Free
Peggy's Cove
A fishing village on bare granite with one of Canada's most photographed lighthouses. Stay well back from the surf.
Nova Scotia
Halifax
Nova Scotia's harbour capital: a waterfront boardwalk, a hilltop star fort, the museum of immigration at Pier 21, and the lighthouse at Peggy's Cove down the coast.
Photo: Peggy's Cove lighthouse on the granite shore, Wladyslaw, CC BY-SA 3.0
The Halifax waterfront boardwalk runs for kilometres past ferries, tall ships and seafood shacks, and it's made for a long walk. Above the city, the star-shaped Halifax Citadel keeps watch over the harbour.
Peggy's Cove, with its granite shore and lighthouse, is about 45 minutes away. Lunenburg, a UNESCO-listed town, is about an hour south. Use Halifax as your base and explore outward.
Outdoors and nature
Trails, lookouts, waterfalls, beaches and time on the water come first.
Free
Halifax Waterfront boardwalk
Kilometres of boardwalk along the harbour, with food stands and ships.
Free
Point Pleasant Park
Wooded trails and shoreline at the tip of the peninsula.
Free
Halifax Public Gardens
Victorian gardens downtown, with a bandstand and ponds.
Season Free guided tours May 15–Oct (check before you go).
Cheap
Halifax–Dartmouth ferry
One of North America's oldest saltwater ferry services, crossing the harbour.
Sights and attractions
Museums, landmarks and the places people come here for.
Free
Fairview Lawn Cemetery
The resting place of more than 100 Titanic victims.
Free
Lunenburg Old Town
A UNESCO-listed colourful fishing town, about an hour south.
Paid
Halifax Citadel National Historic Site
A star-shaped hilltop fort with costumed soldiers and the noon gun.
Paid
Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21
The shed where about a million immigrants arrived in Canada.
Paid
Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
Shipwrecks, the Halifax Explosion and Titanic artifacts on the waterfront.
Markets, shops and festivals
Main streets, markets and the dates worth planning around.
Free
Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market
A waterfront market at Pier 20, with local food and crafts.
Book a tour or activity
Cruises, tours and experiences people book here. Each one goes to the operator's official page, and you can still add it to your trip.
Peggy's Cove and Lunenburg tours
Day tours from the city to the coast.
Tall Ship Silva harbour sail
Harbour sailing cruises from the waterfront.
Season Seasonal, check official site.
Also bookable, listed above
These are in the lists above, so we don't repeat them here.
Part of our Nova Scotia coast guides.
Make it a weekend
Why stay the night
- Peggy's Cove and Lunenburg are each a day trip from the city.
- The waterfront is at its best on summer evenings.
- The museums and the Citadel fill a full day downtown.
Nearby and worth the drive
Peggy's Coveabout 45 min · Guide ↗
The famous lighthouse on bare granite.
Lunenburg and Mahone Bayabout 60 min · Guide ↗A colourful UNESCO fishing town.
Annapolis Royalabout 2 h · Guide ↗Fort Anne, Port-Royal and a tidal-basin town, about two hours west.
Ready-made trips with Halifax
3 days · Halifax
Halifax and the South Shore
The harbour city, Peggy's Cove and UNESCO Lunenburg.
5 days · Halifax → Charlottetown and Cavendish
Maritimes loop
Halifax and Peggy's Cove, then over to PEI's red cliffs and Green Gables.
6 days · Halifax → Lunenburg and Mahone Bay → Cabot Trail (Baddeck and Chéticamp)
Nova Scotia coasts
Halifax and Lunenburg on the South Shore, then the Cabot Trail loop.
3 days · Halifax → Peggy's Cove and the South Shore
Halifax to Peggy's Cove
The harbour city, the famous lighthouse and the South Shore's painted towns.
Good to know
- Tourism: discoverhalifaxns.com and novascotia.com.
- Peggy's Cove: Stay off the dark, wet rocks near the water; waves can be dangerous.
- We list only places we can check against an official source. Hours, seasons and prices change, so confirm before you go.
Photos on this page
Photo: Peggy's Cove lighthouse on the granite shore, Wladyslaw, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: The Halifax waterfront boardwalk, No machine-readable author provided. SimonP assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Inside Halifax Citadel National Historic Site, Markus Gregory, CC BY-SA 3.0