The harborside city of Halifax—capital of Nova Scotia—sits on Canada’s southeastern tip, facing out into the wide expanse of the north Atlantic Ocean. With fresh sea breezes, a vibrant food scene, welcoming bars and restaurants, and pretty parks hiding among the historic buildings, Halifax has something to offer visitors of all ages and interests. There’s a rich maritime heritage here, too, with coastal Halifax having played a key role in Canada’s colonial past. Within the city itself, bus trips whisk travelers to top attractions such as the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site, Province House, and St. Paul’s Church; while Harbour Hopper tours take to the waves for panoramic views over the waterfront.
If time is on your side, multi-day tours to far-flung destinations such as Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Island, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and picturesque Prince Edward Island (of “Anne of Green Gables” fame) offer the chance to experience the rugged beauty of Canada’s Maritime Provinces—home to diverse species of wildlife, including humpback whales and puffins.
1. Halifax Citadel National Historic Site
2. Peggy’s Cove
Peggy’s Cove is one of the best places to get a taste of small-town life in the Maritimes. The town’s star attractions include the 100-foot (30-meter) sculpture depicting the people of Peggy’s Cove, which was carved directly into an outcropping by Finnish-born artist, William E. deGarthe, and the oft-photographed Peggy’s Point Lighthouse, a tower perched atop a smooth boulder outcrop. Tours typically depart from Halifax and combine free time at Peggy’s Cove with stops at other popular Nova Scotia sights, including SSAtlantic Heritage Park, the Swissair Flight 111 Memorial, and the Fairview Lawn Cemetery—well known for the 121Titanic victims buried there. Some tours include a seaside meal, with the option to try Nova Scotia’s famous lobster rolls.
3. Halifax Public Gardens
Maintained by a dedicated team of gardeners and horticulturalists for more than 100 years, this park’s diverse gardens are connected by a series of manicured paths, statues, and bridges. Enter the park through an ornate wrought iron gate and lose yourself among the bright dahlias, colorful tulips, Victorian carpet beds, and an Agave Americana that blooms only once every 40 years.
The Halifax Harbour Hopper amphibious vehicle visits the gardens, though many travelers head there on their own. Free weekly tours of the gardens are available from May to November; languages offered include English, German, Russian, Dutch, Mandarin, and Cantonese.
4. Fairview Lawn Cemetery
Fairview Lawn Cemetery is a nondenominational municipal cemetery with sizable Greek and Chinese sections. Many of the gravestones are simple gray granite with engraved names and dates. Most visitors explore the final resting places of those who died in theTitanic disaster, including the poignant Grave of an Unknown Child. When no one claimed the baby boy’s body, sailors from the vessel that recovered him from the water raised money to erect a monument for him. In 2012 he was identified as Sidney Leslie Goodwin, a 19-month-old Briton who was traveling with his family.
5. Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21
Between 1928 and 1971, nearly a million people entered Canada at Pier 21. Today many of the exhibits at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 help visitors appreciate the excitement and the challenges of immigrating to a new country through hands-on permanent and temporary exhibits. Interactive elements let visitors pack their worldly goods into the allotted space and see if they pass customs screening, see a re-creation of a steerage cabin and dining room that many immigrants would have used on the ship to Canada, and hear moving stories of the people who chose Canada for their new home.
6. Old Town Clock
The Old Town Clock is located on Citadel Hill in downtown Halifax. It is easily accessible from Brunswick Street. Several bus routes offered by Metro Transit stop in the vicinity of the Old Town Clock, including routes 2, 4 and, 6. Because of its age and historical association, the Old Town Clock is featured in many ghost tours of Halifax, which run from mid-July until late October at 8:30pm. The Halifax Citadel National Historic site is open year-round: from 9am to 5pm in winter, spring and autumn and from 9am to 6pm between July 1 and August 31.
7. Point Pleasant Park
Point Pleasant Park is one of Halifax’s top attractions for nature lovers and locals alike, with 24 miles (39 kilometers) of flat and winding paths and trails through a dense forest of mature trees. You can walk the outskirts of the park for ocean views, or venture inward to see the preserved Prince of Wales Tower, built in the 1800s, as well as other defence batteries located throughout the park.
8. Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market
There has been a farmer’s market in Halifax for almost 170 years. The oldest continuously running market in the US & Canada, this farmer’s market is held every day of the week and offers some of the best food available in town, whether you pick up provisions for a picnic or browse the excellent wines on offer. Gourmet food aside, you’ll also find jewelry and artworks by local artisans.
9. Province House
Province House is located in downtown Halifax on Hollis Street. Several bus routes offered by Metro Transit stop in the vicinity of Province House, including routes 2, 4, 5, 6, 82 and 90. It is not advised to travel to Province House by car as there is not parking available onsite. Province House is open to the public between 9am and 4pm on weekdays, between 10am and 4pm on holidays and between 10am and 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays from June to August.
10. Lunenburg
Visit Lunenburg on a day trip from Halifax, which usually incorporates stops at other historic fishing communities on Nova Scotia’s South Shore, such as Mahone Bay and Peggy’s Cove. Whether you visit Lunenburg independently or with a group, swing by Ironworks Distillery to taste fruity liqueurs; visit the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic to learn more about Lunenburg’s seafaring heritage; and explore the 18th-century Knaut-Rhuland House for a peek into the lifestyle of wealthy Georgian-era locals.
