Halifax

[Grumpy100]

I will be in Halifax arriving from the Carnival Glory in July. I want to see lighthouses. Is there a tour that includes lighthouses for some nice pictures and perhaps driving up the coast. Also is this the city that has the Titanic museum. I think that would be very interesting.

Anyone else been there that can recommend what to do. Are lighthouses within walking distance from the ship?

[nybumpkin]

No lighthouses within walking distance, but there is one on George's Island across from where the ship docks:

 

 

Unfortunately, it is not open to the public.

 

Probably the easiest lighthouse tour is Peggy's Cove; there are ship tours available (Carnival's "Lobster and Lighthouses" claims three lighthouses, including Peggy's Cove). We went with Your Cab, a private tour company (yourcab.ca) to drive out to Peggy's Cove. We managed to get a rather foggy day, so our tour of the coast wasn't the greatest:

 

 

However, Jonathan was a great tour guide. He can customize the tour for you - if you let him know you're interested in lighthouses, he can probably come up with the right tour for you.

[nybumpkin]

Forgot about the museum. It's the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, right on the boardwalk within walking distance of the ship. The Titanic display is very good - Halifax was the port from which the salvage ships sailed, and the museum has several pieces of salvage - but the museum has a lot of other exhibits that are well worth visiting. There is a display commemorating the Halifax Explosion of 1917, in which two ships in the harbor collided and one exploded, destroying a large portion of the city; an area of North Atlantic shipwrecks; a section on sailboat racing; a section on commercial shipping in the Canadian Maritimes; and a 1913 ship, the Acadia, available for visiting. Website is http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mmanew/en/home/default.aspx.

[Grumpy100]

Thank you that was just the information that I was looking for. I think we will either take a private taxi to Peggy's Cove and back and then go to the Maritime museum and see the titanic display. I just looked up the price and it is only $8.75 p/p to get in for adults and like you said it is within walking distance of the cruise ship. Then we can just walk around the boardwalk and maybe get some lunch. I wanted to beat the crowds from the ships's tour to get to Peggy's Cove so it would be worth it to take a cab there. Thanks again.

Are you familar with St. John's we are going there the previoius day.?

[shof515]

Forgot about the museum. It's the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, right on the boardwalk within walking distance of the ship. The Titanic display is very good - Halifax was the port from which the salvage ships sailed, and the museum has several pieces of salvage - but the museum has a lot of other exhibits that are well worth visiting. There is a display commemorating the Halifax Explosion of 1917, in which two ships in the harbor collided and one exploded, destroying a large portion of the city; an area of North Atlantic shipwrecks; a section on sailboat racing; a section on commercial shipping in the Canadian Maritimes; and a 1913 ship, the Acadia, available for visiting. Website is http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mmanew/en/home/default.aspx.

how far is a walk from the museum to the cruise terminal pier? When i try to google maps the address, it seems to be like a long walk that will take atleast 10 mins or so

[nybumpkin]

Are you familar with St. John's we are going there the previoius day.?

We've been to Saint John three times. The first time we went, we took a one-hour trolley highlights tour around downtown, walked around downtown (love the City Market), and had lunch at Steamer's (great lobster bisque), across the street from the port. Second time the weather wasn't great, so we walked along the waterfront, had lunch at Grannan's (really good clams), went to the City Market, and back to the ship. Third time we figured we had to see the Reversing Rapids - so we walked there. You can take a tour but we figured we were up for the walk. You follow the Harbour Passage walkway, then go uphill to the park. The return trip was easier.:o Went back to Grannan's for lunch.

 

We're going again over Labor Day weekend, and I haven't decided on a tour yet - but I know we'll have lunch someplace off the ship.:)

[nybumpkin]

how far is a walk from the museum to the cruise terminal pier? When i try to google maps the address, it seems to be like a long walk that will take atleast 10 mins or so

It's probably about a 10 minute walk, but it's a really easy walk - all level. You walk along a passage past Pier 21, then enter the boardwalk past several shops and tour ships before you come to the museum. This shot gives you a fairly good idea of where the ship is in relation to the museum:

[Grumpy100]

We've been to Saint John three times. The first time we went, we took a one-hour trolley highlights tour around downtown, walked around downtown (love the City Market), and had lunch at Steamer's (great lobster bisque), across the street from the port. Second time the weather wasn't great, so we walked along the waterfront, had lunch at Grannan's (really good clams), went to the City Market, and back to the ship. Third time we figured we had to see the Reversing Rapids - so we walked there. You can take a tour but we figured we were up for the walk. You follow the Harbour Passage walkway, then go uphill to the park. The return trip was easier.:o Went back to Grannan's for lunch.

 

We're going again over Labor Day weekend, and I haven't decided on a tour yet - but I know we'll have lunch someplace off the ship.:)

When you way you walked to the Reversing Rapids were you able to walk on the ocean floor if the tides were out. Also I heard there were some caves that you could walk in if the tides were out. That is what the Carnival excursion said and then they would also take us to St. Martin.

Have you been to St. Martin, is it worth seeing. Is the drive nice there.

[nybumpkin]

When you way you walked to the Reversing Rapids were you able to walk on the ocean floor if the tides were out. Also I heard there were some caves that you could walk in if the tides were out.

That's not Reversing Rapids - the tide never goes out so far that the floor is walkable. Here's one of my photos from Reversing Rapids:

 

 

I've read reviews of walking on the ocean floor at St. Martin, but we haven't gone. I'm thinking about it for our Labor Day weekend cruise.

[maryann ns]

Quick clarification:

 

Saint John, New Brunswick has the reversing falls and you can take a trip to Hopewell Rocks where you can of course walk on ground at low tide that is covered with deep water at high tide.

 

St. John's (note the spelling) is in Newfoundland.

 

Hiring a car and driver in Halifax is an excellent idea. He should be able to take you to the Sambro Lighthouse and maybe some others as well as Peggy's Cove.

[sapper1]

While the Hopewell Rocks are a nice excursion, it is a long trip and unless you hit the tide at the right time you cannot go down onto the ocean floor. Most of your time would be spent on driving to and from the rocks. It may not look too far on a map but after you leave the four lane highway there is a long stretch on two lane, twisty, low speed limit roads.

 

St. Martins is about a 45 minute drive from Saint John and would be my choice of the two if I had a limited amount of time to spend ashore. St. Martins is very picturesque and you can walk out to the caves on the ocean floor from about two hours before to two hours after, low tide. Wear sturdy comfortable shoes if you plan to walk out to the caves.

The village itself is very nice to wander around---especially if you enjoy photography. There are two old covered bridges in the village and the fishing boats ground out at low tide in the small harbour.

 

There is a restaurant on the beach by the caves and if you rent a car you can use their parking lot. There is no charge for anything---it is all just "there".

[travelbig]

There is a definite advantage of having a private tour. With the tour company mentioned, it would be $33.75 pp (4 adults). You mentioned the ship tour is $40 pp. So, not only is the private tour less money you will have much more flexibility and go where you want. At Peggy's Cove the driver also takes you to other photogenic scenes so you can get some really good pictures besides the lighthouse. I don't know if the ship tour does that or not. I believe the graveyard is too far to walk to from the pier. If there is time on your tour, your driver would probably be glad to make a stop there if you ask him. Our driver wasn't really concerned with keeping to a time schedule, he just wanted us to enjoy the tour.

[sapper1]

There is a definite advantage of having a private tour. With the tour company mentioned, it would be $33.75 pp (4 adults). You mentioned the ship tour is $40 pp. So, not only is the private tour less money you will have much more flexibility and go where you want. At Peggy's Cove the driver also takes you to other photogenic scenes so you can get some really good pictures besides the lighthouse. I don't know if the ship tour does that or not. I believe the graveyard is too far to walk to from the pier. If there is time on your tour, your driver would probably be glad to make a stop there if you ask him. Our driver wasn't really concerned with keeping to a time schedule, he just wanted us to enjoy the tour.

The cemetery is indeed too far from the ship to walk to. You would need to take a taxi.

If you have a private tour to Peggy's Cove, the memorial for the Swissair flight that went down just off Peggy's Cove a few years ago is just a few minutes down the road from the entrance to Peggy's Cove. You have to park and walk down a path to get to it but it is very well done. By "a few minutes" I mean about two or three.

[Easternstar]

You can make it from the Pier to the Museum in ten minutes on a good day with nobody in your way and you don't stop for nuthin'. Allow a minimum of 15 and you still aren't stopping to admire the view. But it is an easy walk and pretty. In July Fred will be running. That's the free bus that makes a route from the pier past the museum, through downtown. Could be busy deoending on the number of ships in that day but saves on shoe leather.

 

Try www.halifaxwebcam.ca , the pier 21, boardwalk and ferry terminal especially.

[Marie321]

We will be in Halfax in June. Can you suggest a good private tour company for Peggy's Cove?

[maryann ns]

Do a search on the Canada Ports of Call section using the words "Halifax, taxi private" and you should get lots of information.

 

I have never taken a tour of course so cannot make a recommendation.