In June of 2026, my partner and I embarked on a week-long trip to Newfoundland, trying to see as much of the island as possible in just 7 days. We drove from the capital city, St. John’s across the island to Gros Morne, stopping at scenic coves, puffin nesting sites, local eateries, and hiking in national parks along the way. All my sites are pinned in the map at the end of this post.
Newfoundland had been on my radar for awhile; my grandmother had visited several years before and loved her stay. More recently, I had noticed content on Instagram posted by some Newfoundland residents, which convinced me to take the trip now instead of letting it sit on my bucket list any longer. I hope to convince you of the same!
Our 1-Week Newfoundland Itinerary Overview:
- Day 1 and 2: St. John’s, Cape Spear, and Witless Bay
- Day 3: Driving from St. John’s to Bonavista
- Day 4: Bonavista and Port Rexton
- Day 5: Driving from Port Rexton to Gros Morne
- Day 6 and 7: Gros Morne National Park
- Map of Newfoundland Road Trip
Where is Newfoundland?
Newfoundland is a small province, population-wise, compared to those in central and western Canada. Located in the Atlantic Ocean, and the easternmost edge of Canada, it also holds a unique history. Newfoundland was the first part of the country that Europeans made contact with (first the Vikings, and several centuries later John Cabot and the colonists from England). However, Newfoundland was the last province to join the confederacy, becoming a part of Canada in 1949.
Known across Canada for their distinct culture and accent, Newfoundland is also home many incredible animals, stunning viewpoints, and two national parks (with a third located in Labrador). There are seven national historic sites on the island, two of which are located in the St. John’s area.
About Driving in Newfoundland
You may here several things about driving in Newfoundland: that there are terrible potholes, to watch out for moose, and that the island is larger than you expect.
Depending on your frame of reference, you may or may not be surprised about the driving distances. Being from a prairie province where it isn’t uncommon to drive 300 km for a weekend excursion, we didn’t find the driving on our itinerary to be unmanageable. However, for those coming from across the pond, you may want to break up your days more significantly to lessen the hours behind the wheel.
As for the potholes, the Trans Canada, where we did a considerable amount of driving, is well-maintained. Some of the smaller roads are a little rougher, and certain back routes, like the road to Tickle Cove on the Bonavista Peninsula, were in rough shape. However, we rented a sedan and were fine (for summer conditions).
Now, for the moose, there is a significant moose population on the island. Both of the national parks include roadside statistics declaring the number of moose-related crashes have occurred that year. We didn’t see many moose, and primarily saw them around dusk. Try to avoid driving after nightfall, keep a normal awareness while driving (take breaks to avoid highway fatigue), and you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.
Day 1-2: St. John’s, Cape Spear, and Witless Bay
Our trip began with a flight into St. John’s. Newfoundland is 3.5 hours ahead of Mountain Time, so despite leaving in the morning, between our connection and the time difference, we didn’t get in until 11:30 pm. We stayed near the airport, within walking distance, so we checked in at the hotel and got some rest before our first true day.
Day 1: St. John’s
Our first day in St. John’s was a Sunday, which meant there were limited hours for some businesses, but overall it didn’t impact us significantly. Our first stop was back at the airport to pick up our car, before driving into the city.
We grabbed a late breakfast at Terre Cafe, which is located in the Alt Hotel on Water Street. From there, we walked to The Rooms, the largest public cultural space in Newfoundland and Labrador. It didn’t open until noon, so we walked through Jellybean Row first. This is an iconic section of downtown St. John’s with brightly painted row homes. To see these colourful homes, I recommend walking around Gower Street between Prescott and Cathedral.
The Rooms is located at the top of the hill, so be prepared for a good, uphill walk. Alternatively, you can drive or take the bus (route 15 or 29), or take the Hop On Hop Off tourist bus, which stops at all the iconic spots in and around the city. Be sure to check out the view from the 4th floor of the museum overlooking the harbour; it’s spectacular.
After a few hours at the museum, we walked back into town and grabbed food at Bannerman Brewing Co. From there, we walked to the Terry Fox Memorial, before making our way to the Signal Hill Historic Site. There are many trails around Signal Hill, so you can easily spend at least half a day here, or more.
Day 2: Puffins and Whales
On Monday, we had a boat tour booked with O’Brien’s Whale and Bird Tours. I booked this trip well in advance, as they can get booked up in high season. We departed from Bay Bulls at 11:30. Since we needed to arrive 30 minutes early to pick up our tickets and confirm our seats and we had approximately a 45 minute drive ahead of us, we picked up a quick breakfast at Timmies on our way. (Staying near the airport had pros and cons, one of them being the lack of food options nearby).
Our tour was great, with hundreds of thousands of seabirds on the islands and surrounding the boats, including puffins, common murres, and black-legged kittiwakes. We also saw a couple humpback whales, which swam around the boat for awhile.
After our tour, we took the scenic route back to St. John’s. We stopped at Petty Harbour for lunch, where we had fish and chips and a lobster roll. Our second stop was at the iconic Cape Spear. This is both the easternmost point of Canada, and a National Historic Site lighthouse.
We spent the evening in Quidi Vidi, but missed the opening hours of the artisans’ market, which made the trip feel a little flat.
Day 3: Drive from St. John’s to Bonavista
On our third day in Newfoundland, we were headed west. We started the morning by checking out of our hotel and heading into downtown for breakfast and some souvenir shopping. We ate at Maya Bakery + Cafe, which was super cute and had a delicious lotus biscuit cinnamon bun.
Once we’d picked our Newfoundland magnet for the fridge, and a couple gifts for our families, we began the 4 hour drive from St. John’s to the Bonavista Peninsula.
Scenic Stops Along the Way
On our way, we made a slight detour to stop in Dildo to have lunch at the Dildo Brewing Company, whose brews are commonly served around Newfoundland. The town was made famous by Jimmy Kimmel, and still holds a deep love for the TV show host (and unofficial mayor).
After leaving the small coastal town, we continued west, this time stopping at Chance Cove. The road to the cove is a little rough after you exit the Trans Canada, but nothing our little rental sedan couldn’t handle.
Chance Cove is very picturesque, with a large pond separated from the cove by a thin strip of rocky beach. If you have more time and enjoy hiking, there is a trail along the coast (Chance Cove Coastal Trail or Chance Cove Seaside Trail). We stopped for a quick walk along the beach and to look at some of the interesting rocks along the shoreline.
We stopped for a quick coffee at In Da Shed Cafe in Clarenville, a tiny cafe located in the mall between the No Frills and the Shoppers. We also grabbed some groceries for dinner that evening, before making our way to our third and final scenic stop, about an hour from Clarenville.
Our last stop before reaching Bonavista was Tickle Cove. This area is part of the Discovery UNESCO Global Geopark, which incorporates a variety of geological features along the Bonavista Peninsula, particularly around the coastline. The Tickle Cove Sea Arch is a bright red rock arch on the coast, an incredibly unique spot I definitely recommend fitting into your itinerary!
Staying in Bonavista
We drove the the last 50 minutes from Tickle Cove to the town of Bonavista, where we were staying the night. As we drove, the weather became foggy and cool, restricting our views of the town as we arrived.
We stayed at an Airbnb that I found through the official Newfoundland and Labrador website. This site is a wonderful resource to plan your trip and find local accommodations, tours, and other activities. I also recommend booking accommodations well in advance, as there are limited options on the peninsula and they fill up quickly.
As we arrived in Bonavista later in the evening, we settled into our Airbnb and made dinner, with preparations to get out early the next morning for our tour of the Bonavista area.
Day 4: Bonavista and Port Rexton
On day 4, we planned to see the Bonavista and Elliston areas before heading south to Port Rexton for the evening. Despite the rainy weather, we had a lot to see!
Cape Bonavista
Our first stop of the morning was the Cape Bonavista lighthouse. The lighthouse is a national historic site and also is recognized as the landing sport of John Cabot. What I did not know before reaching the lighthouse, is that the area is also home to a puffin colony, located just off the shore on a rocky island.
Though we were standing in strong winds and rain, the puffins speeding around between the cliffs and landing near us kept us out in the elements for long enough to be soaked through (we wore our rain jackets but mistakenly neglected rain pants in the morning).
We also took a peak in the visitor centre and went shopping at Cabot Crafts, the gift shop located at the site. Many of the gift shops in Newfoundland offer handmade items, like puffin toques and mitts, or hand-painted magnets and key chains, that were very cute and unique compared to more mass-produced souvenirs.
The Dungeon Provincial Park
We made a second stop before lunch, at the Dungeon Provincial Park. This is a tiny park that centres around another geological marvel. The Dungeon is the result of a collapsed sea cave, resulting in a circular cavern with two arches that connect the cove to the ocean. You can walk around the entire site, on the cliff above. It is only 5 minutes from the town of Bonavista.
After the Dungeon, we headed back to Bonavista for lunch (at Bonavista Brewing).
Spillars Cove and Elliston
We spent our afternoon slowly making our way towards Port Rexton. After lunch, we went on a short, 1.5 hour hike on the Klondike Trail from Elliston to Spillars Cove. The hike takes you to another puffin colony and a unique sea stack called The Chimney.
The hike was rainy and a little chilly, so we stopped in Elliston at the Puffin Cafe for a warm drink and a slice of partridgeberry pie. Our final stop at the edge of the peninsula was the Elliston Puffin Colony and Root Cellars in the area.
The Elliston Puffin Colony was perhaps the best puffin viewing we got on our entire trip. We followed the trail from the parking lot to the edge of the point. Similar to the puffins in Bonavista and Spillars Cove, the puffins at Elliston built their burrows on a rocky island just off the coast of the peninsula. They were making their way to our cliff to gather grasses for their burrows.
After taking about 500 photos and videos of the puffins here, we made our way back to the car and drove south on Highway 238 to Highway 230 in the direction of Port Rexton, where we stayed for the night.
Day 5: Drive from Port Rexton to Gros Morne
Our fifth day in Newfoundland was another travel day—actually our longest day of the trip. We were driving from our Airbnb in Port Rexton to Gros Morne on the west side of the island. Though we were driving for just 6 hours, we had lots of planned stops to make along the way. We got up early, checked out of our tiny home, and stopped at Two Whales Coffee Shop for breakfast.
Trinity Bay
The historic Trinity region is the original tourist destination for visitors to the Bonavista Peninsula. While many tourists now stay in Elliston and Bonavista, Trinity still has a big draw for those interested in culture, history, geology, and wildlife.
We stopped quickly in Trinity Bay on our way west, but you could certainly spend several days in the area. They often have theatre shows here, as well as fossil tours, whale watching tours, and historic sites to explore.
After our quick tour of Trinity, we made our way southwest back to the Trans Canada.
Terra Nova National Park
Our next destination of the day was Terra Nova. This national park in Central Newfoundland sits on the edge of the land and sea, with important habitat for wildlife, such as the Migratory Bird Sanctuary in the centre of the park.
We did a couple short trails here: Ochre Hill Viewpoint Trail (in the fog) and Mill Cove Lookout (with clear views). There are longer trails in the park if you’re spending a day or two here (which I would encourage, if you have more time on the island and enjoy hiking).
Driving Through Central Newfoundland
After our stops in Terra Nova, we had to make up some time to reach Rocky Harbour before dusk. We had provisions in the car and didn’t need to stop for lunch, but we did stop quickly in Gander, at Jumping Bean Coffee on Airport Boulevard.
I had recently seen a rendition of Come From Away in Calgary, which is a musical that tells the story of how Gander and the surrounding towns welcomed planes grounded during 9/11. The locals hosted over 6,000 passengers and close to 500 crew members, more than 50% of the town’s population, for five days while waiting for the airspace to reopen. There are many opportunities to see the play in Gander as well, if you wish to add this to your itinerary.
From there, we continued for 3 hours to Deer Lake. Here, we grabbed some food for hiking around Gros Morne, as well as a quick dinner before the last leg of our journey.
From Deer Lake, we drove another hour to Rocky Harbour, where we were staying for the last few days of our trip. Rocky Harbour is in the middle of Gros Morne National Park, but sits just outside official park boundaries, so you do not need a park pass to stay here (only to park within park boundaries). We stayed at the Out East Adventures Hostel, which was a great budget option, but there are many hotels, inns, and short-term rentals in the Gros Morne area, including Norris Point, Woody Point, and Rocky Harbour, if hostels are not your style.
Day 6-7: Gros Morne National Park
Even the best-laid plans do not always turn out sometimes. I had a detailed itinerary planned out for hikes and activities to complete during our two days in Gros Morne, but a wrench was thrown in our plans. My partner forgot his wallet in Gander, and once we’d located it we had to spend Saturday driving 7 hours from Rocky Harbour to Gander and back to Deer Lake to make our flight.
We successfully recovered the wallet, thanks to the kind Newfoundlanders who found it, and were able to make a stop at the Newfoundland Tea Company in Gander during our stop on Saturday.
Unfortunately this meant we could not hike out to Green Gardens, as I’d hoped. I also had to forgo a couple other short hikes I had bookmarked, like Berry Hill trail and Mattie Mitchell trail. However, we were still able to make it to two of my must-see spots in Gros Morne.
On Friday (day 6), we had a boat tour booked on Western Brook Pond. This inland fjord provides iconic views that the park is known for. I booked this tour 2 months in advance, as the tour only heads out twice a day in June and is in very high demand. I definitely recommend booking the tour in advance if you want to go. I also recommend booking your trip for your first day in Gros Morne, as they will cancel and reschedule tours in the case of inclement weather.
In the afternoon, we made our way out to the Tablelands. Here, we completed the interpretive trail, a 4 km trek through this distinctive landscape. The Tablelands is an area of exposed mantle, where the inner layer of the Earth has poked through the crust, leaving strange rocks and minimal vegetation.
We had dinner at the Blue Ocean Dining Room in Woody Point, privately celebrating our engagement before we told our family and friends.
Other Recommended Sites in Gros Morne
If you are spending more time in Gros Morne, I recommend also checking out:
- The Lobster Cove lighthouse
- Norris Point
- Woody Point and the Woody Point lighthouse
- Hikes on the north side:
- Southeast Brook Falls — Easy
- Mattie Mitchell Trail — Easy
- Berry Hill Trail — Easy-Moderate
- Baker’s Brook Falls — Moderate
- Gros Morne Mountain (after June 28) — Hard
- Hikes on the south side:
- Lookout Trail — Moderate
- Green Gardens Trail — Moderate
My Newfoundland Road Trip Map
Use the map below to help you plan your road trip across Newfoundland. The regions (Avalon, East, Central, and West) are colour-coded to help you break up your journey. Use the map to guide your plan or take inspiration as you build your own itinerary.
Star the map to save it to your own Google account to make your trip planning easier.