Newfoundland & Labrador with Iceberg Celebration

Welcome to Newfoundland

The remainder of the day is at leisure to explore the town or relax at your hotel.

Island Wonders

This morning, meet your travel companions and Tour Director during a welcome breakfast. Then, enjoy an orientation tour of Corner Brook. Travel along Humber Arm to the Bay of Islands, with excellent photo opportunities on the way to Frenchman's Cove. Enjoy a stop at Lark Harbour. Soak in the great views of Guernsey, Tweed, and the Pearl Islands on the return to Corner Brook.

TOUR HIGHLIGHT - The garden city of Corner Brook on the western shores of Newfoundland lies at the mouth of the Bay of Islands, a spectacular mix of mountain landscapes and seascapes. Renowned explorer Captain James Cook surveyed Corner Brook during his explorations in the 1760s.

National Treasures

Skirt the shores of Deer Lake and head north to Gros Morne National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its exceptional beauty and unique geological features. At Lobster Cove Head, visit the lighthouse and the fascinating marine displays. Depart for St. Barbe, visiting a few important sites along the way. View glacier-carved gorges on the way to Port au Choix National Historic Site to see fascinating exhibits highlighting archaeological finds of Maritime Archaic and Dorset people who settled here before 2000 BC.

TOUR HIGHLIGHT - Mother Nature knows you can't rush a good thing, taking 485 million years to create the wonders of Gros Morne National Park. A UNESCO World Heritage Site covering over 1110 square miles, the park is a paradise of raw beauty and geological wonders with stunning fjords carved by glaciers amid towering cliffs and roaring waterfalls.

Sea Treasures Across the Strait

Board your ferry to cross the Strait of Belle Isle. Then, visit Red Bay National Historic Site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site recognized as the first major industrial complex of the New World and home to a 16th-century Basque whaling station exhibit. Visit Point Amour Lighthouse on the south coast of Labrador, the second tallest lighthouse in Canada. Consider climbing to the top for panoramic views of the Strait of Belle Isle. Continue to L'Anse-au-Clair, the southernmost community in Labrador.

TOUR HIGHLIGHT - Explore remarkable Red Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site recognized as the first major industrial complex of the New World and home to a 16th-century Basque whaling station exhibit. This historic fishing village in Labrador holds one of the most precious underwater archaeological sites in the Americas. Relics from ancient whaling ships lie below the surface, and even pieces of whale bone believed to be from the Basque era can be found on the shores of Red Bay.

Norsemen Sites & Nature Sights

This morning, take the ferry back to St. Barbe. Visit L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site for a look at a rediscovered Viking settlement. Return to St. Anthony and enjoy dinner with lively entertainment.

TOUR HIGHLIGHT - Visit L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site to explore the only known Viking settlement in North America and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A Local Guide shows you the reconstructed sod huts, explains how the Vikings lived, and displays Norse artifacts dating back to 1000 AD.

Iceberg Ahead!

This morning, take a scenic cruise in search of icebergs and marine wildlife (weather permitting). Then, visit the Grenfell Historical Society and enjoy a free afternoon to celebrate the coming of spring in the north and the annual arrival of icebergs. End the day with a Great Viking Feast & Theatre Experience.

LOCAL FAVORITE - Enjoy an evening of food, fun, and feuds at the Great Viking Feast & Theater Experience! Come to Leifsburdir and be part of a Viking court of law while feasting on the food that the Vikings may have enjoyed. Listen to the Vikings and customers make their case to the Lawspeaker and then decide on their fate and punishment. Become an honorary Viking and take away a certificate to prove it.

A Bonny Day on Bonne Bay

Travel along the Viking Trail, with a stop at Arches Provincial Park to photograph the two large arches carved by the pounding sea. Then, board a boat for a scenic cruise on Bonne Bay. Tonight, enjoy a seasonal seafood dinner.

LOCAL FAVORITE -: A scenic cruise on Bonne Bay reveals a pristine world of two fjords and the deep waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Enjoy live commentary throughout your cruise to learn about Gros Morne Mountain, the geology of the Tablelands, and the whales that frequent the deep waters of this fjord. Keep an eye across the water's surface as well as the sky above to spy an array of bird life and bald eagles.

Historic Airships & Honored Friendships

After breakfast, depart for Gander, once the international aviation crossroads of the world for a visit to the North Atlantic Aviation Museum to learn the history of North Atlantic aviation from the 1930s to its unexpected role in the days following the 9/11 tragedy. Join the Beyond Words Tour to learn about the role that Gander played days after the tragic event.

LOCAL FAVORITE - Take a moving Beyond Words Tour in the historic aviation city of Gander, where nearly all its streets are named for legendary fearless flyers such as the Wright Brothers, Charles Lindbergh, and Amelia Earhart. When all the North American airspace was closed after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Gander and surrounding communities welcomed, housed, and fed nearly 6,700 unexpected guests for up to five days. Ten years later, the town of Gander was presented with steel remnants recovered from the World Trade Center in appreciation of their compassion and generosity.

Fish Stories & Whale Tails

Drive along the Road to the Isles. The local predilection for colorful language is evident in place names such as “Too Good Arm,” “Virgin Arm,” and “Crow Head.” Visit Prime Berth, Twillingate's Fishery and Heritage Centre in Iceberg Alley and then continue to the rugged, coastal Terra Nova National Park. Enjoy dinner in Clarenville, situated in beautiful Trinity Bay.

TOUR HIGHLIGHT - Bait your hook or browse arts and crafts at Prime Berth Fishing Heritage Centre. This beloved interpretive fishing center and craft studio was created by David Boyd in tribute to his fisher forefathers and proud traditions. Like its name, Prime Berth is a favorite “best spot” in Iceberg Alley.

History on the Harbor

Travel to Cape Bonavista to admire the beautiful cliffs and coastlines. In Bonavista, learn how modern North America began taking shape when John Cabot made landfall here in 1497. A visit to Ryan Premises National Historic Site commemorates the prosperous fishing industry from the early 1500s to today. Later, continue to historic Trinity, one of the oldest communities in North America, with its scenic harbor. Enjoy a regional lunch at a local restaurant followed by a walking tour with a Local Guide to hear stories that bring this picturesque village alive.

LOCAL FAVORITE - Meander down narrow lanes lined with 19th-century merchant homes in one of the best-preserved historic communities in the province. Get a multi-sensory snapshot of Trinity's 300-year history as a mercantile hub of a thriving salt fish trade for 150 years. Discover the life and times of Emma Hiscock at Hiscock House to learn about the widow who raised her family in a genteel life despite family tragedy.

For the Birds in Witless Bay

Today, travel to Witless Bay, where whales and puffins abound. Board your boat for a narrated cruise around the three islands in the renowned Witless Bay Ecological Reserve. Then, visit Cape Spear National Historic Site, the most easterly point in North America.

TOUR HIGHLIGHT - Newfoundland has the largest concentration of humpback whales in the world and is also known as the “Seabird Capital of North America,” with the largest Atlantic puffin sanctuary in North America. Discover their stunning habitat on a Witless Bay cruise through the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve – home to over 2 million seabirds, including 500,000 Atlantic Puffins, nesting in one of Newfoundland's best whale-watching sites.

Toasts on the Coast

Tour one of the oldest settlements in North America with a Local Guide. Visit Signal Hill National Historic Site, Cabot Tower, and the Old Town area. The afternoon is free to explore on your own. You may wish to visit The Rooms, where you can immerse yourself in the local culture through history, heritage, and artistic expression or spend time browsing the many boutiques and galleries of St. John's. This evening, your Tour Director hosts a special farewell dinner that includes a traditional Screech-In ceremony. Wonderful conversation and cuisine make the perfect finale for your tour.

LOCAL FAVORITE - Even if you have ‘come from away,' you can become an honorary Newfoundlander with a shot of screech, a short recitation, and the kissing of a cod! Screech is the local rum that, while packing a punch at 40% alcohol, is an important part of the screech-in ceremony – especially when kissing the cod! Yes, b'y!

Safe travels until we meet again!

Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. Extra nights are available for purchase to explore more in St. John's.