What a fantastic experience with a very entertaining crew!
The tour was excellent! Captain Glen and Guide Kiara were very knowledgeable and provided a great experience.
What an enjoyable time! A pleasant morning boat trip around the Halifax Harbour, guided by a friendly and experienced captain, with insightful narration provided by his personable and knowledgeable first mate. The charming electric powered boat has a unique history all its own, and the small group experience allowed time for many questions to be asked and answered. Highly recommended!
The tour was fantastic and provided great insight into the region…Joyce and the captain were personable, informative and they have a fantastic voice!!!!
Had a wonderful day with lots of fact about halifax shore.This is the first time in Halifax and hope to get back again so much history there
Very informative and the song at the end of the tour was a fantastic way to end a great tour!
What fun! An hour on a totally quiet boat with a great skipper and a great tour guide. Learned just enough about the city of Halifax to want to come back again!
Great hour on the water
It is a small boat which allows for more personal experience. The guide was the quiet type that engages with us and casually gave us all the "touristy" information. The Captain is a nice gentleman proud of his ship that he basically built himself from a salvage one
Very entertaining, The staff was sweet and good at there jobs.
We had a great relaxing time cruising along the Halifax harbor. Both our captain and cruise guide provided lots of interesting facts and information about the history of the harbor. Well worth the excursion. Thank you.
Loved the tour. With being such a small group it seemed personal and very informative.
This was a fabulous cruise around Halifax Harbour—very quiet and intimate with only 8 passengers in total. Our guide and our captain were so friendly and personable. They had lots of interesting information and stories. It was nice interacting with the other passengers as well. At the end of our trip the captain snagged a starfish for us to hold and examine before returning to the sea. 5 stars —we highly recommend.
Très belle expérience! Le personnelles est très gentille, intéresser et intéressant. Un point à améliorer serais de parler un peu plus fort pour les gens à l'arrière.
Our boat tour experience was excellent. The captain and mate provided very descriptive information regarding the history of the Halifax waterfront as well as many tidbits of information which regarding the city of Halifax. We enthusiastically recommend taking the tour.
The tour was easy going and leisurely. Our tour good, Leah was very friendly and personable. And a great story teller too!
My brother and I had an amazing time on this boat tour. Lee Anne and Kara were incredible! Being a small boat, there was a small group, so we had the opportunity to ask questions and move around to take photos. The boat is so quiet it makes for a peaceful ride, and it was really easy to hear the crew. Our guide, Kara was so knowledgeable about the area, and about Nova Scotian history, that we were absolutely blown away! We didn't have one question that she couldn't answer, it was obvious that she was very passionate and wanted to share her love of her home with us. Lee Anne was so kind and helped us get on and off the ship with a smile and a warm greeting, and she even took some photos for us to commemorate our trip. She sailed so smoothly and carefully and told us about the ship, and about the other ships we passed by in the harbour. We felt safe and in good hands the whole time! I do want to mention to any future travellers reading this, that there is one misleading review mentioning whales. The crew explained when we got on that there are no whales in this region, and they have not been able to get that review taken down. (We did however see a seal pop its head up! But I think we got lucky) They directed us to Brier island off of the Bay of Fundy where we later went on a whale watching tour. If not for their kindness and knowledge we would have missed out on the whales, which is what we had come to NS for. This was an amazing experience, and I would absolutely recommend if you are travelling here to book a spot on this tour!
Loved the “electric” nature of this harbor tour. Relaxed, informal, personal. No diesel fumes.
Great little boat tour at a great price point. It was very slow and leisurely. The captain and guide were friendly and knowledgeable. The boat is covered, which made me feel more comfortable taking my one year old aboard. The waves put him to sleep. They kindly stowed our stroller while we were on the boat. I love that it’s electric and quiet which is better for the sea life.
Lovely quiet ride, captain knowledgeable and happy to converse and explain things I was interested in. Great to be in a small group and to feel special!
very enjoyable! personalized to the passengers interest. highly recommend!
It was fun sailing with you guys! We totally enjoyed ourselves.
So quiet!! And an absolutely lovely and friendly crew. Highly recommend.
Great boat ride an no diesel aroma woo hoo Our family would highly recommend it!
We had a wonderful hour aboard the charming Violet Mac with Captain Glen and guide, Kara! Both were fun and knowledgeable and gave us a great tour of the harbour. It was so nice to not have the smell or roar of a diesel engine and was nice to know we were being a little gentler on the environment! Highly recommend this tour!
The evening cruise with Dan Mckinnon on guitar was the perfect way to spend our last night in Halifax.
Wonderful evening cruise with our own private concert. Dan McKinnon was fantastic. And such a quiet ride.😍 we would definitely recommend it!
My first time in Halifax and we wanted an unforgettable experience on the harbour front. Absolutely fantastic. Chill, peaceful, informative and just a delightful tour. I’ll be recommending this to anyone who comes through the city. Thanks team!
We took the music tour on a mid August evening. It was a wonderful! The lights of the Halifax waterfront as viewed from the quiet boat, and while listening to smooth guitar music by Dan McKinnon. Highly recommended!
What a sweet little boat - I love repurposed wood. Nice little harbor cruise, very chill. Only eight people, great views and eco-friendly it was perfect 😃
The boat itself has a great history. Our captain, Glenn, was informative and entertaining. Don’t miss this hidden gem tour!
A very intimate and fun way to see the harbour. The electric boat is so quiet and peaceful. With such a small passenger compliment, it is a very personal and relaxed tour, and our guide really tailored it for us. Highly recommend.
A beautiful evening cruise, with space to see and move around. Prices are very reasonable and the crew friendly and well prepared.
This was an excellent tour of Halifax Harbor. The captain and tour guide were well-versed with local history. Riding in an electric boat was an excellent way to hear all the sounds around you, with no loud diesel engines or fuel smell. We really enjoyed the cruise!
Nice, quaint harbour tour. The driver is very humble and is an interesting guy. It was fascinating to hear about how he repurposed the boat into an electric motor and added all sorts of personal touches to it. The guide was great too, fun and bubbly with lots to share. The two combined made it a cozy and illuminating experience. In addition, they were nice enough to let us leave our luggage at the booth while we toured. Highly recommend!
Cruise was wonderful. Small group allowed for more personal feeling. We learned so much history of the harbour as well as the environmentally friendly electric boat.
Great evening on the harbour. Wonderful super quiet boat, no problem having a conversation with everyone on board. Sydney the tour guide did a wonderful job of informing everyone on Halifax and it's long and interesting history. A tour that shouldn't be missed when visiting Halifax.
We saw your vessel on the news and just so happened to have our cousin visiting from Colorado. We booked this tour and we were so glad we did. Captain Colin is amazing so good with kids that we’re also on board, a lovely couple and girls from Montreal. Great tour on an electric boat, so quiet to take in the beautiful Halifax Harbour, I think we all enjoyed it. We are locals so we will certainly be back. Our tour guide, so sorry I can’t remember if her name was Juliet /Jilian a university student, she was such a sweet young woman. Only posting our pic as we don’t have permission from others. See you again D&T
Very peaceful, great staff and overall fun for everyone.
Very beautiful and we enjoy the festival. I think that was Spanish festival, but we enjoy the time there.
My family really enjoyed the tour. The tour guide (Anna)was fantastic! She was very informative and interesting when explaing various sites along the harbor. The boat is extremely quiet. I think it was a great way to see the harbor from the water. Very peaceful and fun!
The tour guide and captain created a very comfortable atmosphere and made sure e had a great time even though there was rain during our tour!
Me & my friend loved this relaxing tour and felt totally safe on it. The tour guide was wonderful as well. I will continue to bring friends on this sweet boat...that's also environmentally friendly to boot.
We had the best time on our cruise! Captain Leanne (I hope I got that right!!) kept things nice and relaxed and Jillian was knowledgeable and kept things interesting! Both were super friendly, professional and fun! 10/10 and I would 100% recommend this experience to anyone looking to see Halifax from this unique vantage point, on an eco-friendly vessel. 👍👍👍👍👍
Ce sont seulement des petits groupes sur le bateau donc on a le temps de jaser calmement avec le capitaine et la guide. On peut ainsi poser nos questions selon nos intérêts personnels (histoire, faune aquatique,..). De plus, ce n’est pas bruyant car c’est un bateau électrique. Un grand avantage, en plus de ne pas polluer c’est que ça ne sent pas le gaz pendant l’excursion.
We had a wonderful tour of the beautiful Halifax habour and waterfront. Our captain and tour guide were very welcoming and friendly. The vessel itself is beautiful and so unique. It was such a quiet ride on this fully electric boat.
Had a lovely experience on this tour, would recommend. Interesting that’s it’s an all electric boat! The captain and tour guide were lovely.
Amazing experience overall! Kara was a fantastic tour guide.
Great views of the harbour - friendly and knowledgable staff
We had a great time aboard yesterday. Don’t know if we will be back to Halifax, but if we do we will definitely take your boat tour again. Thanks Urie and Kay from NYC
Experience the best of Halifax with our Halifax Harbour Tours and Royal Nova Scotia Tattoo package! Dive into the city’s rich culture with tickets to the renowned Tattoo show, filled with music, dance, and military pageantry. Then, unwind on a scenic harbour tour, soaking in panoramic views of the coastline for the perfect summer day adventure.
Each package includes two Adult, B-level lower bowl seats to the 2024 Tattoo, as well as two seats on the Violet Mac by Halifax Harbour Tours, the only fully electric boat on the harbour for an all-electric, ultra-quiet, and no-fumes harbour cruise.
Join us on the Violet Mac for our all new musical cruise!
One cruise, one hour, eight seats. Don’t miss out.
We’ve partnered with our friends at The Lord Nelson Hotel and Suites to bring together a enjoyable stay at one of Halifax’s premier historic hotels with Halifax’s beautiful, historic harbour! A room and a cruise all in one easy experience. Check them out today!
The Violet Mac is our all-electric, environmentally-friendly 1930s-style harbour launch. With a maximum passenger load of eight people, we provide a truly personable experience.
Our harbour cruises are all about you. Your certified Captain will plan your excursion based on weather, marine traffic, special events, and expert local knowledge. You could be watching the sunset. No matter, you’re guaranteed to experience the water views of the Halifax skyline. Marine wildlife love our whisper-quiet electric motors, so you are sure to see some of the many birds, mammals, and other aquatic life in our harbour during your tour.
Your Halifax Harbour Tour is unique every single time! Your captain will chart a course for your tour based on factors such as weather, marine traffic, and special events, with one goal in mind: to give you the most enjoyable relaxed tour of our beautiful harbour!
Some parts of the harbour you might see on a tour include Dartmouth and Halifax Waterfronts , George’s and McNab’s Islands, and of course, the Halifax Harbour marine wildlife. They love our ultra-quiet electric motor, so you are sure to see some of the many birds, mammals, and other aquatic animals in our harbour during your tour.
Our crew do not expect guests to leave them tips. That said, our captain and tour guides are allowed to accept tips if offered to them, so if you feel that someone on your tour deserves a tip and you wish to give them one, you are more than welcome to do so — and we thank you for your generosity!
If you wish to leave a tip for your Guide and/or Captain but do not have any cash on hand, ask them about their “digital tip jar” that allows you to send them a tip using your credit card.
We will always do our best to make sure you are comfortable. The cabin is not fully enclosed, so on cooler, drizzling days, please come prepared for the day’s weather. While there is no heater on board, we have blankets for your use should you need them.
Generally speaking, dress appropriately for the weather, and keep in mind it tends to be a little cooler and breezier on the water and can be quite cool in spring and fall.
Also be sure to wear sun protection, even on cloudy days!
Harbour Tours are suitable for everyone, of all ages. There is no substantial physical effort required to enjoy our tours, but please note that there is a ramp between the wharf and the dock, and a small step up is necessary from the dock into the boat. Of course, we can offer a helping hand. Most able-bodied Guests have no problem with this. Kids LOVE our tours, and so does the rest of the family. We promise!