Discover Halifax, Nova Scotia on your next visit to Canada
Halifax, Nova Scotia has been on my must visit list for some time now and this being the 150th anniversary year of Canada, it made for a wonderful excuse to finally sort out a visit to the city.
This blog post is a visitor guide to what I discovered on my visit to Halifax, Nova Scotia and I hope you find it useful for your own visit.
For further information about Halifax, Nova Scotia and Canada, be sure to check out the endless travel information and resources over at Explore Canada.
Let’s go and explore Halifax, Nova Scotia. And if you wish yo see more of Nova Scotia on your next visit to Halifax, be sure to check out my guide to Road trip adventure Nova Scotia.
Halifax is pretty close to the United Kingdom flying wise
Direct flying time from London to Halifax, Nova Scotia is just under 7 hours which isn’t that bad at all when you compare routes to other long-haul trips. Within a few hours you can easily be discovering this unique part of Canada.
(Be sure to make the most out of the incredible seafood on offer.)
As Halifax is located along the eastern coast of Canada, expect endless amounts of incredible seafood to be found here as well as a rich fishing heritage and culture.
(You can find bits of Scotland all around Halifax.)
Did you know Nova Scotia is Latin for New Scotland? Expect lots of history to be found here as well, which is rather rare in North America as a whole. More about the history later.
Air Transat offers affordable flights to Canada from the UK
For those on a budget wanting to visit Canada, you can discover affordable flights to Halifax via a connection in Toronto with Air Transat. When it comes to value you simply can’t beat them. They offer frequent flights from London Gatwick airport. Your trip to Canada doesn’t have to break the bank.
For those wanting a little bit extra, I can recommend the Air Transat Option Plus which offers added comfort to your flight including a comfort kit and seat selection amongst other additional perks. Now, that’s travelling in style.
Where to stay in Halifax, Nova Scotia: Lord Nelson Hotel
For my week in Halifax I stayed at the Lord Nelson Hotel located in the downtown area of the city overlooking the famous Public Gardens.
The Lord Nelson Hotel has been a Halifax landmark for over 90 years. The hotel has since been freshly remodelled with the perfect blend of classic refinement and contemporary style, making it a wonderful location for your next visit to Halifax.
Start off your trip with a bicycle tour of the city with I Heart Bikes
Those who don’t have a car and would prefer to use their legs, I would recommend starting off your trip to Halifax with a bicycle tour of the city. I went by I Heart Bikes which offer daily cycling tours to get your bearings straight and learn a little about the history around Halifax.
(Discover all the different sides to Halifax by bicycle.)
Halifax is a well-spaced city that follows a grid like system and it could take you hours to navigate around the place. Instead, jump on a bike, learn a bit about Halifax with a local guide and cover a lot of ground on your first day.
This was a wonderful activity to do on my first day to Halifax as I worked out where I wanted to go for the rest of the week and covered a lot of the city. Plus, the friendly guides at I Heart Bikes take great care of you and have a lot of local knowledge which they’re happy to share.
Take a walk along the Halifax Waterfront
A great way to pass your time is to walk along the Halifax Waterfront with its unique and iconic working port backdrop. With endless amounts of cafés and bars you could easily get lost down here for hours, especially as many events are often held here throughout the year.
One top tip is to head over to Dartmouth for the local commuter ferry and enjoy a stunning sunset over the city backdrop from the water. Boats frequently take this short route and you can simply hop back on again to return back to the waterfront. Easy peasy.
Alexander Keith’s Nova Scotia Brewery
A must visit for any beer lover, a trip to Alexander Keith’s Nova Scotia Brewery. Alexander Keith’s or simply Keith’s as the locals refer to the beer is a much loved beer across Canada and a fine one at that too. Alexander Keith himself was a man about town in Halifax and was actually the city mayor for a period of time.
Be sure to head to the brewery house where you can take a guided tour (with plenty of beer to enjoy along the way) back in time to the year 1820 when the brewery first started brewing beer.
Head to the top of the Citadel Hill
A National Historic Site of Canada and Nova Scotia the Citadel Hill is not to be missed on a trip to the city and it’s totally worth the walk up to the top.
The Citadel used to play an important part in protecting the surrounding city from enemies, be it from land or sea.
From here you can get a good view point of the surrounding waterfront and learn a bit about Canadian history at the same time.
Currently, entrance is for free throughout the 150th year anniversary celebration in 2017, so make sure you don’t miss out on this limited-time offer.
Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market
The Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market is the oldest farmers market in North America after moving to its new constructed location along the waterfront. Open all year round and best visited on Sunday when it’s the busiest with vendors from 9:00am to 15:00pm.
A trip to Halifax wouldn’t be complete without trying a classical dish from Nova Scotia, a lobster roll. Head to Lobster Shack located at the Seaport Farmers’ Market for the best in town.
Halifax Public Gardens
A wild card selection for me: Halifax Public Gardens, but totally worth the visit for a peaceful stroll around the Victorian era gardens.
Located in the middle of the downtown area, this peaceful escape from the city life might just be the ticket. Established in 1867, you will find 16 acres of flower displays to enjoy here as you walk around. You can even find trees that were planted by members of the royal family throughout the years during their individual visits to Halifax.
Point Pleasant Park
Point Pleasant Park, situated in the south end of the Halifax peninsula is a historic 75-hectare wooded park crisscrossed with 39 km of easy winding trails and wide paths offering a nice woodland escape close by from the city.
Thank you for reading my blog post.
(Stay tuned for more Nova Scotia content to come in the future!)
Thank you for reading my blog post about discovering Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. I hope you found it useful and informative.
If you do have any further questions or tips you would like to add, feel free to leave a comment below in the comment section of this blog post. You could also send me a tweet over at @Traveldaveuk. Thank you in advance.
Before you go 🙂
Check out my Halifax Instagram photos and feel free to follow (@traveldaveuk).
Check out my YouTube video.
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Cheers guys, happy travels!
Travelling the world, one adventure at a time. Follow the UK's leading solo adventure travel blogger Dave Brett on his travels around the world. A globe-trotting adventure travel blog featuring travel tips and advice, exotic stories, travel videos and travel photography that will inspire your next trip abroad, and help you plan it too. To read more, please visit: 
