Home › Itineraries › Weekend
Weekend in Halifax

Weekend in Halifax

Trip Overview

Halifax, Nova Scotia's capital, packs salt-laced air, fortress walls, and waterfront pulse into a pocket-sized footprint. This two-day itinerary stitches naval history to today's craft-beer hum. You'll pace wooden wharves where cod once dried, scale star-shaped ramparts that still fire noon cannons, and slurp oysters while schooners skate across the harbour. The rhythm is brisk yet walkable, every stop sits within a 15-minute radius, leaving room for spontaneous dives into fiddler pubs or sunset kayaking.

Pace
Moderate
Daily Budget
$120-160 USD per day
Best Seasons
June through October for warm harbour nights, December through March for cozy pub crawls
Ideal For
First-time visitors, History buffs, Couples, Beer lovers

Day-by-Day Itinerary

A complete plan for every day of your trip

1

Harbour Dawn to Citadel Sunset

Downtown Halifax waterfront
Start with sunrise lobster rolls and end with cannon fire over the city lights.
Morning
Breakfast at Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market
Watch fishing boats swing crates of glistening scallops onto the dock as you bite into a butter-drenched lobster roll. Sunlight pours through the glass roof onto stalls selling maple-smoked bacon, blueberry grunt, and jars of cloudberry jam.
1.5 hours $18-25 USD
Arrive by 8 a.m. when vendors still have hot cinnamon-dusted beaver tails
Lunch
Murphy's Cable Wharf
Atlantic seafood chowder with oatcakes
Afternoon
Citadel Hill National Historic Site
Follow the skirl of bagpipes up the grassy slope to the star-shaped fort. Costumed interpreters fire the noon cannon, BOOM rattles your ribs, while you train spyglasses on incoming tankers and the lighthouse at Peggy's Cove.
2.5 hours $15 USD
Book the 11 a.m. guided tour to secure a spot beside the cannon
Evening
Alexander Keith's Brewery tour with live ceilidh music
Stay for the two-hour pub session with fiddlers and free-flowing stout

Where to Stay Tonight

Historic Properties waterfront (The Hollis Halifax, a DoubleTree by Hilton)

Steps from the boardwalk and ferry terminal, rooms overlook the masts of tall ships

See all Halifax accommodation options →
Bring a windbreaker even in July, Halifax weather flips from warm sun to chilly sea mist in minutes.
Day 1 Budget: $140 USD
2

Peggy's Cove & Dartmouth Pints

South Shore day trip
Lighthouse waves at sunrise, ferry hops at dusk.
Morning
Sunrise trip to Peggy's Cove Lighthouse
Leave at 5:30 a.m. to beat the tour buses. Fog coils around granite boulders, gulls wheel overhead, and the beacon sweeps the Atlantic while you sip thermos coffee. The rock smells of salt and pine resin.
3 hours round-trip $30 USD for carshare
Reserve an Evo car the night before. Spots sell out by 6 a.m.
Lunch
Shore Club Lobster Supper in Hubbards
Whole lobster steamed in ocean water, served with melted butter and fiddlehead salad
Afternoon
Dartmouth waterfront craft-beer crawl
Ride the 12-minute ferry back across the harbour, salt spray stings your cheeks, then walk the Dartmouth Harbour Trail. Stop at Nine Locks Brewing for a raspberry wheat ale and Propeller Brewing for the grapefruit IPA. The air carries roasted barley and seaweed.
2.5 hours $25 USD for beer flights
Grab a window seat at Battery Park Beer Bar for views of Halifax skyline
Evening
Dinner at The Bicycle Thief, then live jazz at The Carleton
Order the scallop crudo with charred lemon and finish with dark-chocolate mousse

Where to Stay Tonight

Historic Properties (same as Day 1) (The Hollis Halifax)

Late-night ferry back from Dartmouth docks right beside the hotel

See all Halifax accommodation options →
Download the Transit app, Halifax buses and ferries run on real-time GPS, perfect when fog rolls in.
Day 2 Budget: $130 USD

Practical Information

Everything you need to know before you go

Getting Around
Walk the compact downtown core. Use the ferry to Dartmouth ($2.75 CAD) and Evo carshare for Peggy's Cove. Taxis are plentiful but pricey, Uber operates but surges during cruise-ship days.
Book Ahead
Evo car for Peggy's Cove at 5 a.m., Citadel Hill noon cannon tour, Alexander Keith's 5 p.m. tour
Packing Essentials
Windproof jacket, layers for 15-degree swings, waterproof boots for wet wharves, and an extra SD card for lighthouse photos
Total Budget
$270-290 USD for the full weekend

Customize Your Trip

Adapt this itinerary to your travel style

Budget Version
Skip the carshare, take the #433 Metrobus to Peggy's Cove for $5.25 CAD, pack sandwiches, and stick to the free ferry and public bus loops.
Luxury Upgrade
Upgrade to the Muir Hotel with floor-to-ceiling harbour views, book a private sunset sail on the Tall Ship Silva, and reserve the chef's table at Drift for a seven-course lobster tasting.
Family-Friendly
Swap brewery tours for the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic's Titanic deck chair display, rent kayaks at Lake Banook, and ride the Theodore Tugboat replica in the inner harbour.
Book Activities for Your Trip
Tours, tickets, and experiences in Halifax

Didn't see anything interesting yet?

Browse Viator's full catalog of tours, day trips, food experiences, and private guides in Halifax.

See All Halifax Tours on Viator

Already found your activities?

Let us help you find the best accommodation in Halifax.

Accommodation Guide Search Hotels on Trip.com

Continue Planning Your Trip

Things to Do

Top attractions and activities for Halifax

Budget Guide

Trip costs and money tips for Halifax

Getting Around

Transport options and tips for Halifax

Where to Stay

Accommodation guide for Halifax