Cabot Trail High Flyer: Cape Smokey Gondola Adventure

Experience the Cabot Trail High Flyer: gondola rides, scenic hikes, and breathtaking views. Discover Cape Breton’s beauty with photo stops, a city tour, and more.

Duration: 6 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Cape Smokey Provincial Park - At Destination Cape Smokey, you’ll experience a ride on the only gondola system in Atlantic Canada, taking you to the summit of Cape Smokey. Here, you’ll be treated to stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean, Cabot Trail, and the Ingonish area. A short hike leads to another lookout point, and a complimentary light lunch…
What's Included
  • Lunch
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

On the Cabot Trail High Flyer tour you will depart from Sydney and after a couple of photo stops and ride on a cable pulled ferry you will be on the World Famous Cabot Trail. You will enjoy many more photo stops and a comfort stop before arriving at Destination Cape Smokey. Upon arrival you will enjoy a ride up the only Gondola system in Atlantic Canada…

Location
Port of Sydney
Esplanade
Int he private tour parking lot right beside the cruise ship.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.3
(19 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Brian_c
Oct 23, 2024
The amazing Cabot Trail - Wonderful day! JD was a fantastic guide. Thanks to the small tour size, we were able to stop much more than a bigger tour would to take scenic photos along the route. JD would always take photos of us as well. The views from the top of the gondola were amazing as well. I can't recommend this tour enough.
Review provided by Viator
Shemaleiah_g
Oct 22, 2024
Nav was great and the views were spectacular! - Nav, our guide, was wonderful! He drove us through many beautiful landscapes, always stopping to ensure we could take pictures and enjoy the scenery. He kindly took pictures of us using our phones so we had photographs that weren't just selfies--yay! We took the tour in late September and there were hints of autumnal colors throughout the drive. The tour was advertised as being longer than it actually was, but it seems the cruise ship instructs drivers of private tours to return to the port at least 1 hour before the ship sails, so perhaps this was due to our ship's departure time. The shorter tour meant we didn't get to the final stop, but Nav got us back to our cruise with time to spare, although we were later than the ship suggested (reason for the delay is below). The gondola was fun and we enjoyed a leisurely hike to the lake through the trails at the mountain top. The view from the gondola and top of the slope was stunning! We didn't see any eagles, but we did spend about an hour in the woods while Nav waited for us. The trails were mostly well marked and the lake was beautiful. However, the restaurant where we had lunch (connected to the Gondola) was very slow to prepare our food when we got back from hiking. We waited about 40 minutes for quesadillas and fries (the only vegetarian option), which meant we didn't get to enjoy the final stop at the beach. This wasn't Nav's fault, but if we had any idea how long it would take for the restaurant to make the food, we would have just gotten a soda and a bag of chips to go so we wouldn't miss the opportunity to touch the water. It was also very awkward when we were ordering (which we did via Nav, who then paid for the food) because we didn't know what was customary for tipping. It felt like the restaurant staff was annoyed with us from the outset, but we left $20 on the table anyway. Viator should be more clear with customers and the restaurants they partner with about expectations, including how long a meal might take (especially if there are dietary restrictions) and how it will impact the timing for the rest of the tour. Again, Nav was great, his car was clean, and he was a safe driver. We enjoyed our conversations with him, both about Nova Scotia (he had lots of information to share) and about life in general. We would book with Viator again and we highly recommend Nav if you're touring out of Sydney!
Review provided by Viator
Tana_c
Oct 17, 2024
Cabot trail sightseeing trip - This was the most spectacular scenic drive that we have ever been on! The trees were at their peak colors and breathtaking! Rahul was a very knowledgeable, personable and accommodating tour guide, and great driver too!
Review provided by Viator
Jill_m
Oct 15, 2024
Don’t Hesitate! Do it! - My guide was waiting for me right where I exited the cruise ship, so that was awesome. A few other passengers had booked this tour also, so we were five in total. Along the scenic Cabot Trail, we stopped at several local shops and had time for a little shopping, my favorite was the chocolate shop! The gondola ride at Cape Smokey was fun and the hills were ablaze in fall colors! So gorgeous! After the ride, we had lunch at the bottom of Cape Smokey. We could order whatever we wanted off the menu and it was included in the price. I had a smash burger with fries - all good! Guide was very friendly and knowledgeable and regaled us with history and stories of the area. We enjoyed several stops at lookout points where we could take photos. I loved the entire experience. I would do it again without a doubt. Pickup and drop off was so easy. Steps from the ship. Great day!
Review provided by Viator
Douglas_w
Oct 14, 2024
Great activity in Sydney - Tiny was our tour guide. He was entertaining and informative. Great experience. Very enjoyable. I highly recommend the van experience over buses.
Review provided by Viator
Kristin_b
Oct 14, 2024
Excellent tour of Cabot Trail - While we didn’t get to do the gondola ride due to wind… we had the absolute best guide. It was personal, just my husband and I, which we loved. He went above and beyond. The Cabot trail is just beautiful, all the fall colors were magnificent.
Review provided by Viator
Bonnie_d
Oct 12, 2024
Great experience! - Tiny was great! He was very knowledgeable & informative. He even stopped at the local store for us. Beautiful scenery
Review provided by Viator
Mary_p
Oct 12, 2024
Well worth this private tour - Saw so much! Loved the views, stops, and gondola. Very friendly driver. What's more to say. It was perfect.
Review provided by Viator
Ignacio_f
Oct 12, 2024
Good option but could be improved - We took this tour and as concept is really good, also the guide was cool and professional, anyway we were told a maximum of 4 people and they did a group of 6, in a car uncomfortable to spend this 6-hour experience. We have enjoyed the places and land escape I we could recommend without no doubt but with the right promised conditions.
Review provided by Viator
Wilson_b
Nov 3, 2024
Big Disappointment! - Main highlight, the gondola ride up the mountain to see fall colors, was closed! We weren’t told this when booking. Our driver drove very fast using only one hand and we asked him to slow down several times. Lunch was to be included, but didn’t happen! We only received our pickup time 45 minutes before pickup even though we left several messages with Viator and provider requesting the pickup time.
Review provided by Viator
Select Date and Tickets
up to 4 guests
1
Adult
December 2024
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Today