One Day In Halifax Nova Scotia

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Inside: One day in Halifax Itinerary; Where to eat in Halifax NS; Activities in Halifax Nova Scotia; Walking tour Halifax NS

Halifax Nova Scotia is such a vibrant little city, but with so much to do, can you really see Halifax in one day? I now call Halifax home, and love living here. If you’re visiting on a cruise or just stopping by on a Nova Scotia road trip, here are my favorite things to do with one day in Halifax.

Start With Breakfast

I love eating, especially brunch food so this isn’t a surprise! If you are here for breakfast, head over to The Bluenose II for some delicious eats. It’s classic diner food, and breakfast is served all day! If you’re in town on the weekend I highly recommend Le Bistro by Liz, brunch is fantastic and comes with a mimosa, bloody mary or caesar.

After you’re full I highly suggest walking it off on the waterfront

Halifax Waterfront

We are pretty famous for our waterfront here in Halifax. The boardwalk is approx 3km (2 miles) long if you walk the whole thing. Stop in and check out some of our local stores like Amos Pewter. There are some interesting museums on the waterfront as well, Pier 21 (close to the cruise port) is an immigration museum, where you can learn about how newcomers to Canada became part of our country, or you can trace your own family history. The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic explores boat building and naval exhibits, and even houses some Titanic memorabilia. Don’t forget to explore the Historic Properties at the end to see some beautifully restored 18th century buildings.

For lunch I recommend grabbing something along the waterfront from a food stand, or the Stubborn Goat Beer Garden. The Halifax Seaport Market is open 7 days a week and is Canada’s longest running farmer’s market, there’s always delicious food to be found there. Also check out Cow’s Ice-cream – however the line is usually a bit long!

Rainy day? Check out these indoor things to do in Halifax!

After the waterfront, it’s time to head inland a bit

Spring Garden Road

Start at the bottom of Spring Garden Road where it intersects with Barrington street and walk up, I love stopping in all the shops. You can’t miss Halifax Central Library, it’s architecture certainly stands out in a city of old buildings. Pop in to browse or just get some free Wi-Fi.

Once you’ve made it to South Park Street, you’re at another Halifax Landmark…

The Public Gardens

Established in 1867, walk around this beautiful Victorian era gardens. The garden is large and you could easily spend a lot of time in here – now’s a great time to grab an afternoon coffee or tea from Uncommon Grounds, located on the side of the park near Spring Garden and just stroll.

If you come out of the gardens on the Sackville Street side, you’ll be closer to our next stop:

The Halifax Citadel

I love the Citadel, it has a great view overlooking the city. The Halifax Citadel is a National Historic Site of Canada where you can step back into the 1800s and see how the 78th Highlanders lived and protected our city. If you’re around in the evening (Thursday-Saturday, mid July until end of October) I highly recommend their ghost walk as well!

Get all the details about Halifax Citadel here!

By this time you must be ready for dinner, which is where Halifax REALLY shines

Dinner & Drinks

There’s no way around it, we have a lot of bars and restaurants in Halifax. In fact we have the second most bars per capita in Canada (St. Johns NFLD holds the Canadian record for most bars per capita!). With so many places to eat it can be very hard to choose. I’ll outline my favorite places to eat & drink in Halifax so you can choose for yourself:

Piatto

I think Piatto pizzeria + enoteca is my favorite place to eat in Halifax, but probably because I LOVE pizza. They make pizza in a 900° oven and some of their pizzas are certified by the VPN (Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana) to be authentic to what you would find in Naples, Italy. Also their Sicliana pizza was featured on the TV show You Gotta Eat Here.

Stubborn Goat

The Stubborn Goat is the perfect place to go with a larger group and order little plates to share. It’s all delicious and you can’t really go wrong. I especially love their mac n cheese.

Lot 6

You don’t want to miss Lot 6 in this beautiful historic building. If you’re into oysters there is an oyster happy hour from 4-6pm daily. They have a great combination of small and large plates, as well as fantastic and imaginative drinks. Make sure to sit down in the atrium if you can, it’s beautiful.

Bicycle Thief

If you’re looking for some upscale dining, the Bicycle Thief on the waterfront is a great choice. Serving “American food with an Italian soul”, you’ll love having a glass of wine and eating multiple courses here.

Split Crow

A true Nova Scotia landmark, the original Split Crow opened more than 250 years ago. Classic pub food, and drinks with live music. A really great place to spend an evening out!

Antojo

Antojo taco + tequila bar is the place for Mexican food in Halifax. I love the decor in here and the food and drinks are really great. I also highly recommend saving room for the churros for dessert!

Middle Spoon

The Middle Spoon is the place to go for dessert and cocktails. They have an impressive list of drinks, plus the desserts are all amazing (try the peanut butter pie). They also have light food like salad, soup and sandwiches.

The Pint

If you’re looking for a sports bar, The Pint is a great choice. You can always find a game on and if you’re into chicken wings, they have 40 different sauces. Just a word of warning – that inferno burger is SPICY!

Wooden Monkey

The Wooden Monkey is an amazing choice for vegans, and vegetarians. They have lots of options and have a farm to table mindset. Everything is super fresh and showcases local ingredients.

Five Fisherman

The Five Fisherman might be one of the most popular restaurants in Halifax. Lots of seafood options here for those looking for a lobster dinner or famous Nova Scotia seafood chowder. Fun fact: the building used to be a church and is said to be haunted.

Pizza Corner

If you’ve visited Halifax without going to Pizza Corner than have you really visited Halifax? Pizza Corner is an intersection where 3 pizza places take up ¾ corners. Try an authentic Halifax donair!

One Day In Halifax Is Over!

That was a lot wasn’t it? Halifax is such a fun city and there is SO much to do! I love living here and look forward to exploring more.

Looking for the best beach in Nova Scotia? This post has it broken down by areas!

Ready to take a road trip from Halifax? You might want to check out:

• Lunenburg and Mahone Bay ~1 hour away
• Liverpool ~ 1.5 hours away
• Cape Split ~ 1.5 hours away
• Sugar Moon Farm ~ 1.5 hours away
• Burntcoat Head ~ 1.25 hours away
• Wolfville ~ 1 hour away
• Oak Island ~ 50 minutes away
• Fortress Of Louisbourg ~ 4.75 hours away

If you’ve been to Halifax, what was your favourite thing?

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