What They're Saying

google

Relaxing, peaceful tour on the harbour. I enjoyed the info given by the guide but also liked that he did not talk non stop making it more relaxing. Even though I have lived in the area my whole life I still learned something new! Would highly recommend!

Amber Beuree July 16, 2025
google

Wonderful and intimate tour of the Halifax waterfront. The quietness of the boat allows for normal conversation with the friendly guides. The boat is also very comfortable. Would recommend! 🙂

Connor Bayne July 15, 2025
google

After an initial cancellation due to inclement weather in May, my family and I had a wonderful experience with Halifax Harbor tours in June of this year! Jen, our guide, and Carlos, our Captain, (I hope I got the names right) were spectacular in their roles - helpful, informative and above all, friendly! They were more than happy to help and accommodate any questions that we tourists had. Would definitely recommend this experience to anyone looking at exploring the harbor. And of course, the beautiful boat, modified to run electric, was powerful and noiseless.

google

A very pleasant, enjoyable and educational tour. We enjoyed the cruise yesterday afternoon. 🌞🌊❤️🇨🇦🇺🇸

Stef C July 14, 2025
google

Outstanding tour. great captain and guide. the quiet electric motor and small group size made for our best excursion in canada! thanks!

Mark Royer July 13, 2025
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Amazing experience, fantastic tour guide and captain. Made the experience really special for us and our small kids too.

James Byrnes July 11, 2025
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Le guide était bien, la croisière calme et silencieuse. Le bateau électrique fait toute la différence

frederic pageau July 9, 2025
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New and modern hotel with all amenities, wonderful comfy beds, great linens and very helpful staff! Also great location to explore Halifax from-- would definitely stay here again!!

Katie Keene July 4, 2025
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An hour well spent with Colin and his guide. Sadly I forgot her name. The small group experience was delightful. We loved the quiet and pollution free boat. No nasty diesel smell. When the weather turned cool the comfy cozy blankets were much appreciated. It was time and money well spent. Kathy and Vaughn

google

Enjoyable afternoon cruise at the harbour. Nice small group, friendly 2-man crew and some good fun facts.

Melissa Andrus July 3, 2025
google

Extremely friendly staff. The tour itself was very peaceful with the electric boat , no problem hearing the guide and no fumes from fuel or exhaust. Lovely experience.

Steven Bowen July 1, 2025
google

We had a truly wonderful experience with Halifax Harbour Tours. It was a sunny, beautiful day—perfect for being out on the water. The boat ride was incredibly smooth, thanks to Leanne, our smiling and confident captain, who steered us gently through the harbour. One of the most unique and appreciated aspects of this tour is that it's the only electric boat tour in Halifax. No noisy motor meant we could truly enjoy the peace of the harbour and have a quiet, one-on-one style conversation with our guide. It created a much more intimate and relaxed experience than typical boat tours. Speaking of guides—Clara was phenomenal. Incredibly knowledgeable about the city, the history of the harbour and ships, the surrounding geography, and even the architecture we passed. She’s a natural speaker and teacher—engaging, warm, and so easy to follow. She absolutely loves questions and created such a welcoming space that even those of us who normally hold back felt totally at ease jumping in. If you’re visiting Halifax (or even if you live here), this tour is a must. Peaceful, educational, and genuinely delightful from start to finish.

mona greenbaum June 21, 2025
google

What a wonderful and relaxing tour of Halifax Harbor on a beautifully restored comfortable, quiet electric boat! There were only 5 of us on board plus our two crew members - Kara, our tour guide, and Marco, our captain. The crew members were warm, friendly, and knowledgeable and shared interesting stories and information about the harbor and the area. A great value and a memorable experience - highly recommend!

Fran Cannon June 19, 2025
google

Had a wonderful tour on May 27th! Super friendly and knowledgeable Captain, gorgeous boat, great experience.

google

Words cannot describe how lovely the morning boat tour really was, especially with a wonderful captain and two delightful tour guides! Everyone is fun to talk to, and they’re all enthusiastic to share interesting and very unique insights about Halifax. I feel right at home the moment I stepped into the boat. A hidden gem! Definitely book a tour; you wouldn’t want to miss out! Thank you for a fun and enjoyable experience!

Frances May 23, 2025
google

What a fantastic experience with a very entertaining crew!

Edward Itor November 3, 2024
google

The tour was excellent! Captain Glen and Guide Kiara were very knowledgeable and provided a great experience.

Finley Easton October 29, 2024
google

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!

Kim Ward October 12, 2024
google

The tour was fantastic and provided great insight into the region…Joyce and the captain were personable, informative and they have a fantastic voice!!!!

Mary Ann Pease October 10, 2024
google

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

deby wood October 8, 2024
google

Very informative and the song at the end of the tour was a fantastic way to end a great tour!

dean burnett October 8, 2024
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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!

Bettina Rosser October 5, 2024
google

Great hour on the water

Kevin Fallon September 29, 2024
google

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

Christophe Henquin September 25, 2024
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Very entertaining, The staff was sweet and good at there jobs.

Valérie G September 25, 2024
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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.

Jane Booth September 20, 2024
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Loved the tour. With being such a small group it seemed personal and very informative.

Jackie Piper September 20, 2024
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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.

Brad&Kathy MacDonald September 18, 2024
google

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.

Yo Qui September 16, 2024
google

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.

Debbie Suatoni September 16, 2024
google

The tour was easy going and leisurely. Our tour good, Leah was very friendly and personable. And a great story teller too!

Leah Bragg September 12, 2024
google

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!

Jessie Desormeaux September 6, 2024
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Loved the “electric” nature of this harbor tour. Relaxed, informal, personal. No diesel fumes.

Lloyd Colegrove September 6, 2024
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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.

Ciara M September 6, 2024
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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!

Stephen White September 4, 2024
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very enjoyable! personalized to the passengers interest. highly recommend!

Jo M September 1, 2024
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It was fun sailing with you guys! We totally enjoyed ourselves.

Chima Henry Isaac September 1, 2024
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So quiet!! And an absolutely lovely and friendly crew. Highly recommend.

Michael Sanders September 1, 2024
google

Great boat ride an no diesel aroma woo hoo Our family would highly recommend it!

Tanasse Mouremouff August 30, 2024
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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!

Carolyn Hillier August 30, 2024
google

The evening cruise with Dan Mckinnon on guitar was the perfect way to spend our last night in Halifax.

Vivian Howell August 29, 2024
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Wonderful evening cruise with our own private concert. Dan McKinnon was fantastic. And such a quiet ride.😍 we would definitely recommend it!

Carol Speer August 27, 2024
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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!

B P_e August 27, 2024
google

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!

Ross Speer August 27, 2024
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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 😃

Shelagh McCorry August 25, 2024
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The boat itself has a great history. Our captain, Glenn, was informative and entertaining. Don’t miss this hidden gem tour!

Julie Macdonald August 24, 2024
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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.

Eric Wood August 22, 2024
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A beautiful evening cruise, with space to see and move around. Prices are very reasonable and the crew friendly and well prepared.

Neil Denton August 19, 2024
google

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!

Greg Sailer August 19, 2024
google

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!

Cameron R August 18, 2024

Royal NS Tattoo and Harbour tour package

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.

New: Musical Harbour Cruise
Live music aboard the Violet Mac

Join us on the Violet Mac for our all new musical cruise!
One cruise, one hour, eight seats. Don’t miss out.

Halifax Harbour Music Cruise

A mini getaway in the city!
Sail and unwind.

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!

A Halifax harbour cruise like no other

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.

Halifax's Only Zero-Exhaust Harbour Tour

Frequently Asked Questions

What to expect

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!

Checking in

When you arrive at the dock, please present your guide with the booking confirmation that you received by email when you booked your seats. You can show it to us on your phone, or you can bring along a printed copy.

Please arrive 15 min before departure.