Newfoundland and Labrador is much larger than most travellers realize. And there are interesting things to see and do all over this province, and a bunch of different ways to get there. Our Road Trips (and sometimes boat trips) will guide you through every nook and cranny of this place.
To help you plan your journey, we divide our province into five geographic regions, with plenty of themed road trips within each. Whether you’re looking for a fun day trip or hoping to stay on the road for a week or more, we’ve got route suggestions on what to see and do, with historical tidbits to add context.
Enjoy the routes exactly as they’re written, switch things up and drive in reverse order, or even create a custom route of your own using the road trips as inspiration. It doesn’t matter which way you go — you’ll find yourself far off the beaten path regardless. How lost, or found, you want to get will be up to you.
Explore Road Trips by Region
Western
Stretching from the ferry port of Channel-Port aux Basques to the Viking site at L’Anse aux Meadows, the west coast of the island of Newfoundland offers travellers a wide range of natural and cultural experiences. Don’t miss the two UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Gros Morne National Park and L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site), as well as glacier-carved fjords, hiking trails, ancient indigenous sites, national and provincial parks, beaches and sand dunes, theatre festivals, museums, and cultural events.
View Road Trips in Western
-
Granite Coast Drive
45 km + optional ferry
Travel the rugged coast, laden with history and lore, from
Basque whalers to present day.
Learn More
-
South Coast Adventure
By ferry
Tiny isolated villages, some without streets, where time is
caught in the past.
Learn More
-
Codroy Valley International Wetlands
46 km
By car or by foot, one of the best birdwatching trails
anywhere.
Learn More
-
Three Rivers/Sandy Point Lookout
129 km
Great salmon fishing and an incredible view of St. George’s
Bay.
Learn More
-
Caribou Trail
150 km + optional ferry
Your pathway to the interior, and to the dunes of Sandbanks
Provincial Park at Burgeo.
Learn More
-
French Ancestors Route/La route des ancetres francais
240 km
Where the province’s French heritage still lives, in name and
in spirit.
Learn More
-
Captain Cook’s Trail
54 km
See where one of the world’s best known explorers learned his
trade.
Learn More
-
Admiral Palliser’s Trail
40 km
Scenery and history combined in this drive along the north
shore of Humber Arm.
Learn More
-
Humber Valley
51 km
Salmon fishing in summer; skiing in winter. It’s an
adventurer’s paradise.
Learn More
-
Viking Trail
684 km
Follow the footsteps of the Vikings, and marvel at the wonder
of Gros Morne National Park.
Learn More
-
Grenfell Drive
268 km
Named for the famed medical missionary, this route follows the
coastline of the old French Shore.
Learn More
-
Main River Run
95 km
A Canadian Heritage River that will challenge even the most
experienced paddler.
Learn More
Load More
Central
With two seacoasts and forests in between, central Newfoundland offers an outdoor experience with unique history, Old English and Irish words and customs, aviation history, and music sure to get your toes tapping. Hike to see icebergs and whales, camp in Terra Nova National Park on the coast, and explore the 5,000-year human history of the area, including the Beothuk. Explore remote communities accessible only by ferry. Discover what inspires our artist and songwriters. It’s all here.
View Road Trips in Central
-
Dorset Trail
300 km
The 1,500-year-old Dorset Soapstone Quarry at Fleur de Lys was
the first of many mines built in this rugged area.
Learn More
-
Green Bay & the Beothuk Trail
300 km + optional ferry
The Green Bay area is no stranger to plentiful icebergs and whales that frequent the coastal communities along this route each year.
Learn More
-
Exploits Valley
386 km
Salmon have been caught here for over 5,000 years. Bring your waders and become part of history.
Learn More
-
Coast of Bays
485 km
A land of fjords and inlets that the French settlers along
this coast named “Bay of Hope”.
Learn More
-
South Coast Adventure
By ferry
Tiny isolated villages, some without streets, where time is
caught in the past.
Learn More
-
Fortune Bay Adventure
By ferry
A short sea cruise along the rugged north shore of Fortune
Bay.
Learn More
-
Kittiwake Coast: Road to the Isles
311 km
The heart of Iceberg Alley. Endless shoreline, and a web of
interconnected islands, villages, and outports.
Learn More
-
Kittiwake Coast: Islands Experience
115 km + ferry
Two beautiful islands, connected by ferry, and a common
heritage of the sea.
Learn More
-
Kittiwake Coast: Road to the Shore
307 km
Lumsden, Deadman’s Bay, and Cape Freels – hidden gems and
three of our best sandy beaches.
Learn More
-
Kittiwake Coast: Road to the Beaches
90 km + optional ferry
A land of and castles and sandpipers – here at Eastport on
Bonavista Bay.
Learn More
Load More
Eastern
Eastern Newfoundland is synonymous with the fishing industry. Learn about this way of life in the large museums of Bonavista, and in smaller ones throughout the region with a more local focus. But there’s much more here than fish. Travel back half a billion years and explore the 10 geosites within the Discovery UNESCO Global Geopark. How about a round of golf near two salmon rivers, or walk along a coastal trail so magnificent it has won international acclaim? There’s a theatre festival in Trinity that’s been entertaining travellers for decades with local productions, local stories, and local stars. There are beaches and boat tours, history and heritage — and even a ferry boat ride to France.
View Road Trips in Eastern
-
Discovery Trail
425 km
In 1497 John Cabot made landfall here. People have been
discovering its beauty ever since.
Learn More
-
Heritage Run
482 km + optional ferry to SPM
The legendary land of the wooden ships and iron men of the
deep–sea fishery.
Learn More
-
Fortune Bay Adventure
By ferry
A short sea cruise along the rugged north shore of Fortune
Bay.
Learn More
Avalon
The Avalon Peninsula looks a piece from a jigsaw puzzle, with its deep bays separating long fingers of land. Almost completely surrounded by water, it’s where the first European settlers put down roots. It’s full of history and home to the provincial capital, St. John’s, North America’s oldest city, which has a well-deserved reputation for food, music, and good times. The region – which National Geographic calls a top coastal destination – is full of great places to see whales and seabirds, go sea kayaking or hiking, or enjoy sightseeing in centuries-old seaports.
View Road Trips in Avalon
-
Osprey Trail
70 km
The sea hawks are here for the capelin, everyone else comes for the beach.
Learn More
-
Cape Shore
303 km
Visit the most accessible seabird colony in North America and the old French capital.
Learn More
-
Baccalieu Coastal Drive
310 km
Where classic outport communities and favourite pirate haunts dot the coastline.
Learn More
-
Admiral’s Coast
90 km
For day-trippers from St. John’s, a perfect excursion “around the bay”.
Learn More
-
Killick Coast
80 km + optional ferry
For generations it’s been a wonderful place to drop anchor and admire the sea.
Learn More
-
St. John’s & Environs
70 km
One of the oldest cities in North America, and a centre of culture, history, and entertainment.
Learn More
-
Irish Loop
312 km
10,000 whales, a million seabirds, and an endless wealth of Irish heritage.
Learn More
Load More
Labrador
Labrador is the home of the Innu and Inuit, and was visited by Basque whalers, European fishermen, and possibly even the Vikings. You cannot visit this inspiring region without being forever changed. The trip across Labrador, The Big Land, is a trip through a rugged and wild environment. You can catch the ferry to Labrador from St. Barbe on the island's northern peninsula, where you’ll begin your journey along the Expedition 51° highway to the unforgettable and historic southern coast. It’s also possible to drive to Labrador from the mainland of Canada via the Québec-Labrador Highway. This Expedition 51° route will take you past the mining centres of Labrador City and Wabush, through the hub of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, and continues on to the South East coast. Happy Valley-Goose Bay is also the jumping-off point for the ferry service to Northern Labrador.
View Road Trips in Labrador
-
Expedition 51°: South
807 km + optional ferry
Discover the history and explore the unspoiled environment.
Learn More
-
Expedition 51°: Central
42 km
The land, air and sea travel centre for all of Labrador.
Learn More
-
North Coast
By ferry
A boat ride like no other: from central Labrador to the Inuit
and Innu communities of the north coast.
Learn More
-
Expedition 51°: West
534 km
Discover The Big Land along the Freedom Road and beyond.
Learn More
Distances are estimates and for guidance only. Routes can be taken as is or in reverse order.