Scenic Wonders of Newfoundland and Labrador

The colourful row houses of St. John’s add character to North America’s oldest English city, the jumping off point to your memorable journey through Canada’s easternmost provinces. You have the day to settle in from your travels before joining your Travel Director and fellow travellers this evening for a Welcome Dinner. Then join local celebrity Sheila Williams for live entertainment and a traditional Newfoundland "Screech-in" ceremony that will make you an honorary Newfoundlander.

Unlock the best of St. John’s on a city tour with a first stop at Cape Spear, the most eastern point of North America, as well as Signal Hill offering sweeping views of the Atlantic. Nature takes centre stage this afternoon on an optional Witless Bay Ecological Reserve Boat Tour. Step aboard and keep a keen eye out for puffins and whales (seasonal) in their natural habitat in the largest Atlantic puffin sanctuary in North America. The evening is yours to discover this walkable city filled with tempting restaurants.

This morning brings a visit to a National Historic Site, Signal Hill, where there will be a spectacular view of the Atlantic and the site of St. John's Harbor defenses from World War II. Then visit the charming little fishing neighborhood of Quidi Vidi, with colourful cottages and fishing stages. The afternoon will include a visit and demonstration to a local brewery where you will sample famous house brews including their Iceberg Beer, made with 20,000-year-old iceberg water. Later back in St. John’s an educational experience awaits at The Rooms Cultural Center. Packed with a collection of exhibits and frequent events being held, you will leave The Rooms an expert in the history, culture and heritage of Newfoundland and Labrador. From there you will have the rest of the afternoon free to explore as you wish. The day’s adventure will conclude with a traditional dinner and ceremony making you and your fellow travelers “honorary Newfoundlanders”.

The first stop this morning is Cupids, the second oldest English settlement in North America, rich in architecture and archaeological sites. Then depart to the Town of Brigus, known for its old-style architecture and historic significance as a strategic location for local fishermen. As you explore on your own and take in the English, Irish and Welsh heritage, the journey leads to Brigus tunnel where a stunning view of the wharf awaits. As the day comes to an end, depart for Clarenville and enjoy the night at leisure.

Admire the rugged beauty of the Bonavista Peninsula as you embark on a tour of the Lighthouse on Cape Bonavista. This mid-19th century lighthouse, still climbable today, used a seal oil-fuelled light to warn ships of the challenging coastline. Over a Must-See Highlight, see if you can spot whales, icebergs and puffins (seasonal) like the lighthouse keepers of yesteryear once did. Continue to the historic Newfoundland town of Trinity to meet a Local Specialist for a walking tour before returning to Clarenville.

Join a Local Specialist this morning for a guided walk in Terra Nova National Park where you’ll explore sheltered inlets, headlands and forests – a beautiful brush with rugged landscapes. Then engage in a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience to discover the existence and demise of an extinct people at the Beothuk Interpretation Center. You’ll love the opportunity to unlock the history of a now vanished language and culture. Continue to Gander to learn about the significant role this Newfoundland community played during the 9/11 disaster when thousands of air passengers were rerouted to the town moments after the terrorist attack.

Your first stop is the Whale Pavilion in King’s Point to see the 50-foot skeleton of a whale. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant on the scenic shoreline of Green Bay before joining a guided walk with a Local Specialist inside the UNESCO-listed Gros Morne National Park. Treasure a rare opportunity to walk on the exposed Earth’s mantle along the Tableland’s Trail. This evening, enjoy a Be My Guest experience dinner at The Fish Sheds, an authentic fishing shed decorated with industry artefacts, overlooking Bonne Bay.

Unlock your natural surroundings on your choice of optional boat tours exploring Gros Morne National Park. With everything taken care of, enjoy live commentary about the rich cultural history of Bonne Bay including its biodiversity and wildlife. Or, opt to discover a spectacular, glacier-carved fjord and see waterfalls cascading 2,000 feet from billion-year-old cliffs. Later, visit the Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse to learn about the culture heritage of the park.

Our first stop on today’s journey to Labrador is in scenic Fisher Point. We’ll take the ferry to Labrador in the afternoon, arriving in Blanc Sablon where we’ll Dive Into Culture during a visit to a scallop farm and learn how to shuck a scallop like a local. Taste the difference between a live and cooked scallop accompanied with wine.

Join a Local Specialist this morning for a guided tour of the UNESCO-listed Red Bay National Historic Site, once a major whaling point on the Atlantic. You’ll tour the tallest lighthouse of Atlantic Canada, Point Armour Lighthouse, followed by a Regional Dinner.

We leave Labrador, now bound for Newfoundland on the ferry. Encounter millennia of human history at the crossroads of four ancient cultures in Port aux Choix National Historic Site. This evening we enjoy a Farewell Dinner with new friends at one of Trafalgar’s Stays with Stories where we’ll stay overnight.

Your fantastic journey comes to an end as you head to Deer Lake Regional Airport at your leisure.