Journey to the East(ern Canada) - Halifax

Across all the cities I've visited and the wonders that I saw, I had substantially underestimated Halifax. Being the last city on my trip, I had done all the planning but focused most of my attention on Ontario and Quebec. Coming from the small towns in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, getting thrown into the bustling metropolis of Halifax, Nova Scotia, snapped me back to the noise of Toronto or Montreal.

Day 0 - Maritime Bus (2)

This time I'm reversing my route from Charlottetown back to Amherst for a transfer to Halifax. These bus rides were basically the same as before, but the hot and humid temperature made me too uncomfortable to take many pictures. In fact, I found the humidity in the Maritime regions to swing wildly between 40% and 80%, with higher humidity making everything feel more sticky and tiring.

It had been a week up to this point since I had traveled through any major highways or standstill traffic. It sure was a grand welcome to city life driving down the Trans-Canada highway and getting stuck on Harbor Street for half an hour. Since the bus terminal was on the other side of the city, our giant bus slowly drove alongside normal cars just to drop me off 40 minutes from my hostel.

Having skipped lunch so I could splurge on a welcoming dinner, I walked across the waterfront (destroying my suitcase even further lol) to The Bicycle Thief, a luxurious restaurant that was already full when I arrived. Solo traveler privilege got me at the bar, where I spent way too much on these crumbs of pasta.

I was in a rush to reach my hostel so I didn't pay much attention to the waterfront. Many pictures will be shown on day 1, but for now, I crawled my way up the hills of Halifax, past the old Citadel, and across Gottingen Street in the North sector. It seems that many locals, including the government itself, divide the metro area into:

• Halifax West - Wealthy residential, with beaches and private boat docks all along the West shores.
• Halifax North - Urban arts center and historic residential neighborhoods. Major green spaces and ethnic eateries.
• Halifax Downtown - Business core and famous harbor boardwalk. Primary tourist hotspot with fancy restaurants and local shops.

The north district was also where I saw most of the city homeless, around the Salvation Army building. Gottingen Street is mostly filled with restaurants, bars, and other niche shops, but with no nearby grocery or connivent store. The area itself was holding up okay (I've seen worst), but not somewhere I'd hang around for long.

Day 1 - Northside and Harbor Front.

Today was when I properly explored North Halifax, and what it had to offer. The area around Gottingen is definitely more of a nightlife spot than a morning stroll, as no one was here when I visited. A very urbanist feel to the neighborhood, with old structures and murals everywhere -- similar to the older neighborhoods of Toronto.

For most of my trip though, I hung around in Downtown Halifax. I'm sure there are many nuanced factors as to why I found this downtown to be more welcoming than others, and other reasons why I'm wrong. The friendly people of a relatively small city, the reasonable traffic (and adorable attempt at Montreal-styled bike lanes), cozy parks squeeze between skyscrapers, and the stunning waterfront which I'll never stop gawking over. Halifax managed to trigger something within me that I couldn't help but crave more of, a sense of place and belonging.

Throughout my entire trip, I revisited the Halifax boardwalk over and over. The energy there just kept drawing me in, and I was all there for it. There is plenty to see and do, including the Maritime Museum. A vast and detailed collection of historical ships and Halifax's connection to the ocean. This was where I learned much about Halifax's history and relation to the ocean and other major events like the Titanic.

I also purchased the Halifax Experience Pass, which grants timed access to various attractions depending on how many days you buy. With just a single day pass I managed to book two tours ahead of time, which didn't activate the countdown so I could reuse it for the Maritime Museum.

My first tour was a two-hour cruise on the Tall Sail Silva. While not actually powered by the wind, Silva is a big boat that took us all around the coast, with live music and a busy bar. Sunscreen was essential on a sunny day as there was no shade onboard. I doubt the 50+ members of the company party that joined us knew about the sunburn, either that or they were all too drunk to care.

And finally, sushi. Need I say more?

Day 2 - Citadel and Peggy Cove

With my Experience Pass still active, I visited the Citadel sitting on top of Halifax's hill -- similar to Quebec City, but longer and less steep. Also like Quebec City, there are rich traditions and history behind the British rebuilding the fort four separate times are preserved and well documented within the walls. Soldiers and staff still wear traditional outfits. Many of the buildings were refurbished to feel like their historical counterparts.

The second floor of the main building is yet another war museum, showcasing Canadian achievements in the Great War and other conflicts. This would make the third war exhibit I've seen this trip, which is impressive given the quantity of original artifacts on display.

At noon, I went on a tour of Peggy's Cove, but also the surrounding community and a fascinating history lesson from our tour guide. From local facts about the historic development of Nova Scotia, fishing communities, Halifax's stories during 9/11, including the incredible story of Gander, Newfoundland, their involvement in the aftermath of the Titanic, all sprinked in with her personal stories growing up in the community. The drive there and back was half of my enjoyment.

Peggy's Cove itself was a busy touristy spot for good reasons. The iconic lighthouse at the edge of the land towards the ocean is a majestic sight to witness. There are also a few shops in the neighboring town, selling food and artisan goods. The schoolhouse was preserved as a historic site, and the deGarthe art gallery showcases dozens of sculptures and paintings of a single fisherman and artist.

With how expensive lobster rolls are to buy, I wanted to save my second and last roll at the best spot I could find. Sure there are plenty of restaurants in Halifax that serve lobster rolls, but I wanted something real special, so Tom's Shack in Peggy Cove is for the best roll I ever had!

Brief Run-Through Afterwords

After the tour, I bounced around 4 locations for a short period. The header is there just so I don't feel like I'm bloating one section of this blog.

The Brewery Farmers Market is a market built into an old distillery factory. They've got a beer tour of the brewery, a Saturday Farmers Market, and other shops within the building. Come on Saturday for some actual activity.

The Victoria Garden is one of the few gardens in Canada with royal status. There are various requirements to be considered a Victoria Garden, but all that matters is the beautiful landscape and the adorable ducks.

Quinpool Road is lined with ethnic restaurants and is worth a visit just to try some unique and cheaper food. I got a Vietnamese sub for dinner, and I cried tears of relief for finally having dinner under $20.

North Commons is a spacious park with baseball diamonds (and people playing softball), open fields for sports, and the Emera Oval, offering free rentals of roller skates and bikes on a concrete circuit. This is genuinely such a cool service and I wish other cities would take notes.

End my day with a good skating workout. Today really was the gauntlet of Halifax tourism maxing.

Day 3 - Immigration Museums and Dartmouth

During this trip, in the summer of 2025, the government introduced the Canada Strong Pass, which discounted the Immigration Museum among many others. Would have been nice to have earlier, but we take 50% off any day of the week.

The Immigration Museum at Pier 21 showcases the history of immigration in Halifax as a major port for newcomers, and the timeline of Immigration throughout all of Canada. This country wasn't always the multicultural society that it is now, and the three exhibits taught me a lot that I was ignorant about before. With how politicalized immigration has become, it was refreshing to hear real stories and see real artifacts from actual people.

After a messy donair lunch, it dawned on me that I hadn't visited the neighboring city of Dartmouth yet. Just across the channel, I used a standard fare, with a 2.5-hour transfer, to ferry over. Running every 15 minutes, I can't believe that Halifax has more reliable ferry transit than some other cities that shall not be mentioned...

Dartmouth itself was very underwhelming, at least around Alderney terminal. I took a stroll through the nearby park and walked down the single road that was "downtown". Otherwise, I was weaving through crowded parking lots to see the bus terminal and bridge, and crossing very busy streets because Alderney Road was closed. It's hard to appreciate mediocrity knowing that I left excellence behind to be here.

To be fair to Dartmouth, they also have some interesting locations like a fisherman cove and other farmers markets. The only issue is that many of those places take an hour by bus to reach, so it's really inaccessible to people without cars, and more hassle than it's worth to plan a trip.

Once I made it back to Halifax, I kinda just hung around the waterfront. It really is just a nice place to be. In just 10 minutes of walking, I saw a gang of motorcycles and vintage cars, a magic show, highland dancers, and a social dance on the dock. The vibrant bustling culture brought me back to Quebec City and continues to showcase that people will stay in places designed for people to be in.

Day 4 - End of the Journey

All things must come to an end, even if I didn't want to leave Halifax behind. Nevertheless, I packed my bags and waited out my last few hours on the waterfront yet again. Even in the rain, it felt nice being next to the waves, watching people go about their day. The weekends are the prime time for events, and so even despite the weather, there was a full band playing music and an Italian market on the Queen's Marque.

But after a final stroll around the Halifax and Dartmouth waterfront, I hopped on the airport bus and made my way to the terminal for the final trip home. I at least got to see the Halifax and Montreal Airport, if only for a few hours.

Extra - Thanks

This is my appreciation for reading all 7 of my blogs (Assuming you like reading things in order). It was really fun being able to travel by myself for such a long time, so much so that I wanted to save my stories forever. If this blog has inspired you to get out into the world yourself, then follow your heart because there really is no feeling like discovering something new and wonderful. Have a good day!