Blackwood Tours: Highland Village, Baddeck, Bell Museum Tour
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Blackwood Tours: Highland Village, Baddeck, Bell Museum Tour
By Blackwood Tours
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About
Ages 1-100, max of 40 per group
Duration: 6h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
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Audio guide: English
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Written guide: English
Print or digital reading material such as a guide, map, brochure, etc.
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- All Fees and Taxes
- Entry/Admission - Highland Village
- Entry/Admission - Little Narrows Presbyterian Church
- Entry/Admission - Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site
What's not included- Coffee and/or Tea
- Brunch
- Dinner
- Snacks
- Lunch
- Bottled water
- Start:Traveller pickup offered.
- Port of Sydney, N.S., 90 Esplanade, Sydney, NS B1P 1A4, CanadaYour driver/guides will be wearing Red shirts and jackets and holding a Blackwood Tours sign, waiting for you on the dock. You have 1/2 hour to get to your guide.
Pickup details- Your Blackwood Tours driver/guides will be waiting for you on the dock.They will be wearing Red shirts and jackets and holding a Blackwood Tours sign. You have 1/2 hour after your ship disembarks passengers to find your guide. We require at least 4 bookings to provide a tour.
Port pickup offeredDuring checkout you will be able to select from the list of included ports.- Port of Sydney, N.S., 90 Esplanade, Sydney, NS B1P 1A4, Canada
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Pushchair accessible
- Near public transportation
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 137762P3- Most travellers can participate
- Total duration is 6 hours because it includes travel time.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 40 travellers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 137762P3
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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- Similians0 contributionsStay away and don’t trust this tour companyWe booked a day trip from our cruise ship to the Cabot trail and were really looking forward to it. We exchanged messages with the company to make sure our tour would return to our ship in time and we received confirmation that there would be ‘no problem’. We arrived at the meeting point half an hour early and after an hour it seemed that our guide was running late. I called the company to be told they weren’t going to pick us up as we wouldn’t return in time for our ship to leave for the next. He was not apologetic at all and very rude. I cannot recommend this tour company at all and it ruined our day in Sydney. Stay away and use an alternative tour company.Written December 4, 2024
- padresfans0 contributionsBest Tour Ever!So happy I chose Blackwood Tours for our excursion in Sydney! It really was the highlight excursion of our Eastern Canada cruise. With Mike, our guide, we spent approximately six hours driving out along the shore of Cape Breton. Mike told many stories throughout the ride as he had spent his whole life there. We saw so many places, and were fortunate enough to be there during the prime of fall leaf colors! Mike took the time and made sure our desires for the tour were all met. Stopping for pictures all along the way! We had such a fun filled day with Mike’s humorous stories.Mike made sure to maximize the time we had with him and tailored the day for our group. Thank you Mike and Blackwood Tours! I Highly Recommend!Written November 13, 2024
- Margaret C0 contributionsCabot trailBob was very personable and knowledgeable. He also was very accommodating since there was only 6 people on our tour. ExcellentWritten September 30, 2024
- 956laurak0 contributionsExcellent tour instead of the tour offered by the cruise shipIt’s obvious that Michael is so proud to be from Cape Breton. He enthusiastically shows you the best views from the Cabot Trail and candidly describes what life is like on the island. He stops at artisan shops that have quality products without the hard sell. From the General Store to the hand blown glass shop to the Cape Breton chocolates, each place displays the talents of the locals. My mom really appreciated Michael’s knowledge about the Mi-kmaq Native Americans. There’s not enough time to see everything that the island has to offer but we felt like we really “knew” Cape Breton by the time we said goodbye to Michael.Written September 29, 2024
- mdutkin0 contributionsOUR TOUR OF THE WONDERFUL CABOT TRAIL!I had a difficult time finding a private tour of the Cabot Trail for myself and 2 adult children. I contacted Robert, who was located in Sydney - approximately 1 hour away. He was so wonderful and kind and somehow talked Francie into driving all the way to us in Baddeck to take us on our tour. She was an amazing tour guide! She spent the day with us on the Cabot Trail, knew just where the best sights and views were, was willing to pop into all the crafty stores, knew the best place for lunch, even knew where all the potties were located!! lol We enjoyed every moment spent with Francie. I messed up the days and Robert was even nice about that. All worked out, Blackwood tours is great and I'm so happy we found Francie.Written September 16, 2024
- griffindm0 contributionsA Wonderful Trip Discovering Little Known French History in Nova ScotiaWhile in Nova Scotia, my wife, son and I had the pleasure of an excellent tour provided by Blackwood Tours of Sydney. The cruise boat excursion filled fast and I was pleased to find this tour company available to allow us to visit the wonderful reconstructed French Fort Louisville. They met us at the cruise dock with a comfortable small bus. Our tour guide was Michael, a life-long Sydney resident with a real knack for story telling about the history of the fort. The fort is about a 40-minute drive or so from the cruise port, and Michael used the time well in giving us a flavor for Cape Breton Island. We did a stop by the Louisburg lighthouse, which was undergoing renovation, so we could not visit inside or close by, but we were able to visit a nearby beach with a commanding view of both the entire harbor as well as the seawall fortification of the reconstructed fort. We did a stop at the entrance visitor center which had excellent exhibits about the fort. The trip price included the entrance fee to the fort, but did not provide a guided tour. In my opinion the guided tour was a little superfluous, as there were numerous reenactors on the grounds, many of which had interested in detailed stories about the tale of the two sieges of the fort. The fort also had its unique display of a Lego reconstruction of the entire fort, of which only 20-25% has been rebuilt. Though that sounds small, I was born in Baltimore, MD, which has it owns well-known star fort, Fort McHenry, which was the origin of the US National Anthem. The reconstructed works of Fort Louisburg are over 3 times larger, and the original fort was over 6 times as large, so it was a monumental construction for such a frontier location. The ride back was also of interest, as Michael shared a lot of his thoughts, memories, and perspectives on the origin, growth, and changes in the Sydney area, with particular interest on the "take care of our own" approach of the people of Cape Breton Island. There was also a great success story in the rebound of the native Mi'kmaq First Nations people, who were removed from the original lands by the harbor and relocated to less attractive lands. They have since rebounded to take a leading role in the commercial development on Cape Breton. It was a very enjoyable tour. I highly recommend it to others. Take note that food and drink is not provided on the tour, so be sure to take along what you need.Written September 7, 2024
- R5902ZWkerstinm0 contributionsLovely Cabot trailWe arrived in Sydney by cruise ship. I had booked the Cabot trail excursion with Blackwood Tours in advance. It was a comfortable bus for a small group and we had a great driver. It is a long drive but the beautiful scenery is worth it. This was my second time on the trail. One thing to keep in mind is that you go back the same road you came. You cannot do the whole Cabot trail loop in 6 hours. We are going to Sydney again in Sep 24 and booked another tour with the same company as everything was very well organized and pleasant.Written August 22, 2024
- daanaj20200 contributionsGreat service!Booked a private tour with Blackwood Tours for a Mini Cabot Trail tour. The process of planning the day, pick up and payment was made easy thanks to Robert and his great customer service. Our tour guide/driver Michael made our experience unforgettable with his great personality and knowledge of Cape Breton. Truly a fantastic experience. Thanks guys!Written August 15, 2024
- 508teresah0 contributionsExceptional tour with Bob on the Cabot TrailWe arrived by cruise ship and everyone on our tour- 15 were off right away and we quickly headed out before the tour busses. Bob was our driver and guide and he was exceptional. Entertaining, educational with humour. Instead of stopping for a sit down lunch, we all did take away from a local bakery on the way that featured lobster, crab and other sandwiches already made up plus bakery items. We stopped at a beach for a lovely setting lunch in the National Park. A stop at a lobster dock we were able to talk to fishermen repairing traps. Same road most of the road back which was good as now could see the other side. A cable ferry ride on the way back. I would highly recommend this tour.Written July 23, 2024
- 600meryla0 contributionsDo not take this tour!!Very disappointed. Tour guide was difficult to understand and was mostly interested in local politics. We basically stopped 3 times over 6 hours for a few minutes. This tour could have been cut down to 4 hours with more information about the area. I could get in any car and drive and see trees and not pay what it cost.Written October 24, 2023
- sherryfloyd0 contributionsCreating memoriesWe wanted to book this tour for our party of 10 through the cruise but it was sold out. We contacted Robert directly and he was able to accommodate our group. Francie met us as soon as we disembarked and we were on our way. Beautiful scenery, great commentary, interesting stops (along Cabot Trail, Clucking Hen, Ingonish Beach, Keltic Village). Very enjoyable for all of us. Francie was a gracious, informative, local guide; Robert was very responsive. Thank you a wonderful day!Written October 6, 2023
- adstz0 contributionsBoringNot the most interesting tour. The Cabot Trail is rather boring. Left Sydney at 8 am. Stop for pictures. Stop for bathroom break. Stop for pictures . Three hours later we get to Keltic Lodge. Stop for bathroom and pictures. Head back the exact same way we got there. Stop for lunch and bathroom, 1 hour. Back to town by 2:30 pm. Unfortunately, the tour that I wanted was not available to our ship. This was a waste of our time. Know what you are getting before booking.Written October 4, 2023
- Jackandkaren19720 contributionsIrritating and boringThe weather doesn’t count because it’s uncontrollable. We had fog and saw very little. However, The van/ bus was very uncomfortable. No legroom, very tight fit, overall not good. Also the website doesn’t indicate using a 22 passenger bus. The driver guide never stopped talking, but it was all stupid stuff, like there’s a church. It would have been nice to have been told some history or interesting facts. I’ve been on a lot of tours, can’t think of one that was less informative. I think everyone wanted to scream for him to just shut up.Written September 13, 2023
- JanRotwo0 contributionsRain and FogIf it is raining in Cape Breton , or the city is fogged in don’t go down the Cabot Trail. We did and could not see a thing. Knowing how beautiful the area is we were so disappointed.Written August 7, 2023
- ReeSue0 contributionsVery long drive for a short time on Cabot Trail.Mini bus was very warm. Camera that would have showed where we were driving didn’t work. Seats had no place for water bottle or anything else so items rolled around on floor. A very, very long ride to see a minimal part of Cabot Trail. Boring, repetitive commentary that did not add to the experience. My family of nine did not enjoy this tour. I do not recommend it.Written July 26, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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18 reviews
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mmsrere26
Doylestown, PA35 contributions
Sept 2024 • Couples
Beautiful village set up high on a hill overlooking Bras D'or lake. We learned so much from the reenactors who explained all about the experience of the Scottish settlers. We stopped on our way to Baddeck, an easy drive. You are outside as you walk from house to shop, following the time line of the settlers, and windy, so dress accordingly.
Written October 10, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yes it can get very windy at times as the winds make their way across the land.
Written October 15, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jack M
Austin16 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
So let's face it. Mike from Blackwood Tours made this the best tour. We came in off a cruise ship and wanted to see both the Highland Village AND the Bell Museum but none of their tour packages offered both. But Blackwood Tours did with a stop in the beautiful town of Baddeck for a lunch thrown in. We met Mike right off the ship waiting in his bright red shirt without a problem and were headed out 15 minutes early from our scheduled departure. Mike was a tremendous wealth of information about live on Cape Breton and I was amazed at the amount of information and the energy he provided us for the next 7 hours. He was a lot of fun, answered all of our questions and even allowed us to chirp in every now and then with our own funny lines and stories. He was truly a proud Cape Breton and you could tell that in all the cultureand history he shared with us of the island. Both the Highland Village as well as the Bell Museum were so worth seeing. We were pretty fortunate to have booked this particular tour and at the end of the day were quite pleased that we had. Trust me, you will be too! At the end of our tour we told Mike that there are only a handful of tour guides that through the years we will NEVER forget nor the area that we visited because of them. Mike will forever be one of those tour guides. Thanks for the visit Mike!
Written August 14, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you kindly for your review. Michael truly loves his Cape Breton and enjoys showing and explaining the cultural and history of our faire isle.
Written August 15, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
2GAretiredtravelers
Chatsworth, GA53 contributions
Our driver Bob was waiting for us as we disembarked from our ship and we began our tour immediately. Since the weather was extremely foggy he decided to reverse our itinerary and save the Highland village visit until afternoon which was lovely. However we were not able to enjoy the views at St Anne's overlook. Our stop at the Alexander Graham Bell museum was outstanding...who knew all this man accomplished. A favorite stop as was the Highland Village where we learned about the Gaelic Folklife from knowledgeable docents. The view from the top of the village was breathtaking! Highly recommended this tour!
Written September 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your kind review, greatly appreciated, Robert
Written September 18, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Scott B
28 contributions
Sept 2024 • Couples
Bob our guide was amazing! He had a vast knowledge of the area and had a great recommendation for lunch. We did not have time to explore Baddeck after lunch. We had about 45 minutes to eat and go. Be advised you get less than a hour at each stop. Personally I would have taken the extra time at the Highland Village and skipped the Alexander Graham Bell museum. The grounds at the Bell museum are nice, the museum is boring. The highland village and Gaelic College tour would pair well together. I wish we had time to go there. If you are coming on a New England cruise, you will be with mostly senior citizens, a lot have mobility issues. This makes the process of boarding and exiting the bus, and getting everyone back to the bus in time very slow. Keep this in mind, as we barely made our on board time. I felt bad for Bob trying to get everybody back on the bus in time. Rated a 5 for the Guide Bob!
Written September 6, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you
Written September 9, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
irelandcassie
Sheboygan Falls, WI33 contributions
Never again am I taking a cruise sponsored excursion if i can be guaranteed to get a local like Mike. What a treasure. Learned so much about the Cape. Im so intrigued! He was very invested in answering all our questions and telling us what it was like growing up there in the 70's. Absolutely phenomenal!! Im going to come back someday and it's all because of Mike.
Written September 24, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you Lorraine, Michael is a treasure for sure. Glad you enjoyed your time in Cape Breton.
Written September 25, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Nancie A
Milton, Florida, United States6 contributions
Aug 2022
Our guide Gaston was very friendly and had lots of info about the areas we drove through and was able to answer any questions. This was a small group 6 people. So much better than a 50 person bus from the ship. The sights we visited were just what we were looking for on our first trip to Sydney with plenty of time at each place.
Written September 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you Nancie, I will be sure to tell Gaston about your experience. Come back anytime and we'll show you more of our fair Isle,Robert
Written September 7, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
TinaH45
Olrando211 contributions
We enjoyed our day with Michael doing this tour. We hit all the planned stops, plus a quick picnic lunch on the harbor in Baddeck, then on the way back to Sydney we did two scenic view stops and also a quick tour around Sydney. Micheal really knew the area!
Written October 3, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you Tina, Michael loves what he does !
Written October 4, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Christina D
Burnaby, Canada648 contributions
Oct 2024 • Solo
The weather was rainy but it wasn't the drivers fault so i didn't take off a star. Note the highland village would be nicer on a sunny day. The driver was very informative and the fall foliage was beautiful. I enjoyed the highland village and bell museum but could have used more time.
Written October 13, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We would love to give you more time but our tours are scheduled around your cruise ship's arrival and departure times.
Written October 15, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sheryl
Fort Collins, CO2 contributions
Jul 2024 • Family
The scheduled destinations were very nice. Our driver, Bob was great. I would have preferred spending more time at the village and museum and skipping the trinket shopping stop. At dinner, when comparing excursions with others around us, everyone thought ours sounded much better than the other excursions they went on in Sydney.
Written July 31, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your kind review, Bob loves showing his Cape Breton to our guests.
Written August 1, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Mary B
1 contribution
Lots of riding in a bus. A comfortable ride but long to get to places. We had to shorten our tour due to a slightly late arrival of cruise ship but we still were able to see most places promised. Knowledgeable guide but hard to hear sometimes.
Written October 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you Mary B for your kind review
Written October 27, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
No questions have been asked about this experience
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.