Canada is a stunning country, from east to west, and offers an incredibly diverse travel experience. You can visit major cities for an urban experience, like Toronto or Montreal, visit UNESCO National World Heritage Sites like Lunenburg, see National Parks like Banff and Jasper and everything in between. Newfoundland offers a smaller version of Norway or Iceland, with puffins, iceburgs and fjords; Alberta offers incredible mountain views and glacier lakes; and more! Some things I adore about the east coast are the friendliness of people, the slower paced feel of the city and the day trips to small towns/cities. Halifax is the capital of Nova Scotia. The Halifax population is 400,000 people but it doesn’t have the “big city” hustle and bustle feel like Toronto. It’s a perfect Canadian weekend getaway. This ultimate Halifax weekend itinerary is perfect for the first-time visitor!
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Best Neighbourhoods to Stay in Halifax
There are a variety of neighbourhoods to consider staying in when visiting Halifax. Downtown is the most accessible and the best for the first-time visitor. All the main attractions will be within walking distance. It’s also the best for nightlife in the city. The South End is just south of Downtown and is primarily a quiet residential area. During the summer, you can stay at Dalhousie University for a fraction of the cost of a hotel. The North End is a historic neighbourhood in Halifax. It’s a great location for the traveller looking to stay further away from the bustling downtown, enjoy boutique shops and restaurants and the best budget places. Dartmouth is across the harbour from Downtown Halifax, but you’ll find newer hotels for a bit of a better value than in the city proper.
When to Visit Halifax?
Halifax weather is similar to most of the eastern provinces. Summers are hot and humid. Springs are wet and rainy. Fall is my favourite with the beautiful fall foliage. Winters are snowy and cold. The best time to visit Halifax is May to October. Keep in mind, summers attract more tourists so it will be busy! Visit during the shoulder season (May/June and September/October) for the best of both worlds.
Where to Eat in Halifax?
Nova Scotia is world-famous for lobster. You can grab lobster in many forms: a full lobster dinner, in a lobster roll, or lobster poutine! As an oceanic province of Canada, the seafood is some of the best in the country. However, if seafood isn’t your favourite you can still try many local delicacies and classic Canadian dishes. Dig in!
- The Donair is Halifax’s official food and it’s delicious.
- Oysters. Try any number of oyster varieties from the coastal waters of Nova Scotia! Each has their own distinct characteristics and flavours and are oh-so-fresh. Oyster Trail, which is part of the Seafood Trail, offers amazing suggestions for where to find the best oysters.
- Rappie Pie. This is a traditional Acadian dish of grated potatoes and meat.
- Lobster Trail & Chowder Trail are unique to Nova Scotia. There are dozens of stops on the trail and all are worth of stopping and eating!
- Try the Fish Cakes at Black Sheep Restaurant or the classic Canadian national dish of poutine at Willy’s.
- World-Famous Digby Scallops. Caught fresh off the shores of the Bay of Fundy, you’ll find these scallops are numerous restaurants in the province.
- Did you know: Oxford is Canada’s Wild Blueberry Capital? Stop by a u-pick farm during harvest time (August to late September) or grab a pint of fresh berries at the nearest farmers’ market.
- The Halifax Seaport Farmer’s Market is a great stop for lunch and to see local vendors. There is a seating area to eat at if you want to stick around!
- Robie St. Station for brunch (I recommend the rosti).
- East of Grafton for happy hour (half price nachos and drink deals) or Lower Deck for drinks on the waterfront.
- You have to stop at Middle Spoon for a cocktail and dessert. Look for the password online, or ask someone you’re sitting beside to visit one of Halifax’s SIX speakeasys!!
Halifax Packing List
Depending on the season, you’ll want to be prepared for the weather! Winters are cold with a lot of snow. Summers are hot and humid. There are a wide variety of activities to do in Halifax including: hiking, whale watching, nightlife, exploring the city, swimming at the beach, biking, etc. Halifax is a casual and hip city and you’ll be comfortable wearing just about anything in the city.
Read more: Ultimate Travel Packing List to be Prepared
How to get to Halifax
You can fly to the Halifax airport or drive into the province. To get from the airport, there is a bus that costs $3.50 and takes about 1.5 hours to get downtown. Other methods to get downtown include: a $22 shuttle that takes an hour; an approximately $65 taxi that takes 30 minutes; rent a car or get picked up by a friend.
Day Trips from Halifax
Lunenburg Day Trip
Lunenburg is about an hour west of downtown Halifax. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (one of two communities in North America with this designation). 70% of the original colonial buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries are still there today. It is an iconic colourful village on the water. I recommend the walking tour that takes you through Old Lunenburg and ends at the harbour.
The walking tour guide offers a lot of history of the individual houses/inns/stores within the town. For example, one of the houses has been in the family for seven generations: from it’s original owner and owned by their descendants! I loved the colourful buildings (which makes this town so picturesque). Head to Tannery Road or Cove Road to take photos of the village, similar to the photo below. There are a lot of little, local shops to do some shopping, local farm-to-table restaurants and the Ironworks Distillery!
Read more: Amazing Day Trip from Halifax to Lunenburg: Everything you need to know
Peggy’s Cove Day Trip
Peggy’s Cove is about 45 minutes west of Halifax and is a small rural community. If you tack on Lunenburg and Peggy’s Cove to one day, it’s about 3 hours of total driving. The main attraction is the Peggy’s Point lighthouse, which is an iconic Canadian destination and an absolutely wonderful location to watch the sunset. You can wander along the rocks, and stop within the town for food. We stopped at Rhubarb for dinner and the seafood pasta was delicious.
Read more: How to Plan a Perfect Day Trip to Peggy’s Cove from Halifax
Bay of Fundy Day Tour or Whale Watching
Take a day tour from Halifax to explore more of the province. This tour takes you through the Annapolis Valley and Bay of Fundy for a full day excursion, including lunch and a wine tasting. Alternatively, go whale watching between July to September. The best places to see whales in Nova Scotia are in the Bay of Fundy or from Cape Breton Island but you can catch them from Halifax too!
Halifax Weekend Itinerary
Halifax is a very walkable city, with great public transit including a ferry boat to Dartmouth and day trip excursions. Be prepared for a hilly landscape if walking through the city. Wear your most comfortable walking shoes!
Saturday Suggested Itinerary
Head to the Halifax Citadel (open during the summer and shoulder seasons). The existing citadel is the fourth constructed fortification and was built like a star to eliminate blind spots on the site. (By the time they finished the construction, technology had advanced so far that the Citadel was considered a command centre rather than a fortification). An English and French tour is offered every hour at 5 minutes past the hour (i.e. 1:05 pm, 2:05 pm, etc.). It’s a great historic site and again, well worth the price tag! Plan to spend 30-60 minutes here.
Book a brewery tour at Alexander Keith’s Brewery. Tours are available on weekends and tickets sell for $23.95+tax. Included in the ticket price are samples and a full pint at the end. The brewery opened over 200 years ago and is still in the same location today! The tour takes you through the brewery, with a history of Alexander Keith’s legacy and the brewing process.
Wander through the Halifax Public Gardens. Situated in Downtown Halifax, the gardens open at 8 am and closes half an hour before sunset. If you’re interested, you can get a free one hour horticultural and historical tour of the Halifax Public Gardens. The tours are daily at 10 am, noon, 1 pm and 3 pm. I’m a big fan of nature and flowers so it was a great first stop (and we had a beautiful day so it was a must). Plan to spend about 30 minutes to an hour here.
Shop on Spring Garden Road. You’ll find over nine blocks-worth of shops, restaurants and services. Grab a drink on a patio, or stop at Stillwell for Nova Scotia craft beer, sausage, pretzels and ice cream outdoors.
Next, hop on the ferry to Dartmouth. It’s a town located across the harbour. Stop by the cafe “Two If By Sea”, grab a Vandal doughnut, visit the Sullivan’s Pond.
Lower Deck has live music nightly, and is a great spot to enjoy the rest of your evening!
Sunday Suggested Itinerary
Walk along the Halifax Waterfront and enjoy a patio. There are numerous patios along the waterfront, and hopefully the weather treats you well! Find the “Got Drunk, Fell Down” art installation. Whale watching boat tours leave from the harbour front.
Located along the harbour front is the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Stop in and learn about the tragic Titanic shipwreck among other interesting maritime stories. The special exhibit when I visited was “The Sea In Her Blood” and showcased “contemporary women redefining ways of living with the sea”.
The Museum of Immigration (Pier 21) is Canada’s national museum of immigration and also located along the Harbourfront trail. Pier 21 is the former terminal and immigration shed from 1928 to 1971. Nearly 1 million people came through Pier 21 to immigrate to Canada. The museum has numerous permanent exhibitions. You can also trace your roots through the Scotiabank Family History Centre. A tour of the museum (approximately 30 minutes) as well as an immigration video (approximately 20 minutes) is included in the ticket price. It’s truly a unique Canadian experience I highly recommend! Plan to spend about 2 hours here.
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