Halifax audio walking tours: 3 self-guided routes with GPS

Three routes through Halifax history, told by audio guide as you walk

Three self-guided audio walking tours in Halifax let you explore the Boardwalk & Seaport, Churches Gardens & Graveyards, and the 1917 Halifax Explosion at your own pace. Download the app, follow GPS directions, and hear commentary automatically play at over 75 points of interest as you approach each one. No fixed schedule, no group, no crowded tour. Just you, your phone, and the stories of the city.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 215m
2. Halifax Public Gardens5m
3. Old Town Clock5m
4. Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market5m

Explore Halifax with audio walking tours

• Download tour app
• Start Halifax Explosion tour
• Visit historical explosion sites
• Hear stories of survival
• Explore Halifax churches and gardens
• Learn about Samuel Cunard
• Discover the Discovery Centre
• See statue of man with suitcase
• View crooked light posts sculpture
• Relax in harbour hammock
• Visit Pier 21 immigration museum
• Learn about WWII sailor and ship
• See Canada’s oldest working clock
• Explore historic graveyard
• Walk through urban garden
• Hear about church mice problem
• Enter Halifax Public Gardens
• Visit pond with ducks and geese
• Explore Protestant Camp Hill Cemetery
• Learn about Halifax Armoury
• Hear about Old Town Clock history
• Visit Gothic Revival Cathedral
• Walk among ancient cemetery stones
• Visit Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market
• See monument to explosion victims
• Learn Richmond Staircase symbolism
• Hear story of Francis Mackey
• Learn about explosion conditions
• Visit St Joseph’s memorial
• Explore Richmond School history
• Discover secret of the trees
• Hear controversy of structure
• See Tudor Revival rowhouses
• Visit Fountain at Bishop's Landing
• End tour at Hydrostone Market

The experience

The tours come downloaded to your device before you leave, so you walk without needing a signal or data. GPS shows exactly where you are and where to go next. When you get close to a point of interest, the guide's voice plays automatically. You can pause, backtrack, sit down for a break, or skip attractions entirely. The tour picks up right where you left off. The three routes cover over 75 stops across the city, from the Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market (North America's oldest continuously open farmers market) to the Old Town Clock, which has kept time for over 250 years with a nine-foot pendulum driven by a 250-pound weight.

The Halifax Explosion tour walks you through the 1917 disaster with stories of survival and perseverance, including the Richmond Staircase (its railings etched with names of destroyed businesses), the Richmond School built immediately after the blast, and memorials to those who lived through it. The Churches, Gardens & Graveyards route takes in the Halifax Public Gardens, a Victorian-era National Historic Site, along with historic graveyards and churches, each with its own detail the guide will point out. The Boardwalk & Seaport route passes Pier 21, where nearly a million immigrants first stepped onto Canadian soil between 1928 and 1971, and includes a spot to take in the harbour from a hammock.

Each tour also includes a location-based trivia game: after the commentary plays, tap your answer on the screen and see your score as you go. You're not locked into one day: download the tours and use them any date or time that suits you. One booking covers as many devices as the number of travelers you select, so a group can each follow the same route on their own phone.

What’s included

• Audio directions and live GPS map showing your route and location.
• tour guide commentary that plays automatically at each point of interest.
• three complete tours (Halifax Explosion, Churches Gardens & Graveyards, Boardwalk & Seaport).
• location-based trivia game at each stop.
• no time constraints (take as long as you like.
• flexible dates) the tours are yours to keep and use anytime.
• customer service via phone and email.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (6 and older) · Under 6: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Audio guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 9 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Tripvia Tours

Is this one for you?The audio guide speaks English, so you follow along at a comfortable pace without needing to read or keep up with a group. Download before you leave, and you're free to walk as slowly as you want, stop for photos, sit in the gardens, or come back to the tour another day.

Traveler reviews

4.28★★★★★★★★★★

18 verified traveler reviews

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Top questions

What happens if I don't have cell service while I'm walking the tour?

The tours download to your device over WiFi before you start, so you need no signal or data during the walk. GPS navigation and all commentary are stored on your phone and ready to go.

Can I do all three tours in one day, or do I have to spread them out?

You choose. The tours are yours to keep and use any date or time you like: complete all three in a single day, split them across your trip, or come back to them later. There's no time constraint.

What's included in the Halifax Explosion tour?

The Halifax Explosion tour covers over 25 stops tied to the 1917 disaster, including the Richmond Staircase, Richmond School, memorials, and stories of survival. You'll hear about the conditions survivors faced, the people who helped them, and how the explosion still shapes the city today.

Do I need to visit every attraction the tour mentions?

No. All attractions along the routes are optional. You have complete freedom to visit only the ones that interest you and skip the rest. The tour guide commentary will still be there when you pick it back up.

How many points of interest are covered across all three tours?

The three tours include over 75 points of interest in total, with over 85 audio stories. Each stop has its own commentary that plays automatically as you approach.

Can I download the tours to multiple devices if I'm traveling with others?

Yes. The number of travelers you select at booking is the number of devices you can download the tours to, so each person in your group can follow along on their own phone.