Pavilion 20 → Downtown Halifax
Outside the terminal, walk along Harbourwalk toward Spring Garden Road and Barrington Street in the city center. The commercial district is a 15–20-minute walk.
Cruise port in Canada
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Explore on foot directly from the pier. Average time in port: 9 hours. 42 places to explore.
- Ships calling here
- 20 ships
- Upcoming sailings
- 199 sailings
- Average time in port
- About 9 hours
- Lowest fare
- From USD 452
After disembarking
Cruise ships dock at Halifax cruise terminals. Explore on foot directly from the pier.
- 2 cruise terminals
The assigned dock is one of Pavilion 20, Pavilion 22 and varies by sailing.
- Pier 31
If all other berths are occupied, a ship may berth at the container terminal, including Pier 31.
- Pier 23 and Pier 24
When several large ships arrive at once, Pier 23 is used for additional berthing and Pier 24 for tender operations.
About 9 hours in port: where can you go?
Time available at the destination after subtracting return travel.
- HalifaxAt the pierTime at destinationAbout 9 hr
- Peggy's CoveAbout 50 min each wayTime at destinationAbout 7 hr
- LunenburgAbout 1 hr 25 min each wayTime at destinationAbout 6 hr
Return travel Time at destination
Calculated from the average time in port. Return deadlines vary by sailing; check the daily programme on board.
Between the terminal, city and airport
Travel between the terminal, city center, railway station and airport.
Pavilion 22 → Downtown Halifax
Outside the terminal, walk along Harbourwalk toward Spring Garden Road and Barrington Street in the city center. The commercial district is a 15–20-minute walk.
Pavilion 22 → Downtown Halifax
Take a taxi waiting outside Pier 22.
Pier 24 → Cruise terminal area
Take the tender from Pier 24 to the cruise terminal area. The crossing takes about 10 minutes.
Container terminal, including Pier 31 → Main cruise terminal complex
If your ship is berthed at the container terminal, including Pier 31, take the free dedicated shuttle provided by the port authority to the main cruise terminal complex.
Halifax places to explore
Explore 25 checked places. Select a pin to see its card, or choose View on map from a card.
HMCS Sackville
This warship took part in the Battle of the Atlantic during World War II. Its mooring location varies by season.
- Hours
- Daily 10:00–16:00
Georges Island National Historic Site
This defensive historic site is in the middle of Halifax Harbour. On the island, visitors can explore brick tunnels leading to former ammunition stores.
- Admission
- CAD 10
- Hours
- Mon 10:00–15:00
Tue·Wed Closed
Thu–Sun 10:00–15:00
Georges Island cannot be reached by land, so check the ferry schedule and include round-trip travel in your plans.
Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
Exhibits cover shipbuilding, the 1917 Halifax Explosion, and the Titanic.
- Admission
- CAD 5.15~CAD 11
- Hours
- Mon 09:30–16:30
Tue 09:30–20:00
Wed–Sun 09:30–16:30
Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21
This museum at Pier 21 covers more than 400 years of Canada's immigration history.
- Admission
- CAD 19
- Hours
- Daily 09:30–17:30
Allow about 2–3 hours to explore the Pier 21 museum properly.
Fairview Lawn Cemetery
This cemetery commemorates Titanic victims and is visited by people in Halifax to pay their respects.
- Admission
- Free
Halifax Public Gardens
This Victorian garden at the end of Spring Garden Road has tree-lined paths, fountains, and ponds.
Trips nearby
With enough time in port, you can explore beyond the city. One-way times are approximate.
Peggy's Cove
About 50 min each wayTime at destination About 7 hr
SightsPeggy’s Point LighthouseThis signature Peggy's Cove lighthouse stands on a granite shore. There is also a wheelchair-accessible viewing area facing the lighthouse.
Allow about 30–45 minutes of driving each way from Halifax to Peggy’s Cove.
SightsWilliam E. deGarthe Memorial Provincial ParkThis village memorial site has a rock sculpture honoring fishers.
Food and cafésThe Sou-Wester Restaurant & Gift ShopThis restaurant next to the Peggy's Cove lighthouse serves light seafood dishes and has a good view of the lighthouse.
SightsSwissair Flight 111 MemorialThis memorial to the victims of Swissair Flight 111 is at The Whalesback, near Peggy's Cove.
Food and cafésMargaret’s CaféThis newly opened café and restaurant at Six by the Sea in Peggy's Cove is a good place for a light meal alongside Hunky Dory.
Food and cafésHunky DoryThis newly opened restaurant at Six by the Sea in Peggy's Cove is a good place for a light meal, as is Margaret’s Café.
NeighborhoodsPeggy’s Cove VillageThis is an active fishing village, with fishing sheds and colorful houses along the walking trail.
Lunenburg
About 1 hr 25 min each wayTime at destination About 6 hr
SightsLunenburg AcademyThis former schoolhouse, built in 1893, sits on Gallows Hill.
SightsFisheries Museum of the AtlanticThis museum covers life in a fishing village and life at sea, with live fish exhibits and a film screening area.
Food and cafésThe South Shore Fish ShackThis restaurant in Lunenburg is listed for fish and chips.
ActivitiesIronworks DistilleryThis small distillery in an 1893 building in the old port introduces spirits made with local ingredients.
Food and cafésThe Savvy Sailor CafeThis Lunenburg brunch café is noted for lobster eggs Benedict.
Food and cafésThe Half Shell Oysters & SeafoodThis Lunenburg restaurant serves fresh oysters and seafood.
SightsBluenose IIThis ship is a replica of the Bluenose schooner shown on Canada's 10-cent coin. When docked in Lunenburg Harbour, visitors can board, and 2-hour sailing tours are also available.
If you really want to sail on Bluenose II, buy peak-summer tickets several months in advance.
SightsSt. John’s Anglican ChurchBuilt in 1753, this church offers a look at its exterior and the history of the Anglican tradition.
NeighborhoodsOld Town LunenburgThe entire old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with colorful wooden buildings lining the streets.
NeighborhoodsLunenburg WaterfrontThis waterfront area has sailing ships, fishing boats, and a pier, with restaurants and shops along it.
Cruises calling at Halifax, Nova Scotia
199 sailings are grouped into 83 cruises by ship and route.
Regent Seven Seas CruisesSailing 2027.01World Cruise · 141 nights · Long cruise
World Of Splendor
Miami, Florida → New York, New York
Per person, double occupancyFrom USD 105,599
Norwegian Cruise Line21 departure datesBook now
Sailing 2027.04 ~ 2027.10
Regent Seven Seas CruisesSailing 2027.04Africa cruises · 36 nights · Long cruise
Empires & The Empire State
Cape Town → New York, New York
Per person, double occupancyFrom USD 17,499
Regent Seven Seas CruisesSailing 2027.04World Cruise · 174 nights · Long cruise
Grand European Discovery
New York, New York → Piraeus
Per person, double occupancyFrom USD 152,999
Regent Seven Seas CruisesSailing 2027.04World Cruise · 92 nights · Long cruise
Grand Arctic Expedition
New York, New York → Southampton
Per person, double occupancyFrom USD 79,999
Regent Seven Seas CruisesSailing 2027.04Transatlantic cruises · 28 nights · Long cruise
New World, Old World
New York, New York → Le Havre
Per person, double occupancyFrom USD 27,199
Regent Seven Seas CruisesSailing 2027.04Transatlantic cruises · 16 nights · Long cruise
Shimmering Atlantic Shores
New York, New York → Lisbon
Per person, double occupancyFrom USD 13,499
Holland America LineBook now
Sailing 2027.05Americas cruises · 14 nights · Long cruise
14-Day Atlantic & Colonial New England
Fort Lauderdale, Florida → Montréal, Québec
Per person, double occupancyFrom USD 2,494
Regent Seven Seas CruisesSailing 2027.05Mediterranean cruises · 14 nights · Long cruise
Splendid Atlantic Sojourn
Civitavecchia → New York, New York
Per person, double occupancyFrom USD 10,399
Royal Caribbean International4 departure dates
Sailing 2027.06 ~ 2027.08Americas cruises · 4 nights · Short cruise
4 Night Canada Getaway Cruise
Cape Liberty, Bayonne, New Jersey departure · round trip
Lowest departure fareFrom USD 452
Holland America LineBook now
Sailing 2027.06Americas cruises · 11 nights · Long cruise
11-Day Canada & New England Circle: Maritimes & New France
Montréal, Québec → Boston, Massachusetts
Per person, double occupancyFrom USD 3,449
Holland America Line6 departure datesBook now
Sailing 2027.06 ~ 2028.07Americas cruises · 14 nights · Long cruise
14-Day Canada & New England: Maritimes & Montreal Collectors
Boston, Massachusetts departure · round trip
Lowest departure fareFrom USD 4,329
83 cruises call at this port.
Ships calling at Halifax, Nova Scotia
Explore cabin types, dining and deck facilities for each ship.
Norwegian Cruise Line · 39 sailings
Norwegian Breakaway
28 cabin types · 20 dining venues · 38 entertainment options · 14 decks
Explore the ship
Holland America Line · 32 sailings
Volendam
9 cabin types · 6 dining venues · 19 entertainment options · 10 decks
Explore the ship
Holland America Line · 25 sailings
Zuiderdam
9 cabin types · 7 dining venues · 19 entertainment options · 11 decks
Explore the ship
Princess Cruises · 24 sailings
Regal Princess
6 cabin types · 18 dining venues · 24 entertainment options · 15 decks
Explore the ship
About Halifax, Nova Scotia
Surrounded by natural treasures and glorious seascapes, Halifax is an attractive and vibrant hub with noteworthy historic and modern architecture, great dining and shopping, and a lively nightlife and festival scene. The old city manages to feel both hip and historic. Previous generations had the foresight to preserve the cultural and architectural integrity of the city, yet students from five local universities keep it lively and current. It's a perfect starting point to any tour of the Atlantic provinces, but even if you don't venture beyond its boundaries, you will get a real taste of the region.It was Halifax’s natural harbor—the second largest in the world after Sydney, Australia’s—that first drew the British here in 1749, and today most major sites are conveniently located either along it or on the Citadel-crowned hill overlooking it. That’s good news for visitors because this city actually covers quite a bit of ground.Since amalgamating with Dartmouth (directly across the harbor) and several suburbs in 1996, Halifax has been absorbed into the Halifax Regional Municipality, and the HRM, as it is known, has around 415,000 residents. That may not sound like a lot by U.S. standards, but it makes Nova Scotia’s capital the most significant Canadian urban center east of Montréal.There's easy access to the water, and despite being the focal point of a busy commercial port, Halifax Harbour doubles as a playground, with one of the world's longest downtown boardwalks. It's a place where container ships, commuter ferries, cruise ships, and tour boats compete for space, and where workaday tugs and fishing vessels tie up beside glitzy yachts. Like Halifax as a whole, the harbor represents a blend of the traditional and the contemporary.
Cruise lines calling here: 8 places
Celebrity CruisesDisney Cruise LineHolland America LineHX ExpeditionsNorwegian Cruise LinePrincess CruisesRegent Seven Seas CruisesRoyal Caribbean International
Ports frequently visited before this one
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