The beautiful seaside city of Saint John, New Brunswick (not to be mistaken with St Johns, Newfoundland) is a stunning example of maritime culture. This walk-able and tourist friendly city comes alive from Spring to Fall with countless things to do. I’ve been covering some of the best things to do in just about every city across Canada, and it’s about time I help shine the light on Saint John. Let’s see what kind of fun you can have on your visit to one of my favourite Maritime cities.
Explore the Saint John City Market
Any visit to Saint John wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Saint John City Market. The ceiling is built the body of a boat, and there are a few enclaves that allow you to get some unique shots of the shops, vendors. Dozens of merchants including Butchers, Fresh Seafood, the always tasty Java Moose Coffee, Taco’s, Fresh fruit and veg, and a ton of different ethnic foods you can only find here. They’re open year round too, which is a huge plus!
Zipline at the Reversing Falls
Experience the amazing views of the world famous Reversing Falls from the comfort of a harness, zipping across the sky like a laid-back Spider-man. You’ll reach heights of 100 feet above water (depending on the tide). Some of the best adrenaline and views can be found here.
Get wild with the Reversing Falls Jet Boat
Suit up in your brightest yellows (they’re provided with your ticket) and hop in for a wild ride with this unique jet boat excursion. Operating during the late spring to early fall, the Reversing falls boat ride is a sure fire way to get your blood pumping. You’ll feel the salt air, and likely taste a bit of it as well as you zip and spin around on the water like a first timer playing Mario Kart.
The Irving Nature Park
If the last two are a bit too out there, slow things down at the Irving Nature Park. This park is totally free, and is located a few minutes from the city. Featuring beaches, boardwalks, and trails, the Irving Nature Park is a 600 acre park with tons of unique flora and fauna. This park was created to help protect the fragile coastline of the Bay of Fundy. Explore eight different walking trails, or simply lounge and watch the harbour seals do their thing in the bay. A superb spot for a picnic or just to see what’s outside of the city.
Happinez Wine Bar
Great wine, great staff, gentle music, and a great place for a date or a drink and conversation. It isn’t huge but it’s very comfortable and a great place to hang out during the winter months. Wine newbies like me are more than welcome to ask for advice. There’s no snooty people in Saint John, at least as far as I could tell. Friendly maritimers will gladly show you the ropes and explain the difference between a dry red and a fruity white. Heck you might even remember their names. Clearly I don’t. Woops!
Britt’s Pub
Just above Happinez is Britt’s Pub. This pub has a solid menu and a great beer selection. If craft beer is your thing I highly recommend Picaroons’ IPA or Pumphouse’s Scotch Ale. New Brunswick has a growing craft scene, and those two were brewed in Fredericton, NB and Moncton, NB. It’s a great place to stop, rain or shine!
Big Tide Brewing Company
So you enjoyed your first taste of craft beer from New Brunswick. Surprise, there’s more! Big Tide Brewing Co. is right across the street and usually has 3-4 of the delicious brews listed on their site available at about $6/pint. Nothing beats a dessert beer after a dinner and a beer.
Crush Sushi at the Sense of Tokyo
Located on Waterlook St, a short walk from just about everything, is Sense of Tokyo. A cute little Japanese restaurant serving some of the best sushi you’ll have in the east coast. Living this close to the ocean ensures their fish is as fresh as can be. It’s clear their chefs have a passion for sushi and that passion spreads throughout town. They can be a bit busy during dinner rush, but service is usually fast so you won’t be waiting long.
Find Canadian Candy at Freak Lunchbox
Freak Lunchbox on King st. is a completely over the top candy store with all of the classics from your childhood, and parents childhood. They also do a superb milkshake. Consider checking out my ultimate Canadian Candy post to brush up on a few items to look for while your there. Or just browse like a fiend. We all do it.
Live music on the weekends
Looking to shake those hips? Of course you are. Visit Peppers, Taco Pica, or O’Learys, which usually has an act in the upstairs too. Usually something more quiet and acoustic, but worth checking out as there’s a ton of great folk and singer-songwriters in eastern Canada. Don’t forget to check out the Somerset. Somerset also has karaoke, which is a great choice all of the time.
Hopewell Rocks
Make the ~2 hour drive out to Hopewell Rocks to see the power of the tides in the Bay of Fundy. If you’ve always considered the tides as just a wimpy phenomenon of gravity prepare to be amazed. Tides completely beat the crap out of the rocks in Hopewell rocks, so much so that they’re transformed into what the locals call “Flower pots”. Some of them look like they’re barely holding themselves up, and actually every once in a while they do crumble. Check out my post on the Hopewell Rocks to get an idea what you’ll see.
Hit the beach
During the summer months the east coast beaches erupt with people getting out of the city to enjoy the sun. With over 50 swimming beaches in New Brunswick, you can spend months exploring. If you don’t feel like driving far, head to Lily Lake and Fisher Lakes, which offer supervised beaches for the public. Or head to Dominion Park Beach, which is also supervised during the summer, and has a canteen, change houses, beach volleyball, and more.
Find a trail
Saint John has a ton of great trails for walking and biking. It’s the best way to take in the downtown and explore the harbour. We stopped at Java Moose Coffee then went for a quick walk and caught this wild group of people sending a nice little prayer to the red ship crane. How nice! The harbour views are something else, don’t forget a camera!
What would you say are the best things to do in Saint John, New Brunswick? Comment below!
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