I was very disappointed in our recent "best of St. John tour". I don't remember our guide but we toured off Virgin Voyages brilliant lady in early October 2025. The tour started promisingly enough as the bus took us through downtown, the guide pointed out a few sites and some interesting info as we headed to the city market (basically an urban grocery market with some to go food and some gift shops). As we passed parks and monuments and perhaps other items of interest our guide proceeded to push local tea, chips, cookies and other items. Now i'm all for supporting the local economy, but not at the expense of tour info and certainly not as my first stop in a city I know nothing about. After being left on our own in the market for 30 minutes (there was 5 minutes of stuff to see), we headed inexplicably to an Irish pub for a previously undisclosed included beverage (at 10AM!) and Irish music. The owner did provide some history of the building before trying to sell T-shirts to support his grand kids. The Irish musician was very entertaining though. Next was the reversing river which is interesting but the viewing site was directly across from an industrial pulp mill. Was there no better spot to see this phenomenon? We then headed off through the countryside where the guide pointed out some things but mostly provided personal stories about her and her husband taking their trailer on trips and pointing out campgrounds along our route. The bus driver had no concept of how to control the bus temperature to avoid condensation on the windows, especially the front window which he could barely see out of. He had to stop at a truck stop to get paper towels to clear the windshield so we could proceed safely. Unbelievable! We arrived at a site with 2 covered bridges, which was picturesque but the main point seemed to be to take us to a place to buy ice cream and souvenirs. Then we headed for lunch at a local restaurant where the guide pushed the lobster roll. Not only was this by far the most expensive thing on the menu, but she had told us just 30 minutes earlier that it was not lobster season! To be fair, the other menu items were expensive as well and we were a captive audience with no other options around. The return trip featured more personal stories and essentially no local information. Overall I felt this was a huge waste of money and time by an unprofessional guide, inexperienced driver and i resented the hard sell on local items and the tourist trap stops read more

Jane - our St Martins/Bay of Fundy excursion guide on 18 October - was terrific! She took the occasional breath from delivering much interesting info almost every minute of our bus ride and tour, and included stories of the area and about the Bay of Fundy's extreme high and low tides. She even suggested we take *videos* to prove to our friends that the water actually does change direction! During our bus ride Jane brought out some visual aids: 2 leaves she had collected that morning to show us the difference between the yellow sUgar maple and the red pointy maple leaf. (The "U" shape in the leaf is how you tell the difference between the sUgar maple leaf and the red maple leaf.) We stopped at a lighthouse, and saw not one but TWO covered bridges, as well as beached colorful lobster boats as the tide was low. This was the first time I've enjoyed bagpipe music as the songs he piped were contemporary (vs the usual whine and wail of their music). After our delicious seafood chowder lunch (and no - the chef won't give out the recipe - I asked - but it was surely NOT from a can!), and a "digestif" walk along the beach looking for "wishing rocks" and peering across the water at sea caves, we went back through the same covered bridge and the same lobster boats were now afloat! Bay of Fundy magical tides! read more

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I recently joined a cider tasting tour with Aquila and, while the overall experience was interesting, I left feeling uncomfortable due to an interaction with our guide (whose name I believe was Bernadette). As our group enjoyed the cider samples, the staff brought out pizza for everyone. When I approached to get a slice--just like the rest of the group--the guide leaned toward me and asked, "Are you on my tour?" I confirmed that I was, but it felt unnecessary and awkward, especially since no one else was questioned in the same way. I understand that guides manage large groups, but the inconsistency in how I was treated stood out. I was also the only Black guest in the room, which made the exchange feel particularly isolating. I can't say for certain what motivated the comment, but it left me feeling watched and distrusted in a space where everyone else seemed to be welcomed without question. That moment overshadowed what could have otherwise been a really pleasant experience. I hope Aquila takes this feedback seriously and reflects on how moments like these, even if unintended, can make guests feel excluded. Everyone deserves to feel equally welcomed and respected during their experience. read more

Narrator John and driver Joey took us on a tour of the reversing falls (twice,4 hours apart) and St Martins sea caves. It was informative and interesting. Great natural beauty. read more

Ive been on hundreds of tours and Harold was the best tour guide I've ever had. he talked and did activities with us the whole 5 hours of our tour. He was fantastic!!! read more

We took a tour as an offering through our cruise ship while in St. John. We went whale watching in the bay of Fundy and Sue was our excellent tour guide. Sue was lots of fun and very informative and made the long drive from St. John to St. Andrew's fly by. While on the tour, we saw beautiful Fin Whales. We had such a perfect weather day and the town of St. Andrew was very charming, as well as Sue. She was one of the best tour guides we have every had. We enjoyed ourselves immensely. read more

Aquila Tours - Travel Services Near Me - Saint John, New Brunswick

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Just rode on the Trolley Tour with Linda & Jody. What a kick! They made this short tour really enjoyable. Saw all the highlights and just the right amount of history. Recommend! read more

My husband and I took the Ultimate Hopewell Rocks & Tidal Discovery tour with Rose and we really enjoyed it. Rose was very knowledgeable and provided the group with local snacks and items to go along with her local tales. She did not rush the group so we were able to enjoy the sites and shop for souvenirs. read more

so, the tour that i took was a maple syrup tour and it was a great tour. i learned a lot but i have to say that i give it a generous 2 star because my tour guide had asked me if i worked on the cruise ship. i am dark skin. and yes, i was the only dark skin person on this tour. i was offended by this question because i did not know why he felt the need to ask ONLY ME. it was racist categorization. if he wanted to make small talk, then why not ask what i thought about the tour or how my pancakes were that we all ate at the maple syrup tour. read more

We were visiting St John from cruise ship. We took "Foodie Tour of St John" with guide, Doreen Tait. We visited several businesses plus the famous market and sampled local coffee, wine and cheese, "beaver tail" pastries, lobster roll and other treats. We walked all over while learning the history of St John. It was a great three hours, and Doreen made it very enjoyable as well as informative. I would highly recommend. read more