Halifax Cruise Port

The port of Halifax, the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, is a popular cruise destination on cruises of Canada’s eastern coast.
In a region more known for small towns and rural resorts, Halifax stands out as a bustling city of around 350,000 people, but based on our experience, it still does keep a small-town charm and friendliness, despite the high-rise buildings, big tricks and industrial areas.
A lot of that is helped by the recently re-developed waterfront area that is the highlight of your visit there.
In this guide, we take you through all that you need to know about visiting the port of Halifax in Canada on a cruise holiday.
Cruises To Halifax
Our Visit
We visited the port in the summer of 2023 as part of a transatlantic cruise from Reykjavik in Iceland to Boston in the USA.
Halifax was out final port of call so there is always that slight tinge of sadness but that soon disappeared as we sailed into the central cruise terminal and saw what was awaiting us.
The port is one of the friendliest we have been to, despite the big city nature of it and goes from the locals we met to others on holiday in the city.
Our day on shore was split into two halves as in the morning we headed out of town to the iconic Peggys Cove before a short visit to Fort George on Citadel Hill and then exploring the waterfront Harbourwalk on our own in the afternoon.
The cruise port’s location makes all of that and more straightforward as you are located within walking distance of the city centre and right at the start of the Harbourwalk.
Halifax Cruise Guide
Halifax Cruise Port Facilities
Name: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Currencies accepted: Canadain Dollar
Address: Pier 24, 901 Marginal Rd, Halifax, NS B3H 4P6, Canada
Overall
-
Attractions - 8/10
8/10
-
Excursions - 8/10
8/10
-
Facilities - 8/10
8/10
-
Getting Around - 8/10
8/10
-
Location - 9/10
9/10
-
Choice of Lines - 9/10
9/10
User Review
( votes)We will take you through every you need to know about visiting the cruise port of Halifax, in Nova Scotia, including what is on offer in the port, what shore excursions are there, what facilities are offered in the port, how you can visit there on a cruise and more.
All of the advice is based on our own personal experience of visiting the port and on the research we did before visiting.
Type of Cruises Available
The port of Halifax does not offer any turnaround facilities, so you will have to visit it as a port of call, although some lines do offer the opportunity to have an overnight stay in the city.
That is a great way to see the best of Halifax and the surrounding area during the day before visiting the many bars, restaurants, theatres and its arena on a nighttime.
There are 3 main options when it comes to visiting the city on a cruise and the types of itineraries available including round trips from the USA, repositioning routes between Canada and the US and transatlantic journeys, including those starting in the UK.
If you want to enjoy a round trip from the USA, northeastern ports such as Boston and New York offer the most options and they both make for popular holiday destinations in their own right for people wanting to spend some time there before or after their cruise.
If you would like to spend more time cruising the region and have two minibreaks before and after your cruise, a repositioning itinerary may be the best for you.
Amongst the Canadian ports where you can start and end your journey are Montreal and Quebec City whilst it is New York and Boston once again that offers the most options out of the US, with some cruises from Baltimore also available.
The final option is a transatlantic journey, where it will likely be New York or Boston you will need to use in the USA, but your European options include the likes of Reykjavik, as we headed there from, Barcelona, Lisbon and both Southampton and Dover in the UK.
Halifax Cruise Port Location
The cruise port is located just on the edge of the downtown area of Halifax in Nova Scotia, on Canada Atlantic coast.
The terminal buildings are just a short stroll from the cities train station and are at the start of the city waterfront boardwalk.
That makes it a great location for those who simply want to get off their ship and set off exploring as the whole of downtown Halifax is within walking distance, although much of it is up a steep hill.
One interesting aspect of the cruise dock’s location is that you dock next to the historic Georges Island, which almost acts a roundabout as you leave the port, especially if two ships depart at the same time as they did when we departed the city.
Halifax Cruise Facilities
The port of Halifax has two cruise terminals which are part of the same complex known as the Cruise Pavilion and both offer covered gangways and some basic facilities including toilets, a small souvenir shop, a tourist information desk and a small café.
If there are more than 2 ships in port, some will dock at the container port and be shuttled to a road outside of the Pavilion, although that is a rare occurrence.
That road is also where you will head to for tour excursions buses and hop on hop off buses.
For a port that doesn’t currently offer turnaround facilities, it really should as it has good facilities when compared to bigger ports and much better than most ports of call we have visited
Halifax Attractions
As a pretty big city, it will come as no surprise that there is lots on offer there with a variety of great attractions that are either based on its history or its future.
One of its newest attractions is the incredible waterfront Habourwalk a mix of boardwalks and pavements that stretch for around 2 miles along the waterfront in the city and offers views across to the city of Dartmouth.
There are ferry’s that go backwards and forwards all day, if you want to explore Dartmouth or just enjoy a boat ride but there is plenty more to enjoy as you walk along the Harbourwalk.
That includes several shops, cafes, bars, restaurants a street food markets, museums, gift shops and there are buskers and museums in main squares along it.
Another attraction on the waterfront is the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, which features some tall ships and a large Titanic Exhibit.
There are also numerous historic buildings that you walk past with some interesting architecture, and it is just a short walk from the waterfront into the downtown area of the city, so you can easily walk between the 2.
In the city centre there are several shopping centres, lots of places to eat and drink and as you walk further back into the town you, up the hill, you arrive at the top of Citadel Hill and the impressive Fort George, which is a now a visitor attraction.
Down near the cruise terminal itself is the Canadian Museum of Immigration and it is possible to take a hop on hop off tour bus that takes around all of the sights of the city.
Halifax Shorex
When it comes to shore excursions in Halifax, Nova Scotia, there are a few options but there is one that stands out over the top of the others and that is to jump on a coach and head down the coast to Peggy Cove.
If you have ever watched a tourism advert for Canada, you will have seen a pristine white lighthouse, stood on some rocks, with waves crashing around it- well for those that don’t know, that is main attraction of Peggy’s Cove.
The small seaside village does have more to offer including a quaint little harbour, brightly coloured houses, some tourist shops and a café but it is the lighthouses that the rows of coaches are there for and it is well worth the visit.
It is a scenic drive to get there as well as you take the coastal road past fishing villages and get the chance to see some local wildlife.
If you have already been to Peggy’s Cove or just fancy another option, there a few on offer in the port including several different bus tours of the city.
Whilst walkable, if you have mobility issues or just don’t fancy trekking up the hill, most bus tours will take you around the main sights of Halifax before giving you time to explore its Citadel.
It is possible to book the Hop On Hop Off via most cruise line, which also give you a guided tour of the city but you can also do some more exploring on your own.
Halifax has a long maritime history, but it is arguably most famous for its role in the aftermath of the Titanic disaster as it was Halifax where the rescued passengers would go, alongside many of the bodies of those who sadly perished in the disaster.
Much of the rescue effort started from the port due to it’s been the closest major seaport and the closest with a rail connection.
There are numerous sights, from the Maritime Museum to cemeteries of different faiths and from former berths that were used to a memorial, that can all be visited on Titanic themed tours.
If you want to head away from the water, the Annapolis Valley offers good wine tasting opportunities.
Best Time To Visit Halifax
The cruise season for Halifax is relatively long thanks to it been split into two separate seasons.
Firstly, you have the main season, which runs throughout the Canadian summer and starts at the beginning of May and Running through to September.
After that, there is almost a bonus season that runs to the ends of October and allows those visiting to enjoy the stunning Canadian autumn.
If you want to take in the beautiful autumnal colours of Canada, any period of that 2nd season is a great time to visit but if you want to head there during the main summer season, we recommend going in June or early July.
Whilst August does have the better weather, the city is incredibly busy and many of the other ports you will visit are as well, so if you visit outside of the school holidays, you will be able to enjoy the ports more and still have warm and often dry weather.
Transport
If you want to use public transport to get around the city, it is possible as there are many bus routes, but they are mostly for locals to get from the urban sprawl into the centre and the same can be said for the cities train station.
For tourists, the best way to get around the city is onboard on of the Hop On Hop Off buses available from right outside of the cruise terminal.
If you just want to see the city from a different angle, there are many boat tours available from the waterfront, including duck tours that drive around the city and then head into the water.
If you want to head across the water to Dartmouth, there are ferries within walking distance of the cruise terminal.
Halifax Cruises From UK
If you want to visit the city without flying, it is possible, as there are a few itineraries that offer round trips from the UK to Canada or New York that call into the port.
The most options for setting sail from the UK is to take a transatlantic cruise to either Boston or New York that also offers a stop in Halifax.
Halifax Cruises From Southampton
If you would like to sail to Halifax from the United Kingdom, the majority of cruises will depart form the port of Southampton, although some world cruises from Dover also call in there.