This eight-day self-drive traces more than 5,000 years of human history along Newfoundland and Labrador’s northern coast. Walk through the only confirmed Norse settlement in North America, stand at a UNESCO-designated Basque whaling station in Red Bay, and explore Gros Morne National Park, where mantle rock rises to the surface beneath fjord-carved mountains. Coastal ferry crossings, whale-rich waters, and small harbour communities reveal a region defined as much by its natural beauty as by its welcoming maritime culture.
Below is a sample itinerary
DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN DEER LAKE & CORNER BROOK
Your arrival in Newfoundland begins at Deer Lake, a small inland airport framed by forest and low hills. After collecting your rental vehicle, follow the Trans-Canada Highway west toward Corner Brook, set along the Humber Arm of the Bay of Islands. Forested slopes rise behind the harbour, and tidal water moves steadily through this sheltered inlet. The evening remains flexible, with time to explore the waterfront or take in your first views of the surrounding hills.
Accommodation: Glynmill Inn (or similar)
DAY 2: PORT AU CHOIX & ANCIENT COASTAL CULTURES
The drive north along Route 430 brings you into a more exposed coastal landscape, where flat limestone barrens shaped by wind and sea stretch toward the Gulf of St. Lawrence. At Port au Choix National Historic Site, walking trails cross these open headlands overlooking the water. Beneath this shoreline lie more than 5,000 years of human history, including Maritime Archaic, Groswater, and Dorset Paleo-Inuit communities who relied on these marine waters. The interpretation centre showcases artifacts that illuminate these early cultures before you return to the harbour village for the evening.
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Sea Echo Motel (or similar)
DAY 3: FERRY TO LABRADOR & ARRIVAL IN L’ANSE AU CLAIR
Continue north to St. Barbe, where you board the ferry for the 1.5-hour crossing of the Strait of Belle Isle to Labrador. The journey follows waters once travelled by Norse explorers and later 16th-century Basque whalers. Upon arrival, settle into L’Anse au Clair, a small coastal community near the Quebec–Labrador border. The afternoon allows time for an initial visit to the nearby UNESCO-designated Red Bay National Historic Site or a quiet walk along the Labrador shoreline.
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Northern Light Inn (or similar)
DAY 4: RED BAY & BASQUE MARITIME HISTORY (UNESCO)
Today is devoted to Red Bay National Historic Site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site preserving the remains of a 16th-century Basque whaling station. Exhibits detail the seasonal maritime trade that flourished here in the 1500s, while archaeological remains and preserved shipwrecks reveal the scale of this early transatlantic enterprise. Coastal walking trails offer views across the harbour toward Saddle Island, where optional boat access allows further exploration of whaling-era remains (additional cost). You may also visit nearby Point Amour Lighthouse, standing prominently along the Labrador shoreline. With a full day, there is time to explore at your own pace before returning to L’Anse au Clair for the evening.
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Northern Light Inn (or similar)
DAY 5: RETURN FERRY & L’ANSE AUX MEADOWS (UNESCO)
An early morning ferry returns you to Newfoundland in time to continue north to L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the only confirmed Norse settlement in North America. Dating to around the year 1000, excavated remains and reconstructed sod buildings reveal Viking presence west of Greenland. Walk through turf-walled structures and look out across the same windswept coastline encountered by Norse explorers before continuing to St. Anthony for the evening.
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Haven Inn
DAY 6: WHALE WATCHING & DRIVE TO COW HEAD
Your morning in St. Anthony begins on the water. Whale watching tours operate June through September, when humpback, minke, and fin whales feed in these northern waters. Early summer departures may also encounter icebergs drifting south from Greenland. Tours last two to three hours before you return to shore. In the afternoon, drive south along Route 430 toward Cow Head, passing fishing communities and stretches of open coastline shaped by wind and tide.
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Shallow Bay Motel & Cottages
DAY 7: GROS MORNE NATIONAL PARK & UNESCO LANDSCAPES
Gros Morne National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, reveals some of the clearest evidence of plate tectonics on Earth. At the Tablelands, rust-coloured mantle rock normally found deep beneath the crust lies exposed at the surface, creating a stark, desert-like terrain.
You may choose between two distinct ways to experience the park. The classic option is a boat tour on Western Brook Pond, the iconic freshwater fjord often featured in images of Newfoundland, where cliffs rise up to 600 metres. Reaching the dock requires a 45-minute walk along a flat boardwalk trail each way. Alternatively, a boat tour on Bonne Bay pairs coastal scenery with time at the Tablelands, allowing closer exploration of this rare geological feature. Guests select their preferred experience in advance, as tour admissions are arranged prior to arrival.
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Shallow Bay Motel & Cottages
DAY 8: RETURN TO DEER LAKE & DEPARTURE
Your final drive follows the Viking Trail south through Gros Morne’s shifting landscape of mountains, forests, and sheltered coves. The route to Deer Lake takes just over an hour, with time for short scenic stops if your schedule allows. After returning your rental vehicle at the airport, departure marks the close of a week tracing Norse exploration, Basque maritime trade, and the geological forces that shaped this Atlantic coastline.
Meal: Breakfast
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
