Are you spending a few days in Halifax and looking for an itinerary that covers all the kid-friendly activities in Halifax? We’ve got you covered! This 2 day Halifax itinerary covers the main attractions and highlights in the city, as well as suggesting some optional short drives to the surrounding areas to help you plan a trip to Halifax.
For more details on each of the activities, you can also read our 15 Fun Things to Do in Halifax with Kids blog post. Between these two posts, you should have all the information you need to plan your fun family trip to Halifax.
WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT HALIFAX
Halifax is a vibrant coastal city that blends rich history with a lively modern atmosphere, making it a fantastic destination for families to visit. One of the best things to do in Halifax is to explore its stunning waterfront. You can stroll along the boardwalk, sample delicious fresh seafood, and enjoy gorgeous views of the harbor.
Beyond its scenic beauty, Halifax is full of history. From the iconic Halifax Citadel, which offers a glimpse into the city’s military past, to the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, there’s plenty of opportunities for children to learn, whilst having fun.
Halifax also serves as a fantastic base for road trips, making it easy to explore nearby attractions like Peggy’s Cove and the historic town of Lunenburg. For an even more epic adventure, you can take a 2-3 day drive around the Cabot Trail, widely regarded as one of the best road trips in the world. This scenic route showcases breathtaking views of Cape Breton’s coastline and gives you the chance to discover charming small towns along the way.
If you are planning a larger trip around Nova Scotia and the neighboring provinces, we've written 14 Day Atlantic Canada Roadtrip: How to Spend 2 Weeks in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI, which is a detailed post that plans out a roadtrip of a lifetime exploring the East coast!
TWO DAY HALIFAX ITINERARY OVERVIEW
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So without further ado, here is our two day itinerary for visiting Halifax, starting with a map to show where everything is located.
MAP OF ATTRACTIONS IN HALIFAX
Whenever we plan a trip, we always start with Google Maps. It helps us visualize locations and create efficient itineraries. We’ve added all the sights and attractions to the map below to help you see where everything is and plan your own itinerary.
details about each attraction. To save the map to your Google Maps account, click the star next to the title. To access it later, open Google Maps, go to “Your Places,” and find it under “Maps.”
DAY ONE OF HALIFAX ITINERARY
To kick off this Halifax itinerary, the famous Halifax Harbourfront is the perfect starting point. This vibrant area boasts a delightful 4km boardwalk that stretches along the waterfront, extending from the Casino Nova Scotia to the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.
The boardwalk is lined with plenty of restaurants, shops, museums, and (of course) ice cream spots, making it a great place to leisurely explore. The boardwalk not only allows you to soak up the bustling atmosphere and enjoy the ever-changing fun activities, but also provides great views of the picturesque harbor.
Also located right on the boardwalk, and a must-visit destination is the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, where you can learn about Halifax's port history, including its connection to the Titanic disaster. Being the closest port of substantial size to the tragic site where the Titanic sank, Halifax played a vital role in the aftermath of the disaster.
Outside of the museum stands the iconic wave monument that kids seem to love climbing up and sliding down. There is also a submarine inspired playground for the kids to enjoy. While the kids are busy ‘surfing the wave’, why not sample some delicious fish and chips or a lobster roll from the nearby food stalls.
Later in the afternoon, head up to the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site, which offers beautiful views of the harbor from its hilltop location. The citadel is still guarded by the 78th Highlanders in their traditional uniforms, and they regularly perform marching and band drills on the parade grounds. Be ready for the "noon gun" cannon blast, that is still fired every day at noon. Take a moment to check out the Old Town Clock that is located in the grounds surrounding the citadel.
Inside the Citadel, make your way to the Information Centre to pick up Xplorer (older kids) or Club Parka (younger kids) booklets, filled with activities designed to entertain and educate kids. Remember to take the booklets back at the end of your visit for the kids to pick up their prize. The Xplorer and Club Parka programs were a highlight of our trip for the kids.
The Halifax Public Gardens is just a short walk from the Citadel, and is a lovely park with beautiful flowers, gazebos, and lots of space for the kids to run around. The gardens were opened to the public during the Victorian era in 1875, and it really is a beautiful park, especially in the sunshine! It's a perfect spot for a picnic or to unwind after a day of exploration.
There are lots of great food options close to the gardens in and around the Spring Garden Road area. We found a lovely Italian café called Pane e Circo that served excellent coffee and made some of the most beautiful desserts that I have ever seen. If you are looking for something more substantial, there are plenty of dinner options ranging from fast food to oriental options, like ramen or sushi. We actually celebrated our daughters 6th birthday at Sushi Jet, where "kitty robot servers" brought the food to our table - quite the experience!
Of course there are plenty of amazing restaurants scattered throughout the entire city, none more so than along the waterfront. If you are looking for something more traditional, check out the Bicycle Thief restaurant, known for fantastic seafood, and while you are there, don't miss the "drunken lamp posts" located across the pier from the restaurant.
DAY TWO OF HALIFAX ITINERARY
On the second day in Halifax, we recommend visiting the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, where you can learn all about the journeys of over one million new Canadians who arrived between 1928 and 1971. It might not sound like the most interesting of museums, but it ended up being our kids favourite from our entire trip.
I’ll be honest, if it wasn’t for getting free entry into this museum via the Canoo app (read more about how here), then we wouldn’t necessarily have considered this a must do activity (a museum about immigration doesn’t necessarily scream excitement for kids). However, after spending a fantastic few hours there, I can confidently say that visiting with kids is a must! They’ll have a blast while learning about Canada’s history.
After the museum, why not go for a short hike and picnic lunch at Point Pleasant Park, a quiet park, just south of the museum. There is a rocky beach called Blackrock Beach and you can even swim there, although be warned, it's cold!
Next, we recommend visiting the Discovery Centre, which is hands down one of the best indoor attractions for kids in Halifax. Our kids had an absolute blast! We stayed there around 3 hours and we could have stayed much longer, as neither of them wanted to leave! With four floors of interactive hands-on learning experiences, the Discovery Centre aims to bring science, technology, engineering, arts and maths to life for kids of all ages.
Our kids' favourite section was the ‘RBC Someday Street’ on the 4th floor, which is an fun play area, where they could try their hand out at ‘real jobs’ such as working on a construction site, in a pharmacy, or at a supermarket. They also loved the innovation lab, where they could play around with electrical circuits and lightbulbs. While it isn’t cheap, it’s worth noting that it is free for kids aged 2 and under.
In the evening, why not catch the Alderney Ferry across to Dartmouth, which is only a 15 minute ride and is a great way to take in some of the best views of Halifax. The ferry ride is very reasonably priced as it only costs $2.75 return for adults and is free for kids (it’s worth noting that you need to give exact change in cash, although they do have change machines in the terminal).
However the stunning views of Halifax isn’t the only reason you should visit Dartmouth. It has some of the best playgrounds and play places, both indoor and outdoor, suitable for all ages. There are two indoor options; the Get Air Trampoline Park and the Kids Fun Factory, for a rainy play day. There is also a splash park and playground at the Dartmouth-Cole harbour for when the sun decides to come out as well.
Dartmouth is also a great place to dine, as it has an up-and-coming craft beer scene and exciting food culture. We ate our last meal of our trip at Canteen on Portland, and the food was some of the best that we ate on our trip and we would highly recommend it. You can even try the ‘Crobster roll’ which is a modern take on the classic lobster roll (with the addition of snow crab). There is a nice creperie across the street as well which is a great option for brunch or an afternoon snack.
SHORT ON TIME? TAKE A HARBOUR HOPPER TOUR
If you are a little short on time, just like many other cities, Halifax offers its own version of an amphibious hopper tour - the Harbour Hopper Tour. These tours are not only enjoyable for kids but are a fantastic way to explore the main attractions while learning some interesting Hali-facts (excuse the Dad joke!).
STAYING LONGER? HERE ARE MORE IDEAS
If you are planning on spending longer in Halifax, or perhaps some of the items above don't interest you, here are some other things to do in Halifax with kids:
The Museum of Natural History in Halifax is a great museum, and the kids will love meeting Gus, the museum's resident 100+ year-old gopher tortoise.
The Halifax Central Library is a great place to visit for its awe-inspiring architecture alone. The library has been designed to resemble a stack of books, and is definitely one of the most modern buildings in Halifax. Grab a coffee at the library’s outdoor rooftop café, as it has some great views of the South End of Halifax.
Take a Ghost Tour! If you are still looking for things to do in the evening, consider taking them on an after hours ghost tour around Halifax's historic fort and uncover the Citadel's haunted secrets!
If you enjoy a beer or are just interested in how beer is made, you can take a guided tour through the historic Alexander Keith's Brewery and learn about the brewing process. Tours come complete with tasting samples and music to make it a fun time!
Try a Halifax Donair - the difference to most regular donairs is that it is served with a sweet sauce made out of condensed milk (sounds strange I know). Halifax locals swear by it!
EXPLORE THE LOCAL AREA
Peggy's Cove
While there’s plenty to see in Halifax, you’ll probably want to explore the surrounding area as well! The coastline is full of charming fishing villages, breathtaking scenery, and, of course, numerous lighthouses. Among them, the iconic Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse stands out as the most photographed lighthouse in all of Canada. Due to its fame and relative proximity to Halifax, Peggy’s Cove is often the top choice for a day trip..... so it can get busy!
Peggy's Cove is around a 50 minute drive from Halifax, so if you are an avid photographer then I would recommend setting off early so that you arrive before the crowds get there (as we were leaving we saw two tour buses turning up and it was already fairly busy).
The kids really enjoyed clambering all over the granite rocks around the lighthouse, under our watchful eye of course (during heavy seas and storms, the waves can crash up over the rocks). The village itself is quite picturesque and nice to walk around, and I was actually impressed with how 'under developed' it seemed to be considering the number of visitors that flock there in the summer. There are several restaurants and gift shops available, however we chose to have a picnic lunch on the rocks instead.
Local Beaches
With its stunning coastline, Halifax boasts a number of beautiful beaches for a great family day out. From sandy shores perfect for building sandcastles, rocky coves begging to be explored, to the perfect surf beach, Halifax's beaches offer something for everyone. Here is a list of some of the best beaches in the local area:
To use this map, click the tab in the top left corner to toggle between layers and for more details about each attraction. To save the map to your Google Maps account, click the star next to the title. To access it later, open Google Maps, go to “Your Places,” and find it under “Maps.”
Rainbow Haven Beach Cow Bay - 35 min drive from downtown Halifax This is a lovely sheltered beach that has plenty of picnic areas, boardwalks, changing rooms, and showers. The perfect spot for a relaxing beach day with the kids.
Crystal Crescent Beach Provincial Park - 40 min drive from downtown Halifax Crystal Crescent Beach consists of three lovely white sand beaches and a 10-kilometre loop trail along the coastline - great if you want to have a little stroll as well as some beach time.
Martinique Beach East Petpeswick - 60 min drive from downtown Halifax Martinique Beach is one of the most popular beaches to visit, and is the longest sandy beach in Nova Scotia. They also do surf lessons there if you want to try something new!
Taylor Head Provincial Park - 90 min drive from downtown Halifax A beautiful sandy beach with some lovely turquoise waters of Psyche Cove Beach. The water is a also a bit warmer than other beaches in the area and the ocean waters are calm so another great beach for kids.
Lawrencetown Beach Provincial Park - 35 min drive from downtown Halifax A nice beach close to Halifax but more of a surfing beach so if you have little ones that want to play in the water there might be better options.
Clam Harbour Beach Provincial Park - 60 min drive from downtown Halifax A long sandy beach that is also home of the annual clam harbour beach sandcastle competition if you happen to be in town! (August 13th 2023). It also is one of the warmer beaches for swimming.
Conrad's Beach - 25 min drive from downtown Halifax Conrads is one of the nicest sandy beaches in the area for kids, as the sand slowly drops away from the beach. Its also a great spot best spots to try paddle boarding. Only downside is the parking is limited, so get there early.
The Historic Town of Lunenburg
A bit further afield is Lunenburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is one of the prettiest towns in Nova Scotia. Built in the 1700s, Lunenburg is a charming town with colourful historical buildings, a gorgeous waterfront and interesting local shops to browse through. Lunenburg is also home to the renowned racing schooner, The Bluenose, featured on the Canadian 10-cent coin.
Fisherman's Cove
Fisherman's Cove is a charming 200 year old working fishing village that is just a 15 minute drive from Halifax, making it a perfect place to experience a different side of Nova Scotia.
There is a lovely boardwalk with colourful shops, and it is a great place to pick up some souvenirs to remember your trip. Our kids spent quite a bit of their holiday spending money here!
Just along the boardwalk there is MacCormack’s Beach, which is a great shallow and sandy beach that is perfect for little ones as the water in some places is only an inch deep with no waves.
WHERE TO STAY IN HALIFAX
Luxury Hotels in Halifax
The Muir Hotel - If you are looking for a luxury hotel stay, that is perfectly located right on the waterfront, look no further than the Muir Hotel. The hotel is part of the Marriott hotel chain so we were able to use 'points' to stay there for free. During our stay it was our daughters birthday and we had a fantastic experience, so much so that we wrote a full review here. Another high end option is the Sutton Place Hotel, which is located mid way up the hill towards the citadel.
Mid Range Hotels in Halifax
Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel - this is another Marriott hotel that is conveniently located along the waterfront (near the Historic Properties), but at a more reasonable price. Susie stayed here last year as part of a conference she was attending and was impressed with the rooms and facilities. If you are considering a stay on the Dartmouth side of the harbour, the Courtyard by Marriott is a fairly new hotel, that is clean and has a fantastic slide that the kids loved.
Budget Hotels in Halifax
Halifax Backpackers is well located in the North End of Halifax, and while we haven't stayed there personally, I have heard some excellent things from a friend who lived in Halifax and often had people staying there when visiting on a budget.
These are just a handful of the great family-friendly hotels in Halifax.
HOW TO GET AROUND
From the Airport
If you're arriving at Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ), getting to downtown Halifax is pretty straightforward. You have a few options: renting a car, taking a shuttle, or using a taxi or rideshare service. The airport is about a 30-minute drive from the city, so it’s not too long a drive to get to the hotels in downtown.
For shuttle services, several companies operate direct routes to downtown Halifax, and many of the hotels also offer their own service. Taxis are readily available at the airport, and you can expect to pay around CAD 70 to CAD 80 for a ride into downtown. If you prefer rideshare options, Uber is also available and can be a bit cheaper than traditional taxis.
Getting Around Downtown
The downtown area is compact and walkable, with many attractions, shops, and restaurants all within easy reach. However, Halifax is quite hilly, so a walk from the waterfront up to the Citadel can be a bit challenging, especially if you have a stroller or young kids. Thankfully, taxis and Ubers are readily available to make getting around easier. Additionally, you can find e-scooter rentals throughout the city, which are a fun and convenient way to tackle those hills without breaking a sweat!
Hiring a Car
If you plan to explore beyond downtown Halifax—like visiting Peggy’s Cove, Lunenburg, or the stunning Cabot Trail—renting a car is a great option. Having your own vehicle allows you the freedom to create your own itinerary and soak in the beautiful landscapes at your own pace.
When it comes to car rentals, you can choose from well-known companies like Avis, Enterprise, or Hertz. Alternatively, you might find competitive rates on platforms like discovercars.com, which can help you snag the best deals for your road trip adventures!
ENJOY YOUR VISIT TO HALIFAX
We hope you found this blog post useful and that you have a great time exploring Halifax and the surrounding areas!
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