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Halifax

Maritime history on a working harbour

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Best time to visit: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
Currency: CAD
Time zone: UTC-3
Country: Canada

Photo: C.A.Müller, CC BY-SA 3.0

Halifax is the capital of Nova Scotia and the largest city in Atlantic Canada, built around one of the world's great natural harbours. Visitors come for the waterfront boardwalk, the hilltop Citadel, maritime and immigration museums, and day trips to Peggy's Cove and nearby coastal parks.

Largest cities

Toronto
Montreal
Vancouver
Calgary
Ottawa

Quick facts

Figures are rounded recent official estimates.

Country: Canada
Capital: Ottawa
Metro population: 440,072
Population of Canada: 37M
Country area: 9,984,670 km²
Official language: English and French
Currency: Canadian Dollar (CAD) · 1 USD ≈ 1.43 CAD
Time zone: UTC-3
Calling code: +1
Drives on the: Right
Elevation: 50 m
Plugs: A / B · 120V
Emergency numbers: 911
Best time to visit: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep

Temperatures through the year

Average daily high and low for each month in °C. Months marked with a drop are often rainy.

Temperatures through the year

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High	2°	1°	5°	10°	15°	20°	23°	23°	21°	16°	9°	4°
Low	-5°	-7°	-2°	2°	6°	12°	16°	16°	14°	9°	3°	-3°

Best time to visitOther months

Approximate daily cost

Per adult per day: food, local transport and half a double room, without activities or flights.

ConservativeSimple stays, free and low-cost sights first.$73
HighComfortable hotels, a balanced mix of sights and trips.$168
LuxuryLuxury hotels, more paid experiences and day trips.$355

Plan a trip to Halifax

Top things to do

≈ $9
Halifax Citadel National Historic Site
Walk the ramparts of the star-shaped fort above downtown and watch the noon gun and costumed re-enactors; the hilltop also gives the best free views over the harbour.
- Half day
- Downtown Halifax and the Waterfront
- Good for kids
Free
Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk
Follow the 4 km timber boardwalk past Historic Properties, buskers and harbour wharves; it is at its liveliest in the evening and during the August Busker Festival.
- Half day
- Downtown Halifax and the Waterfront
- Good for kids
- Good in the evening
≈ $10
Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
See the Titanic exhibits, small craft and the CSS Acadia, with the WWII corvette HMCS Sackville moored outside in summer; allow two hours.
- Half day
- Downtown Halifax and the Waterfront
- Good for kids
- Indoors
≈ $11
Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21
Trace the stories of the millions who entered Canada through this pier between the 1920s and 1970s; the only national museum in Atlantic Canada.
- Half day
- Downtown Halifax and the Waterfront
- Good for kids
- Indoors
Free
Halifax Public Gardens
Stroll the Victorian beds, bandstand and duck pond of this 1867 National Historic Site; it is a short walk from Spring Garden Road and free to enter.
- Half day
- South End
- Good for kids
≈ $9
Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
Browse nearly 19,000 works in a 150-year-old building, including the Maud Lewis house; a good rainy-day stop near the waterfront.
- Half day
- Downtown Halifax and the Waterfront
- Good for kids
- Indoors
Free
Peggy's Cove Day Trip
Drive about an hour southwest to the lighthouse and granite cove that draws over 600,000 visitors a year; stay behind the barriers on the black rocks and combine it with a stop in Lunenburg.
- Full day
- Mainland Halifax
- Good for kids
Free
Point Pleasant Park
Walk the forested trails and shoreline paths past the remains of British fortifications at the tip of the peninsula; a quiet spot for a late-afternoon loop.
- Half day
- South End
- Good for kids
- Good in the evening

Before you go

Entry and visas

Most visitors need either a visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to enter or transit through Canada; British citizens and many other nationalities can visit visa-free for up to 6 months but usually need an eTA if arriving by air. Land and sea arrivals from the US do not need an eTA, but must carry acceptable travel documents. Temporary Ebola-related border measures are in place for travellers arriving from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan, and have been extended until November 27, 2026. Check the official Government of Canada page to see whether you need a visa or eTA before booking.

Official website

From the airport

Halifax Robert L. Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) is about 35 km north of the city. MetroX express bus Route 320 runs to downtown Halifax in about 55 minutes for $4.75, or a flat-rate taxi costs about $68.

Getting around

Downtown Halifax and the waterfront are walkable, and Halifax Transit buses plus the harbour ferry to Dartmouth cover the rest of the peninsula and the opposite shore.

Local tips

Summer and early autumn are the best seasons; August and September are warmest and driest, while winter is cold, wet and windy.
Tipping 15–20% is expected in restaurants, bars and taxis, and prices already include sales tax.
Wear layers and bring rain gear — the ocean keeps temperatures mild but the weather changes quickly, and fog is common in spring and early summer.
Downtown is safe by day and night; use normal city caution after dark around Barrington Street and the north end.