Some Great Day Trips From Halifax In Nova Scotia
There were many great day trips from Halifax.  We enjoyed our stay on the harbourfront in Halifax and found much to do in the city. But on our road trips on this visit to Eastern Canada, we explored great small towns and saw iconic Nova Scotia sights. The local routes provided beautiful vistas and we stopped regularly.Â
Travelling along the south shore we visited Mahone Bay, wandered around Peggy’s Cove and re-visited the port town of Lunenburg. A day trip to the Ovens Natural Park was an outdoor treat. And the sight of the tide swings on the Bay of Fundy should not be missed.
Head Down The South Shore And Stop In Mahone Bay
When you head south from Halifax follow the Lighthouse Route on Trunk Route 3. Our first stop was in Mahone Bay. Seeing the town sign, it was no surprise that Mahone Bay was probably most famous for its churches. We saw several of the churches as we followed the road around the bay.
This quaint town with colourful houses was a great stop on road trips from Halifax. And we even found some colourful street art.
On a road trip from Halifax, there were such great small towns to discover.
On Day Trips From Halifax Don’t Miss Peggy’s Cove
We kept heading south and visited the community of Peggy’s Cove. The colourful fishing town was a delight to explore. At the local art gallery we were drawn in at the William DeGarthe Art Gallery and the Fisherman’s Memorial.
But no stop at Peggy’s Cove was complete without visiting Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse. We parked and walked on the rocks for views of the lighthouse and rocks. A coffee break at the SouWester Restaurant extended our views of this iconic spot.
A visit to Peggy’s Cove was very high on our list of day trips from Halifax we planned to do. As we headed on our way, we passed by the Swissair Memorial Site which commemorated the 229 people on SwissAir flight 111 that crashed into the sea just off the coast of Bayswater near Peggy’s Cove in 1998. David worked on the recovery operation for this so it was a meaningful stop along the way.
Enjoy The Waterfront In Lunenburg
Our next planned road trip stop was for lunch in Lunenburg. We visited the waterfront in Lunenburg on our first visit to Nova Scotia. And wanted to explore more.
The first item on our plan was a seafood lunch. We settled in at the Dockside Inn Restaurant with a view out over the harbour. We found great food and local Maritime decor too.
After lunch, we meandered along the streets and wandered into the Shipwright Brewing Company. David loved a craft brewery with a good dark beer. Even better when they filled a can for take-out!
We wandered around the main streets in Lunenburg. Everywhere we looked we found fun artwork. Several times we saw the horse and carriage ride go past us. A fun way to see the sights of Lunenburg.
When we walked down by the waterfront we found lots of watercraft and tour boats. Although the iconic Bluenose sailing ship was not in the harbour when we visited.
We found a lot to do on a visit to Lunenburg. We were glad we made it one of our day trips from Halifax.
Explore The Ovens Natural Park
South from Lunenburg, we found a new discovery. The Ovens Natural Park was a privately owned 180 acre forest area on the coast. There was much to do at the Ovens Natural Park. But on our day trip we wanted to hike.
The Sea Caves Trail ran along the top of the cliffs in one direction. In the the other direction was Cunard’s Beach. We hiked along the top of the cliffs and explored the caves at Ovens Natural Park. The views of the sea pounding into the caves was quite mesmerizing.
We only had a few hours for our visit to the Ovens Natural Park and we arrived late in the day. One day we would love to explore more of the park on a longer visit.
Marvel At The Tides On The Bay Of Fundy
The tides on the Bay of Fundy are definitely worth a day trip from Halifax. We got our first view of the Bay of Fundy tides from Wolfville at Grande Pre. The Bay of Fundy tides can vary by up to 52 feet per day. When they are out, the red mud went out for miles.
From Wolfville we headed south to the fishing town of Halls Harbour. We descended from the high hills by the shore into the fog at low tide. We were delighted immediately with the small harbour. And at low tide, the boats were totally out of the water and sat on their hulls.
The swing of the tides on the Bay of Fundy was a sight not to be missed on day trips from Halifax.
Many Options For Day Trips From Halifax
We found many great day trips from Halifax on our stay in Nova Scotia. It was always fun to head out on the smaller local roads for the small towns and lighthouses. There were so many great discoveries along the way.
We knew there were many other places to visit as day trips from Halifax. But we simply ran out of time on our visit to Eastern Canada. We know we will be back one day to explore more of Nova Scotia.
Have you done day trips from Halifax in Nova Scotia? Do you have a favourite that we missed?
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What colorful day trips from Halifax! Or did you get lucky with the weather?! Miss Peggy’s Cove looks wonderful and so charming, I’d like to see the views from here. And I could definitely see myself strolling around the waterfront in Lunenburg or visiting by horse and carriage. There are some great choices here.
We did have good weather for part of our trip to Eastern Canada and certainly it was with us when we hit Halifax. There are indeed so many great day trips from Halifax.
I think I would want to visit The Ovens Natural Park the most. Those sea caves look so beautiful! Thank you for sharing these fabulous day trip recommendations.
We were so glad we found the caves at the Ovens. Worth more time on a return visit.
The Bay of Fundy is a very cool place to see! An awesome day trip to see the huge change in tides. The Ovens Natural Park also looks beautiful. Thanks for the great tips!!
We were happy we found so many great outdoor sights on our day trips from Halifax.
So sorry we missed you Seaweed Tours out of Lunenburg according to many is a must do! Sight seeing and storytelling at its best ! next time you’re down our way reach out. I’d love to have you come for a run. I think you would have a nice time! all the best and enjoy your travels. Nancy.
Nancy, I will keep this in mind for our next visit to Nova Scotia.
It’s amazing how northern European some parts look: The architecture and also the sceneries around the waters could easily be northern Germany or Sweden. Just beautiful! I like Lunenburg best. No, not (only) for its beauty but for the food – this plate is bursting with delicacies!
We sure found some great seafood on our travels around Nova Scotia. And some charming sights too.
I absolutely love colourful, waterfront towns. Halifax looks like somewhere I can easily fall in love with.
I am sure you would find lots to love if you visit Halifax.
I would love to do all those trips! Mahone Bay reminds me of one of my favorite German cities, Peggy’s Cove also looks really nice and colorful, but I think my highlights would be the Sea Caves Trail and getting the same sea food plate you got yourself, that looks super delicious 😀
Seafood and great ocean sights are great reasons to visit Nova Scotia and head out from Halifax for great road trips.
What a fabulous trip. The buildings are adorable and the scenery breathtaking.
We sure did love our day trips from Halifax.
All of these day trips from Halifax look so lovely! I’ve got Nova Scotia on my list! It’s so beautiful!
Nova Scotia is a great spot to visit in Atlantic Canada.
Your day trips from Halifax look wonderful! The tides of Fundy Bay look just wild, I’d love to see that someday. Thanks for sharing, I’m pinning this for future reference!
We too found the Tides of Fundy to be amazing. Such high swings. Worth a day trip from Halifax.
Wow! The hike to the sea caves at Ovens Natural Park looked incredible. I would love to do that hike. I am curious, what else is there to do at the natural park? As always, I love your photos!
Ovens Natural Park was a great spot to see the caves. There was more hiking and a beach. And camping too. Worth more time on a return visit.
So many beautiful places to see on your day trip from Halifax! I like the view of churches around the bay on Mahone Bay. The colorful fishing village of Peggy’s Cove is wonderful, and the the Lighthouse is beautiful. The cave at Oven Natural Park looks gorgeous. These places reminded me of Maine.
There were day trips to keep everyone happy when we stayed in Halifax and headed for an outing. Lots of similarity to travelling along the coast of Maine.
I’m up to visit Nova Scotia (or anywhere in Canada). This is wonderful list of options for day trips from Halifax. The beautiful scenery, very interesting tidal changes and clearly lots more.
Atlantic Canada is a great area to visit in Canada. A visit to Halifax gives you lots of things to do in the city and great day trips from Halifax to discover more about Nova Scotia. Hope you do get to visit one day.
Your photos are always so wonderful. Each one really pulls me in.
We had great weather for most of our visit to Halifax. So all the colour we found just popped. So easy to get wonderful photos.
Seafood, craft beer and lighthouse ! What more could you ask for
There were so many reasons to head out for great day trips in Halifax. Something for everyone for sure!
Oh wow Peggy’s Cove looks so pretty! I’d love to visit one day and also see the sea caves – seems so magical! Thanks for the recommendations!
There are some great and iconic sights in Nova Scotia. All many are easily accessible on day trips from Halifax.
I had no idea that Halifax was such a colourful town! I love the vibe and could see myself spending time strolling the waterfront and eating delicious seafood. Peggy’s Cove looks just like the kind of places I love. Ah… I wish I could teleport myself there right now!
We too loved the vibe of Halifax – whether we were in the city or off on a day trip.
My husband and I love taking day trips to nearby areas when we travel. Oven’s Natural Park looks so beautiful and Miss Peggy’s Cove looks like such a cute little town. We will definitely have to add these to our places to travel to.
We too love a mix of exploring places close to where we stay. And then heading out for day trips. Lots of options in Halifax.
Peggy’s cove really looks very cute. I love the sea cave trails, that seems very interesting and I would love to visit someday. I have heard that Nova Scotia has some very beautiful places to see and after seeing this I have added it to my list.
I am glad to confirm that Nova Scotia deserves to be on a travel wish list. Hope you get to visit one day.
What a lovely place to visit! And the waterfront looks so serene! Would go to visit Peggy’s cove! Thanks for the inspiration.
We loved wandering around Nova Scotia for all the treats we found.
Halifax seems to have some delightful day trips to explore with many wonderful options. I’d happily spend some time there.
Halifax was a great spot to use as a base. We were glad we planned a few days stop.
What a jam packed but fun trip you had! So awesome you were able to stop by the Swissair Memorial and the lunch looked absolutely delicious at Dockside Inn Restaurant. I’m hoping to visit Nova Scotia one day, so I’ll save your post for later.
We loved all the seafood we found along the coast. So many great stops on road trips from Halifax in Nova Scotia.
That’s wonderful that you got to visit the SwissAir flight memorial site, given David’s connection to the recovery effort. I’m sure that was a meaningful experience. Also, the sea caves look stunning!!
We loved the mix of food, coastal sights, history and nature we found on our day trips from Halifax.
I’m so fascinated with Nova Scotia, it’s been really high on my bucket list for a while. So much natural beauty and history and all of these day trips looks absolutely fantastic! I want to do them all, bookmarking this post
Laura x
I hope you do get to visit Nova Scotia one day. So many beautiful places to visit.
I love driving down coastal roads. I’ve heard of the tidal swings at the Bay of Fundy but your photo puts some real perspective into it.
I am happy to introduce a new sight for you to visit in Nova Scotia.
I’ve definitely heard of Peggy’s Cove but can’t say I know any other places having not been to this part of Canada yet. I’d love to do a road trip here though.
We loved all the different places we found to visit as day trips from Halifax. Many people get to Peggy’s Cove but miss many other spots. Hope you do get to roadtrip there one day.