Newfoundland & Labrador

Welcome to Corner Brook!   The remainder of the day is at leisure to explore the town and relax at your hotel.

Newfoundland 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. (B) TOUR HIGHLIGHT PICTURE PERFECT 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 exploratory travels 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 exceptional beauty and unique geological features. At the Lobster Cove Head, visit the lighthouse and the fascinating marine displays. Next is Broom Point, highlighting the history of Canada’s earliest fishing settlements. Depart for St. Barbe, visiting a few important sites along the way. View glacier-carved gorges en route to Port Au Choix National Historic Site for fascinating exhibits highlighting archaeological finds of Maritime Archaic and Dorset peoples who settled here before 2000 BC. (B,L,D)  TOUR HIGHLIGHT  NATURAL WONDERS 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 1,110 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, to Red Bay National Historic Site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site recognised as the first major industrial complex of the New World and home to a 16th-century Basque whaling station exhibit. Continue to L’Anse-au-Clair. (B,D) TOUR HIGHLIGHT ARCHAEOLOGICAL TREASURES Explore remarkable Red Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and historic fishing village in Labrador with 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 Viking settlers here. Return to St. Anthony where your afternoon is free. Perhaps a walk along the Bottom Brook Trail, a waterfowl sanctuary where a variety of birds may be spotted. This evening, enjoy dinner with lively entertainment. (B,L,D)  TOUR HIGHLIGHT   HISTORY & HERITAGE 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 Norse artifacts dating back to 1000 AD.

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. (B,D)  TOUR HIGHLIGHT    NATURAL WONDERS 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, 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 of the role that Gander played days after the tragic event. (B) LOCAL FAVOURITE HISTORIC FIGURES 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, Lindbergh, and 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, Gander was presented with two pieces of steel recovered from New York’s World Trade centre buildings in appreciation of their extraordinary compassion and generosity.

Fish Stories & Whale Tails   Drive along the Road to the Isles, the local predilection for colourful language comes across with place names, such as “Too Good Arm,” “Virgin Arm,” and “Crow Head.” Visit Twillingate’s Fishery and Heritage centre in Iceberg Alley and then continue on to the rugged, coastal Terra Nova National Park. Enjoy dinner in Clarenville, situated in beautiful Trinity Bay. (B,D)

Reliving History on the Harbour Travel to Cape Bonavista to admire the beautiful cliffs and coastlines. In Bonavista, learn how modern North America began 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 harbour. 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. (B,L) LOCAL FAVOURITE LOCAL TASTES 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. Enjoy a regional lunch and try your hand at netting twine, measuring out goods for sale, and trading your fish for supplies to judge your skills in surviving the next fishing season, reminiscent of the old days in Newfoundland.

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. (B)  TOUR HIGHLIGHT   THE WILD PLACES 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 the oldest settlement in North America with a Local Guide. Visit Signal Hill National Historic Site, Cabot Tower, the Old Town, and the Basilica of St. John the Baptist. This 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. (B,D) LOCAL FAVOURITE LOCAL TASTES & TRADITIONS Even if you’re a mainlander, 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 a fish! Yes, b’y!

Safe travels until we meet again!   Your holiday ends with breakfast this morning. Extra nights are available for purchase to explore more of St. John’s. (B)