Editor’s Note: This information was initially printed in 2021 and has been utterly up to date for 2025 to guarantee all info is correct and present.
After greater than 20 years of travelling the world, you get fairly good at recognizing the distinction between tourism hype and an genuine expertise. Nova Scotia is the actual factor.
We’ve road-tripped throughout Canada from coast to coast, exploring a few of the greatest and most lovely cities in Canada, and there’s a purpose we maintain coming again right here. It’s a spot that doesn’t want a filter. From the rugged, windswept shoreline of the Cabot Trail to the vigorous pubs in Halifax pouring native beer. It feels lived-in, welcoming, and endlessly fascinating.
We created this information as a result of we all know how irritating it may be to present up someplace and really feel such as you’re lacking the very best spots. We’ve been there. This information is constructed from our personal journeys, highlighting the issues we’d do once more in a heartbeat.
Here’s our trustworthy, no-fluff information to the very best issues to do in Nova Scotia to assist you plan your individual journey.
Quick List: Top 5 Things to Do in Nova Scotia
If you’re quick on time or simply need absolutely the can’t-miss highlights, listed below are the highest experiences we suggest prioritizing on your journey. We’ve finished all of them, and so they signify the very best of what the province has to provide.
Drive the Cabot Trail: One of essentially the most scenic drives in the world, it is a must-do for its coastal views and rugged highlands.
Explore Halifax’s Waterfront: The coronary heart of town is its bustling waterfront, filled with historical past, nice meals, and harbour views.
Visit Peggy’s Cove: Home to one of the crucial iconic lighthouses in Canada, this picturesque fishing village is well worth the go to.
Wander the Lunenburg Waterfront: A UNESCO World Heritage Site, its vibrant colonial buildings make it one of many prettiest cities in the nation.
Go Tidal Bore Rafting: For an actual journey, trip the incoming tide of the Bay of Fundy on a zodiac. It’s a novel thrill you received’t discover wherever else.
Best Things to Do in Halifax
Halifax is the colourful coronary heart of Nova Scotia, a metropolis the place maritime historical past meets a vigorous, trendy power. We at all times make it our first or final cease on any journey to the province as a result of it units the proper tone. Here are just a few of our favorite issues to do in town.
Walk the Halifax Waterfront
You can’t actually say you’ve been to Halifax till you’ve frolicked on its waterfront. It stretches for a number of kilometres and is the true pulse of town.
We love grabbing a espresso and simply watching the tall ships and harbour ferries go by. You’ll discover every little thing from museums and playgrounds to breweries and meals stalls serving up recent seafood. It’s the proper place to get a really feel for town.
Visit the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21
This is a extremely shifting expertise. Pier 21 was the gateway to Canada for over 1,000,000 immigrants, and this museum tells their tales with unimaginable care and element.
It provides you a profound sense of the hope and hardship that formed so many Canadian households. We assume it’s a must-visit to perceive an important piece of our nationwide story.
Explore the Halifax Public Gardens
When the power of town will get to be a bit a lot, the Public Gardens are our go-to spot to unwind. These are a few of the most interesting surviving Victorian gardens in North America.
It’s a fantastic and peaceable place for a quiet stroll among the many fountains, flower beds, and outdated, shady bushes. It’s an ideal, low-key afternoon exercise.
Tour Alexander Keith’s Brewery
This is among the most entertaining brewery excursions we’ve ever taken. Forget a dry, technical clarification of brewing. Here, actors in Nineteenth-century costumes information you thru the historic brewery with songs and tales. It’s a vigorous and enjoyable method to spend an hour, and sure, you get to pattern the well-known beer.
Enjoy the View from Citadel Hill National Historic Site
For the very best panoramic view of Halifax, you could have to make the stroll up to Citadel Hill. This huge, star-shaped fort has been watching over the harbour for hundreds of years.
We suggest timing your go to to hear the firing of the midday gun, a convention that occurs on daily basis. The view of the downtown core and the harbour from the ramparts is well worth the climb alone.
Things to Do on the Cabot Trail & Cape Breton Island
Leaving the mainland for Cape Breton Island appears like coming into a distinct a part of the province. The panorama will get wilder, the cliffs get increased, and the Celtic music will get louder. This a part of Nova Scotia is an journey in itself, and it’s a bucket-list vacation spot for a purpose.
Drive the well-known Cabot Trail
People name this one of many world’s greatest drives, and for as soon as, the hype is totally justified. The Cabot Trail is a 298 km freeway that loops round Nova Scotia’s North Shore, hugging mountainsides and providing unimaginable views of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Our greatest recommendation is to give it time. The greatest mistake you may make is making an attempt to rush it in a single day. Take two or three days, pull over at each lookout, and discover the small villages alongside the way in which.
Hike the Skyline Trail
If you solely do one hike in Cape Breton Highlands National Park, make it this one. The Skyline Trail is known for its boardwalk that descends a steep headland, supplying you with a commanding view over the rugged shoreline.
It’s an iconic Canadian view for a purpose, and it’s an particularly in style spot for sundown. Keep your eyes peeled for moose; we’ve typically noticed them grazing in the meadows close to the beginning of the path.
Visit the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site
We weren’t positive what to count on right here, however this museum in the city of Baddeck is genuinely fascinating. Alexander Graham Bell was a lot greater than the man who invented the phone; he labored on every little thing from airplanes and hydrofoils to large kites.
The website is filled with his actual artifacts, innovations, and private results. It’s an ideal look into the lifetime of a real genius and an ideal rainy-day exercise.
Explore the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site
This just isn’t your common historic website. Louisbourg is an enormous, residing reconstruction of an 18th-century French fortified city. The scale of it’s arduous to comprehend till you might be strolling its streets. It is definitely North America’s largest historic reconstruction undertaking.
You can simply spend a full day right here interacting with costumed interpreters, watching blacksmiths at work, and even consuming fresh-baked bread from the interval bakery. It’s one of the crucial immersive historic experiences we’ve had in Canada.
Go Whale Watching
The waters off the coast of Cape Breton are a wealthy feeding floor for a number of species of whales. Taking a zodiac tour from a city like Chéticamp or Pleasant Bay provides you a incredible likelihood of seeing them up shut.
There’s nothing fairly just like the second a pod of pilot whales surfaces close to your boat. It’s a robust reminder of simply how wild this nook of the nation actually is.
Things to Do on the South Shore
Nova Scotia’s South Shore is picture-postcard territory. This is the place you’ll discover the quaint fishing villages, historic lighthouses, and vibrant seaside houses the province is known for. It’s a incredible space for a scenic, stress-free drive.
Explore Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse
Peggy’s Cove is among the most photographed locations in Canada, and it lives up to the hype. The basic lighthouse perched on a mountain of huge granite boulders is a scene you received’t overlook.
Our greatest recommendation is to go early in the morning or later in the afternoon to keep away from the height tour bus crowds. And please, respect the warning indicators and keep off the moist, black rocks. The waves listed below are unpredictable and harmful.
Wander the Streets of Lunenburg
Lunenburg is a private favorite of ours. As a UNESCO World Heritage website, your complete outdated city is a protected historic space, and its distinctive colonial structure is extremely well-preserved.
We love simply wandering the hilly streets and admiring the colorful buildings. It’s additionally the house port of the well-known Bluenose II schooner, so make sure to verify if it’s in the harbour while you go to.
Visit Mahone Bay and the Three Churches
Just down the street from Lunenburg is the beautiful city of Mahone Bay. It’s well-known for one iconic view: the three historic church buildings that line up completely alongside the waterfront.
While it makes for a fantastic picture, the city itself is price exploring. It’s stuffed with nice little artisan outlets and cafes and has a extra relaxed really feel than a few of its extra well-known neighbours.
Go Kayaking in Blue Rocks
If you need to see what an actual, working fishing village seems to be like, head to Blue Rocks. Located just some minutes exterior Lunenburg, this tiny group of fishing shacks, fishing boats, and stacked lobster traps feels a world away from the vacationer observe.
The waters across the scattered islands are fairly sheltered, making it considered one of our favorite spots for a guided sea kayaking tour.
Hike at Kejimkujik National Park Seaside
While the principle a part of Kejimkujik National Park is inland, the Seaside adjunct is a incredible cease on the South Shore. The Harbour Rocks Trail is a simple 5.2 km hike that takes you to a fantastic shoreline of turquoise water and white sand. We at all times see seals sunning themselves on the rocks right here.
Bay of Fundy & Annapolis Valley Experiences
This a part of Nova Scotia is all about dramatic pure forces. The Bay of Fundy is house to the very best tides on Earth, making a panorama that modifications utterly twice a day. Just inland, the fertile Annapolis Valley gives a a lot gentler, however equally fascinating, expertise.
Experience the World’s Highest Tides
It’s arduous to wrap your head across the scale of the tides right here till you see the proof. Twice a day, 160 billion tonnes of water circulate in and out of the bay, inflicting the water stage to rise as a lot as 16 metres (52 ft).
The key’s to go to a spot like Hall’s Harbour at low tide after which return six hours later for prime tide. Seeing the fishing boats go from sitting on the muddy ocean flooring to floating excessive above is one of the best ways to respect this pure marvel.
Go Tidal Bore Rafting
This is among the most original adventures we’ve had in Canada. You head out on a zodiac on the Shubenacadie River whereas the water is low, and then you definitely trip the incoming tidal bore, a wave created by the large tide, because it rushes up the river.
You might be crashing by enormous, muddy waves and getting utterly soaked. It’s an absolute thrill and one thing you received’t overlook.
Walk on the Ocean Floor at Burntcoat Head Park
This is the very spot the place the world’s highest tides had been formally recorded. At low tide, the water recedes, permitting you to stroll on the ocean flooring for kilometres. You can discover the tide swimming pools and see the “flowerpot” sea stacks up shut.
You completely should verify the tide schedule earlier than you go. The water comes in a lot quicker than you’d assume. You can also have a distinctive eating expertise by consuming on the ocean flooring at Burntcoat Head Park. How enjoyable is that?
Go Wine Tasting in the Annapolis Valley
After the wild adventures on the bay, the Annapolis Valley gives an ideal change of tempo. This is Nova Scotia’s wine nation, producing wonderful cool-climate wines.
We suggest visiting just a few vineyards like Lightfoot & Wolfville or Domaine de Grand Pré to pattern Tidal Bay, the area’s signature crisp, white wine. It’s an effective way to spend a relaxed afternoon.
Visit Grand-Pré National Historic Site
This highly effective UNESCO World Heritage Site tells the story of the Acadian individuals and their deportation, often called the Grand Dérangement, in the 1750s. It’s a somber however extremely vital piece of Canadian historical past.
The website itself is gorgeous and peaceable, with a memorial church and gardens overlooking the unique dykelands that the Acadians created.
Unique Nova Scotia Food Experiences
You can’t discuss Nova Scotia with out speaking in regards to the meals. The seafood right here is a few of the freshest in the world, however there are just a few different native specialties you want to strive to get an actual style of the place. These are just a few of our non-negotiable meals experiences.
Eat a Lobster Roll
You will see lobster rolls on nearly each menu, and for good purpose. A correct Nova Scotia lobster roll isn’t sophisticated or fussy, it’s only a beneficiant pile of recent lobster meat, evenly dressed with mayo or melted butter, and served in a toasted, top-split bun.
The greatest ones we’ve had typically come from small, unassuming seafood shacks by the facet of the street. Don’t overthink it; simply order one everytime you get the possibility.
Try Digby Scallops
The city of Digby is house to one of many world’s largest scallop fishing fleets, and the scallops from these waters are well-known for being extremely recent, candy, and tender.
Whether you could have them completely pan-seared or evenly fried, they’re a real style of the area. We at all times make some extent to get them organized after we see them on a menu.
Indulge in a Donair
This one may shock you, however the donair is the official meals of Halifax. It’s a novel tackle the Turkish doner kebab, made with spiced floor beef that’s sliced from a vertical spit and served on a heat pita with tomatoes and onions.
What makes it a Halifax unique is the sauce: a candy, garlicky concoction made out of evaporated milk, vinegar, and sugar. It may sound just a little unusual, nevertheless it’s a neighborhood obsession and the last word late-night snack. You have to strive it a minimum of as soon as.
Practical Information for Planning Your Trip to Nova Scotia
Okay, now that you’ve got an concept of what you need to do, let’s cowl the logistics. Here’s our simple recommendation on how to plan your go to to Nova Scotia.
Best Time to Visit Nova Scotia
The hottest time to go to is throughout the summer season months of July and August. The climate is heat and sunny, and every little thing is open and in full swing. However, that is additionally the busiest and costliest time.
Our favorite time to go to is in September. The climate remains to be lovely, the summer season crowds have thinned out, and the autumn colors start to seem in the Cape Breton Highlands. Spring will be unpredictable and wet, whereas winter is reserved for the really hardy.
Getting to Nova Scotia
You have just a few choices for getting to the province, relying on the place you’re coming from.
By Air: The Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) is the principle gateway to the province, with connections throughout Canada and internationally.
By Car: If you’re driving, the principle entry level is through the Trans-Canada Highway from neighbouring New Brunswick.
By Ferry: Vehicle ferries function from Prince Edward Island, Saint John, New Brunswick, and even Bar Harbor, Maine (USA), providing a scenic different.
Getting Around
We can’t stress this sufficient: you’ll need to hire a automobile to correctly discover Nova Scotia. Outside of Halifax, public transportation may be very restricted. This province is made for road-tripping, and having your individual automobile provides you the liberty to discover by yourself schedule.
Where to Stay in Nova Scotia
Accommodation can ebook up months in advance, particularly for the height summer season season, so we suggest reserving forward. We have a complete information devoted to Where to Stay in Nova Scotia that’s based mostly on all our journeys out East.
In Halifax, you’ll discover loads of main inns to select from. In the smaller cities alongside the South Shore and the Cabot Trail, we love staying in the native inns, B&Bs, and rental cottages for a extra private expertise.
Nova Scotia FAQ
We get plenty of questions on planning a visit to Nova Scotia. Here are the solutions to just a few of the most typical ones.
It’s robust to decide only one, however the two most well-known points of interest are the Cabot Trail and Peggy’s Cove. The Cabot Trail in Cape Breton is taken into account one of many world’s most scenic drives, whereas the lighthouse at Peggy’s Cove is the long-lasting picture of a maritime fishing village.
We suggest a minimum of 7 to 10 days to get an excellent really feel for the province. This provides you sufficient time to discover Halifax, drive the Cabot Trail with out speeding, and see a few of the South Shore. If you could have two weeks, that’s even higher.
July and August have the warmest, most dependable climate, however they’re additionally the busiest months. We assume September is the very best time to go to. The climate remains to be nice, the massive summer season crowds are gone, and the autumn colors begin to seem in the highlands.
No, and we wouldn’t suggest making an attempt to. While it would look manageable on a map, Nova Scotia is a big province filled with issues to see. Driving the Cabot Trail loop alone can take a full day. To correctly expertise it, you want to plan for a multi-day street journey.
Nova Scotia is a kind of locations that really delivers. It’s greater than only a assortment of fairly sights; it’s a province with an actual sense of place and a heat, welcoming spirit. We’ve beloved each journey we’ve taken there, from the rugged highlands of Cape Breton to the quiet shores of the Bay of Fundy.
Whether you’re in search of a wild coastal street journey or a calming getaway in a historic city, you will discover it right here. We hope this information has given you the boldness and concepts you want to begin planning your individual journey.