Atlantic Treasures: Newfoundland & Labrador by Car

Below is a sample itinerary

DAY 1: CORNER BROOK

Arrive in Deer Lake, pick up your rental car and transfer to your accommodations in Corner Brook where you will spend your first night in Newfoundland & Labrador.

Accommodation: Glynmill Inn (or similar)

DAY 2: CORNER BROOK TO PORT AU CHOIX

Travel to the fishing community of Port au Choix which juts slightly out into the Gulf of St. Lawrence on Newfoundland’s northwest coast; people have lived here for 5,500 years.

Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Sea Echo Motel (or similar)

DAY 3: PORT AU CHOIX TO L'ANSE AU CLAIR

Board the ferry from St. Barbe to cross the Strait of Belle Isle to Labrador. Continue to Red Bay National Historic Site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where the Basques had a whaling station in the 16th century. This mystical place takes the essence of Labrador coastal living and transposes it onto a tapestry of rich culture and history. Spend the night in Labrador.

Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Northern Light Inn (or similar)

DAY 4: L'ANSE AU CLAIR TO ST. ANTHONY

Return to Newfoundland and travel to L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site, the first cultural discovery in the world to receive recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Learn of the Vikings who walked here over a thousand years ago.

Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Haven Inn

DAY 5: ST. ANTHONY TO COW HEAD

Enjoy a morning whale watching boat tour in St. Anthony before travelling to Cow Head in Gros Morne National Park for a two- night stay. June and early July are the best time to see Titanic-size icebergs.

Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Shallow Bay Motel & Cottages

DAY 6: GROS MORNE TOURING

Discover why Gros Morne National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is truly one of the highlights of your trip with a scenic boat tour on Bonne Bay; be on the look-out for the bald eagles that frequent the deep waters of the fjord and you will also see the Tablelands. This mountain of flat-topped rock of a kind usually found only deep in the earth is an awe-inspiring sight and it prompted the UNESCO World Heritage designation of the area. Today will be an unforgettable experience; some say the scenery that Gros Morne offers is unequaled in Eastern Canada.

Option: You may request on booking to take a scenic boat tour on Western Brook Pond in lieu of the scenic boat tour on Bonne Bay. While some may consider the boat tour on Western Brook Pond to be a superior outing, please note that there is a 45-minute walk (3 km/2 miles) from the parking lot to the dock and a 45-minute walk back. This option must be requested on booking.

Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Shallow Bay Motel & Cottages

DAY 7: COW HEAD TO GANDER

Have your camera ready as your time in Gros Morne National Park draws to a close. Travel through Central Newfoundland on to Gander, famous as the basis of the hit Broadway Musical, Come From Away. Visit the North Atlantic Aviation Museum which hosts a variety of artifacts and displays chronicling Gander's role in the development of transatlantic aviation.

Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Sinbad’s Hotel & Suites

DAY 8: GANDER TO CLARENVILLE

A scenic drive along the rocky coast of Notre Dame Bay leads to the beautiful outport of Twillingate where you will visit Long Point Lighthouse and the Prime Berth Fishery & Heritage Centre. Keep your camera close at hand for wildlife as you drive through Terra Nova National Park and on to Clarenville, your home for the next two nights.

Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Quality Hotel Clarenville

DAY 9: BONAVISTA & TRINITY TOURING

Today you will experience two quaint, historic towns. First, visit Bonavista, where John Cabot first arrived in North America in 1497. Learn about the hard life of the light keepers at Cape Bonavista Lighthouse Provincial Historic Site before continuing on to charming Trinity. Stroll the lanes and explore the many historic buildings preserved from the 18th century.

Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Quality Hotel Clarenville

DAY 10: CLARENVILLE TO ST. JOHN'S

Continue on to the intriguing old seaport of St. John’s, your home for the next two nights. North America’s oldest city and Newfoundland’s capital boosts a stunning location in the granite cliffs and slopes of the Avalon Peninsula.

Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Delta Hotels by Marriott St. John’s

DAY 11: LOCAL TOURING

This morning, visit Bay Bulls for one of the highlights of your trip, a boat tour in the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve to search for puffins and other seabirds. Next, visit the most easterly point in North America, Cape Spear National Historic Site. The afternoon is yours to explore St. John’s at your leisure.

Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Delta Hotels by Marriott St. John’s

DAY 12: DEPART ST. JOHN'S

Make the most of your final moments in St. John’s before returning your rental car and heading home.