DOWN EAST TOURS offer Private Guiding Services to allow you to explore and experience the Best of Nova Scotia and the Maritimes. We will show you all the ‘must see’ sights and allow you to explore many of the Hidden Gems that others miss.

Down East Tours is based out of the Halifax area in Nova Scotia. We offer Shore Excursions for Cruise Guests ensuring you will be back in plenty of time before departure. Pickup is also available from Hotel, Train Station and we can arrange other pick up locations based on your specific needs. All of our tours are customizable and we also offer long day tours of 8 hours+ as well as multi-day trips to areas such as Cape Breton and all areas of Nova Scotia as well as Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.

The majority of our tours are 5 – 6 hours and take you to our most popular sites such as Peggy’s Cove, Lunenburg, Annapolis Valley and Fisherman’s Cove. In 2017 we added a new tour to Oak Island ! (History Channel – The Curse of Oak Island). All tours are PRIVATE which means we do not fill seats. No other group/persons will be joining your tour. We are senior and kid friendly, please note our passenger restrictions.

Experience what others miss as well as enjoy the locals, the food and the drinks. We often run into people who love to chat about their way of life. There are many great food choices from locally caught fish, fresh salads made from locally grown foods to our famous Nova Scotia Lobster and Seafood Chowders. Additionally, there are plenty of choices of locally made beverages, such as amazing wines, tasty ciders, craft beer and distilled rum, vodka and liquors.

2023 is expected to be VERY BUSY and we are actively taking bookings for the season and do sell out, specifically during the high cruise ship season. Don't be disappointed, BOOK EARLY ! Most tours start in the morning with mid/late afternoon tours available. Pricing is hourly based at $100/hr (includes local taxes 15%) for the Vehicle (not per person). All pricing is in Canadian Funds

The vehicle is very comfortable Dodge Grand Caravan commercially inspected and licensed as per the requirements of the Motor Carrier Licensing & the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board. All required Commercial Licensing & Insurance to operate in Nova Scotia and Interprovincially to Prince Edward Island & New Brunswick is in place.

All Nova Scotia Health & Safety protocols are followed to ensure a safe experience including cleaning/sanitation of vehicle before and during tour. Hand sanitizer and extra masks are available for our guests who wish to wear them. As of March 21, 2022 Nova Scotia has lifted all restrictions including mask mandates, other than in Hospital settings.

Mel Zilkowsky, AKA Mel Z, is the owner/operator of Down East Tours, is a Nationally Certified Tour Professional, Certified by the Tourism Council of Canada and has been guiding since 2013. Based out of Eastern Passage (Halifax), Nova Scotia, Mel Z has guided many guests from all over the world and loves meeting new people. He holds a Class 4 Commercial Drivers License and has received COVID-19 Vaccinations/Boosters (3 doses).

There is lots of information on our website outlining the Private Tours we offer and now you can Book Your Tour online as of Jan 9, 2023. We have a growing Gallery of Photos that we add to from time to time, and we tried our best to answer the commonly asked questions under our FAQ's.

Lastly, make sure you check our our reviews under the Testimonials from some of our many guests.  If you have toured with us, we would love your feedback ! Visit our Review Your Tour page or feel free to leave your review on FaceBook, Trip Advisor and now Google (NEW!).

Please contact us with any questions that you may have. We look forward to helping you start to plan your adventure!

1-902-222-2934