If it is an adult beverage you’re craving, not to be concerned: Halifax has much more pubs and bars, per capita, than any other city in Canada. Be certain to attempt any of Alexander Keith’s beers they are made right in town, and they’re delicious.
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Greatest Souvenir
Some of the finest crystal in the planet is created in Nova Scotia. Choose up a mouth-blown, hand-reduce piece at Nova Scotian Crystal on the boardwalk.
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Language
The vast majority of Haligonians speak English, but a smattering of people also speaks French.
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Currency & Very best Way to Get Funds
The currency in Halifax is the Canadian dollar, but most shops will accept American dollars. If you don’t want to danger it, you are going to locate an ATM at nearby Pier 21, at the immigration museum and at Java Cafe, across from Pier 20. For the most updated currency conversions, check out www.xe.com or www.oanda.com.
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Hanging Around
Halifax’s picturesque waterfront is straightforward to explore on foot. Even if you’re not in the mood to shop, stroll the boardwalk that zigzags along the harbor, lined with shops, restaurants and attractions. Historic Properties at Privateers Wharf is situated straight on the boardwalk and is made up of a collection of boutiques, impulse eateries and pubs housed in ten wood and stone buildings dating back to the early 1800s.
Don’t miss the chance to snack on fried fish sandwiches from the wooden food stand near the Maritime Museum. Rum Runners Rum Cake Factory is an additional mainstay on the boardwalk at Bishop’s Landing.There, you will also locate Sugah!, a candy shop that sells prepackaged treats, as effectively as the store’s own brand of chocolates, candy bars with fascinating flavor combinations, and other confections like trail mix and chocolate-covered blueberries.
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Receiving Around
The primary waterfront attractions start at the start off of the boardwalk and continue on for the next 3 quarters of a mile. Taxis line up outside the terminal. Alamo (800-462-5266) and National (800-227-7368) have reservation desks down the street from the Westin Nova Scotian hotel, a massive red-brick developing, just 5 minutes from your ship on foot.
Automobile rentals are not available at the piers. If you want one thing much more active, a quick stroll down the boardwalk brings you to a bike rental stand, where, for $ 9 an hour or $ 25 for a half-day, you can grab a bike and pedal your way about the city. A Segway tour stand is also nearby.
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Watch Out For
As you need to in any port of call, leave unnecessary valuables and money in your stateroom’s protected. Halifax is a friendly location, but it really is helpful to stay alert, particularly if you’re not familiar with the region. Also, be aware that weather can alter often — from chilly 1 minute to warm the next. It is typically breezy, also dress in layers.
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Never Miss
Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Marketplace: This sprawling market, a Halifax staple for more than 5 decades, welcomes cruise passengers as they disembark, offering food, arts and crafts, regional wines and souvenirs galore, all provided by local vendors. You will want to come hungry you can uncover cuisine that ranges from Jamaican and Mediterranean to Asian, surrounded by stalls that sell fresh fruits, vegetables and seafood. It is also a wonderful place to escape inclement weather, locate clean bathrooms or simply loosen up with cost-free Wi-Fi at the end of a hectic day. (1209 Marginal Road open everyday)
Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21: The immigration museum is situated just methods from where you’ll disembark. In operation from 1928 to 1971, the depot received 1.5 million immigrants, returning soldiers, war brides and displaced youngsters. (In reality, one particular in five Canadians can trace his or her roots to Pier 21.) You can take in video and audio accounts of why people settled in Canada, how they fared and how young youngsters have been sent to Canada to escape the wartime bombings in England. A film version of a stage efficiency shows the arrival home of a troopship with anxious brides, some with young children in tow, waiting to greet their husbands soon after an absence of several years. Guided tours are available each and every hour, on the half-hour. It will take you anyplace from 40 minutes to 3 hours to discover the museum, depending on your pace. (open seven days a week, May possibly 1 to October 31 from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.)
Editor’s Note: The museum is at present closed for renovations and the addition of new exhibits. It will reopen in Could 2015.
Art Gallery of Nova Scotia: Visitors will uncover this gallery in the heart of downtown Halifax. The 9,000 operates in the collection incorporate historic and contemporary Nova Scotian, Canadian and international art, as effectively as an acclaimed collection of folk art. (1723 Hollis Street 902-424-5280 day-to-day tours Wednesday to Sunday at two:30 p.m. and Thursday at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. open Wednesday to Friday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., with free extended hours from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursdays Saturday ten a.m. to 5 p.m. closed Mondays and Tuesdays)
Maritime Museum of the Atlantic: If you’re strolling along the waterfront, be certain to check out the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, the marine history division of the Nova Scotia Museum (a family of 12 museums operated by the province). The main attraction is an exhibit committed to the sinking of Titanic, where you can view an actual deck chair from the ship — 1 of a few in the planet still intact. Other Titanic artifacts are housed there, as properly, such as oak molding from the forward very first-class staircase. Other significant exhibits are the lovely passenger ship models and a section dedicated to the Halifax Explosion that devastated the city throughout World War I when Mont Blanc, a munitions ship, blew up, killing 1,600 men and women and wounding 900 it is stated that the blast rattled windows as far as 60 miles away. (Considerable medical assistance came from Boston, and each year, to show its gratitude, Halifax sends a Christmas tree to Boston’s Prudential Square and pays to light it.) Outdoors, you can climb aboard the CSS Acadia, Canada’s 1st hydrographic ship, and the convoy escort corvette HMCS Sackville. (1675 Reduced Water Street 902-424-749 open everyday, June to September, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Tuesday extended to 8 p.m.)
Titanic Gravesites: Right after the Titanic sank, survivors nonetheless required to get to their destinations, so they were brought to Halifax, the closest key seaport with access to a rail program. Ships also brought the bodies of some victims, a lot of of which have been buried in Fairview Lawn Cemetery. A lot more than 120 graves can be observed at Fairview, although 19 are at Mount Olivet Cemetery.
Province Property: Nova Scotia boasts some of the nation’s earliest civic buildings, and Halifax’s Province Residence, opened in 1819, is by far the oldest. Most notably, Province Residence is exactly where provincial legislature meets, but the building is also of architectural interest. Writer Charles Dickens called Province Residence “a gem of Georgian architecture.” (1726 Hollis Street 902-424-4661 open July to August, weekdays 9 a.m. to five p.m., weekends ten a.m. to four p.m. September to June, weekdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Halifax Public Gardens: The Halifax Public Gardens, which date back to the mid-19th century, measures an impressive 17 acres and is enclosed by an ornamental, wrought-iron gate. Flora and fauna, statues and fountains, and a gingerbread-home-like bandstand grace this well-known tourist attraction. Free of charge public summer season concerts take location at the gazebo. (1606 Bell Road, 902-423-9865)
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Been There, Carried out That
Dartmouth: Take the Halifax-Dartmouth Ferry across the harbor to Dartmouth. The 395-passenger double-ended ferries leave every single 15 to 30 minutes, depending on time of day, for the 12-miniute crossing. Dartmouth is a small, residential city, ideal for escaping the touristy crowds. The Globe Peace Pavilion, situated close to the ferry terminal, is a excellent attraction for families, serving as a learning activity for geography, history and social research a chunk of the Berlin wall is kept there, as nicely as a piece of the Great Wall of China. (open in the course of sunlight hours free of charge admission)
Interesting factoid: The Halifax-Dartmouth Ferry is actually the oldest continuous (255 years) saltwater passenger ferry service in North America.
Halifax Citadel: Get your military history at the Halifax Citadel, a fort built in 1749. It really is a steep climb up from the waterfront, but the view of the surrounding city and the vast harbor is nicely worth the work. There are marching guards, and a cannon sounds each day at noon, a 200-year-old tradition. On a hill, just in front of the Citadel, you’ll uncover the Halifax Town Clock. It was given to the city by Prince Edward, Duke of Kent. (Our tour guide told us he was usually irked by the tendency of Halifax residents to be late everywhere they went, so the giant clock was a bit of a dig.)
St. Paul’s Church: On the way up to the citadel by means of either George or Prince Streets, visit St. Paul’s Church, Canada’s oldest Protestant church, built in 1749 and shipped from Boston.
Alexander Keith’s Brewery: Interested in local spirits… the imbibable type, that is? Just a few blocks from the waterfront is the historic Alexander Keith’s Brewery, which began creating a assortment of local beers in 1820. Guides in period costume lead guests by means of the brewery and, of course, you can appreciate a couple of samples along the way. During the summer time, 1-hour tours start each and every 30 minutes. (Monday to Saturday noon to 8 p.m. and Sunday noon to five p.m.)
Peggy’s Cove: Plan a day trip to Peggy’s Cove, a rustic fishing village situated on an ocean inlet and identified for its dramatic lighthouse. Peggy’s Cove is about a 30-minute drive southwest of Halifax, so your greatest bets are to rent a auto or book an excursion.
Lunenburg: Verify out Lunenburg, a waterfront village that’s a UNESCO Globe Heritage Web site the town was founded in 1753. Lunenburg is about a 57-mile drive southwest of Halifax and features a number of activities for lovers of the fantastic outdoors, which includes campgrounds, golf courses and sandy beaches. You pass by way of fairly seaside Mahone Bay on the way.
Bay of Fundy: Rent a auto, and drive to one of the quaint fishing villages alongside the Bay of Fundy (such as Hall’s Harbour). No catch? No dilemma: Lobster restaurants abound.
Lunching Lots of lunch options are obtainable in Halifax, from inexpensive and delicious fish and chips out of a wooden shack to upscale dining. Although seafood is the city’s specialty, you will also discover a selection of other choices.
Cheelin Express: Located inside the Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market, this stand serves scrumptious and reasonably priced Asian cuisine. Attempt the spring rolls and any of the noodle dishes. (1209 Marginal Road open Tuesday to Sunday)
Wrap So D: Also discovered at the Halifax Seaport Farmer’s Industry, Wrap So D provides made-to-order wraps that are out of this planet. We extremely recommend the breakfast wraps. Owner and operator Chef Darren Poirier was wonderfully accommodating when we requested something specific that wasn’t on the menu. (1209 Marginal Road open Tuesday to Sunday)
The 5 Fishermen: For a choice of tasty seafood dishes in an upscale atmosphere, try The 5 Fishermen. Menu items include grilled salmon, lobster tacos, sirloin burgers and — our choose — lobster linguine, amongst a lot of other people. (1740 Argyle Street open for lunch Monday to Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. 902-422-4421)
Excellent Wall Restaurant: Attempt this selection for Szechuan and Cantonese cuisine. (1649 Bedford Row open day-to-day from 11:30 a.m.)
Waterfront Warehouse: A seafood-lover’s dream, this venue delivers a variety of fresh-from-the-sea fare like lobster, fish tacos and clams. (1549 Decrease Water Street open Monday to Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to ten p.m.)
Cafe Chianti: Attempt Italian and Eastern European fare in an Old World setting the restaurant also boasts its personal wine cellar with a fine choice of rare vintage wines. (1241 Barrington Street lunch served from 11:30 a.m. to two:30 p.m.)
Steve-O-Reno’s: If you’re in the mood for some thing light, refreshing and wholesome, head to Steve-O-Reno’s in the Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Marketplace. You are going to locate an impressive range of specialty coffees and smoothies. The banana, mango and pineapple smoothie had our mouths watering. (1209 Marginal Road open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Staying in Touch The easiest way to get on-line in Halifax is to take an easy stroll down the boardwalk to the waterfront. There, free Wi-Fi is accessible to any individual who desires it. If you don’t want to walk that far, just across from Pier 20 is Java Factory, a modest coffee shop that will give you limitless Net access for $ 1. A little farther into the city is Paperchase Newsstand and Cafe (5528 Blowers Street, between Spring Garden and Sackville), where Web comes free of charge with any acquire. Access can also be purchased for 13 cents a minute. The local libraries also supply access to the Internet for free of charge you just need to bring I.D. with you.
Shore Excursions Best for a Quick Overview: Travel by motorcoach to all the primary visitor attractions, such as the waterfront, the Citadel, historic buildings and much more. These tours variety from about 90 minutes to 3 hours.
Best for Titanic Enthusiasts: A guide requires you via the city of Halifax, concentrating on sights of Titanic significance. Stops contain the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, Fairview Lawn Cemetary, St. Paul’s Church and a number of much more points of interest. This tour takes two to 3 hours.
Peggy’s Cove Check out: By motorcoach along the coast, go to Peggy’s Cove, a scenic fishing village that is home to a single of Nova Scotia’s most photographed landmarks — the lighthouse on Peggy’s Cove, which marks the entrance to St. Margaret’s Bay.
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