Halifax - stay in the city vs trip to Peggy's Cove?

[snoopy5386]

Debating what to do on our day in Halifax. It seems like there is enough in the city to keep us occupied. What's there to see in Peggy's Cove? I see lots of photos of a lighthouse and rocks. Is there a beach or tide pools to explore? Is everything just going to be covered in tourists? We're doing the Bay of Fundy in St John and Acadia in Bar Harbor. Would you recommend venturing out of Halifax or just staying in the city?

 

Edited July 2, 2019 by snoopy5386

[maryann ns]

Without tourists, Peggy's Cove is beautiful. There are the rocks and the lighthouse and then the cute little fishing cove. Going from a cruise ship I would only go using a taxi or rental car and getting there ASAP (or going later in the day.)

 

Here is a document with lots of information for Halifax for Cruise Ship Passengers.

[Northern Aurora]

If you have never been to Halifax it is a lovely community with quite a bit to do downtown.  Unless you really feel the need to go to Peggy's Cove you should have no problems keeping yourself busy in Halifax.  

[mets123]

Peggys Cove was the backdrop for the series Murder She Wrote with Angela Landsbury. It's worth about 2-3 hours. The scenery is fantastic. You could still have 5-6 hours to walk around Halifax.

[laverendrye]

As Maryann NS says, Peggy’s Cove can be beautiful without the hordes of visitors that are usually all over the place. Fat chance of that happening when there is a ship in port or even any time in tourist season. I’d stick to Halifax which has so many interesting things to see and do. 

[maryann ns]

 Wrong place, sorry!

Edited July 3, 2019 by maryann ns

[barbeyg]

We loved walking around Halifax. Visited the public gardens, the Citadel, walked along the waterfront, visited the Maritime Museum. It’s a great city for walking around. 

[mskaufman]

We were able to do both.  We booked a private tour around Halifax and then went to Peggy's Cove.  Even with the number of tourists it was very nice and glad we went.

[BarbinMich]

On 7/2/2019 at 11:52 PM, mets123 said:

Peggys Cove was the backdrop for the series Murder She Wrote with Angela Landsbury. It's worth about 2-3 hours. The scenery is fantastic. You could still have 5-6 hours to walk around Halifax.

I believe that is incorrect.  We were fans of the show and saw every episode.  Per Wikipedia, the show was filmed in the vicinity of Mendocino CA.  We visited the latter while on a fly/drive trip to CA.

Edited July 4, 2019 by BarbinMich

[BarbinMich]

On 7/2/2019 at 7:09 PM, Northern Aurora said:

If you have never been to Halifax it is a lovely community with quite a bit to do downtown.  Unless you really feel the need to go to Peggy's Cove you should have no problems keeping yourself busy in Halifax.  

Agree!  We have been there a number of times:  once by car from MI and several times by cruise ship.  Love the Public Gardens, Citadel, museum right at the docks, cemetery where many Titanic victims are buried, etc.  We've also done a CC tour out into the countryside visiting a pumpkin (HUGE pumpkins) farm, a winery and Hall's Harbor on the Bay of Fundy which has tremendous tidal changes.  This was in the fall.

[HowardK]

I took a nice walk on the waterfront and went to the Maritime Museum- lots of vendors along the way for food, ice cream etc...

I liked Halifax a lot more than St. John

[Marie.A]

Hi

 

We visited both Peggy’s Cove and Halifax. We rent a car to enjoy the scenic route and discover this picturesque village.

In Peggy’s Cove, you will discover a fishing community and the granite cove shaped by glaciers and ocean. It can be crowded due to tour excursions.

For Halifax, we visited the Citadel, the Titanic cemetery, and we stroll the waterfront. You can indeed spend a day in the city if you include the public garden, a walk in downtown, etc.

 

If you're interested I wrote articles to describe my DIY day trip.

For Peggy’s Cove: http://daydreamunderthestars.com/2019/06/22/peggys-cove-a-life-on-the-rocks

For Halifax: http://daydreamunderthestars.com/2019/06/09/a-perfect-day-in-halifax-nova-scotia

 

Let me know if you have any questions

 

Enjoy your trip!

 

Marie

[mskaufman]

I'll add a link to my pictures from Halifax/Peggy's Cove to the discussion

 

https://markandkarencanadanewengland.shutterfly.com/pictures/53

 

 

[jimbri]

We did both.  We took a ship's tour to Peggy's Cove and were able to still spend a few hours in Halifax. We loved Peggy's Cove.  It was a very foggy day and it was just beautiful.  We had plenty of time in Halifax also.  I guess it depends on what time you arrive and leave.  Either way,  you will enjoy.

[Lvig805]

On 7/2/2019 at 4:09 PM, Northern Aurora said:

If you have never been to Halifax it is a lovely community with quite a bit to do downtown.  Unless you really feel the need to go to Peggy's Cove you should have no problems keeping yourself busy in Halifax.  

I agree.

[GMRPHRN]

I am a solo traveler on Carnival Sunrise. Will there be transportation from the port to Halifax proper, or is it walkable?  I like exploring on my own and haven't really seen any excursions I want to take.

[maryann ns]

You arrive right in the port of Halifax and can walk the waterfront, etc. from there. Here is a link to more information.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Your pictures are lovely.  Thank you.

[Countrygurl]

I loved Peggy's Cove.  The drive there is beautiful too.  Definitely worth it.

[UtahCruiser1230]

Just got back from a 6 night on Royal’s Adventure.  Out of Bar Harbor, Saint John and Halifax my family liked Halifax the best.  We had no excursion, most of my family walked around, my daughter rode the hoho with cousins.  Halifax is easily walkable, it seems a vibrant bustling city.  We toured the Citadel, and the highly recommended public gardens, and in general just roamed around.  There is a recreational dispensary on Clyde st, the budtenders are super friendly and helpful on where to legally partake in beautiful areas of the city.

[Named-Tawny]

Halifax is beautiful, and you could absolutely spend all day there (pro-tip, if you're looking for a quick burst of activity, they have an outdoor roller skating oval with free skate rentals!).

But if you're looking to get out of town and don't want all of the Peggy's Cove crowds, head across to the Annapolis Valley and do some wine tasting (it's also right on the Bay of Fundy, so you can check the tides off your list at the same time.)  Wolfville is a gorgeous little college town, with a great botanical gardens and a lovely campus.

[Harley52]

Stay in Halifax......

[trivia addict]

We have cruised through Halifax 3 times. The first time, we saw the city via the HOHO bus. We saw everything we wanted to see, and got a history lesson besides.

The second time we rented a car and drove to Peggy’s Cove and a few other small towns. The scenery at Peggy's Cove is breathtaking and it should probably be experienced at least once. However, it was teeming with tourists and buses and after taking a few pictures, we left quickly.

The  last time, which was this  past June, we walked to some of the craft breweries and then had a lovely lunch along the Harbor Walk.

All  trips were  enjoyable. Just depends on what is important to you.