Halifax, Aspotogan Peninsula, Peggys Cove – Most Popular!

Historic Halifax, Aspotogan Peninsula and Peggy’s Cove Tour!

View historic Halifax, Aspotogan Peninsula and Peggy’s Cove as they have never been seen before!

Tour Duration: 8 hour, one day tour with a stop for lunch (not included in price quoted).

Starting at 9am and returning to Halifax by 5pm.

Tour stops include Halifax Citadel, Public Gardens, Pier 21, Halifax Explosion, Titanic Museum, Aspotagan Peninsula, Peggy’s Cove.

Pier 21

This tour will begin with Pier 21, which was the gateway to Canada for more than one million immigrants between 1928 and 1971. Pier 21 is referred to as the “Ellis Island of Canada” is The National Museum of Immigration, and may have the history of your family if they entered Canada through Halifax.

This row of docks are known as the Cunard Piers, named for Samuel Cunard who is the Father of Passenger Cruise Ship Travel. Cunard Lines have been the pioneering brand of ocean travel since 1840 when the Britannia began the first scheduled transatlantic crossing between Southampton, England, and New York City, USA.

Located in Nova Scotia, Halifax is an amazing vibrant city that is seeing it popular increase yearly by around 5000. Halifax NS has the world’s second-largest natural harbor and being the lively hub of Atlantic Canada, Halifax is best known for its diverse culture, historical charm, community spirit, fresh seafood and incredible natural landscapes on the East Coast of Canada.

A major business centre, Halifax is also known for its maritime history. The city’s dominated by the hilltop Citadel, a star-shaped fort completed in the 1850s. Waterfront warehouses known as the Historic Properties recall Halifax’s days as a trading hub for privateers, notably during the War of 1812.

Halifax Public Gardens

One of the finest surviving examples of Victorian Gardens in North America. Started in 1837 on four acres of common land, which was expanded to its sixteen acre size in 1866 and saw the addition of a bandstand, fountains, statues and wrought iron gates.

The bedding out of annuals in highly designed carpet beds ‎was established, Griffin’s Pond was redesigned and water fowl was introduced.

Halifax Citadel (National Historic Site)

The first fort was built in 1749 when the city was founded, was part of the western perimeter wall for the town which was protected by a total of five stockaded forts.‎

The current stone built, star-shaped fortress was completed in 1856, following twenty-eight years of construction. Today you can explore the fortress and see the hourly changing of the guards and the noon firing of the cannon.

Have you ever walked around downtown Halifax and you suddenly hear a thundering book overhead through the streets? If so, that is simply the firing of the noon cannon from the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site in downtown Halifax, which has apparently been a long standing tradition since 1857.

Each day around lunch in Halifax NS, gunners fully dressed in 3^rd Brigade Royal Artillery uniforms of 1869 fire the noon time cannon to announce that it’s noon hour. The cannon is actually a 12 pounder reproduction with a smooth-bore muzzle loader used during the King George III reign. So this is a living tribute to the history of Halifax as a British military stronghold back in the 1800’s.

Halifax Explosion

On December 6,1917 at 9:04:35am, the SS Mont-Blanc, a French cargo ship‎ fully loaded with wartime munitions collided with the Norwegian Relief Vessel, SS Imo.

Sparks from the collision started a fire that resulted in the largest man made explosion in the history of the world before the atomic bomb. All buildings and structures covering nearly 500 acres were obliterated, about 2,000 people were killed and 9,000 people were injured.

Titanic Museum

The White Star ‎luxury liner, RMS Titanic, the largest ship afloat at the time, sank in the North Atlantic on April 15,1912 at 2:20am after colliding with an Iceberg about 375 miles southwest of Newfoundland. On her maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York City, USA, carrying 2,224 people of which only 710 people survived. There are 121 victims of the disaster buried in three grave sites in Halifax.

Visit the Maritime Museum to see Titanic artifacts as well as ‎other items from our long seafaring history, or our military museum with its hundreds of years of battle ships starting from 1749 to modern day.

When the Titanic sank, it took the lives of 1,497 of the 2,209 people aboard with it. Some bodies were recovered, but names remained elusive, while others are still missing.

Other Places We Include in This Tour

• Historic Mansions on Young Avenue
• Point Pleasant Park and Harbour Lookout
• Titanic Cemetery

Aspotogan Peninsula

This coastal drive is nothing but stunning landscapes as the tour winds its way along the coast of Nova Scotia taking in many popular beaches, scenic covers and fishing villages around St. Margarets Bay. Most likely we will be stopping along the route to take photos or to walk along the odd beach here or there.

Sit back and enjoy this coastal drive along some of Nova Scotia’s most breathtaking views.

The tour starts at exit 7 in East River and winds along the coastal road back to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Route 329 circles the Aspotogan Peninsula along the coast while Trunk 3 and Highway 103 pass to the north. The coast of the Aspotogan Peninsula is dotted with a number of small communities; East River.

Some other beautiful places on this coastal tour would include Deep Cove, Upper Blandford, Blandford. New Harbour, Bayswater, Aspotogan, Southwest Cove, Northwest Cove, The Lodge, Birchy Head, Mill Cove, Fox Point, and the largest community in the area, Hubbards.

From Hubbards we pass Queensland Beach and travel along the Head of St. Margarets Bay, turning towards Peggy’s Cove in Upper Tantallon, and stopping at the Acadian Maple Products outlet, where maple sugar products are made on site.

Peggy’s Cove

Proceeding on towards Peggy’s Cove, we will take you out Indian Point Road to see some beautiful vistas of St. Margarets Bay and if we are fortunate, see some local wildlife.

We can stop at The Finer Diner for lunch, which serves some North American dishes plus a Lobster Club sandwich, Lobster Roll, Lobster Macaroni and Cheese, and Lobster Chowder.

After lunch we will travel to Indian Harbour if you are interested in lobster history. Ryers Lobster Pound is open for a talk on Lobster history, with some different colored Lobsters and a lot of interesting information about lobsters.

Don’t forget to bring your passport to have it stamped with the Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse postage stamp at the Sou’Wester Gift Shop, on the second floor.

With a year round population of just 62 people, this small, quaint fishing village is a picture perfect stop. Tour the Iconic lighthouse, coastline, shops and rock sculpture done by well known artist and painter, DeGarthe. See fishing boats, shacks and meet the local fishermen.

Be careful on the wet dark rocks that surround Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse. They are very slippery and more than one person has fallen into the ocean. There is a strong under tow and many people have lost their lives, despite the many warning signs. After your tour of Peggy’s Cove we will travel back to Halifax through some small fishing village’s coves and bays.