Saint John (New Brunswick)

An old port city on the Bay of Fundy, where the Reversing Falls show off the world's highest tides, and the Victorian Uptown, City Market and coastal nature parks are all within walking distance or a short drive.

Saint John is one of the largest cities in New Brunswick, Canada, located on the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. Founded by Loyalists who arrived after the American Revolution and granted a royal charter in 1785, it is Canada's oldest incorporated city. The Bay of Fundy has the highest tides in the world, seen most vividly at the Reversing Falls on the west side of the city, where the rising and falling tide turns the river-mouth rapids around twice a day. Uptown is built on the slopes of a harbour peninsula and was rebuilt in brick and stone after the Great Fire of 1877; its Victorian architecture, City Market, King's Square and the Harbour Passage are all easy to explore on foot. Nearby are the coastal trails of Irving Nature Park and the vast Rockwood Park, and the whole city lies within the Stonehammer UNESCO Global Geopark. The Fundy Trail Parkway and the St. Martins sea caves, about 50 km east, are popular day trips (listed in this guide under the Fundy National Park destination). The best season is Jun–Sep, October brings beautiful fall colours, and winters are cold and foggy. It's about a 4-hour drive from Halifax or 1.5 hours from Moncton, and cruise ships call in summer. Allow 1–2 days, and be sure to check the tide tables in advance. The New Brunswick Museum is currently closed for rebuilding and is expected to reopen around 2028.

Top sights

• Reversing Falls Rapids – The giant tides of the Bay of Fundy collide with the Saint John River in the gorge. At high tide the current runs back upstream, and at low…
• Saint John City Market – An indoor market built in 1876 with a roof shaped like an upturned ship's hull. It is one of Canada's oldest farmers' markets and a Nationa…
• Irving Nature Park – A peninsula nature park on the city's southwest coast, with coastal trails, salt-marsh boardwalks and Taylor Island beach where you can see…
• Rockwood Park – One of Canada's largest urban parks, with more than a dozen lakes and dozens of kilometres of trails in its woods, plus the Cherry Brook Zo…
• Carleton Martello Tower – A round stone tower fort built during the War of 1812 and a Canadian national historic site; from the top you can take in a 360-degree view…
• King's Square & Loyalist Burial Ground – A historic square in the Uptown centre, with paths laid out in the pattern of the Union Jack and the neighbouring Loyalist Burial Ground, w…
• Uptown Saint John (Trinity Royal) – The Uptown district rebuilt after the 1877 fire, with a dense concentration of Victorian brick and stone buildings; cafés, bars and galleri…
• Market Square & Harbour Passage – Shops and dining on the Uptown waterfront; the Harbour Passage starting here follows the harbour for about 5 km toward the Reversing Falls.
• Trinity Church – An Anglican Gothic Revival church in Uptown, home to a British royal coat of arms that Loyalists brought from Boston; its spire is a landma…
• Loyalist House – A Georgian-style house completed in 1817 that survived the 1877 fire; its rooms are furnished with the furniture and household items of the…
• Fort Howe Lookout – A replica wooden blockhouse on the rocky hilltop of the North End, offering a free viewpoint over Saint John's harbour, Uptown and the West…
• Imperial Theatre – A lavish theatre that opened in 1913, once used by a church before citizens raised funds to restore it; today it hosts concerts, plays and…
• Barbour's General Store – A faithfully recreated 19th-century rural general store beside the Market Slip, its shelves stocked with old goods, medicines and sweets; f…

Where to eat

• East Coast Bistro – One of uptown Saint John's best-loved bistros, serving seafood in the style of a French bistro using local seasonal ing…
• Cask and Kettle Irish Pub – An Irish gastropub opened in 2016 in a historic uptown building, serving fish and chips alongside Acadian dishes.
• Saint John Ale House – A longtime pub on Market Square with a famous giant lobster roll and seafood chowder, plus a harbourside patio in summe…

Itineraries

• Maritime Provinces Clockwise Grand Loop – A grand loop through Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, connecting the South Shore, the Bay of Fundy…
• Fundy Coast: Moncton to Saint John – A one-way road trip along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy to chase the tides, see the Hopewell Rocks, lighthouses…