Do-it-yourself Halifax city sightseeing - doable?

Hello, if we want to do our own walking city tour of Halifax from the Port - is that doable? How far is it from the Port to downtown? Tried to do some internet searching for this topic, but did not find enough info. Thanks.

While not a HUGE city, Halifax is still quite a large area. Too large to think of doing it all on foot in my honest opinion.

They do have a very good public bus system:

http://www.halifax.ca/metrotransit/

They also have a HoHo bus tour operated by Gray Line (same company as the one in Montreal):

http://www.ambassatours.com/hop-on-hop-off-double-decker-halifax-tour

Enjoy your visit to Halifax !

:)

We were there this month. The people at our table walked from the port to Salty's to the Public Gardens and back. They were exhausted.

You could also consider Halifax Free Tours for a short guided walk through parts of the city. They don't cover a lot of ground but it may be a good way to get orientated. Then you could continue with your own DIY plans. They get excellent reviews on Trip Advisor. We plan to take their walk later this year.

http://halifaxfreetours.wix.com/halifaxfreetours#!ourstory/csgz

It depends upon your fitness, but the downtown is compact and walkable. If you stay close to the waterfront it is nearly level. If you wish to see the Public Gardens and/or Citadel Hill you could take a short taxi ride.

http://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowTopic-g1555466-i14120-k7482481-I_need_something_NEW_to_do_in_Halifax_Can_you_help-Halifax_Regional_Municipality_Nova_Sco.html

http://destinationhalifax.com/visitors/things-to-do-in-halifax

www.TomsPortGuides.com

http://www.destinationhalifax.com/uploads/assetsfile/Hfx%20M&C%20Planner%202009-Halifax%20Map.pdf

http://cruisehalifax.ca/

http://www.whatsinport.com/Canada.html

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1659056

We just got back from Halifax and I would say that doing a self-guided tour of Halifax is certainly do-able if you don't mind a lot of walking. If you plan to visit the Citadel, especially, you will need to be able to walk inclines. (It's an uphill walk to where the Citadel is located and then another uphill walk to the entrance.) The only major site you can't see by walking is the Fairview Cemetery where the victims of the Titanic are buried because it's about a 15-minute drive from town.

We actually did a Segway tour of Halifax which was a LOT of fun! We went to a lot of places in Halifax--along the waterfront, to the Public Gardens and up to the top of the Citadel for the firing of the noontime cannon and the changing of the guard--and we let the Segways do all the tough climbing! If this is something you'd like to do, you can check out their website at: http://www.segwayns.com/html/tours2.html

Later that evening, we spoke with two different couples and each of them said they had taken the hop on/hop off bus and thought that it was extremely overpriced for what it offered. Each couple told us that they felt they could have seen most of Halifax on their own because it just wasn't that large.

Finally, if you have any interest in the Titanic or maritime history, then the Maritime Museum is a must. I thought the section on the Titanic was excellent! Plan to spend around 2 hours here.

Thank you all for all the feedback! We really appreciate it.

We both are active and physically fit so sounds like do-it-your own city tour sounds like a plan or even a guided walking tour, but we will consider other options as well. Again, thanks!

Thank you all for all the feedback! We really appreciate it.

 

We both are active and physically fit so sounds like do-it-your own city tour sounds like a plan or even a guided walking tour, but we will consider other options as well. Again, thanks!

I contact all ports for any free information. Halifax sent info as well! We have visited on 3 cruises and did the port with out an excursion. (actually we did the entire Canada/NE ourselves except a bus to Acadia NP in Bar Harbor) It all depends on what you really want to do. Research the area online and through books. Decide what you want to do and proceed from there. We visited the Maritime Museum right near the dock and the Citadel.