If you are visiting Nova Scotia without a car, then this post will help you know what you can (and can’t) do, the best places to stay, and helpful resources for traveling around. Traveling around Nova Scotia without a car will be more difficult than renting a car because Nova Scotia isn’t as well-connected by public transportation compared to areas in other countries. But, if need help traveling around Nova Scotia without a car then this post is for you!
What to do in Nova Scotia without a car
If you are staying in Nova Scotia without a car, it is strongly recommended to base yourself in Halifax and do day trips from there. Halifax is the capital of Nova Scotia, and has an international airport. It is a walkable city, so it is easy to spend 1-2 days exploring Halifax on foot. There are a lot of other beautiful and popular towns within an hour from Halifax (Wolfville, Mahone Bay, Lunenburg, and the Bay of Fundy area).
If you are interested in visiting Cape Breton Nova Scotia without a car, then there are guided multi-day group tours available from Halifax too! Getting to Cape Breton on your own is about 5 hours from Halifax via bus, and the flights to get there are expensive. Traveling around Cape Breton (specifically the Cabot Trail), will be next to impossible without a car, so a guided tour is your best option.
How to get to downtown Halifax from the airport without a car
The Halifax Airport website is your best resource for learning how to get to and from the airport. But below are a few popular options:
- Bus route 320 connects the Halifax Airport to downtown Halifax. The fare is $4.25 cash (exact change only). The airport bus schedule can be found here.
- Private Transfers are also available (although much more expensive).
- Taxis
- If you arrive by Halifax by train then you are in luck! The train station is right in downtown Halifax, and within walking distance to all of the popular sights!
Day trips offered from Halifax Nova Scotia – Group Tour Options
The best way to experience Nova Scotia without a car is by basing yourself in Halifax and then going on an organized group tour each day. These will take you to each location, explain the history, give you some time to explore the sites on your own, and then drop you back off at your hotel.
The tours below can be used as creating an itinerary for visiting Nova Scotia without a car. Go on one tour per day to see everything that is unique to Nova Scotia!
Day trips in Nova Scotia with an organized tour group
- Day trip to Peggy’s Cove. This 3.5 hour tour will pick you up and drop you off at your hotel in downtown Halifax. This will give you plenty of time to admire Peggy’s Cove!
- Day trip to Mahone Bay and Lunenburg. This tour only includes Mahone Bay and Lunenburg which will give you more time to explore these two picturesque towns! If you have enough time, spend one day taking the group tour mentioned above to Peggy’s Cove, and then spend the other day exploring Mahone Bay and Lunenburg. If you are limited on time, then going on a tour that adds Peggy’s Cove to the day is another option.
- Day trip to the Bay of Fundy. If you visit Nova Scotia it wouldn’t be complete without experiencing the highest tides in the world. This tour offers a trip to the Bay of Fundy where you can walk on the ocean floor!
- Wolfville and the Annapolis Valley. This tour also explores the Bay of Fundy side of Nova Scotia, and you can visit the historic town of Wolfville! Also experience the sites of the Annapolis Valley, another iconic spot in Nova Scotia.
- Day trip to Peggy’s Cove, Mahone Bay, Lunenburg and the Annapolis Valley. If you don’t have a lot of time to see all of the sights of Nova Scotia over a few days, then this day tour shows a bit of almost everything that Nova Scotia has to offer in one day! This would be more rushed than pacing out the other tours above.
- Cape Breton day tours are not possible from Halifax since it takes at least 5 hours to get there by car or bus. BUT, if you have a few days to spare then adding a 3 multi-day trip from Halifax is a great option to experience Cape Breton without a car!
How to travel around Nova Scotia without a car or group tour
If group day trips aren’t your jam, or you want to travel more slowly or to specific towns, then below are options for how to travel around Nova Scotia without a car. The bus is your best option. BUT the bus is infrequent and limited so it is VERY IMPORTANT to plan ahead when visiting towns from Halifax without a car!
Nova Scotia isn’t connected by public transportation very well. The bus, taxi, or local shuttle services are your best options.
Maritime Bus Company has direct buses from the airport and downtown Halifax to various locations throughout Nova Scotia. There are a few important things to know:
- The bus only operates once per day so it is not possible to visit multiple locations on the same day.
- The bus requires at least 2-3 hours advance notice depending on where you want to go.
- The bus travels on specific days, so check their schedule!
Mahone Bay and Lunenburg.
The Maritime Bus arrives at Mahone Bay or Lunenburg in the evenings. If you want to spend a day or two in each location without depending on the limited bus schedule, you can take a shuttle or taxi between the two towns.
The bus stop for Mahone Bay is infront of the 3 churches, so it’s very central.
The bus stop for Lunenburg is at the Esso Gas Station. It is about a 10-15 minutes walk into the historic part of town.
In Mahone Bay and Lunenburg there are plenty of organized day tours to get an in-depth view of each location! Or you can walk throughout each town since they are very small.
Suggested Reading: What to do on a day trip to Mahone Bay and Lunenburg. This post suggests activities that can be done in the town of Mahone Bay and Lunenburg – even without a car!
Wolfville
The Maritime Bus also departs from Halifax and goes to Wolfville! The bus stop is in front of Acadia University, so it is very central. However, this also requires planning since the bus leaves Halifax only in the evening, and on specific days. So check their bus schedule in advance!
Once you are in Wolfville, you can go on organized group tours to the surrounding wineries, or explore the town of Wolfville on foot.
There is also a local bus that travels around Wolfville and to surrounding towns like Kentville, and around the Valley. The schedule and more information can be found here.
Cape Breton
Yes, the Maritime Bus company also goes to Cape Breton! Specifically Whycocomagh and Sydney (the largest town in Cape Breton).
However, to travel around Cape Breton without a car is extremely difficult. Public transportation around the Cabot Trail is also pretty much non-existent. So, if you can, take the multi-day trip of Cape Breton from Halifax mentioned earlier in this post.
If you want to see a section of the Cabot Trail from Sydney Cape Breton as a one-day tour, then this tour is an option.
Check out the Cape Breton Island website for shuttle companies, and a few bus companies that may be able to get you where you need to go.
Multi-Day tours around Nova Scotia
If you do not want to base yourself in Halifax or do day trips, then why not join a multi-day group tour?
- Atlantic Tours & Travel is a company that offers tons of multi-day tours with varying lengths around Nova Scotia and Atlantic Canada. They are sure to have a tour that will fit your timeline and location you are interested in seeing!
- Intrepid Travel offers a multi-day group tour around mainland Nova Scotia, Cape Breton, AND Prince Edward Island.
- TourRadar is another popular tour company that has a few Nova Scotia multi-day itineraries.
Helpful resources for how to travel around Nova Scotia without a car
- Refer to the Maritime Bus Company website for available bus stops and schedules.
- Google Maps is also a helpful resource to learn about how to get to different areas using public transportation.
- Transit App is a free app that provides real-time transit information to track your bus. This is for buses that service the Halifax area only.
- Nova Scotia is a very seasonal province, so there will be reduced schedule times for public transportation.
- Check with the local tour guide groups before you book your trip to ensure that they are operating when you plan to go!
Do you WANT to rent a car, but unable to find one?
If you want to rent a car but unable to find one then try these options:
Turo. This is like AirBnB but for cars. It is a great option if you can’t find a rental car from the bigger companies.
Rent a RV. Renting a RV and traveling around Nova Scotia and staying at campgrounds, AirBnBs or even hotels may be an option! Canadream and even RVezy are a couple of options.
Summary
If it is possible for you to rent a car in Nova Scotia, then I would highly recommend it. It is still possible to explore Nova Scotia without a car, especially if you do organized day trips from Halifax. The day trips in particular will be able to take you to the main highlights of Nova Scotia. I hope this guide was helpful for you!
Do you have any tips for traveling around Nova Scotia without a car? Let me know in the comments below!
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