Day 1 St. John’s | Arrival
Arrive in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador’s colourful capital city set on a dramatic harbour overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Depending on your arrival time, spend the rest of the day exploring at leisure. Wander the steep streets lined with brightly painted row houses, stroll the lively downtown waterfront, or enjoy the city’s welcoming pubs, restaurants and galleries. With its maritime history, coastal views, live music and unmistakable local character, St. John’s offers a vibrant introduction to Newfoundland.
Day 2 St. John’s Sightseeing | approx. 40 km/25 mi
Spend the day exploring St. John’s and its dramatic coastal surroundings. Visit The Rooms, Newfoundland and Labrador’s striking museum, gallery and archives, then continue to Signal Hill for sweeping views over the harbour, the Narrows and the Atlantic coastline. Travel to Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site, the most easterly point of land in North America, where rugged cliffs, ocean views and historic lighthouse scenery create a powerful Atlantic setting. Time permitting, visit Quidi Vidi Village, one of the city’s most photographed neighbourhoods, set around a sheltered harbour just minutes from downtown. You may wish to stop at Quidi Vidi Brewery for a pint before returning to St. John’s.
Day 3 Avalon Peninsula | Whale Watching, Puffins & Coastal Exploring | approx. 158 km/98 mi
Spend the day exploring the rugged coastline, fishing villages and ocean views of the Avalon Peninsula. Travel south to Bay Bulls for a boat excursion into the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, one of the best places in Newfoundland to see Atlantic puffins, seabirds and whales. Depending on the season and conditions, you may also spot icebergs drifting along the coast.
After your cruise, continue along the scenic Irish Loop toward Ferryland, home of the Colony of Avalon, one of the earliest European settlements in North America. Founded in 1621 by George Calvert, later Lord Baltimore, the archaeological site has revealed more than a million artifacts from early colonial life. With dramatic headlands, historic communities and sweeping Atlantic views, this day offers a memorable introduction to Newfoundland’s coastal scenery and seafaring heritage.
Day 4 St. John’s to Trinity | 269 km/167 mi
Depart St. John’s and travel toward the Bonavista Peninsula, a region known for rugged coastlines, historic outports and some of Newfoundland’s oldest communities. The journey follows changing landscapes of forests, bays, coastal inlets and small fishing villages before arriving in Trinity, one of the province’s most atmospheric historic towns. Before settling into your accommodation, you may wish to continue to New Bonaventure to visit the Random Passage Site. Built for the television miniseries Random Passage, the site offers a powerful sense of what life may have been like in a remote Newfoundland fishing outpost in the early 1800s.
Day 5 Trinity | Exploring
Spend the day exploring the enchanting village of Trinity, where restored white and pastel-coloured clapboard houses line a sheltered harbour framed by dramatic coastal scenery. Wander through preserved historic buildings and experience the village’s deep connection to Newfoundland’s fishing and merchant history. When available, join the Trinity Pageant, a walking theatre performance that brings local stories and history to life. If you are feeling active, hike the short but steep trail up Gun Hill behind the village for sweeping 360-degree views over Trinity, the harbour and the surrounding coastline.
Day 6 Bonavista Peninsula | approx. 130 km/81 mi
Venture to Port Rexton to hike the Skerwink Trail, one of Newfoundland’s most celebrated coastal walks. This scenic loop follows rugged headlands, sea stacks and ocean viewpoints, with views across the surrounding villages and coastline. In the afternoon, continue north to Bonavista, where Ryan Premises National Historic Site tells the story of Canada’s east coast fishery and the communities shaped by the cod trade. Nearby, visit the red and white Cape Bonavista Lighthouse and the Matthew Legacy, a replica of John Cabot’s ship connected to his 1497 Atlantic voyage.
Near Bonavista, stop at Dungeon Provincial Park, where the sea has carved a collapsed sea cave into a striking natural arch. Be sure to visit Elliston, one of the best places in North America to view puffins from land, where birds often nest and fly close to the rugged cliffs in season.
Day 7 Trinity to Twillingate | 309 km/192 mi
Leave Trinity and travel through the landscapes of central Newfoundland toward Twillingate. En route, pass through Terra Nova National Park, where sheltered inlets, boreal forest, quiet ponds and walking trails offer a beautiful place to pause and enjoy the natural setting. Continue toward Boyd’s Cove and visit the Beothuk Interpretation Centre, where the story of an ancient Beothuk village helps reveal the history and culture of Newfoundland’s Indigenous past.
Arrive in Twillingate, one of Newfoundland’s most scenic coastal communities, known for dramatic cliffs, colourful houses, sea views and its location along Iceberg Alley. This afternoon, set out on an Iceberg Watch boat tour, where you may have the chance to see icebergs, whales, seabirds, sunsets and the striking coastal scenery that makes Twillingate such a special place to visit.
Day 8 Twillingate to Norris Point | 428 km/266 mi
Travel west across Newfoundland toward Gros Morne National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Canada’s most remarkable natural landscapes. The journey takes you through changing scenery of forests, rivers, quiet communities and open stretches of wilderness before reaching the dramatic western coast. Arrive in Norris Point, set on the northern side of Bonne Bay and surrounded by the mountains, sheltered waters and rugged beauty of the Gros Morne region.
Day 9 Western Brook Pond Cruise | approx. 120 km/75 mi
Spend the morning exploring the Gros Morne region at your own pace before travelling to Western Brook Pond, one of the park’s most iconic experiences. A scenic trail leads from the parking area to the boat dock, where you will board a cruise through this remarkable freshwater fjord. Carved by glaciers and enclosed by towering cliffs, Western Brook Pond is known for waterfalls, deep blue water, dramatic rock walls and sweeping wilderness views. After the cruise, the remainder of the day is free to continue exploring Gros Morne National Park.
Day 10 Gros Morne National Park | Exploring
Enjoy a full day exploring Gros Morne National Park, where ancient geology, glacier-carved valleys, coastal scenery and mountain landscapes create one of Canada’s most distinctive natural settings. Visit the internationally known Tablelands, a rare exposed section of the Earth’s mantle pushed upward hundreds of millions of years ago. You may also explore scenic lookouts, sea arches, forest trails, coastal communities and wildlife-rich landscapes throughout the park. From rugged shoreline to dramatic peaks, Gros Morne offers a powerful sense of Newfoundland’s wild beauty.
Day 11 Norris Point to St. Anthony | 356 km/221 mi
Travel north along the Viking Trail toward St. Anthony, following a route shaped by ocean views, windswept coastline, quiet fishing villages and open northern landscapes. Along the way, consider a stop at Port au Choix National Historic Site, where thousands of years of Indigenous history are revealed through coastal sites, exhibits and artifacts. Continue along the Great Northern Peninsula, where rugged shoreline and remote scenery create a powerful sense of Newfoundland’s wild northern edge. Arrive in St. Anthony, often associated with Iceberg Alley, where icebergs and whales may be seen offshore during the late spring and summer season.
Day 12 St. Anthony - L’Anse aux Meadows | approx. 80 km/50 mi
Awaken in St. Anthony at the far northern reaches of the Viking Trail, then travel to L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the first known evidence of European presence in the Americas. Walk among the remains of a Norse encampment dating back more than 1,000 years and explore reconstructed timber-and-sod buildings that bring this extraordinary Viking story to life. Set against a backdrop of rugged coastline, open sea and northern wilderness, this is one of Newfoundland’s most significant historic sites. Return to St. Anthony for the night.
Day 13 St. Anthony to Norris Point | 356 km/221 mi
Leave St. Anthony and travel south along the Viking Trail, retracing the dramatic coastline of Newfoundland’s Great Northern Peninsula. Ocean views, rocky headlands, fishing communities and wide-open northern scenery shape the journey as you return toward Gros Morne National Park. Settle in for one more night in Norris Point, where the sheltered waters of Bonne Bay, surrounding mountains and peaceful coastal atmosphere provide a fitting final stay in the park region.
Day 14 Norris Point to Deer Lake | 73 km/45 mi
Take a leisurely drive back to Deer Lake, passing forested hills, mountain views and the scenic landscapes of western Newfoundland along the way. Your Newfoundland journey ends after exploring St. John’s, the Avalon Peninsula, Trinity, the Bonavista Peninsula, Twillingate, Gros Morne National Park, the Great Northern Peninsula, L’Anse aux Meadows and the rugged coastal beauty of Newfoundland’s eastern, central and western shores.
