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  • Halifax, Canada

Halifax Explosion Smartphone Audio Walking Tour

  • Mobile ticket

  • Offered in: English

Join tour guide Jeff on your smartphone as you discover one of the greatest tragedies in Canadian history. You'll not only see historical sites & landmarks, but hear stories of survival & perseverance during the 1917 Halifax Explosion. You'll see the Memorial Bell Tower, Hydrostone District, learn about the miracle of Ashpan Annie, the adventures of Billy Wells, the ensuing tsunami & much more! GPS map shows where you are and where to go next. As you get close, tour guide commentary will automatically play. The tour also comes with a location based trivia game. After the commentary plays, look at your device and tap your answer. Keep the professional tour guide experience, ditch the crowded tour groups, tight schedules and high prices. It’s yours! Enjoy anytime, not just on your booking date. Stop & start anywhere along route. The number of travelers selected is the number of devices you can download the tour to. Trust the platform with over 75 tours & 25,000+ happy customers.

What to Expect

Private tour
27 stops
1 hr 30 min – 2 hrs 20 min

Stop at: Hydrostone Park

5 min

Join tour guide Jeff as you discover one of the greatest tragedies in Canadian history. You'll not only see historical sites & landmarks, but hear the stories of survival & perseverance that surfaced during the 1917 Halifax Explosion. During the 5km tour you'll see the Memorial Bell Tower, Hydrostone District & various memorials, learn about the miracle of Ashpan Annie, the adventure of Billy Wells, the ensuing Tsunami & much more! Live GPS map shows where you are and where to go next. As you get close, tour guide commentary will automatically play. The tour also comes with a location based trivia game. After the commentary plays, look at your device and tap your guess at the answer. Keep the professional tour guide experience, ditch the crowded tour groups, tight schedules and high prices. It’s yours! Enjoy anytime, not just on your booking date. Stop & start anywhere along route. Note: the number of travelers you select is the number of devices you can download the tour to.

Stop at: St. Joseph's Square

5 min

Three moments in time...we'll tell you about the memorial to the Catholic Parish of St Joseph’s.

Stop at: Novalea Drive & Hennessey Place

5 min

We'll tell you how the park began as military grounds to it's rebuilding of a neighbourhood park and memorial today.

Stop at: MC72+M7

5 min

SS MONT BLANC, SS IMO & THE EXPLOSION. Here we'll tell you about the ships involved and the events leading up to the explosion.

Stop at: Halifax Explosion Memorial Bell Tower

5 min

We'll tell you about the impressive monument to the people of Halifax and Dartmouth, who experienced first-hand, the devastation of the Halifax explosion.

Stop at: Fort Needham Memorial Park

5 min

RICHMOND STAIRCASE. We'll tell you the symbolism of the staircase and railings, into which are the names of businesses that were destroyed in the blast.

Stop at: Canada Family Court

5 min

RICHMOND SCHOOL. Here we'll tell you how this building, originally built to house a school, was constructed immediately after the explosion and the tragedy of the Roome School.

Stop at: M97V+Q8

5 min

SECRET OF THE TREES. We'll tell what secret made them infamous in lumber mills from Canada to the southern states of America.

Stop at: 3365 Robie St

5 min

THE STORY OF FRANCIS MACKEY. You'll hear his story, the pilot onboard the Mont-Blanc, and how his life was profoundly changed after the explosion.

Stop at: Robie Street & Wells Street

5 min

ROBIE STREET WATER RESERVOIR. We'll tell you about the reservoir, built in 1913, it's survival as well as it's special designation.

Stop at: M98R+44

5 min

PATRICIA & HER CREW. Here stands a monument to the firefighters of Halifax who lost their lives on that day in 1917. We'll tell you a bit about the "Patricia" as well.

Stop at: M99W+82

5 min

FIRE & ICE & BLACK RAIN. As you are walking, we'll talk about the horrific conditions the explosion and weather caused for the survivors.

Stop at: M99W+PH

5 min

TSUNAMI. We'll tell you how it swept up this hillside and would have reached your feet had you been standing here then.

Stop at: M99W+JR

5 min

HOUSE HOLES AND THE RAZING OF RICHMOND. You'll see the changes in the land around you and hear about the ghostly markers of where people once lived and died.

Stop at: M9CX+66

5 min

VINCENT COLEMAN. Hear why Haligonians will always remember Vincent Coleman as a hero who is credited with potentially saved hundreds of lives

Stop at: Barrington Street & Duffus Street

5 min

CAMPBELL ROAD as it was once know, was a simple wide dirt road lined with shops and houses. We'll tell you a bit about it.

Stop at: M99X+HQ

5 min

ASHPAN ANNIE. We've got a wonderful surprise at this stop - good news about a baby’s miraculous survival!!

Stop at: IRVING SHIPBUILDING INC.

5 min

We'll tell about the controversy around this structure and why it ended up being built here.

Stop at: MC92+3J

5 min

THE AMAZING ADVENTURE OF BILLY WELLS. We'll tell you his incredible story.

Stop at: Veith House

5 min

HALIFAX PROTESTANT ORPHANAGE. You'll see a colourful memorial on the white picket fence painted by the children of the Veith House.

Stop at: MC74+X2

5 min

THE ROYAL NAVY COLLEGE once stood across the road, we'll tell you how the efficiency of the co-commander helped everyone survive.

Stop at: MC72+7V

5 min

TO THE RESCUE. We'll tell you about the amazing help Halifax received from around the world and a tradition that is still followed today.

Stop at: Novalea Drive & Kane Place

5 min

HYDROSTONE DISTRICT. You'll hear about the town planner and how he brought the idea of English garden cities to Halifax.

Stop at: M96X+WM

5 min

QUAINT FUNCIONALITY - THE HYDROSTONE'S BACK LANES. Hear about the reason for "back-lane" business!

Stop at: Hennessey Place

5 min

DESIGN: TUDOR REVIVAL. As you walk along you'll see a block of rowhouse cottages, built using the English style, for surviving families.

Stop at: MC62+M3

5 min

HALIFAX RELIEF COMMISSION BUILDING. We'll tell you about the committee formed to deal with the emergency in this building, now designated a cultural historic site.

Stop at: Hydrostone Market

5 min

We end our tour here at the Hydrostone Market. This tour was not about monuments or buildings but about the people who lived through that awful day and those who raced to help them. We hope their stories are an inspiration. Our starting point is just across the road in the park.

What's Included

INCLUDED
  • Download on WIFI before (no signal required or data used during tour)
  • Live GPS map shows route & your location
  • Flexible dates - tour is yours to keep and enjoy anytime on Tripvia Tours.
  • Customer Service via Phone & Email
  • Trivia questions at each stop (optional)
  • Tour guide commentary automatically plays at each point of interest
NOT INCLUDED
  • Smartphone/tablet/headphones (audio will play from device speaker)
  • **Recommended attractions may be closed/inaccessible due to season or reasons beyond our control.

Meeting And Pickup

Additional Info

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Transportation options are wheelchair accessible

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the start time, the amount paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience's local time.

Customer Reviews

Source: Viator and Tripadvisor

4.0

3 total reviews

Rating Distribution

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Starting from

CA$11.99

per person

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