Explore Halifax by land and sea
Amphibious vehicles allow tourists to experience city from all angles
halifax All aboard the Harbour Hopper, a frog-green, rusting hull-on-wheels tour that allows visitors to experience Halifax by both land and water.
The four-vehicle fleet of retrofitted Vietnam War-era amphibious crafts, purchased from the U.S. army for $1 million apiece, and is a staple of summer in the city.
The approximately hour-long tour is split evenly between the city streets and the seas of Halifax Harbour, narrated by a peppy guide who leads the passengers in the occasional round of “ribbiting ” in honour of the Harbour Hopper’s mascot, a rain-capped frog.
The hulking carrier begins its route on land, winding up the narrow roads of Citadel Hill, first fortified in 1749.
The bus drones by the broderie-patterned beds of the Halifax Public Gardens; down the city’s main drag, Spring Garden Road; past the Old Burying Ground, where, by some estimates, 12,000 of Halifax’s earliest settlers are buried 10 to a grave.
The tour arrives at a slimy ramp
on the edge of Halifax Harbour. At this point, 23-year-old tour guide Alex Landry informs the group that driver Asim Khan has become captain of the vessel. The crowd braces itself for the awesome transition from bus to boat, and the vehicle rolls into the water with a splash.
The vehicle propels its way into the harbour, cruising past the naval dockyards and the lighthouse
on Georges Island. By the time the Harbour Hopper returns to the waterfront, some of the children on board have been lulled to sleep by either the history or the waves.
“It’s been a really family friendly experience,” says Sanj Sathiyamoorthy, a tourist from Ontario. “We don’t have boats like that in Kitchener.”