Back at the end of the summer we took our kids on an epic road trip of the Maritime Canadian Provinces. We covered alot of kilometers and ticked off a bunch of must visit Canadian cities. On of those cities was Halifax. It might have even been the one I was most excited to get to tour. We spent one day on the Halifax Waterfront taking in this Maritime capital.
One Day on the Halifax Waterfront
We arrived in Halifax close to mid day. Before we stopped for a leisurely lunch we booked a tour of the city so that we could see all the high points. Once we were booked it was time to eat. We had lunch at the Waterfront Warehouse. There are so many restaurants along the Halifax Harbour area that you could spend a week just sitting out overlooking the water eating seafood. Our meal was excellent. Even the kids menu food was fantastic. My husband had fish and chips while I had the lobster roll and we shared a crab cake. Definitely a good place to stop for seafood.
Halifax Harbour Hopper Tour
After lunch we boarded the Halifax Harbour Hopper Tour. This tour covers both downtown Halifax and the waterfront in a Vietnam era amorphous vehicle. The tour takes just about an hour taking you through downtown first, up to Citadel Hill (although not inside the fort), past the public gardens and back down through downtown.
Then it was time to drive into the Harbour. This is the part my kids liked the best! And I have to admit it was pretty cool. I would recommend packing a jacket for this part of the tour especially as it can be quite windy out in the harbour.
The Harbour Hopper took us from one end of Halifax Harbour and back again. This is also the part of the tour where our guide recounted the Halifax Explosion. If like me you grew up in Canada you might remember the Heritage minutes that recounted the story of the two ships that collided and caused the largest man made explosion at the time.
Halifax Harbour
After the Harbour Hopper tour we spent the rest of the day wandering the waterfront. Just outside where the tour let out there is an area with all sorts of food pavilions including a stand for Cow’s Ice Cream which is world renowned. We of course had to try some! There are tables where you can sit to eat if you don’t want to wander with your food.
After ice cream we continued along the 4 kilometer boardwalk and back again. It is a vibrant area that has many restaurants, amazing views and areas to learn about the history of Halifax.
There is an interruption in the boardwalk due to construction so instead you need to take the Sea Bridge. It is 520 feet of floating dock that connects the boardwalk to bypass the construction. It is a cool experience for sure but beware it does move with the tide and wave action so it can be rocky! One way was definitely shakier than the other.
The harbourfront is a cool mix of working harbour and tourist spot. I loved these little preserved areas that let you get a peek back in time. There isn’t as much preserved as say Quebec City but you do still get a feel of the Maritime history.
If I were to come back to Halifax, and I hope that I do, I would spend a few days with it as my base to see more of Nova Scotia. As I mentioned before there are so many fantastic restaurants along the boardwalk that would be fun to try. Plus there are places like Peggy’s Cove and Lunenberg to visit.
Have you been to Halifax? What was your favourite part of this Atlantic Canada city?