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.

Where to Eat in Halifax

Downtown is the neighborhood with the most restaurants in Halifax. These include popular favorites such as Gio (1725 Market St), Cut Steakhouse (5120 Salter Street) and Stories - Casual Fine Dining - Halifax (5184 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.

Most popular restaurants in Halifax

Canadian
Very good (238 reviews)
Global, International
Wonderful (131 reviews)
Italian
Wonderful (114 reviews)
Steak
Wonderful (109 reviews)
French
Wonderful (107 reviews)
Seafood
Wonderful (102 reviews)
Canadian
Very good (238 reviews)
Global, International
Wonderful (131 reviews)
Italian
Wonderful (114 reviews)
Steak
Wonderful (109 reviews)
French
Wonderful (107 reviews)
Seafood
Wonderful (102 reviews)

When to visit Halifax

Halifax in January
Estimated hotel price
$156
1 night at 3-star hotel
Halifax in January
Estimated hotel price
$156
1 night at 3-star hotel

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″.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to Halifax

Plane

When flying to Halifax, you’ll arrive at Halifax Intl (YHZ), which is located 27 km from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Halifax include Air Canada, United Airlines and Delta. The shortest flight to Halifax from the United States departs from Nashville and takes around 5h 45m.

Train

VIA Rail Canada is the only carrier operating train routes to Halifax. The train station in Halifax is called Halifax, and is located 0.7 km from the city center.

Car

Another option to get to Halifax is to pick up a car rental from Moncton, which is about 187 km from Halifax. You’ll find branches of Hertz and Turo, among others, in Moncton.

Bus

Maritime Bus operates bus routes to Halifax. From Moncton, the bus ride to Halifax takes 322 km and will cost you around $115. From Fredericton, the ticket costs about $211 for a journey of 571 km.

Plane

When flying to Halifax, you’ll arrive at Halifax Intl (YHZ), which is located 27 km from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Halifax include Air Canada, United Airlines and Delta. The shortest flight to Halifax from the United States departs from Nashville and takes around 5h 45m.

Train

VIA Rail Canada is the only carrier operating train routes to Halifax. The train station in Halifax is called Halifax, and is located 0.7 km from the city center.

Car

Another option to get to Halifax is to pick up a car rental from Moncton, which is about 187 km from Halifax. You’ll find branches of Hertz and Turo, among others, in Moncton.

Bus

Maritime Bus operates bus routes to Halifax. From Moncton, the bus ride to Halifax takes 322 km and will cost you around $115. From Fredericton, the ticket costs about $211 for a journey of 571 km.

Airports near Halifax

Airlines serving Halifax

Lufthansa
Good (4,604 reviews)
KLM
Good (849 reviews)
SWISS
Good (927 reviews)
Delta
Good (4,589 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (2,283 reviews)
Air France
Good (973 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (476 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (4,926 reviews)
Emirates
Good (2,125 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,482 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (5,710 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (226 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (832 reviews)
LOT
Good (681 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (1,161 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (835 reviews)
Cathay Pacific
Good (487 reviews)
Egypt Air
Good (194 reviews)
Korean Air
Excellent (775 reviews)
Avianca
Good (1,330 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in Halifax

Average rates range from around $170 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $263 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 $636 per night. North End is the neighborhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Halifax are about 5% cheaper than a hotel room in the city.

Where to stay in popular areas of Halifax

Most booked hotels in Halifax

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Halifax – Dartmouth
4 stars
Excellent (8.8, 702 reviews)
$174+
Chateau Bedford, Trademark Collection by Wyndham
4 stars
Excellent (8.4, 1128 reviews)
$127+
Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Halifax - Dartmouth
4 stars
Excellent (8.3, 1473 reviews)
$199+
Alt Hotel Halifax Airport
3 stars
Excellent (8.3, 1471 reviews)
$211+
The Lord Nelson Hotel & Suites
4 stars
Excellent (8.3, 754 reviews)
$147+
Cambridge Suites Hotel Halifax
3 stars
Excellent (8.2, 1725 reviews)
$163+

Renting a car in Halifax

Renting a car in Halifax costs $73 per day, on average, or $147 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 27 km from the city center.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 10% 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 Standard rental cars (Subaru Impreza or similar) are, on average, 64% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Renting a car in Halifax costs $73 per day, on average, or $147 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 27 km from the city center.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 10% 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 Standard rental cars (Subaru Impreza or similar) are, on average, 64% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.