18 Days from $4,990 USD / person
Road Trip: Newfoundland’s Historic Coast & Viking Heritage
Sample Itinerary
Day 1 – 3
International Arrival
Make your own way to the St. John´s, NL airport and pick up your rental car
2 Nights
St. John’s, NL
St. John’s is the capital and largest city of the Atlantic island of Newfoundland. Vibrant rows of houses, busy streets, vast open green spaces and a charming harbor front are the distinguishing elements one of North America’s oldest cities. The narrow winding alleys of the town lead up to Signal Hill, home to Cabot Tower, where Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless message. The tower was originally built to celebrate the 400th anniversary of John Cabot’s voyage to Newfoundland. Perched atop the hill are other iconic sights, such as the twin clock towers of the Basilica Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, and The Rooms, a museum and cultural center with displays of local art, artifacts and historical records. The Newman Wine Vaults Provincial Historic Site offers an intriguing perspective into tales of pirates of yore and old outports. Beyond Signal Hill stands the charming local village of Quidi Vidi, a remnant of the city’s old fishing port days. The village microbrewery, the old wharf, an 18th century battery and lakeside regatta museum are all worth visiting. Head to George Street in the evening for a night out on town, enjoying live music at the many pubs and cafés that serve typical Newfoundland comfort food.
Hotel options
The Murray Premises Hotel – Opt 1
Room
King Guestroom
Meals
Room Only
Style
Heritage
Alt Hotel St. John's – Opt 2
Room
King City View
Meals
Room Only
Style
Boutique
Day 3 – 5
Drive yourself from St. John´s, NL to Trinity, NL in your rental car (Duration: 3.5 hrs)
2 Nights
Trinity, NL
Nestled by Trinity Bay in Newfoundland, the seaside town of Trinity is a heritage destination that draws travelers from across the seas. First settled by the Portuguese in the 16th century, the town has plenty of history and culture to discover, as well as loads of outdoor adventures to look forward to. The town has painstakingly preserved its heritage architecture, with many of its historic buildings recognized today as Registered Heritage Structures. The Cooperage celebrates the old tradition of barrel making, which was fueled by the region’s prosperous shipping industry. The Dock Marina, English Harbour Arts Centre, and Mercantile Building Provincial Historic Site are among dozens of other heritage sites that showcase Trinity’s past. The film locations of the popular drama, The Shipping News, are popular not just for posterity but also for their panoramic ocean views from the cliff tops. The town’s craggy coastline also offers numerous hiking trails over the rolling coastal hills and lovely beaches, including the popular Skerwink Trail, Gun Hill Trail, and Lockston Path Provincial Park. The region is also great for birding and whale watching. Enjoy feasting on fresh seafood paired with delicious local wines.
Hotel options
Trinity Eco-Tours Lodge – Opt 1
Room
Standard Room
Meals
Room Only
Artisan Inn – Opt 2
Room
Lighthouse View
Meals
Room Only
Style
Lodge
Day 5 – 7
Drive yourself from Trinity, NL to Twillingate, NL in your rental car (Duration: 4 hrs)
2 Nights
Twillingate
Twillingate is an old fishing town in the Twillingate Islands in Notre Dame Bay, off Newfoundland. Apart from magnificent natural vistas and lush countryside, the town has a long history. The Twillingate Museum, which stands in the town’s former Rectory, offers an insight into the lives of early settlers of this island town. The lovingly preserved displays at the Twillingate Fishing & Heritage Centre and the Isles Wooden Boat Builders Museum & Workshop also make for happy browsing. The town itself is a pleasure to explore, with its winding streets lined with brightly painted houses, and hiking trails along the rugged coastline, including the Spencer’s Park Trail. Long Point Lighthouse, overlooking Notre Dame Bay, offers spectacular views of icebergs passing down the vast ocean corridors. Boat tours are the best bet for spotting whales, dolphins, harp seals and seabirds off the coast, as well as icebergs in season.
Hotel options
Anchor Inn Hotel and Suites – Opt 1
Room
Hodge Premises Building – King Oceanview
Meals
Room Only
Style
Lodge
Hodge Premises Inn – Opt 2
Room
Standard Room
Meals
Room Only
Day 7 – 10
Drive yourself from Twillingate, NL to Gros Morne National Park, NL in your rental car. (Duration: 5hrs)
3 Nights
Gros Morne National Park, NL
Gros Morne National Park lies on Newfoundland’s west coast in eastern Canada. This UNESCO World Heritage Site was shaped by colliding continents and glaciers, and is packed with ancient forests, pristine beaches, and dramatic cliffs. It is named after the Gros Morne mountain, the second highest peak in Newfoundland. Gros Morne means big lone mountain and it rises 806 m in solitary splendor. Follow the mountain trail to the summit for stunning views of the glacial-carved landscape. In all, there are about 20 marked day-trip trails in the park that pass through both coastal and interior areas. Western Brook Pond has the highest purity rating possible for natural water bodies. Pissing Mare Falls, the highest waterfall in eastern North America, tumbles into the lake from a height of 1,125 ft. The park also contains the Tablelands, a landscape in which the earth’s mantle, normally found below the crust, has been pushed to the surface. There’s plenty of wildlife to be found as well, from moose and foxes to black bears. Harbor seals inhabit St. Paul’s inlet while a variety of whales and dolphins often appear in early summer. The park is also home to a vast number of bird species.
Hotel options
Sugar Hill Inn – Opt 1
Room
Standard Queen Room
Meals
Room Only
Style
Heritage
Neddies Harbour Inn – Opt 2
Room
King
Meals
Room Only
Day 10 – 11
Drive yourself from Gros Morne National Park, NL to St Barbe Ferry Terminal, NL in your rental car (Duration: 3 hrs)
Board the ferry from St. Barbe Ferry Terminal, NL to Blanc-Sablon Ferry Terminal, NL (Duration: 2hrs)
Drive yourself from Blanc-Sablon Ferry Terminal, NL to L’Anse au Claire, NL in your rental car (Duration: 0.25 hrs)
1 Night
L’Anse au Claire
L’Anse au Claire, originally settled by the French in the early 1700s, forms the gateway to Labrador in Newfoundland. For years it has been a favored junction town for travelers headed to Labrador from Québec. The town makes an excellent stopover before taking the ferry across the Labrador Coast, with its distinctive French heritage. The restored 19th-century church, which today houses the Labrador Visitor Centre, is worth a visit. A stroll through town reveals graceful heritage architecture, while a ride down the Labrador Coastal Drive might bring up whale watching and iceberg-spotting opportunities, in season.
Hotel options
Northern Light Inn – Opt 1
Room
Standard
Meals
Room Only
Northern Light Inn – Opt 2
Room
Standard
Meals
Room Only
Day 11 – 13
Drive yourself from L’Anse au Claire, NL to Mary’s Harbour, NL in your rental car. (Duration: 2hrs)
2 Nights
Battle Harbour, NL
Battle Harbour sits on a small island off the coast of Labrador in Canada. This restored 18th-century fishing village was once the bustling hub of the Labrador fishing industry. Today, it exists as a living museum that preserves and showcases what life was like more than 200 years ago. In 1996, the Battle Harbour Historic District was designated a National Historic Site. The heart of the town was the wharf and the waterfront, and the wooden and shingle-clad buildings erected in the late 18th and 19th centuries still stand today. You can learn about the region’s past through interactive exhibits and knowledgeable guides and view the meticulously preserved buildings, including the salt store, cooperage, and blacksmith shop. The town and the island also offer sweeping views of the surrounding Atlantic Ocean, and opportunities to go hiking and whale watching. The stunning landscape lends itself to photography as well. You can borrow a rod and reel and go fishing or grab a picnic basket and spend a few quiet hours eating and soaking in the scenery.
Hotel options
Battle Harbour Inn – Opt 1
Room
Room – 2N [PTBT2]
Meals
Room Only
Merchant Building – Opt 2
Room
Room – 2N [PTBTM2]
Meals
Room Only
Day 13 – 15
Drive yourself from Mary’s Harbour, NL to Blanc-Sablon Ferry Terminal, NL in your rental car. (Duration: 2hrs)
Board the ferry from Blanc-Sablon Ferry Terminal, NL to St. Barbe Ferry Terminal, NL (Duration: 2hrs)
Drive yourself from St Barbe Ferry Terminal, NL to Saint Anthony, NL in your rental car (Duration: 1.5 hrs)
2 Nights
Saint Anthony
Saint Anthony lies amid the freezing northern fringes of Newfoundland. Located at the end of the Viking Trail, this frontier town is an excellent base for travelers heading out to explore northern Newfoundland and southern Labrador. Saint Anthony has its own charm, luring visitors in with outdoor activities that often lead to extended stays. There are plenty of scenic walking trails to try, including one to Lighthouse Point along the harbor front. Wildlife watching tours on snowmobiles and snowshoes are popular for spotting arctic birds, moose and even polar bears. Boat tours are even more popular, for whale watching and spotting icebergs off the coast. There’s also plenty of angling and fishing to be enjoyed, along the waterfront. Saint Anthony is, of course, a seafood haven. Try specialties like pan-fried cod and grilled Atlantic salmon, available throughout the year, finishing off with local desserts made with bakeapples or squash berries.
Hotel options
Grenfell Heritage Hotel and Suites – Opt 1
Room
Standard Room
Meals
Room Only
Grenfell Heritage Hotel and Suites – Opt 2
Room
Standard Room
Meals
Room Only
Day 15 – 16
Drive yourself from Saint Anthony, NL to Gros Morne National Park, NL in your rental car (Duration: 4.5 hrs)
1 Night
Gros Morne National Park, NL
Gros Morne National Park lies on Newfoundland’s west coast in eastern Canada. This UNESCO World Heritage Site was shaped by colliding continents and glaciers, and is packed with ancient forests, pristine beaches, and dramatic cliffs. It is named after the Gros Morne mountain, the second highest peak in Newfoundland. Gros Morne means big lone mountain and it rises 806 m in solitary splendor. Follow the mountain trail to the summit for stunning views of the glacial-carved landscape. In all, there are about 20 marked day-trip trails in the park that pass through both coastal and interior areas. Western Brook Pond has the highest purity rating possible for natural water bodies. Pissing Mare Falls, the highest waterfall in eastern North America, tumbles into the lake from a height of 1,125 ft. The park also contains the Tablelands, a landscape in which the earth’s mantle, normally found below the crust, has been pushed to the surface. There’s plenty of wildlife to be found as well, from moose and foxes to black bears. Harbor seals inhabit St. Paul’s inlet while a variety of whales and dolphins often appear in early summer. The park is also home to a vast number of bird species.
Hotel options
Ocean View Hotel – Opt 1
Room
Ocean View Junior Suite
Meals
Room Only
Style
International
Ocean View Hotel – Opt 2
Room
Sundowner Room King
Meals
Room Only
Style
International
Day 16 – 17
Drive yourself from Gros Morne National Park, NL to Clarenville, NL in your rental car (Duration: 6 hrs)
1 Night
Clarenville
Clarenville is located in the picturesque Shoal Harbour River Valley, on the east coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. Due to its location, it gets considerably more sunshine than the rest of Newfoundland. It also forms a natural gateway to explore the historical Discovery Trail, which extends down the Bonavista Peninsula to Trinity and Bonavista, where European explorer John Cabot is thought to have landed. The Clarenville Heritage Museum documents the area’s railway, shipbuilding and logging history, as well as the transatlantic telephone cable that used to connect Clarenville with Oban, Scotland. The Clarenville Events Centre has a theatre and a hockey-and-ice-skating rink. There are three golf courses nearby and plenty of hiking trails. Clarenville also boasts of the only ski resort east of Corner Brook. The town has a strong sporting tradition and has hosted the 1994 Newfoundland Winter Games and the 1997 National Under-17 Men’s Softball Tournament.
Hotel options
Clarenville Inn – Opt 1
Room
Standard Room
Meals
Room Only
Clarenville Inn – Opt 2
Room
Standard Room
Meals
Room Only
Day 17 – 18
Drive yourself from Clarenville, NL to St. John’s, NL in your rental car (Duration: 2.5 hrs)
1 Night
St. John’s, NL
St. John’s is the capital and largest city of the Atlantic island of Newfoundland. Vibrant rows of houses, busy streets, vast open green spaces and a charming harbor front are the distinguishing elements one of North America’s oldest cities. The narrow winding alleys of the town lead up to Signal Hill, home to Cabot Tower, where Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless message. The tower was originally built to celebrate the 400th anniversary of John Cabot’s voyage to Newfoundland. Perched atop the hill are other iconic sights, such as the twin clock towers of the Basilica Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, and The Rooms, a museum and cultural center with displays of local art, artifacts and historical records. The Newman Wine Vaults Provincial Historic Site offers an intriguing perspective into tales of pirates of yore and old outports. Beyond Signal Hill stands the charming local village of Quidi Vidi, a remnant of the city’s old fishing port days. The village microbrewery, the old wharf, an 18th century battery and lakeside regatta museum are all worth visiting. Head to George Street in the evening for a night out on town, enjoying live music at the many pubs and cafés that serve typical Newfoundland comfort food.
Hotel options
Alt Hotel St. John's – Opt 1
Room
King City View
Meals
Room Only
Style
Boutique
JAG Hotel – Opt 2
Room
Standard Room
Meals
Room Only
Make your own way to the St. John´s, NL airport and drop off your rental car
International Departure
Price & Inclusions
Prices are in USD and exclude international flights. This trip price is based on low season rates for accommodation and other applicable services, and may change depending on availability, currency fluctuations and number of people traveling together. For high season prices, please contact us with your exact travel dates and preferences.
Price Includes
- Accommodation and meals, as specified in the itinerary
- Activities and excursions, as specified in the itinerary
- Transportation services, as specified in the itinerary
- Your Trip Coordination Team: Dedicated support throughout your journey, with a primary, personal point of contact. Plus, in case of emergencies while you’re traveling, our trip coordination team are available 24/7 by phone
Not Included
- Entrance fees and meals, unless mentioned in the itinerary description
- Tips and personal expenses
- Visa and tourism fees
- Travel, health, and cancellation insurance
- International airfare
