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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Digby
Give Digby one night as a stop on the Bay of Fundy loop: scallops on the waterfront, then Long Island and Balancing Rock the next morning.
Digby is a working scallop port of about 2,000 people on the Nova Scotia side of the Bay of Fundy, 220 km by Highway 101 from Halifax and 2.5 hours by ferry from Saint John, New Brunswick. The town itself is small: a harbour, a museum, a handful of waterfront restaurants and motels. Its real value is as a base for the Fundy shore and Long Island, and as a food stop in scallop season. Most shops and restaurants close from mid-October to early June.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- Jun–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Apr (most shops and restaurants closed)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CAD
- Money
- Currency is the Canadian dollar (CAD, $). Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere.
- Daily spend
- Budget C$90–140 excl. bed · Mid C$150–230 excl. bed · High C$250+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Rogers, Bell and Telus plus cheaper brands (Fido, Koodo, Public Mobile); prepaid SIMs in malls and stores. Canadian data is expensive — an eSIM is often cheaper.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Digby General Hospital +1 902-245-2501 · Health information line 811
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Same as the US.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 15–20% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: CAD 1–2 per drink.; Taxi: 10–15%.; Housekeeping: CAD 3–5 a night.; Guide: 10–20% of the tour price.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable; treat water from lakes and streams (giardia).
- Toilets
- Free in malls, Tim Hortons, stations and park visitor centres.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | C$2–4 |
| Fried scallops, main | C$25–35 |
| Lobster roll | C$18–28 |
| Beer in a bar | C$7–10 |
| Motel room, summer | C$110–280 |
| Gasoline, per litre | C$1.50–1.80 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YHZ · Halifax Stanfield International
- About 2 h 30 min by car via Highway 101; the usual arrival point for the region.
Typical fares
- Bay Ferries Saint John → Digby
- about 2 h 30 min in summer, car and driver about C$130
- Halifax → Digby by car
- 220 km on Highway 101, about 2 h 30 min137 mi on Highway 101, about 2 h 30 min
- Long Island ferry, East Ferry → Tiverton
- roughly hourly, car return about C$7
Get around
Digby is a driving town. Highway 101 runs Halifax–Yarmouth with Digby in the middle, and Route 217 goes south down Digby Neck to the ferries for Long Island and Brier Island. Within town you can walk the waterfront strip in about 15 minutes; for anything else you need a car or a taxi. Straightline Shuttle runs from Halifax, and King's Transit serves Wolfville via Greenwood and Bridgetown.
See and do
Known for
- Sea scallops
- Digby Harbour and the scallop fleet
- Balancing Rock on Long Island
- Scallop Days and the Wharf Rat Rally
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Balancing Rock, Long Island | Drive Route 217 south about 46 km to East Ferry, cross to Tiverton, then 4 km to the trailheadDrive Route 217 south about 29 mi to East Ferry, cross to Tiverton, then 2.5 mi to the trailhead | About 1 h 30 min from Digby |
| Annapolis Royal | Highway 101 east, about 30 kmHighway 101 east, about 19 mi | About 30 min |
| Brier Island | Route 217 to East Ferry, then the second ferry from Tiverton to Brier Island | About 2 h |
| Yarmouth | Highway 101 west, about 100 kmHighway 101 west, about 62 mi | About 1 h 15 min |
Sleep
- Waterfront and Water Street
- Walk to the restaurants and the harbour; the most useful base for one night.
- Warwick Street and Highway 101 strip
- Motels with parking on the edge of town; cheaper, but you drive to dinner.
- Smiths Cove and the shore road
- Inns and B&Bs a few minutes north; quieter, needs a car.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the ferry? | Where is the ferry terminal? |
| A table for two, please | A table for two, please |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; 'Bonjour' first in Québec; avoid: Assuming everyone speaks English
- Queues: Line up and wait your turn; avoid: Pushing in
- Apologising: 'Sorry' is politeness, not admission of fault; avoid: Loud confrontation
- Canada vs US: Treat Canada as its own country; avoid: Calling Canadians American
- Indigenous culture: Buy from Indigenous-owned businesses and ask before photos at ceremonies; avoid: Wearing headdresses as costume
Scams and watch-outs
- Most shops and restaurants close from mid-October to early June: check before you book a winter night.
- The two Long Island ferries are small and run roughly hourly; miss one and you lose an hour.
- The Wharf Rat Rally fills the town in early September: book beds weeks ahead or avoid those dates.
- Fog and wind off the Bay of Fundy change fast; carry a layer even in July.
Digby is a small, low-crime town and safe for visitors. The practical risks are driving Highway 101 in fog and at night with wildlife on the road, cold water along the Fundy shore, and the seasonal shutdown that leaves few places open outside summer.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Digby yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Sea scallops
- Digby Harbour and the scallop fleet
- Balancing Rock on Long Island
- Scallop Days and the Wharf Rat Rally
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Town of Digby: www.digby.ca/
- Nova Scotia official tourism site: www.novascotia.com/
- Bay Ferries — Saint John to Digby: www.ferries.ca/nb-ns-ferry/
- Digby Scallop Days: www.digbyscallopdays.ca/
- Wikivoyage: Digby, revision 5321610 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5321610
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Digby
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Digby General Hospital+1 902-245-2501
- Health information line811
No embassies in Digby; the US consulate general is in Halifax, and most other countries are represented in Ottawa.
Cash is still useful at small stands and the campground; cards work in most restaurants and motels.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/digby). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.