Day 1 St. John’s | Arrival
Arrive in St. John’s and pick up your rental vehicle. You may have a late arrival so the rest of the day is at leisure.
Day 2 St. John’s Sightseeing
A morning of sightseeing in St. John’s. Discover ‘the Rooms, museum art gallery & archives. Drive up Signal Hill for spectacular views and take a trip out to Cape Spear National Historic Site, the most easterly point in North America. Visit one of the provinces most photographed places, Quidi Vidi Village just 3 km from St. John’s. You may want to stop at Quidi Vidi Brewery for a pint. (breakfast included)
Day 3 Avalon Peninsula - Whale Watching, Puffins | 66 km/42 mi
Spend the day exploring the stunning coastline and the little villages of the Avalon Peninsula. Start your day driving to Bay Bulls for a boat excursion to see whales and the Atlantic Puffin - if you are lucky you may even spot an iceberg (May/June only). From Bay Bulls follow the Irish Loop to Ferryland, the home of the original Colony of Avalon founded by George Calvert, later Lord Baltimore, in 1621. The site of the Ferryland settlement is now being excavated, and archaeologists have uncovered over a million artifacts from the stone constructed buildings including gold rings, Portuguese ceramics, and other unusual objects. (breakfast included)
Day 4 St. John’s to Trinity | 269 km/167 mi
Today embark on your journey to the Bonavista Peninsula, known for its scenic and rugged coastlines. The peninsula also contains some of the oldest settlements in Newfoundland, particularly the towns of Bonavista and Trinity. Before settling into your accommodation for the night, you may want to drive 20 minutes south of Trinity to New Bonaventure and visit the Random Passage Site. Constructed in 2000 for the filming of the international TV mini-series “Random Passage”, the site today provides the opportunity to step back in time and experience what life might have been like in a fishing outpost in the early 1800s. (breakfast included)
Day 5 Trinity
Explore the enchanting village of Trinity with its restored white and pastel coloured clapboard houses. Set along a dramatic coastline you will discover a sense of Newfoundland’s history and nature. Join the Trinity Pageant, a walking theatre that meanders through the village enticing viewers to live the history of the area. If you’re feeling active, hike the short but steep 20-minute trail up Gun Hill behind the village for spectacular 360 degree views of the village and surrounding areas. (breakfast included)
Day 6 Bonavista Peninsula
Now that you have a sense of the area, venture to Port Rexton today and hike the Skerwink Trail. This very walkable trail will take you along the rugged coastline for a spectacular view of the surrounding villages set against the ocean. In the afternoon, head north to the town of Bonavista, where you can visit the Ryan Premises National Historic Site, a 19th century replica fish processing factory. In this small village you will also find the red and white striped Bonavista Lighthouse, and the Matthew Legacy, a replica of John Cabot’s ship which voyaged across the Atlantic to discover land in 1497. (breakfast included)
Day 7 Trinity to Twillingate | 309 km/192 mi
Enroute to Twillingate, pass through Terra Nova National Park. If you feel the need to commune with nature, a stop will introduce you to coniferous forests, ponds, and a plethora of walking trails. Continue towards Twillingate. In Boyd’s Cove make another stop at the Beothuk Interpretive Centre and visit an ancient Beothuk village discovered by archaeologists in the 1980s. Arrive in Twillingate then grab your camera and head out on the ocean with the afternoon Iceberg Watch boat tour, where you will have an opportunity to see icebergs, whales, sunsets and many other spectacular views that the beautiful island of Twillingate has to offer. (breakfast included)
Day 8 Twillingate to Norris Point | 428 km/266 mi
Bound for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Gros Morne National Park, words do not give the vistas justice. The park is populated by little villages, bare topped mountains, and forests inhabited by moose and caribou. (breakfast included)
Day 9 Western Brook Pond Cruise
The morning is free to explore the area with your rental car. Enjoy a boat tour of the freshwater fjord of Western Brook Pond. The landlocked fjord is a rare sight. Carved by glaciers, and home to plenty of waterfalls and wildlife, it’s worth the trip alone. The rest of the day is free to explore the sites of the Gros Morne National Park.
Day 10 Gros Morne National Park
Enjoy a day exploring all of Gros Morne National Park on your own viewing glacial valleys, intriguing rock formations, magnificent sea arches and numerous types of wildlife. Don’t miss the internationally known Tablelands, a rare outcrop of the Earth’s mantle pushed skyward half a billion years ago.
Day 11 Norris Point to St. Anthony | 356km/221mi
Heading toward St. Anthony, make a stop in Port Au Choix and Port Au Choix National Historic Site where three ancient cemeteries of the Maritime Archaic People were discovered. The Visitor Centre gives great background to this culture with exhibits and artifacts. Continue to St. Anthony, the ‘Iceberg Capital of the World’. Along the rugged ocean coastline you can witness the majestic wonder of whales and icebergs (note that the peak iceberg season is typically May/June and early July)
Day 12 St. Anthony - L’Anse aux Meadows
Visit the L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site comprising the remains of the earliest European settlement in the Americas. The colony of Vinland was excavated in the 1960s and the artifacts are on display supported by a film. Walk to the original village and discover the full-scale replicas of Norse buildings. Return to St. Anthony for the night. (breakfast included)
Day 13 St. Anthony to Norris Point | 356km/221mi
Make your way back down the peninsula to Norris Point, your base at the doorstep of Gros Morne National Park with restaurants, shops and beautiful views of Bonne Bay and The Tablelands. Watch for Jenniex House as you drive in for fantastic views of both, with the latter designated a World Heritage Site in 1987 to acknowledge its geological diversity and striking barren shapes. Located just off the Viking Trail, Norris Point is in the heart of Western Newfoundland’s booming tourism visitation area and is well equipped with natural landforms, adventure activities and a relaxing small-town feel. (breakfast included)
Day 14 Norris Point to Deer Lake | 73 km/45 mi
Upon check-out of your hotel drive to Deer Lake Airport where your Newfoundland discovery ends. (breakfast included)
