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New Brunswick’s top road trips and tourist attractions

New Brunswick’s Top Road Trips

New Brunswick’s top road trips and tourist attractions

Check the most up-to-date travel restrictions, including border closures, before planning your trip and be sure to contact businesses prior to travel to book reservations and confirm availability.

 

Known for its abundant seafood, exhilarating whale watching, and vast white-sand beaches, New Brunswick is also home to the Bay of Fundy, which boasts the highest tides on the planet. Flanked by the Atlantic Ocean, it's a small province you can easily crisscross by car, meaning lots of sights with little stress. It's also a bilingual Maritime community deeply influenced by the sea with Acadian roots. Here are the best New Brunswick attractions and road trips -- from city tours to outdoor adventuring -- to get to know this friendly place of lighthouses, lobster, and lively festivals.

1. Fundy Wonders & Whales Route

Historic Saint John – credit: Tourism New Brunswick
Historic Saint John – credit: Tourism New Brunswick

This well-rounded holiday in the southern part of the province covers both outdoor adventure and Acadian coastal culture, including our favourite Bay of Fundy whale watching adventures. The tour delves into historyExternal Link Title -- visiting Canada's oldest city, charming Saint JohnExternal Link Title, with its Old World port architecture -- and marine biology, with time to explore the Bay of FundyExternal Link Title's fossil-filled tidal pools, red sandstone cliffs, and dramatic beaches. Then it's onto some laidback Atlantic isles via ferry for whale watchingExternal Link Title and relaxation, hiking, and bikingExternal Link Title. Hungry after all of those activities? Savour fresh-caught lobster, before concluding your trip with a taste of heritage, culture, and...chocolateExternal Link Title!

 

Starting point: Saint John
Distance: 300 kilometres
Time: 5-6 days
Essential stopsNew River BeachExternal Link Title, the Fundy IslesExternal Link TitleSaint AndrewsExternal Link TitleSt. StephenExternal Link Title

2. Fundy Treasures & Tides Ride

Hopewell Rocks – credit: Tourism New Brunswick
Hopewell Rocks – credit: Tourism New Brunswick

With tides rising and falling as much as 16 metres twice a day, the Bay of FundyExternal Link Title is mind boggling, so it's understandable if you want to make it the focus of your New Brunswick road trip. If you're an outdoor adventurer, this eastern tour is for you. Surf the monster tides on kayaks and tuck into sea caves; look for creatures on the red-sand ocean floor along the towering sandstone Hopewell RocksExternal Link Title -- nicknamed the "Flowerpot Rocks" for their distinctive silhouette; checkout a cliffside lighthouseExternal Link Title; hike and camp at a national parkExternal Link Title; and sample local clam chowder, lobster, and pickerel in bilingual, museum- and gallery-filled MonctonExternal Link Title.

 

Starting point: Moncton
Distance: 225 kilometres
Time: 4-5 days
Essential stopsHopewell RocksExternal Link TitleCape EnrageExternal Link TitleFundy National ParkExternal Link TitleSt. MartinsExternal Link Title

3. The River Valley Ride

The Capital Complex – credit: Fredericton Tourism

The Capital Complex – credit: Fredericton Tourism

Foodie? Culture-vulture? Try this gastronomic tour starting at the Quebec-Maine border and enjoy the arts and crafts, entertainment, nature, and cuisine of the Saint John River Valley - home to some of our favourite New Brunswick attractions. Spend a night in a forest "dream dome"External Link Title. Then satiate your taste buds as you dine, go wine tasting, or stroll a farmers marketExternal Link Title. Throw in an excursion to see -- or zipline acrossExternal Link Title -- New Brunswick's largest waterfall and gorgeExternal Link Title. Finally, find a nice spot to paddle or go boatingExternal Link Title, all while enjoying the pretty farmland scenery along the way.

 

Starting point: Edmundston
Distance: 500 kilometres
Time: 3-4 days
Essential stopsGrand FallsExternal Link TitleFlorenceville-BristolExternal Link TitleFrederictonExternal Link Title.

4. The Sun & Sand Trail

Parlee Beach Provincial Park, Pointe-du-Chêne – credit: Tourism New Brunswick
Parlee Beach Provincial Park, Pointe-du-Chêne – credit: Tourism New Brunswick

Looking for relaxation? Visit Canada's warmest salt-water beaches. You can stretch this journey out over a week or make it an easy-going two-day journey to BathurstExternal Link Title and the Acadian Peninsula Beaches. This route skirts the Gulf of St. Lawrence in New Brunswick's north, and combines lounging in quaint seaside towns, golfing, and spa rejuvenation with beach recreation. Camp, hike or bike in a National ParkExternal Link Title, go wildlife viewing in and around white sand dunesExternal Link Title, tuck into fresh seafoodExternal Link Title like a local, and learn about Acadian culture.

 

Starting point: Bathurst
Distance: 530 kilometres
Time: 5-7 days (or 2-day option)
Essential stops: Acadian Peninsula Beaches, Kouchibouguac National ParkExternal Link TitleShediacExternal Link TitleMurray Beach Provincial ParkExternal Link Title

5. The Acadian Joyride

Hopewell Rocks and the Bay of Fundy Coastal Tour, Alma (Harbour View Market)
Hopewell Rocks and the Bay of Fundy Coastal Tour, Alma (Harbour View Market)

Acadians know how to enjoy life. And you too will catch joie de vivre after rubbing elbows with the French-speaking locals on this leisurely east-to-northwest New Brunswick scenic drive along the coast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Learn about history the fun way -- by strolling pretty, flower-filled towns, staying in cozy bed and breakfastsExternal Link Title, sampling local fare, and picnicking on the shore. Be sure to take in some theatreExternal Link Title, join a festivalExternal Link Title, and try some New Brunswick ciderExternal Link Title. Sant?!

 

Starting point: Memramcook
Distance: 500 kilometres
Time: 3-5 days
Essential stopsDieppeExternal Link Title and MonctonExternal Link TitleBouctoucheExternal Link Title and ShediacExternal Link Title, Acadian Peninsula, Acadian Isles

6. Mighty Miramichi River Run

Miramichi River Boat Tours – credit: New Brunswick Department of Tourism and Parks
Miramichi River Boat Tours – credit: New Brunswick Department of Tourism and Parks

If you love fly-fishing, or want to learn how, the 250-kilometre-long Miramichi River has some of the best salmon angling in the worldExternal Link Title. Heading south to north, warm up your skills in lumberjack country, perhaps catching a timbersports competitionExternal Link Title. Move on to rustic-luxe lodge-basedExternal Link Title fly-casting, canoeing, and kayaking. Wrap up with a taste of Indigenous cultureExternal Link Title, look into the area's ship building historyExternal Link Title, and explore more of the city.External Link Title

 

Starting point: Boiestown & McNamee
Distance: 200 kilometres
Time: 3-5 days
Essential stopsDoaktownExternal Link Title, BlackvilleExternal Link Title, Sillikers & Red Bank, MiramichiExternal Link Title

 

To learn more about New Brunswick's road trips, visit the Tourism New Brunswick website.