I know there are many lists like this out there but I'd figure I would share my opinion about what a tourist should do in the Halifax Regional Municipality. Most of these will be in the downtown Halifax core but I've added a few out of that area as well. I meant to share this during the summer but here it is now so you can start preparing for your next trip or day off.
Harbour Hopper - The Harbour Hopper is one of my favourite things to do and suggest to people as it gives you a history of the city and shows you different places around the city. The tour is about 50 minutes long, is done on an old military vehicle that actually can turn into a boat so for part of the tour you are in the water and it goes all around downtown. It is expensive which is why I haven't done it for a number of years but highly recommend it if you only have a few hours.
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| Maritime Museum display |
Self-guided mural tour - A few years ago, the city started a project called Gritty to Pretty where they commissioned local artists to do some murals to give the downtown area a new look. You can do a self-guided tour to see all the artwork, there's anything from facade lighting to bees to animal buskers. I haven't done the tour yet but I have seen quite a few of them anyways, you can find out more on the website.
Visit the museums - Halifax has a number of museums and pretty much all of them showcase some part of the city's history. I've been to all of these but it has been quite awhile since I visited a couple. You can visit Pier 21 to learn about immigration in Canada, the Museum of Natural History is great for archeologists and geologists, or learn about disasters like the Halifax Explosion and the sinking of the Titanic at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Black history in Nova Scotia can be explored at the Africville Museum or the Black Cultural Centre.
Halifax Central Library - The library is a good place to do schoolwork, read a book or check out some new material. Halifax built a new library across the street from the old one, which opened in 2014 and is five storeys high. It has floor to ceiling windows that allow you to see the downtown area and you can sit outside on the roof as well.
Citadel Hill - One of the best places to see the landscape of the downtown area is on Citadel Hill. It is a designated historic site as the hill features a concrete star fortress that guarded the province over a hundred years ago. Throughout the summer, you can tour the fort either guided or alone while there is also ghost tours are available in October. The town clock also sits on the hill. If you are close by around midday, make sure you plug your ears as they shoot off a cannon at noon everyday. I hear it is also a good place to watch the sunrise or set.
Georges and McNab's Islands - I have never been to either of these islands but the government did recently open them for the public to visit a couple years ago. Both can be accessed from the harbour either in a personal vessel or you can take a boat to them for a guided tour.
Explore restaurants & bars in Dartmouth - Not many people visit the other side of the harbour but Dartmouth has changed quite a bit in the past decade with new restaurants, bars, small businesses and trail improvements. Some of these restaurants and bars include Chanoey's Pasta, Lake City Cider, Krave Burger, Pleasant Street Diner, New Scotland Brewing and Stone Pizza. There are quite a few other local restaurants on the Dartmouth side that have been around for awhile and are quite popular; Mic Mac Tavern, Two If By Sea Cafe and John's Lunch to name a few.
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| Walking on Martinique Beach |
Have a beach day - The Halifax Regional Municipality has a number of small beaches, mainly all of which are on the edge of lakes but there are a handful of provincial park beaches. My favourite to visit is Lawrencetown Beach on the eastern shore, it is rocky so not really a place for sunbathing but still a good place to read a book or watch people surf.
Shubie Park - Another place you'll find me quite often is Shubie Park. There is a campground here and over 9-kilometres of walking trails. The park is named after the Shubenacadie Canal which allowed boats to travel from the Bay of Fundy to the Halifax Harbour back in the 1800's. If you wanted to learn about waterway locks work and were used back in the day, a visit to the park's Fairbanks Centre will give you the information. A great place for a walk, to go kayaking or taking pictures in the fall.
Putting edge - Glow in the dark mini golfing, that's all I'm going to say. 😊
Mini golfing in semi-darkness is quite fun and very colourful but because it is a different experience, you pay more than normal mini golf courses. The business is located in Bayers Lake and will cost you $14. It normally takes a half hour when I go with someone else to get through the course so I don't go often. However, it is a great place to have birthday parties which I did multiple times as a kid or go do with a group of friends.
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Projection on old post office in
Dartmouth (Evergreen Festival show) |
I'll end this with a few events that happen around the city on a yearly basis.
Tree lightings - Since it's almost Christmas, you will find multiple tree lighting ceremonies around the municipality including the ones done at Grand Parade in Halifax (
November 26) and Sullivan's Pond in Dartmouth (
December 3).
Evergreen Festival - This festival was created in early 2020 and the planning committee had to change their original plans after COVID hit so their inaugural event was different than the second edition that happened last Christmas season. It will hopefully be better and more well attended in 2022 when it kicks off on November 25. There is a market, small concerts every weekend of the festival and light shows throughout the city. I really have enjoyed it and you can too until December 18.
Halifax Busker Festival - It's a human circus on the waterfront. The Buskers come to town every natal day weekend and it will next be here from August 2-7, 2023.
Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo - A great event that brings the world together. Many international marching bands come to Halifax to show off their stuff along with other performances like the bicycling grandfathers. Looks like the 2023 version of the Tattoo will celebrate Oceans over Canada Day long weekend.
