Peggy’s Cove, the Citadel and a boardwalk that starts at the gangway
Halifax is the anchor call of every Canada and New England cruise and the easiest big port on the route: ships dock at Pier 20 and Pier 22 in the Halifax Seaport, where the Pier 21 immigration museum, the farmers’ market and the Garrison brewery are literally next door and the 2.5 mile waterfront boardwalk runs straight into downtown. Most first-timers take the hour’s drive to the lighthouse at Peggy’s Cove; the rest climb to the Citadel for the noon gun. SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls at Halifax from every line, priced with taxes and fees included, with the sailings that carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or instant savings at the top.
Three ways to do Halifax
Drive out to Peggy’s Cove, do the city on foot from the pier, or go the full day to Lunenburg; the buttons filter the list of sailings below.
Peggy’s Cove
- The granite-boulder fishing cove and 1915 lighthouse, about 27 miles and an hour each way
- Ship tours run 3.5 to 4 hours at about $90 to $120; some add a lobster lunch or the Swissair memorial
- No public transit goes there, so it is a tour, a private van or a taxi at about CAD 150 round trip
Best for: first-timers, photographers, families
Downtown from the pier
- Walk the boardwalk past the Maritime Museum and its Titanic gallery (about CAD 10) to the Citadel
- The Citadel’s kilted 78th Highlanders, noon gun and harbour view, about CAD 22 (free June 19 to Sept 7, 2026)
- Finish at the Seaport market and Pier 21 beside the ship, or a pint at Alexander Keith’s
Best for: walkers, history buffs, short calls
Lunenburg and the South Shore
- The UNESCO town of painted 18th century houses and the Bluenose II, 60 miles southwest
- Ship tours run 7 to 8 hours at about $140 to $180, often pausing at Mahone Bay’s three churches
- Only on calls of 9 hours or more; book through the ship for the guaranteed return
Best for: repeat visitors, long calls, Nova Scotia fans
Halifax cruises: SmartCruiser picks first
Every cruise that calls at Halifax from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings or bonus onboard credit. Below them, every other sailing that stops here, with full sorting by home port, line, month, length and price.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery cruise that calls at Halifax
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Home ports that sail to Halifax
Pick a home port and the list above filters to cruises leaving from there; New York and Boston send the most ships, with Quebec and Montreal one-ways in the fall.
Things to do in Halifax
Three of the best things are inside a 5 minute walk of the gangway, and the rest are a boardwalk stroll or a short drive away.
Which lines call at Halifax?
About 190 calls and 350,000 guests are scheduled for 2026 from April to early November; these are the lines you will see at Pier 20 and 22.
When to go
Halifax’s season runs May to early November; summers are mild, fall color peaks from late September to mid October when the port is busiest, and the Atlantic hurricane season peaks in September.
Halifax questions we answer every day
Where do cruise ships dock in Halifax and how far is it to downtown?
Ships dock at Pier 20 and Pier 22 in the Halifax Seaport at the south end of the waterfront, with covered gangways into Pavilion 22, which has visitor information, restrooms, Wi-Fi and craft stalls. No line tenders here. Pier 21, the Seaport market and Garrison Brewing are next door; the boardwalk into the downtown core is a flat 20 to 25 minute walk, or a 5 minute taxi for about CAD 10. When more than two ships are in, the extra ships dock at the container terminal and the port runs free shuttles to the Seaport.
How do I get around Halifax from the pier?
Walk the boardwalk for downtown, the Maritime Museum and the Citadel. Taxis, Uber and tour buses wait outside Pavilion 22; a hop-on hop-off bus does a 90 minute city loop from the terminal, and the amphibious Harbour Hopper leaves from the boardwalk. For Peggy’s Cove or Lunenburg there is no transit, so it is a ship tour, a pre-booked private driver or a taxi (about CAD 150 round trip to the cove with waiting time).
What currency do I need, and does my phone work?
Canadian dollars, about CAD 1.35 to 1.40 to the US dollar; cards work everywhere and most shops near the pier accept US cash at a rough rate, but you lose a little. English is the language. Halifax is on Atlantic Time, one hour ahead of Eastern, so check whether your ship stays on ship time. Most US carriers charge for Canada roaming unless your plan includes it, and the terminal has free Wi-Fi.
Is Halifax safe?
Yes. Canada is at the State Department’s lowest advisory level and Halifax is a friendly university town. The genuine hazards are at Peggy’s Cove, where rogue waves sweep visitors off the dark wet granite every few years: stay on the dry, light-colored rock and behind the lighthouse barriers.
What is the best excursion, and should I book through the ship?
Peggy’s Cove is the one everybody should do once, and on a call of 8 hours or less we book it through the ship so the cruise line guarantees your return. Downtown, the Citadel and Pier 21 need no tour. Lunenburg is worth the full day only on 9 to 10 hour calls.
Do I need a passport?
On a closed-loop cruise that starts and ends in the same US port (New York, Boston or Baltimore), US citizens can sail with a government photo ID plus an original birth certificate, but we strongly recommend a passport, and Canada can refuse entry to travelers with certain criminal records. One-way cruises that start or end in Quebec City or Montreal require a passport.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on this page includes the cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels, shore excursions and gratuities are extra.
Talk to a Halifax cruise specialist
We know which sailings give you the long Halifax day and when the foliage peaks, so call us to check availability and book your Canada and New England cruise. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.