3 Days in Halifax: A Weekend in Nova Scotia
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Halifax, Nova Scotia
A Long Weekend on the East Coast
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Halifax, Nova Scotia is particularly special to me. I lived in Halifax throughout my college years and absolutely loved everything about the city. From the friendly and helpful people, to the laid back vibe of a considerably slower city than most. As I was raised in a small fishing village, I truly felt as though I had only moved to a larger fishing village. And that was just fine by me. To this day when I visit, I comment that it feels like home. So, given the opportunity to spend 3 days in Halifax, a place I love so much, I was more than happy to take some photos and share with you what I think are the best parts of my beloved city.
If you choose to visit Halifax, you will most certainly feel its culture. Nova Scotians are some of the kindest people you will meet. People who love a good Maritime Kitchen Party, fiddle music and Highland dancing.
But they are also so much more...
Fishermen and farmers, who know how to live from the earth. Hard workers who value being neighbourly. You can’t help but love getting to know the people here. It’s hard for me to imagine living anywhere outside of the Maritimes because of it.
So, how best to spend a weekend in Halifax? Let’s get to it.
Quick Tips for Visiting Halifax, Nova Scotia
Eat a lobster roll (They’re every bit as good as in Maine… we might argue, better)
Enjoy a beer from Alexander Keith’s or one of the local craft breweries (Garrison, Propeller… you can’t go wrong!)
Search for tall ships on the Halifax Waterfront
Hit the bars for a Kitchen Party
Visit Peggy’s Cove
How: Rent a car if you want to explore the coast!
When: Summer for our best weather. Fall for less crowds. Spring can be a bit wet. Winter is snowy and cold, but magical around the holidays.
Where to stay: Halifax has many beautiful and well appointed rentals, like this retro apartment close to downtown. For hotels, I usually stay with Atlantica, though its location is a bit off Spring Garden Road. The Lord Nelson ranks high for convenient location in my books.
Things to do in the city
Walk the Halifax Waterfront
I love the waterfront. It is beautiful and picturesque, especially when tall ships are in. It is a great place to take an afternoon stroll, check out fantastic restaurants, and grab a Cows ice cream.
You can sign up for a harbour cruise on the Harbour Hopper (always fun!), or visit the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. There’s no bad time in the summer to be on the waterfront.
Pro tip: Halifax is a much more pedestrian city than most others in the Maritimes. Park your car here (Bishop’s Landing is a solid spot) and walk this itinerary!
Visit Citadel Hill
Citadel Hill is located in downtown Halifax and is an easy walk from the waterfront (if you don’t mind hiking uphill). It’s the largest hill in the area for good reason. At its summit, you can visit the Citadel, a fortification designed to protect Halifax Harbour that dates back to 1749.
If you aren’t particularly interested in military operations, it is also the best vantage point of the city and definitely worth a hike around for the views alone.
Take a stroll through Halifax Public Gardens
The public gardens hold a special place in my heart. I lived near to them and spent countless hours here in between classes. They are absolutely beautiful. Filled to bursting with flowers that I am sure should not be able to grow in Atlantic Canada, but by some miracle, are flourishing.
It is a peaceful place, where you can relax on a bench by the duck ponds and read a good book, or wander hand in hand with someone you love if you fancy yourself a romantic.
Shop on Spring Garden Road
Shopping abounds on Spring Garden Road, with lots of Canadian brands directly on the street, and the Park Lane Mall (a small mall with boutique shops) accessible from here as well. The Park Lane Mall even has a small underground movie theatre, if you’d like to plan a date night.
Enjoy Halifax’s fantastic restaurants.
In Halifax, we know good food. I could list restaurant recommendations for you all day. However, in my opinion, the following are some of the best restaurants in Halifax. In no particular order; The Bicycle Thief, a fancier restaurant with a large Italian menu, and Your Father’s Moustache, a pub on Spring Garden Road with an enormous menu representing a variety of cuisines.
Darrell’s Restaurant has, in my opinion, the best lunch selection of gourmet burgers and pitas that are to die for. I still crave their Original Pita Club regularly to this day.
If you are interested in finding a bar for a night out, Argyle Street would be a great place to start looking. I’d also highly recommend The Lower Deck on the waterfront.
Halifax day trips
If you are spending a long weekend here, I recommend a day trip down the coast! The following three towns all make great day trips from Halifax. I would attempt to see all three if at all possible.
Visit Peggy’s Cove
The first town you absolutely cannot miss when heading south from Halifax is Peggy’s Cove, a quaint fishing village that truly represents the East Coast lifestyle. It can be very busy in the summer. I recommend it in the early morning before the buses arrive, or late evening around sunset if you choose to stop here on your way back to Halifax.
Peggy’s Point Lighthouse is one of the most famous lighthouses in Canada, and a very popular spot for photographers. Luckily, there is a lot of space along the rocks around this lighthouse. An easy place to set up without being completely obstructed if you want to take a nice photo.
Drive to Mahone Bay
Mahone Bay is another picturesque fishing village just south of Peggy’s Cove. It is worth the visit to see its beautiful three churches on the bay, and is easily accessible by the highway.
Visit Lunenburg
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia is a photogenic fishing town that you absolutely have to visit. With an important history of Acadian heritage, it is a UNESCO world heritage site, as it was one of the first early British Colonial Settlements in Canada.
Aside from that, what it may well be best known for, is that it was the home of the shipbuilders of the Bluenose, a racing schooner with an important Canadian story. Look it up if you aren’t as familiar with it as we Canadians are.
Today, Lunenburg remains in the style of the early settlement, but has adopted some buildings with more modern, brightly coloured facades. A wonderful place to wander back in time and play tourist.
This post truly just scratches the surface of all there is to see and do in this wonderful city, but it certainly highlights my must-see stops for a perfect 3 days in Halifax. I hope you find it helpful to you for planning your next East Coast adventure. As always, if you have any questions at all, leave a comment! I am more than happy to advise on anything Halifax related.
If you are interested in extending your trip to include more of the Maritimes, check out my posts on Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
See you soon,
Hill XO
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