Halifax travel guide
Halifax Tourism | Halifax Guide
You're Going to Love Halifax
With a population of 359,111, Halifax is the largest city in Nova Scotia, Canada by the number of inhabitants. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. Halifax deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.
Activities & attractions in Halifax
Museums
Where to Eat in Halifax
Downtown is the neighborhood with the most restaurants in Halifax. These include popular favorites such as Stories - Casual Fine Dining - Halifax (5184 Morris St), Sea Smoke Restaurant (1477 Lower Water St) and Morris East - Morris Street (5212 Morris St.). If you’re looking for affordable options, The Stubborn Goat Gastropub (1579 Grafton Street) and McKelvies (1680 Lower Water Street) are great picks. For delicious green meals, Rasa: Flavours of India (1542 Birmingham St) and The Garden (1446 Queen St) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Halifax.
When to visit Halifax
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Halifax in August, when the average temperature is 66.2 °F, and the highest can go up to 73.4 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 15.8 °F, with an average temperature of 23 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in December, when precipitation is around 5.6″. In contrast, August is usually the driest month of the year in Halifax, with an average rainfall of 3.6″.
How to Get to Halifax
Plane
When flying to Halifax, you’ll arrive at Halifax Intl (YHZ), which is located 17 miles from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Halifax include American Airlines, Air Canada and Emirates. The shortest flight to Halifax from the United States departs from Nashville and takes around 5h 57m.
Train
VIA Rail Canada is the only carrier operating train routes to Halifax. The train journey from Halifax to Québec City takes 18h 09m and costs around $136 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Montreal, expect to pay about $163 for a 21h 26m trip. The train station in Halifax is called Halifax, and is located 0.5 miles from the city center.
Car
Another option to get to Halifax is to pick up a car rental from Moncton, which is about 116 miles from Halifax. You’ll find branches of Hertz and Turo, among others, in Moncton.
Airports near Halifax
Airlines serving Halifax
Where to stay in Halifax
From 5-star hotels such as the Muir, Autograph Collection to great affordable options like the The Halliburton, Halifax offers a range of accommodations for every taste. Average rates range from around $203 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $333 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include University Of King's College and Chebucto Inn. There are also lots of vacation rental options in Halifax, with prices from $51 to $582 per night. North End is the neighborhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Halifax are about 4% cheaper than a hotel room in the city.
Where to stay in popular areas of Halifax
Most booked hotels in Halifax
Renting a car in Halifax
Renting a car in Halifax costs $75 per day, on average, or $151 if you want to rent if for 2 days. Budget, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Avis are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Halifax is the Thrifty branch at 747 Bell Blvd, which is 17 miles from the city center.
It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 4% cheaper than airport locations in Halifax.
Expect to pay $5.22 per gallon in Halifax (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $62.69 and $83.58. The most frequently booked car type in Halifax is Compact (Toyota RAV4 or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Mini rental cars (Fiat 500 or similar) are, on average, 54% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.