Tour #5 – Grand Pre, Minas Basin, Valley Look Off, and Halls Harbor

This tour is a 6-7 hour tour of the Minas Basin and the Bay of Fundy. Please remember that this is your tour and you can stop when and where you wish. We endeavor to show you as much as possible in the time allowed, but due to Cruise Ship departure times you may not see everything listed in the following. Our Company policy is to have our guests back at your pier one hour before you ship leaves. The drive to this area of our Province takes about one hour from your cruise ship and about one hour and twenty minutes to return to your cruise ship.

We include in this tour Grand Pre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where in 1755 the Acadians were expelled from the Province by the British. Visit the Deportation Cross site where the ships waited for the Acadians, many of those deported would never return to their homes. From the View Park on Old Post Road you can gaze over the 1,300 hectares of farm fields, marshes and dyke lands that comprise the landscape of Grand Pre. Tour the Grand Pre Interpretation Center, see and learn the history, beginning with a state of the art cinematic display in the hull of a Deportation Ship.

Throughout the modern building l’Acadie is illuminated with intricate models, regional artwork, interpretive displays and unearthed artifacts. See some of the earliest examples of the use of European technology in Nova Scotia and discover what became of these extraordinary people, who built dykes that turned salt marshes into rich farmland. Enter the picturesque garden grounds, see the French Willows, Old Well, Victorian Gardens, Blacksmith Shop. and Herbin Cross. Then visit the legendary Statue of Evangeline made famous by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem. Finish your visit with the Memorial Church, where famous paintings from Claude Picard and a stained glass masterpiece by Terry Smith-Lamothe celebrates the culture and courage of the Acadians.

Before we leave the area, a shore drive away is Evangeline Beach with a stunning view of Blomidon Ridge. Take a walk at low tide or go for a swim at high tide. Watch the highest tide in the world, up to fifty four feet, and see amazing birds like plovers and eagles. After the beach we can stop for lunch at the Evangeline Café, or at Grand Pre Winery for some wine tasting, a possible tour of the vineyards depending on timing and/or lunch at their restaurant.

We travel through the Town of Wolfville, which is situated in the North Western portion of Nova Scotia, along the shores of the Minas Basin which is part of the Bay of Fundy, and is the home of Acadia University. The Town is separated from the Minas Basin by agricultural dykes which were built by Acadians in the 17th century. Wolfville experiences the Bay of Fundy’s record setting tides each day as water fills and drains from the Wolfville Harbour, which is the world’s smallest harbour.

From Wolfville we make our way along the Minas Basin, stopping if you wish at Fox Hill Farm, a sixth generation family farm nestled in the lush fields of Port Williams Nova Scotia, is home to Fox Hill Cheese House. They plant the seed, grow the grass, milk their Holstein and Jersey cows, and use the finest, freshest quality milk in their own processing facility. Fox Hill Cheese House produces many varieties of savoury cheese, natural yogurt, luscious gelato, and pasteurized non-homogenized milk in glass bottles.

We travel across the Wellington Dyke to Kingsport Beach, which is across the Minas Basin from Evangeline Beech. Then we travel up the North Mountain to enjoy the view from the Look Off where you can see for a hundred miles on a clear day. From the Look Off we travel to Halls Harbor for a closer look at Bay of Fundy, home to the highest tides in the world. Here you can enjoy a fresh lobster lunch on the wharf next to the Bay of Fundy. All tours have full narrative and many stops for any photographs you wish to take, plus any additional requests you might have if time allows.

Grand Pre + Minas Basin + Valley Look Off + Halls Harbor Tour Price

$75 CAD per hour / per vehicle (taxes included) (4 Passenger Sedan)

$75 CAD per hour / per vehicle (taxes included) (6 Passenger Minivan)

$150 CAD per hour / per vehicle (taxes included) (8 Passenger Stretch Limo)

*These are the maximum number of passengers that each vehicle can accommodate legally. Comfort level depends on the number and size of passengers traveling in each vehicle. For the viewing pleasure of our guests and to ensure everyone is comfortable, we recommend the following:

Sedan: Up to 3 passengers, everyone has a side window view.
Minivan: Up to 5 passengers, everyone has a side window view.
SUV: Up to 5 passengers, everyone has a side window view, 6 to 7 passengers if you wish.
Stretch Limo: Up to 8 passengers, everyone has a window view.

Do to provincial motor vehicle laws, we cannot take more passengers that each vehicle has seat belts for. Everyone must wear a seat belt and infants and toddlers must be in proper child seats (we do not supply).

Included: Grand Pre, Acadian History and Dykes, Minas Basin, Look Off and Halls Harbour (minimum 7 hour Tour). Tour pricing does not include meals, museum or Park entrance fees, wine tastings or winery tours. Please allow extra time if you wish to stop for a meal, visit a museum, Park or winery.

HALIFAX TOUR GUYS – Booking Form

• Your Needs: Customers should dress for the weather. Please make sure to tell us if you need any of the following items before booking your tour. Baby Seats, Step-ups, Walker, Portable Wheel Chair (must supply own walker or wheel chair).

• Last Minute Changes: All tours will begin at 8 am unless prior arrangements have been made with the office. All tours can be changed with the driver upon arrival. All group tours or multi-vehicle tours must contact office. Cell phone must be kept on when ship arrives in port in case of early or late arrivals.

• Questions: If you have any questions before or after making your booking, please contact us – contact@halifaxcruiseshipshoretours.com or phone 1-902-406-6314

*Disclaimer: The purpose of the credit card information is to hold your booked tour with us. Once we receive your credit card information either with your booking form or by calling our office at 1-902-406-6314, we will email your Tour Confirmation within 48 hours to you. Your credit card will not be charged for your tour, and will only be charged for the following two reasons. If you fail to cancel your tour with us 72 hours before you Cruise Ship is scheduled to dock in Halifax, and/or fail to show up for your booked tour after your Cruise Ship has started to disembark passengers in the Port of Halifax. Your credit card will the be charged a fee of $150.00 per vehicle ordered. This charge is to cover your driver/tour guides time, associated office, and credit card fees.

Your driver/tour guide will gladly accept payment in Canadian Cash only. Tour prices do not cover meals, entrance fees to museums, parks, attractions, buggy rides, wine tasting, winery tours or boat fees. Driver gratuities are also not in the price structure.