Guided heritage tours exploring the history, forts and lighthouse of McNabs Island, departing from Eastern Passage.
McNabs Island Guided Tours run on Sundays throughout July and August, with the South End Guided Heritage Tour specifically on July 19 and August 16, 2026, from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. You set off from A&M Sea Charters at 87 Government Wharf Rd in Eastern Passage, over at Fisherman's Cove, and from there the tour continues on the island itself.
McNabs is the largest island at the entrance of Halifax Harbour and part of McNabs and Lawlor Islands Provincial Park. The tours are run by the Friends of McNabs Island Society, a volunteer-driven registered charity that's been around since 1990. They're the ones who maintain the trails, host beach cleanups and manage the Teahouse Outdoor Education Centre in the restored English Victorian Gardens.
The island has deep roots with the Mi'kmaw First Nations, the early French settlers and the British, who built several forts to protect the Port of Halifax: Fort Ives on the north end, the island's oldest fortification, and Fort McNab at the south end, a National Historic Site. Along the way you'll hear the tragic story of the SS England, which was quarantined with cholera off the island in 1866, and see the Maugers Beach Lighthouse, built between 1941 and 1945.
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Keep in mind that the terrain is rough in places, as storms have washed rocks onto the paths, so you should be able to walk at least 5km. Tickets are C$40 per adult for non-members, C$30 for Friends of McNabs Island Society members, and C$20 for children and youth 16 and under; babies and toddlers under four are free but still need to be registered.
