The colourful row houses of St. John’s add character to North America’s oldest English city, which is the launch pad to your memorable journey through Canada’s easternmost provinces. You’ll have the day to recover after your travels before joining your Travel Director and fellow travelers this evening for a Welcome Reception.
Nature takes center stage this morning as we board the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve Boat Tour, keeping a keen eye out for puffins and whales (in season) in their natural habitat as you are in the largest Atlantic puffin sanctuary in North America.
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 will be the small town of Cupids, the second oldest English settlement in North America, rich in architecture and archaeological sites. Then depart to the Town of Brigus, known for it’s old-style architecture and once strategic location, still home to many local fishermen. As you explore on your own and take in the English, Irish, and Welsh heritage, the journey will lead to Brigus tunnel where a stunning view of the wharf awaits. As the day comes to an end, depart for Clarenville and enjoy the rest of the night at leisure.
Admire the rugged beauty of the Bonavista Peninsula as you embark on an included tour of the Lighthouse on Cape Bonavista. Built in the mid-19th century, the lighthouse is one of the few in the world you can still climb to see the same seal oil-fueled light used at the time to warn ships of the unforgiving coastline. See if you can spot whales, icebergs and puffins (in season) like the lighthouse keepers of yesteryear once did. Continue to the historic little Newfoundland town of Trinity, to meet a Local Specialist for a walking tour. Then continue on to Clarenville.
Join a Local Specialist this morning for a guided walk in Terra Nova National Park to Blue Hill Lookout for spectacular views of the sounds, inlets, islands and ponds. After exploring the headlands and forests of this rugged landscape, you’ll have worked up an appetite. You’ll join a Local Specialist for a tour of Gander, which served as inspiration for the international Broadway musical, “Come from Away.” Learn about the significant role this small Newfoundland community played during the 9/11 disaster when thousands of air passengers were suddenly rerouted to the town moments after the terrorist attack.
Embark on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience and discover the existence and demise of an extinct people when you visit the Beothuk Interpretation Center, which reveals the history of a now vanished language and culture. After lunch In Twillingate, visit Auk Island Winery for a tour and tasting experience, savouring the flavours of Newfoundland berries and fruits. Finish another big day delving into the art of wooden boat building over a Dive into Culture experience. You’ll love meeting a local boat builder to hear about this art which has been handed down from generation to generation.
Our first stop today is the Whale Pavilion in King’s Point where we’ll see the 50-ft skeleton of a whale on display. We enjoy lunch at a local restaurant on the scenic shoreline of Green Bay before embarking on a guided walk with a Local Specialist inside the UNESCO-listed Gros Morne National Park. Enjoy a rare opportunity to walk upon the exposed Earth’s mantle along the Tableland’s Trail. This evening, enjoy a Be My Guest dinner at The Fish Sheds, an authentic fishing shed decorated with authentic fishing industry artifacts overlooking Bonne Bay.
Board your choice of boat tours this morning to explore Gros Morne National Park your way. Enjoy live commentary about the geological wonders and rich cultural history of the bay or explore a spectacular glacier-carved land-locked fjord. Later, we’ll visit the Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse to learn about the cultural heritage of the park.
An early start to the day sees us trace the rugged coastline of Western Newfoundland with a stop at Arches Provincial Park. We’ll visit L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site for a tour of the UNESCO-listed 11th-century Viking settlement with a Local Specialist.
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 see the tallest lighthouse of Atlantic Canada, Point Armor Lighthouse.
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 Complimentary airport drop off is scheduled for 10:00 AM. Please be aware when booking flights.