Halifax Hop On Hop Off Bus

We booked this trip as a way to see Halifax. The cost was eye watering compared to the hop on hop off trip we had just done in Montreal. The trip here in Halifax was 3 times the price and only lasted 1 hour compared to 2 in Montreal. Also, we were not cruise ship visitors and it was clear the whole tour was geared to cruise passengers. It was an interesting short ride but definitely not worth the money. Very disappointing after using hop on hop off last week in Montreal and paying a third of the price.

This was a great time! Our tour guide was wonderful. We learned so much about the city. We had a nice time visiting Halifax.

The buses are London-style Double Deckers. They were waiting at the Cruise Pavilion for our tour, and the price is set by the cruise line as an excursion. There are eleven stops along the route. St. Mary’s Basilica, the Pubic Gardens, the Citadel, the Naval Museum, the Historic Hydrostone District and Fairview Lawn Cemetery among them. They operate on a 20–45-minute frequency with alerts about heavy traffic causing possible delays. There is one wheelchair or stroller allowed on each bus. Hand-Baggage is allowed, but no big suitcases. Seating is on a first serve basis, with infants seated on an adult’s lap. Service animals are allowed. Please be aware of the time, as making one’s All-Board time is the passenger’s responsibility. We chose two stops and got off at the farthest one out. We walked to the other one. When it was time to go back to the ship, we waited and waited at a marked stop, well-past the 20-minute mark. When no buses showed up, we began walking back to the ship, watching for cruise terminal bound buses along the way. There were none, and we walked all the way back to the ship. So much for the return ride. We were glad to have the provided map. We made the All-Aboard time by just 20-minutes. This was quite scary and very disappointing, to the point where we cannot recommend this service.

This was an easy decision for us to make - hop on and hop off at will! Spent as much time as we needed at the sights. It was so easy we decided to hit another stop that we hadn’t planned on doing, but turned into a fantastic stop! We had several guides during the day who imparted their knowledge and expertise making the experience great! Family friendly and perfect for solo travelers as well.

We always take the Hop on/off bus on our first day in a new city and always enjoy the experience. However the cost of the Hop on/off bus in Halifax, does not match the experience. The busses are old and seats barely fit two people (we are average sized people). It was hard to make out the commentary of the guide due to static of the microphone and only 7 stops. On the site, it says $62 per person but it ended up costing $100 per person and when I asked why the jump in price, Viator told me that sometimes the operators increase the cosy due to demand (read: Cruise Ships) I don't feel there was good value for the cost of $100 each - especially when compared to other tours we took in Halifax.

The tour guides were knowledgeable and friendly. Great time! Great to see so much of the city! Definitely recommend!

The guides and driver were very friendly and knowledgeable about all sorts of Halifax history (Tony told a great story about the Titanic’s unknown child) and made it a fun tour. Pickup location is right in the heart of the maritime area. So glad we chose the tour.

This tour gives you an overview of the city. You can actually get off and back on wherever you see the red signs posted. So, that is nice. We did the whole loop first then stayed on until we wanted to get off. Then we got back on. It was great because it is a little rough walking the steep streets. My biggest complaint is that when you get off the ship, you have a 20 minute walk to the Maritime Museum . Then the check-in is in a yellow shed in front of that building, not inside. Then, we didn't even get a ticket as the instructions said, the attendant just checked off our names.

We went on the hop on hop off bus with a very knowledgeable tour guide. We stayed on for the entire route and then got off and walked to the Maritime Museum. Short informative films on the 1906 harbor explosion and how it changed the waterfront and the city. Another about the role the city played in the recovery and burial of 122 of the bodies from the Titanic. The museum displays regarding both those events were well done. Then we walked along the boardwalk with shops, and outdoor cafe' restaurants. I highly recommend visiting Halifax.

Halifax is a nice city to visit. Tour around the city was good and we learned a lot of interesting facts and history. What we did not realize though was that the place we had to meet the bus was a good 20-30 minutes walk from cruise port. It was a hot day and certainly would have preferred to get bus much closer to port than have to find the small wooden office far from ship.