Halifax makes National Geographic's must-visit list for 2027

Halifax has made it onto the list of National Geographic’s Best of the World list for 2027.

The annual list identifies 25 places it considers must-see destinations or travel experiences that National Geographic says travellers should take in in the coming year.

It’s the 15th year the list has been compiled by travel experts and editors.

Halifax made the list partly because of a newly created UNESCO Tourism Corridor, which National Geographic said helped distinguish it as a destination people should visit.

The list says Halifax “is at the centre of Atlantic Canada’s heritage revival,” and it “embraces a dynamic mix of Indigenous, European, African, and other traditions, which visitors can discover through cultural centres, historic sites and guided tours.”

It mentions the Wije’winen/Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre, where “visitors can learn how to cook traditional foods like bannock bread or participate in a smudging ceremony. On the grounds, guides lead medicine walks, pointing out sweetgrass and other native plantings used in healing.”

The list, which was announced Tuesday, also references Canada’s African heritage as having its roots in Nova Scotia and cites Africville and the fact it is a UNESCO-designated Place of History and Memory.

Halifax’s Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, where a million immigrants arrived between 1928 and 1971, is also mentioned as a place to visit.

Other stops suggested on the list worldwide include Normandy, France, which will celebrate 1,000 years since the birth of William the Conqueror, and the ancient city of Luxor in Egypt, where a total solar eclipse will occur.

Melbourne, Australia made the list because of its arts scene, sports teams and venues, and vibrant and distinct neighbourhoods. Its diverse culinary scene is also highlighted.

National Geographic says the list is meant to look beyond the usual tourism destinations “to highlight places where new openings, landmark anniversaries, cultural celebrations and improved access are creating fresh ways to experience a destination.”

The magazine’s editor-in-chief, Nathan Lump, said in a news release that “whether you are up for a far-flung adventure or looking for fresh reasons to see somewhere closer to home, we hope this list inspires trips that connect you to all the exciting opportunities that are out there to experience and get to know the world in entirely new ways.”