Peggy's Cove

Found an awesome app yesterday that works offline on your phone. Here's a link to a description of the app's features. http://www.gpsmycity.com/apps/halifax-walking-tours-345.html

Best of all, it has walking tours for other cities, too! The first five tours are free to download.

One question: the map says it takes approximately 4+ hours to drive this route. How much time did you spend in each location? I would like to take the 45 minute walking tour in Lunenberg, eat at Ryer's near Peggy's Cove and stop a few more times for photos if I see something of interest (which I know I will). How much time did you spend altogether and did you feel rushed getting back to Halifax? We are supposed to be in port from 9am to 6pm (and I really have no idea if it will be 8am or 10am in Halifax when we arrive :confused:). Thanks again.

Be prepared to adjust. We were scheduled to be in port from 9 to 6 (Norwegian Dawn who matches local time), got in late, and the ship had to clear customs as this was the first Canadian port. By the time we picked up our car (there was a line with one staff member only available) it was past 10:30.

We took the less scenic routes to minimize our drive time, and spent well over an hour at Peggy's Cove because it was so pretty (5 minutes at the lighthouse and the rest of the time walking on the rocks). We stopped at Ryer's for lobster but were lucky to hit a lull in the crowd. We did stop for some quick pictures at Mahone Bay, then spent about 45 minutes in Lunenburg. We made sure to make it back with plenty of time on the back end. I should mention this was a Sunday and there was no traffic to worry about.

It will either be 10am (if the ship does not change the clock) or 9am (eg. NCL). You pay the same if you book the car until 5, 6 or 7pm...so don't worry about extra time at the end when you book. Call when you get into port if you are worried about being late to pick up the car. Hope that helps.

Be prepared to adjust. We were scheduled to be in port from 9 to 6 (Norwegian Dawn who matches local time), got in late, and the ship had to clear customs as this was the first Canadian port. By the time we picked up our car (there was a line with one staff member only available) it was past 10:30.

 

We took the less scenic routes to minimize our drive time, and spent well over an hour at Peggy's Cove because it was so pretty (5 minutes at the lighthouse and the rest of the time walking on the rocks). We stopped at Ryer's for lobster but were lucky to hit a lull in the crowd. We did stop for some quick pictures at Mahone Bay, then spent about 45 minutes in Lunenburg. We made sure to make it back with plenty of time on the back end. I should mention this was a Sunday and there was no traffic to worry about.

 

It will either be 10am (if the ship does not change the clock) or 9am (eg. NCL). You pay the same if you book the car until 5, 6 or 7pm...so don't worry about extra time at the end when you book. Call when you get into port if you are worried about being late to pick up the car. Hope that helps.

Thank you so much for the information...it does help. I have booked the car for 10am, which I believe will be 9am ship time so I will call as soon as I get cell coverage so they don't give our car away (I rented from National). And I believe we are the only ship in port that day (can't remember if it is Halifax or Saint John where we are the only ship).

The guided walking tours in Lunenberg are only 10am and 11:15am so I am afraid we will miss them but if that is the case, I have found a very good map of a walking tour we can do on our own. We will be there on a Tuesday so have no idea what the traffic will be like...we can always stick to the main highway getting back to Halifax if our time runs short. But I think we will have plenty of time to do everything we want. Thanks again!

What is the best way to get to Lunenburg round trip without renting a car? How much time should we allow there ? How long is the drive one way?

Without renting a car you would have to hire a taxi or take a ship's tour if there is one. Since it is over an hour away the taxi would be very pricey.

You want as much time as you can in Lunenburg. You could spend days in that area. Just in the town there is the Fisheries Museum, the waterfront, Montague Street full of shops and restaurants, the walking tour to look at the unique architecture (pamphlet available in town), etc., etc.

Here is the map showing the drive by the fastest route: https://maps.google.ca/maps?saddr=Canadian+Museum+of+Immigration+at+Pier+21,+Marginal+Rd,+Halifax,+NS&daddr=Lunenburg,+NS&hl=en&sll=44.004261,-62.918551&sspn=9.243121,21.51123&geocode=FYogqQIdkRI2_CEgmzhDlXHjFyndrHIwSiJaSzEgmzhDlXHjFw%3BFa0jpQIdjZIq_ClD0a4gwVtXSzHrTTCtT3o5Vg&oq=lunenburt&mra=ls&t=m&z=10

However, you will want to take coastal roads on the way there.

Without renting a car you would have to hire a taxi or take a ship's tour if there is one. Since it is over an hour away the taxi would be very pricey.

 

You want as much time as you can in Lunenburg. You could spend days in that area. Just in the town there is the Fisheries Museum, the waterfront, Montague Street full of shops and restaurants, the walking tour to look at the unique architecture (pamphlet available in town), etc., etc.

 

Here is the map showing the drive by the fastest route: https://maps.google.ca/maps?saddr=Canadian+Museum+of+Immigration+at+Pier+21,+Marginal+Rd,+Halifax,+NS&daddr=Lunenburg,+NS&hl=en&sll=44.004261,-62.918551&sspn=9.243121,21.51123&geocode=FYogqQIdkRI2_CEgmzhDlXHjFyndrHIwSiJaSzEgmzhDlXHjFw%3BFa0jpQIdjZIq_ClD0a4gwVtXSzHrTTCtT3o5Vg&oq=lunenburt&mra=ls&t=m&z=10

 

However, you will want to take coastal roads on the way there.

Mary Ann...first I want to thank you for all of the wonderful information you have posted on this forum. It has made planning the day in NS so easy.

But I have two questions...would you recommend driving the coastal roads to Peggy's Cove first and then going to Lunenberg? I would like to avoid the crowds/buses at PC and thought going in the afternoon might be better? And I really don't want to be rushed in Lunenberg. We are also planning on eating at Ryer's so thought that might be better mid-afternoon rather than late morning. :confused:

Second, how is the fall foliage right now? We will be there on the 14th and I am so hoping that it will still be a peak time. Coming from the southwest desert, the photos I have seen of that area in the fall are something I can only dream about and the main reason I am taking this cruise. Of course I will enjoy it no matter what, even if it snows (ok, maybe not snow LOL). Thanks again for all you insight.

You could take the coastal roads to Lunenburg first, then the highway back to the Upper Tantallon exit to the Peggy's Cove road. You will still find yourself rushed in Lunenburg because there is so much to do there, but if you settle for a quick walk around you will be OK.

The leaves seem to be a bit early this year and are near to their peak now. They should still be great when you come unless we have a wind storm.

https://maps.google.ca/maps?saddr=Canadian+Museum+of+Immigration+at+Pier+21,+Marginal+Rd,+Halifax,+NS&daddr=Chester,+NS+to:44.5558393,-64.2701023+to:Mahone+Bay,+NS+to:Lunenburg,+NS+to:44.5313788,-64.3102245+to:44.4949934,-64.0768284+to:Peggys+Cove,+NS+to:Ryers+Lobster+Retail,+Peggys+Cove+Rd,+NS+to:Canadian+Museum+of+Immigration+at+Pier+21,+Marginal+Rd,+Halifax,+NS&hl=en&sll=44.543875,-63.993057&sspn=0.572575,1.344452&geocode=FYogqQIdkRI2_CEgmzhDlXHjFyndrHIwSiJaSzEgmzhDlXHjFw%3BFaSopwId4Mor_CljW-fuz-ZZSzF4stzvBqZ0QQ%3BFT_epwId6lAr_Cm_6hKMPedZSzGnr8vkTfzyWQ%3BFcI9pgIdPJsp_Cn7Y_qvyl9XSzGf5BZFz_TFyg%3BFa0jpQIdjZIq_ClD0a4gwVtXSzHrTTCtT3o5Vg%3BFbJ-pwIdMLQq_Cl1A091vuBZSzGF6LyWHIn6fA%3BFZHwpgId5EMu_Cnz00w-YPtZSzG98UXlHMZIRA%3BFernpgIdRLIw_CnlsFTY6QJaSzFmhYBMEgaDaw%3BFa8_pwIdL24w_CEmWIfX9onkGik9iQnauPlZSzEmWIfX9onkGg%3BFYogqQIdkRI2_CEgmzhDlXHjFyndrHIwSiJaSzEgmzhDlXHjFw&oq=pie&mra=dpe&mrsp=5&sz=10&via=2,5,6&t=m&z=10

I recognize your name from our Magic Med. cruise. We are looking seriously at doing the Carnival Splendor next Sept. from NY to visit Halifax and Saint John.

I went looking for your email address, but since I retired it was left on my work computer :mad:, as is all the other awesome folks we met on that cruise...I may try and search on facebook! So if you could post that link again, I would appreciate it very much.

thanks

Lori

You do not need wi-fi to use a GPS (unless maybe it's on a phone.) There should be wi-fi at the port and in various other places.

 

Here is the same map with a few more places entered. http://*******/maps/ivCmX

Sorry, I've been travelling! Look for me on the Trip Advisor Nova Scotia forum and send me a PM.