The famed Cabot Trail is one of the most picturesque drives you’ll ever see in Canada, and if you love autumn, this is especially for you. Cape Breton is scenic enough but visiting on a fall is definitely a bonus. Read through to find out how you can maximize your three-day Cape Breton road trip.

Best Time to Visit Cape Breton

Your autumn guide would have to be the Thanksgiving holiday — we visited during that long weekend and it seems that it’s even more colorful the week after. The good thing with visiting even on a holiday is that a lot of restaurants are open. It’s best to check the local weather on the dates that you’re going.

Day 1: Baddeck, Nova Scotia

There’s so much to see in Cape Breton apart from the most-sought after Cabot Trail. Because it’s best to start Cabot trail early morning, the remainder of your Day 1 after driving can be well-spent in the beautiful fishing village of Baddeck.

After a long drive, we went straight to Alexander Graham Bell Museum in the afternoon. I love that museums in Nova Scotia are relatively smaller and not too overwhelming, including this one. I’ve only known Alexander Graham for inventing the telephone and only found out here that he’s also very much involved in aeronautics. Museum ticket is priced for $9 and is free those below 18 years old.

After our museum tour, we took a leisurely walk at the charming Baddeck waterfront where you can also see the bronze statue of Alexander Graham Bell and his wife sitting on a bench and was said to be overlooking their family home. If you’re the type who would want to destress by strolling around a quaint town, Baddeck is perfect for you.

Where to Stay in Baddeck

We wanted to look for an accommodation that’s convenient to start the Cabot trail for the next day so we decided to stay at Silver Dart Lodge which is also in Baddeck. Location is great and we were lucky to have a room that offers a lake view.

Day 2: Cabot Trail

We left the hotel at past 7 in the morning to kick off the Cabot trail in a counter clockwise direction. Another option is to go for a clockwise direction, which is less touristy, but we opted for counter clockwise to catch the beautiful sunrise and then witness sunset on the west before ending the tour.

First stop: Cabotto Chocolates

I don’t know about you but I love to try chocolates whenever we travel (support local!). Cabotto chocolates did not disappoint, in fact, we should have bought more. My favorite would be the double dark espresso chocolate bar. Travel tip: map out all your preferred stopovers when doing the Cabot trail and take note of the opening hours.

Second stop: Cabot Trail Lookouts

There are so many scenic lookouts, but I’d say the best one has to be the lookout just before reaching Rusty Anchor. I personally think this offers better view than Skyline trail (especially if you are not keen to do a hike).

Third stop: Lunch at Rusty Anchor

Fortunately, Rusty Anchor is open even on Thanksgiving Day and is only 18km from Skyline Trail. Seafood is a must-try here so we had seafood chowder, clam strips and seafood roll. Everything is fresh and sumptous.

Fourth stop: Skyline Trail

This is the most popular destination in Cabot Trail and I guess even in Cape Breton itself because of its breathtaking ocean views. Definitely a doable and easy trail, but probably not the best if you have a one-year old (despite having a baby backpack carrier) with you, at least in my personal opinion. It was very windy at the time that we reached the end of the trail and safety measures were put in place so they did not allow people to go down at the end.

Where to Stay after Cabot Trail

On our second night, we stayed at an Airbnb (listed as Lovely Cedar Log Home “Cabin Bear” at Northeast Margaree) so we can have an amazing cottage experience. The location is ideal as this is the end/tail of the counter clockwise trip (western part of Cape Breton).

Day 3:

We spent our last day strolling around our Airbnb, indulging the autumn colors before heading back home — it’s truly relaxing to spend your vacation at a nice cottage, away from the hustle and bustle.

Cape Breton roadtrip during autumn is indeed a feast for the eyes. Definitely worth visiting (in my opinion, at least three days is ideal) —our last hurrah before hibernating for winter.