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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Saint John
Give Saint John 2 nights: one full day for Uptown and the Reversing Falls at tide change, one for the Bay of Fundy coast. Skip it as a day trip from Moncton.
Saint John is Canada's oldest incorporated city, built on a harbour where the Bay of Fundy's huge tides push the Saint John River backwards twice a day. Uptown is compact and walkable, the coast is a short drive, and most travellers see it in two nights on the way between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Cruise ships land here in summer, so book Uptown beds early on those days.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- Jun–Sep
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (cold, snow, many coastal sites closed)
- Stay
- 2 nights
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$160–240 excl. bed · High C$280+ 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
- 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$2.50–5 |
| Seafood supper, casual | C$15–20 |
| Thai or Indian meal with a drink | C$25–30 |
| Brew-pub meal for two | C$30–40 |
| Draught beer in a pub | C$7–9 |
| Saint John Transit adult fare | C$3.00 |
| Taxi Uptown to East Side | C$7–10 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YSJ · Saint John Airport
- 4180 Loch Lomond Road, about 20 km east of Uptown; taxi to Uptown about $30. Flights from Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa.4180 Loch Lomond Road, about 12 mi east of Uptown; taxi to Uptown about $30. Flights from Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa.
Typical fares
- Taxi YSJ airport → Uptown
- about C$30, 20–25 min
- Saint John Transit adult fare
- C$3.00, exact change or SJTRides app
- Bay Ferries Digby → Saint John
- about 2 h 15 min in peak season; book online
Get around
Uptown is a simple grid and walkable; in winter use the indoor pedway linking City Market, Brunswick Square, Market Square and Harbour Station. Saint John Transit buses run about 6AM to midnight, $3.00 adult fare, tickets via the SJTRides app. Taxis are cheap by Canadian standards: East Side to Uptown $7–10, East Side to West Side $12–15. A car helps for the coast and Irving Nature Park.
See and do
Known for
- Reversing Falls and the Bay of Fundy tides
- Saint John City Market
- Loyalist and Irish history
- Uptown pedway and harbour walk
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Fundy-St. Martins | Drive Route 111 east, about 45 min | About 1 h |
| Saint Andrews | Drive Route 1 west, about 1 h 15 min | About 1.5 h |
| St. Stephen | Drive Route 1 west past Saint Andrews, about 1 h 30 min | About 1.5 h |
| Grand Manan Island | Drive to Blacks Harbour, about 1 h, then the ferry | 3 h+ |
| Campobello Island | Drive via St. Stephen and the US border, or via the Deer Island ferries | 3 h+ |
| Sussex | Drive Route 1 east, about 1 h | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Uptown
- City Market, King Square, restaurants and the harbour walk on foot; best for a short stay without a car.
- East Side
- Chain hotels and big-box stores near the highway; cheaper parking, 10–15 min drive to Uptown.
- West Side
- Quieter, close to Irving Nature Park and the Reversing Falls bridge; needs a car.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Sorry / Excuse me | Sorry |
| How much is it? | How much is that? |
| Can I pay by card? | Do you take card? |
| Where is the toilet? | Where's the washroom? |
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
- Spell it Saint John, never St. John — that is St. John's, Newfoundland, and locals correct it.
- The Reversing Falls only reverse near tide change: check the tide table before you go or you will see a normal river.
- Carleton Martello Tower's 1812 tower and command post are closed for renovation, possibly until 2027; the visitor centre and grounds stay open.
- Harbour Passage is lit at night but has had occasional muggings: walk in a group after dark.
- Driving Highway 7 from Fredericton carries a moose-collision risk at dawn, dusk and at night.
A safe small city by Canadian standards. The real issues are winter ice on Uptown sidewalks, the odd late-night incident on Harbour Passage, and unlit coastal roads at dusk.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Saint John yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Reversing Falls and the Bay of Fundy tides
- Saint John City Market
- Loyalist and Irish history
- Uptown pedway and harbour walk
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Discover Saint John: www.discoversaintjohn.com/
- City of Saint John: saintjohn.ca/en
- Saint John Transit: saintjohn.ca/en/transit
- Bay Ferries — Saint John–Digby: www.ferries.ca/nb-ns-ferry/
- Parks Canada — Carleton Martello Tower: www.pc.gc.ca/en/lhn-nhs/nb/carleton
- Environment Canada — Saint John forecast: www.weather.gc.ca/city/pages/nb-23_metric_e.html
- Wikivoyage: Saint John, revision 5328098 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5328098
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Saint John
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No embassies in Saint John; the US has a consulate general in Halifax and an embassy in Ottawa. Most countries: embassy in Ottawa.
English is the working language; a few French speakers, but you will not need French here.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/saint-john). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.