Top Saint John Culture

Explore Canada’s oldest incorporated city on a flexible GPS-guided audio walking tour. Stories play automatically as you follow Saint John’s waterfront, historic streets, public squares and remarkable architecture. Highlights include AREA 506, HARBOUR PASSAGE, LOYALIST HOUSE, SAINT JOHN CITY MARKET, KING’S SQUARE, IMPERIAL THEATRE and the THREE SISTERS LAMP. Hear stories of Loyalists, the Great Fire of 1877 and the Bay of Fundy’s powerful tides. Start whenever you like, pause for photos, shops or waterfront views and finish at your own pace. Download before you arrive; no mobile data or signal is needed during the tour.

Discover the history of Saint John with a visit to King Square and the City Market. Drive through the city’s historic uptown, showcasing Victorian-era buildings. Explore Rockwood Park, Canada’s second-largest urban park, with 10 lakes. Visit Fort Howe National Historic Site and enjoy panoramic views of the harbor. See the Reversing Falls, a natural marvel where the Bay of Fundy meets the river.

Discover the highlights of New Brunswick's rugged Fundy coastline on this half-day tour from Saint John. With round-trip coach transit, you can access natural wonders many other visitors miss. Admire sandstone sea caves, stroll along rocky beaches, visit the fishing village of Saint Martins, and even discover the Reversing Falls Rapids. With in-depth commentary from your guide, you'll learn the stories behind the picturesque sights.

Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada's oldest incorporated city, has a past that's equal parts gritty, violent, and fascinating. On this walking tour, you'll hear stories of serial poisoners, unsolved murders, public hangings, and a notorious American traitor who fled here seeking redemption. Starting at Tin Can Beach, you'll walk the former red light district of Sheffield Street, pass the spot where New Brunswick's first murder was committed with a table fork in 1784, and stop outside where wealthy brewer Richard Oland was beaten to death in 2011 in a case with no conviction. Just steps away stood the home of Benedict Arnold, burned in effigy by locals. The tour ends near York Point Slip, where the Great Fire of 1877 ignited, reducing over 1,600 buildings to ash overnight. Along the way, hear about the 1889 Candy Killer, the last public hanging at Gallows Hill in 1956, and a 1914 streetcar strike so violent that federal troops rode in to restore order.

Indigenous influence in the Saint John area is largely overlooked. Prior to the establishment of Canada’s oldest incorporated city, a flourishing culture already existed, the Wolastoqiyik. Discover the local history of the Wolastoqey and Mi’kmaq peoples from a unique Indigenous point of view while meandering along the harbor and the Beautiful River – Wolastoq. Walk along a historical portage route and over archeological sites and become acquainted with the timeless wisdom of our ancestors. Learn how stewardship of the earth should look in a modern world while respecting and celebrating the traditions of the past through the eyes of traditional and modern artisans and artists and the stories that bind our cultures together.

Take in the architecture, history, and culture of uptown Saint John. During this two hour tour your costumed guide will show you where the Loyalist refugees first landed in the city after the War of Independence, where the infamous Benedict Arnold once lived, and so much more. Your guide will take you down historic streets filled with architectural wonders from the later part of the 19th century. You'll hear stories of the city's rich ship building heritage and the area's deep Irish and Acadian roots. If you like local foods and arts and crafts then you'll certainly enjoy your visit to the Old City Market. This is one walking tour you don't want to miss.

Avoid passive sightseeing and turn exploring Saint John into an interactive challenge with a private smartphone scavenger hunt. Instead of simply walking between landmarks, you solve clues that guide you through the city’s history and waterfront views, keeping you engaged and oriented without needing a fixed tour route. It’s an easy way to discover key sites while staying active and entertained.

Saint John, New Brunswick, has an envious location along the Bay of Fundy and a rich history dating back to British colonial times in North America. Strap on a helmet and limber up for an active yet casual cycling tour of Saint John’s history, each stop showcasing a place or moment significant chapter. Ride to a trading post that dates back thousands of years then see military forts constructed for the American Revolutionary War.

Make the most out of your short time in Saint John with this walking tour. Met at the port by your local guide, you’ll dive into the history of Canada’s oldest incorporated city, from historic markets and cemeteries to green spaces and downtown. The only city on the Bay of Fundy, you’ll also get to see the city’s tides roll in and out—more than any other place on the planet.