Cabot Trail Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour
Overview
Drive Cape Breton’s 298 km Cabot Trail counterclockwise from Buckwheat Corner at your own pace. This self-guided smartphone tour pairs GPS-triggered audio with a live route map and 48 listed itinerary entries, from Baddeck and Cape Smokey to Ingonish, Pleasant Bay, Skyline Trail and Chéticamp. Allow about 4–5 hours of driving, plus time for optional lookouts, walks and meals.
Download the tour before departure for offline use; narration plays automatically as you follow the map, and you can pause and resume whenever you like. The route ends back at Buckwheat Corner and follows this direction only. Bring your own vehicle and smartphone or tablet; no in-person guide is included. Park admission, parking reservations and attraction access are separate and may change seasonally.
What's Included
- One booking per vehicle
- Tour available anytime after download, with no fixed schedule
- Flexible access to pause, resume and explore at your own pace
- Email confirmation with app setup instructions
- Live GPS route map and offline tour download
- Self-guided GPS-triggered smartphone audio tour
- Smartphone or tablet (bring your own; headphones optional, audio plays through device speakers)
- Vehicle, fuel and transportation (drive your own vehicle)
- Seasonal services and guaranteed attraction opening hours
- Skyline Trail parking reservation (required June 26–October 25, 2026)
- Cape Breton Highlands National Park pass when stopping in the park
- Attraction admission and interior access unless specifically stated
- Parking fees and optional excursion costs
- In-person guide
Meeting Location
Buckwheat Corner
NS B0E 3N0, Canada
Detailed check-in instructions, including the exact address, are provided with your booking confirmation.
This activity ends back at the meeting point.
What To Expect
Book Online
Safe & secure Easy breezy Hassle‑free
Bras d'Or Lake (pass by)
Baddeck (pass by)
Plaister Mines (pass by)
Goose Cove (pass by)
North River Wilderness Area (pass by)
Saint Anns Bay (pass by)
CG7G+WW North Shore (pass by)
French River Wilderness Area (pass by)
Wreck Cove General Store (pass by)
Cape Smokey (pass by)
Cape Smokey Provincial Park (pass by)
Ingonish (pass by)
Ingonish Harbour (pass by)
Keltic Lodge (pass by)
Ingonish Centre (pass by)
Cape Breton Highlands National Park (pass by)
Neil's Harbor (pass by)
Bras D'or (pass by)
Aspy Bay (pass by)
Pollett's Cove (pass by)
Beulach Ban Waterfall (pass by)
Cape Breton Highlands (pass by)
Lone Shieling (pass by)
MacIntosh Brook Trail (pass by)
Pleasant Bay (pass by)
Mackenzie Mountain Lookout (pass by)
Fishing Cove (pass by)
Benjies Lake (pass by)
French Lake (pass by)
Skyline Trail (pass by)
Le Vieux Chemin du Cap-Rouge Trail (pass by)
Le Buttereau Trailhead (pass by)
Chéticamp Campground - National Park (pass by)
Petit Étang beach (pass by)
Cheticamp (pass by)
Cheticamp Island Beach (pass by)
Grand Etang (pass by)
Gulf of Saint Lawrence (pass by)
Belle Côte (pass by)
Margaree Harbour (pass by)
East Margaree Crossing Road (pass by)
Margaree River (pass by)
Live Life In Tents (pass by)
Margaree Valley (pass by)
Lake O'Law Provincial Park (pass by)
Middle River Wilderness Area (pass by)
Middle River (pass by)
Additional Info
- Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Self-guided drive in your own vehicle; sightseeing is mainly outdoors or from the road, and walks are optional. Nearby buildings and services may be closed without preventing the audio tour. Check current road and park notices before travel; MacIntosh Brook Trail and Lone Shieling are temporarily closed, and Skyline Trail parking requires a reservation June 26–October 25, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions (7)
Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Cabot Trail Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour?
Cancellation Policy
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Activity code: C-214606P57
Traveler Photos
Reviews
Average 4.37 out of 5 stars based on 164 traveler reviews collected by City Balloon Tours and partner sites such as Cool Destinations and TripAdvisor
Additional Info
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Frequently Asked Questions (7)
The answers provided below were previously given in response to questions from City Balloon Tours customers.
Filter by:
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.
- Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (AST).
- One booking per vehicle.
- Tour available anytime after download, with no fixed schedule.
- Flexible access to pause, resume and explore at your own pace.
- Email confirmation with app setup instructions.
- Live GPS route map and offline tour download.
- Self-guided GPS-triggered smartphone audio tour.
- Smartphone or tablet (bring your own; headphones optional, audio plays through device speakers).
- Vehicle, fuel and transportation (drive your own vehicle).
- Seasonal services and guaranteed attraction opening hours.
- Skyline Trail parking reservation (required June 26–October 25, 2026).
- Cape Breton Highlands National Park pass when stopping in the park.
- Attraction admission and interior access unless specifically stated.
- Parking fees and optional excursion costs.
- In-person guide.
There is no minimum age for this tour, so bring your wee one along for an adventure..
Apr 2025If a date or time is not listed on the calendar, it’s sold out or unavailable for another reason. Support cannot assist further if a date or time is not on the calendar.
If you find a date and time that works for you, book it NOW because things always sell out at this time of year.
Apr 2025Accessibility information for the Cabot Trail Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour is as follows:
- Wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Detailed check-in instructions – including meeting point address, Google map, and parking information – for Cabot Trail Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour will be included in your confirmation email from City Balloon Tours. Please be sure to double and triple check your email address is correct at checkout so this important email makes its way to you!
Mar 2024Once your refund is processed, it usually shows on your card statement within 5–10 business days. The exact timing depends on your bank or card issuer.
Want it sooner? When you cancel, choose Receive a refund to my wallet instead. The credit is in your Wallet straight away and is applied automatically at checkout on your next booking when you’re signed in with the same email. You can see your balance any time in My Wallet.
If you paid part of your booking with Wallet credit, that part always goes back to your Wallet. Trip protection isn’t refundable.
Oct 2026What's Included
- One booking per vehicle
- Tour available anytime after download, with no fixed schedule
- Flexible access to pause, resume and explore at your own pace
- Email confirmation with app setup instructions
- Live GPS route map and offline tour download
- Self-guided GPS-triggered smartphone audio tour
- Smartphone or tablet (bring your own; headphones optional, audio plays through device speakers)
- Vehicle, fuel and transportation (drive your own vehicle)
- Seasonal services and guaranteed attraction opening hours
- Skyline Trail parking reservation (required June 26–October 25, 2026)
- Cape Breton Highlands National Park pass when stopping in the park
- Attraction admission and interior access unless specifically stated
- Parking fees and optional excursion costs
- In-person guide
Additional Info
- Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Self-guided drive in your own vehicle; sightseeing is mainly outdoors or from the road, and walks are optional. Nearby buildings and services may be closed without preventing the audio tour. Check current road and park notices before travel; MacIntosh Brook Trail and Lone Shieling are temporarily closed, and Skyline Trail parking requires a reservation June 26–October 25, 2026.
