Weather
Halifax weather in early September was pleasant overall, although it can be quite hot during the day and then get chilly in the evening. We were there from September 4th to 7th If you also plan to visit Halifax in September, make sure to pack a long-sleeve jacket and a pair of pants, especially if you plan to stay outside in the nighttime.
Accommodation
If you like vintage-style hotels, consider Hearthstone Inn Boutique Hotel. It’s a 3.5-star hotel located in Dartmouth, can either be reached by ferry + bus, or $17-19 Uber from downtown Halifax. There’s an Atlantic Superstore (acquired by Loblaws in the 70s) right across, fairly convenient.
Itinerary
- Day 1 – Fly from Toronto to Halifax, drinks at Salty’s, ferry to Dartmouth, Downtown walk, dinner at Bluenose II, nightcaps at Antojo
- Day 2 – Halifax Citadel and Old Town Clock, Queen’s Marque, Waterfront, Alexander Keith’s, e-scooter tour around downtown, dinner at The Bicycle Thief
- Day 3 – Prince of Wales Tower, King of Donair, Dalhousie University, Oyster happy hour at Shuck Seafood, dinner at Sea Smoke
- Day 4 – Historic Properties, lunch at Bluenose II, fly back to Toronto
Day 1 – Fly from Toronto to Halifax, drinks at Salty’s, ferry to Dartmouth, Downtown walk, dinner at Bluenose II, nightcaps at Antojo
From Halifax Stanfield International Airport to downtown is easy if you are up for public transportation. Take a nap on Bus #320 and you’ll be downtown in 1 hour.
Our first meal was at Salty’s by the waterfront. It’s known for the fresh seafood and lobster roll, but the seafood platter we ordered was pretty touristy. The location was great. Incredible ocean view by the deck – yes, we were right by the Atlantic Ocean 🙂
After lunch, we walked a little and took the ferry to Dartmouth for hotel check-in 🏨 The place turned out to be better than expected. It’s clean and vintage, staff was friendly too. A good budget-friendly choice.
After freshening up, we came back to Halifax downtown again (yes, it’s that easy) for dinner. There were many high-rating decent places in the area, eventually we decided to try Bluenose II for something casual. The place was chill, spacious yet packed, and the dishes were beyond our expectations. The lobster roll which we finally got to try and the pan-sealed scallops were very tasty. They had some good wine selections too with reasonable prices. This was the only restaurant we visited twice during our time in Halifax.
✏️ Tip: If you look to explore Halifax in a fun and efficient way, check out Harbour Hopper Tours. It’s an amphibious vehicle that takes you on a 1-hour tour in Halifax on land and sea.
After dinner, we took a walk along Barrington St. Apparently it’s a bar street with various restaurants and pubs. We stopped by Antojo for some tequila.
Day 2 – Halifax Citadel and Old Town Clock, Queen’s Marque, Waterfront, Alexander Keith’s, e-scooter tour around downtown, dinner at The Bicycle Thief
Today we had quite a walk. Started with visiting the Halifax Citadel and the Old Town Clock, and immersed ourselves in the social and military history of Halifax.
✏️ Tip: You may want to plan your visit to the Citadel around noon time so that you can witness the Noon Gun performance – gunners dressed in the 3rd Brigade Royal Artillery uniform fire a cannon to announce the noon hour each day except for Christmas Day.
After Citadel, we grabbed a cold beer on the way to the Waterfront, then strolled from the ferry terminal all the way to Alexander Keith, the brewery founded in 1820 by Alexander Keith who had immigrated from Scotland. In between, we checked out Queen’s Marque, HMCS Sackville, and of course, the food truck vendors.
✏️ Tip: If you wish to avoid walking while keep a customized route, consider their scooter option at HFX e-Scooters. Simply download the mobile app and link it to your credit card, it calculates the fee by tracking the GPS and will stop charging once it’s been returned to the assigned zones.
We finished off the day with a lovely dinner at The Bicycle Thief, a highly recommended Italian restaurant which in their own words, “in an atmosphere that blends Old School style with New School attitude”. Their lobster linguine is a must-try.
Day 3 – Prince of Wales Tower, King of Donair, Dalhousie University, Oyster happy hour at Shuck Seafood, dinner at Sea Smoke
Today’s itinerary was relatively lighter. We head down south to the Prince of Wales Tower first, with some fun hiking. For lunch we tried a popular donair place, then visited Dalhousie University.
💡Fun Fact: Donair is a type of sandwich or wrap that originated in Halifax. It is similar to gyro but with a relatively sweet-kind sauce.
✏️ Tip: If you are an oyster lover, you have to come to Shuck Seafood. They have oyster and drink happy hour every day during 4-6pm for only $1.50 per oyster 🦪 – can’t find any better deal than that!
After the oyster bar, we rented a scooter and roamed around in the city for about an hour, then relaxed a bit with ice cream, people watching and wine. Dinner was at Sea Smoke.
Day 4 – Historic Properties, lunch at Bluenose II, fly back to Toronto
The last day was quite open. Then checked out the Historic Properties for some souvenir shopping. Completed our last satisfying lunch at Bluenose II, then flew back to Toronto.
