fogo Island, Newfoundland

Fogo Island offers a distinctive experience on Newfoundland’s northeast coast. This remote destination features rugged beauty, traditional fishing culture, and world-class architecture. 

Aside from taking in the amazing ocean views, summer is a great time for hiking the diverse terrain, whale watching, puffin viewing, berry picking, and possibly iceberg viewing if you’re lucky.

The Marine Interpretation Centre also provides interactive exhibits about local marine life while at the Wooden Boat Museum kids can learn about boat building.

Recommended Stay: The architecturally stunning Fogo Island Inn offers an ultra-luxury, all-inclusive experience and welcomes children aged 8 and older. Meals and local experiences like hikes, jam-making, foraging, wildlife watching, and more, are all included.

Book this property through our in-house travel agency, Prince Collection, which can offer you access to exclusive perks to elevate your stay.

Budget-conscious options are also available for $200–300 a night throughout the island and can be booked through Airbnb (and remember to book through British Airways’s platform to earn Avios for your stay).

Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland

Gros Morne National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Newfoundland, isn’t just for hardcore hikers–it’s an incredible playground for families, too. With its dramatic fjords and views that rival those of New Zealand, quiet beaches, and easy trails, there’s something for kids of all ages to enjoy. 

The Discovery Centre features interactive exhibits explaining the park’s unique geology in kid-friendly ways before embarking on a hiking trail. For a relatively flat, easy hike, where it looks like you’re walking on Mars, check out the beginner-friendly Tablelands trail.

The Green Gardens trail offers a longer trek that leads to coastal cliffs, sea stacks, and grassy meadows. Finally, for those who are up for a climb, check out the Lookout trail for amazing panoramic views. 

For a more relaxing day, families can explore tidal pools at Shallow Bay Beach or take a boat tour of Western Brook Pond for a closer view of the spectacular fjords, towering cliffs, and waterfalls. 

Recommended Stay: You’ll want to stay close to the the National Park to take advantage of all it has to offer. The towns of Rocky Harbour, Norris Point, and Woody Point are 10–45 minutes away and will be your best option.

Unfortunately, they do not have hotel chains like Hilton, Marriott, or Holiday Inn. Instead, they offer a selection of locally owned bed and breakfasts and boutique accommodations that provide a more intimate and authentic experience. Many of these can be booked through Airbnb. 

Using Fixed-Value Programs in Atlantic Canada

As you venture beyond the cities in the Maritimes, you might notice a lack of big-name hotel chains. A great way to offset the cost of boutique stays or Airbnbs is by using credit cards that offer fixed-value rewards programs.

For example, Scene+ points earned through a Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card can be redeemed against any travel purchases at a rate of 100 Scene+ points to a $1.

Alternatively, TD Rewards Points earned through a TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card can also be redeemed for travel purchases. Every 200 points is worth $1 off travel purchases on Expedia for TD, which is the best redemption option for their program. 

Conclusion

If your family loves the great outdoors, the Atlantic provinces offer plenty of destinations perfect for a summer getaway. This post highlighted just a few, but hopefully it’s sparked your interest in exploring the East Coast for some family fun this year.

Staying within Canada means your dollar goes further—without sacrificing the adventure. Stay tuned for the next post where we’ll explore the other Eastern provinces, Ontario and Quebec.