Looking for tour guide/company in Sydney Nova Scotia

We will be arriving in Sydney Nova Scotia in late September on the Summit. Two guides recommended to us are fully booked. We prefer to not take the cruise tour to Cape Breton. Anyone have a suggestion on a guide or tour company?

Thanks

No I do not. Check out posts #3 and #5 here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2240460

You are much better off to rent a car. There is no traffic. You have your choice of three places to go:

1. Fortress Louisbourg

2. Baddeck and Iona

3. a partial Cabot Trail drive

Check these links for more information:

http://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowTopic-g154973-i2203-k6613063-o10-Port_stop_advice-Sydney_Cape_Breton_Island_Nova_Scotia.html#57623877

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1863077

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2094409

http://www.tomsportguides.com/SydneyNS-10-05-2011.pdf

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1687976

https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/Sydney,+NS+B1P+1A1/Baddeck,+NS/Iona,+NS/Christmas+Island,+NS/46.148068,-60.203316/@46.086567,-60.600586,10z/data=!4m28!4m27!1m5!1m1!1s0x4b67e52ab4139193:0xc8a5ba735833d37f!2m2!1d-60.2020345!2d46.1445518!1m5!1m1!1s0x4b5d622c492391cf:0x5c7ace489727d1f3!2m2!1d-60.754676!2d46.0999169!1m5!1m1!1s0x4b5d685fd74ffd77:0xa343a68a056ababe!2m2!1d-60.804982!2d45.961106!1m5!1m1!1s0x4b5d67fe8959358b:0xca00b7bf6400ace0!2m2!1d-60.76154!2d45.962005!1m1!4e1!3e0?hl=en

https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/Sydney,+NS+Esplanade+%26+York+St/Keltic+Lodge,+Ingonish,+NS/Ingonish,+NS/Neils+Harbour,+NS/@46.4567582,-60.9291211,9z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m26!4m25!1m5!1m1!1s0x4b67fb2ea817fef3:0x378203b8597ec5e3!2m2!1d-60.198503!2d46.1425194!1m5!1m1!1s0x4b67ac7b7bee3f17:0x4dafe7e5ed1ec1c4!2m2!1d-60.404187!2d46.640907!1m5!1m1!1s0x4b6654b3f22bc879:0xf352cb090fe2366f!2m2!1d-60.368094!2d46.709488!1m5!1m1!1s0x4b6657d2e08b97d1:0x958ec81309361a90!2m2!1d-60.321078!2d46.808906!3e0?hl=en

We will be arriving in Sydney Nova Scotia in late September on the Summit. Two guides recommended to us are fully booked. We prefer to not take the cruise tour to Cape Breton. Anyone have a suggestion on a guide or tour company?

Thanks

Hi, not sure which guides you have contacted but last fall we had a tour booked with Don Blackwood, who was highly recommended on CC and Tripadvisor. He was very good at communication through email.

Unfortunately, the ship could not dock due to high winds, so we did not make the tour. I still recommend Don, as we had paid a deposit to him and when I returned home, I had an email from him saying our deposit was being refunded as the ship did not dock.

here is his email: donblackwood@seascape.ns.ca

Don Blackwood is great. We have used him twice.

Unfortunately Don Blackwood is sold out. They suggested Bannock Tours but they never responded.

After hitting two cars on my first driver' s test (52 years ago!) and having really bad vision - I'm hestitant two rent cars!!! Maybe we can find someone to partner with.

Chris

There is no other operator I can recommend so you can check the Roll Call for your cruise and see if you can join others. Maybe another couple planning on renting a car will be willing to have you join them.

Other than that you can just check out what Sydney has to offer or take a ship's tour.

I just put it out on the roll call. I will do the ship's tour using OBC if I don't find anything. Looking forward to visiting your area. Thank you, Chris

Has anyone had experience with this private tour company for Sydney? Would appreciate any feedback.

I have heard nothing about them. They are listed on the government tourist website: http://www.novascotia.com/see-do/tours/island-shuttle-tours/6074

and here: http://www.islandshuttle.net/

They may be new to doing tours and for sure there is a need for this.

Thanks for checking Maryann.

Sydney itself is a lovely little town. If you like walking head out of town to Membertou Park. Beautiful trees, a lake with trees all around is a photographers delight. There are a couple of little houses in town about two streets back from the port which have been turned into museums, they are interesting and the local ladies who work in them are friendly and great to chat to.