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Newfoundland and Labrador

Newfoundland & Labrador: Gros Morne & the Northern Peninsula

Program No. 19794RJ
Gain a deeper understanding of Newfoundland and Labrador as you visit coastal villages, explore national parks, discover a Viking settlement and learn the story of this ancient region.
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National ParksOn the RoadSmall GroupNature & Environment
Length
11 days
Rating (4.94)
Activity Level
Starts at
4,549

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Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. Read More.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
11 days
10 nights
What's Included
29 meals ( 10B, 9L, 10D )
4 expert-led lectures
15 expert-led field trips
1 hands-on experience
2 performances
An experienced Group Leader
10 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
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Activity Note
Hotel check-in available from 3:00 p.m. Remember to bring your nametag (sent previously).
Afternoon:
Program Registration: 5:00 p.m. After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived.
Dinner:
At the hotel
Evening:
Orientation: The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. Following orientation, the Group Leader will introduce Newfoundland's history and culture including the Norse and Beothuk peoples and the resettlement program. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving 121 miles, approximately 3 hours riding time. Walking about 1 mile for approximately 1 hour on mostly flat terrain and boardwalks, as well as over pebbly and rocky trails.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We'll start out by traveling by motorcoach to the world-renowned Gros Morne National Park. There, a park expert will give insight into the forces which shaped the landscape of this UNESCO World Heritage Site at the Discovery Centre. Gros Morne is characterized by a diverse landscape which includes barren cliffs, fjords, bogs, beaches, mountains, and forests.
Lunch:
At a nearby restaurant
Afternoon:
Following a motorcoach transfer, we’ll explore the Tablelands with a Parks Expert. While walking Earth’s mantle, our expert will explain the plate tectonics and glacial formations which shaped the Tablelands as well as introduce us to the unique plants and vegetation in the region.
Dinner:
At the hotel
Evening:
Enjoy a performance at the Gros Morne Theatre Festival by a theatre troupe featuring Newfoundland stories, song and music, celebrating the Island's heritage and most importantly her people.
Activity Note
Walking approximately 4 miles (2 miles each way) on the Western Brook Pond Trail for 2.5 hours over gravel paths, boardwalks, mostly flat terrain with a few slight inclines. Getting on and off a boat. Boat ride for 1.5 hours. Driving approximately 27 miles (43.2 km) for less than an hour.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will take the motorcoach to the Western Brook Pond Trail for this morning’s walk. We will bask in the view of the land-locked fjord, waterfalls, and billion-year-old cliffs while wandering the recently revitalized trail.
Lunch:
Boxed lunches at the Western Brook Pond. Indoor washroom facilities are available. Canteen services are available for purchase.
Afternoon:
We will explore the Western Brook Pond by boat (weather permitting). A local resource expert will provide onboard commentary. The “pond” is one of numerous glacially carved fjords in the Long Range Mountains, the northernmost extension of the Appalachian Mountains. Waterfalls cascade from a height of 2,000 feet, and we may even spot some of the local wildlife. The lake is home to Atlantic salmon, brook trout, and Arctic char, as well as an unusual colony of cliff-nesting gulls.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
Discussions about the collapse of the Northern cod fishery which culminated in the 1992 moratorium.
Activity Note
Walking 1 mile for approximately 2 hours on maintained trails, gentle terrain. Wear sturdy shoes or boots. Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving 130 miles, approximately 2.5 hours.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We’ll travel by motorcoach along the Viking Trail to the town of Port au Choix, known as the fishing capital of Western Newfoundland. Visit the French Rooms Cultural Centre, where a local resource expert will discuss the Point Riche Lighthouse, the dispute over the fishing rights between the French and the British, and the Resettlement program.
Lunch:
At a nearby restaurant.
Afternoon:
We’ll continue on to the Port au Choix National Historic Site and learn about the Maritime Archaic people, Groswater paleo people, Dorset paleo people, and Beothuk who thrived in the area long before Europeans arrived. Amid rugged limestone barrens and fascinating coastline, we’ll discover ancient burial sites, artifacts, and settlements.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
We’ll finish the day with a discussion with our Group Leader about modern-day Indigenous peoples in Newfoundland and Labrador. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 125 miles, approximately 3 hours riding time. Walking about 1 mile, approximately 1.5 hours on pavement and ferry docks. Boarding and disembarking ferries; ferry crossing is about 20 miles, approximately about 2 hours.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
After travelling to St. Barbe by motorcoach, we’ll board the ferry for Labrador. Keep watch for whales or icebergs which can sometimes be seen during the ferry crossing. Then, we’ll travel by motorcoach along the Labrador Coastal Drive to the Point Amour Lighthouse Provincial Historic Site.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
We’ll explore the Point Amour Lighthouse Provincial Historic Site, the second tallest lighthouse in Atlantic Canada, with lighthouse staff. We’ll taste Labrador tea and wild berry tarts while learning about the role lighthouses played in shaping the culture of this coast. We will explore what’s considered to be the oldest known burial site in North America at L’anse Amour. We’ll then travel by motorcoach to Mary’s Harbour, where we’ll board a small passenger vessel to transfer to Battle Harbour.
Dinner:
At the historic inn.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Walking half a mile for approximately 1.5 hours on paths, wooden wharves, and boardwalks, over some hills and uneven, rocky terrain. Climbing stairs in some historic buildings.
Breakfast:
At the historic inn.
Morning:
At the inn, we’ll learn about Battle Harbour from a fourth generation descendent who will share personal stories and discuss daily life in the isolated Labrador community. Battle Harbour has been the center of life and the salt-cod fishing industry in Labrador for centuries and is representative of the reason for settlement in the Province. Through presentations, walks with local residents, and overnight stays in one of the restored historic homes in the village, we will discover some of the history embedded in the area. Additionally, we’ll explore the Marconi Station where Commander Robert E. Peary communicated details of his exploration of the North Pole to the world.
Lunch:
At the inn.
Afternoon:
We will continue our exploration of Battle Harbour. We’ll wander the wharves, take the shoreside boardwalk, and climb a hill to St. James the Apostle Church, which is the sole surviving example of architect William Grey’s work, and the oldest surviving Anglican Church in Labrador. We’ll discover the heritage homes in Battle Harbour commemorating the life of early settlers from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Next, we’ll enjoy a boat ride (weather permitting) to examine trap berths and learn from a local expert about barking technology for fishing. We will then visit the easternmost point on continental North America at Cape Charles.
Dinner:
At the inn.
Evening:
The Kitchen Party is an iconic tradition in Newfoundland and is offered for your enjoyment, featuring music, songs and stories. Dance the night away or simply take pleasure in the spectacle. This is also an opportunity for participants to present their own poetry and songs. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Activity Note
Walking about 1 mile, approximately 1.5 hours; pavement, ferry docks. Getting on/off a ferry. Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 138 miles, approximately 3.5 hours riding time.
Breakfast:
At the inn.
Morning:
After checking out, we will board a ferry from Battle Harbour to Mary’s Harbour, where we’ll board the motorcoach to Red Bay.
Lunch:
At a restaurant in Red Bay.
Afternoon:
We will learn about the Basque whaling industry, dating back to the 1500s, from a Parks expert while at Red Bay National Historic Site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We’ll explore the artifacts on exhibition at the museum and gain insight into the whale oil industry before continuing our journey to L’Anse au Clair.
Dinner:
At the Northern Light Inn.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Activity Note
Walking about 1 mile, approximately 2 hours on pavement. Getting on/off a ferry; riding about 30 miles, approximately 2 hours. Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 88 miles, approximately about 1.5 hours riding time.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We’ll travel back to the island by ferry and continue along the Viking Trail by motorcoach to the town of St. Anthony, a seasonal fishing station for French and Biscayan fisherman since the 1500s. St. Anthony is also the largest town at the tip of the Northern Peninsula.
Lunch:
At a nearby restaurant.
Afternoon:
This afternoon we’ll head out by motorcoach to visit the Grenfell Historic Properties complex in St. Anthony. We will learn about the life of medical missionary Sir Wilfred Grenfell from a local historian at the Grenfell House Museum and Interpretive Centre. Then, we’ll get crafty at the Grenfell Handicrafts located at the Interpretive Centre.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 50 miles, approximately 1.5 hours riding time. Walking about 1 mile, approximately 2 hours over rocky terrain and uneven ground. Getting on/off a 12-passenger rigid hull inflatable zodiac boat; whale watching for 1 hour. Every participant must wear one-piece cold-weather suit. Activity is weather dependent.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
Divided into two smaller groups, we'll take turns dressing in cold weather suits and climb aboard a 28-foot offshore rigid hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) with our captain and marine ecologist to learn about the sea life off the tip of Newfoundland’s Northern Peninsula and the cultural heritage of the area. The others will visit the Dark Tickle Company, champions of the wild berry industry. We’ll immerse ourselves in the view of bakeapple berry, partridge berry, crowberry, and squash berry in their natural environment.
Lunch:
At a nearby restaurant.
Afternoon:
Next, we will explore the recreated Viking Village, Norstead. A Viking interpreter will discuss human history and explain the crops Vikings would have planted, then we’ll enjoy a spirited reenactment of daily life. We’ll marvel at a full-scale replica of a Viking ship, see the chieftain’s hall and the blacksmith shop, and sample the fare of ancient Vikings. We’ll discover the only authenticated Viking settlement in North America at L’Anse-aux-Meadows National Historic Site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We’ll also learn about Leif Erickson’s Vinland, the first European encampment in the New World and gain an understanding of the westward migration of Vikings from a local expert. We’ll uncover what life was like in a traditional sod house with our interpreter.
Dinner:
At a nearby restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 258 miles, approximately 5 hours riding time. Walking about 1.5 miles, approximately 2 hours over rocky terrain and uneven ground.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will check out of the hotel, board the motorcoach, and begin our return to Deer Lake. We’ll make a stop at Flower’s Cove to learn about thrombolites, formed by a photosynthetic process from the calcium carbonate found in the limestone rocks which is thought to have been the first creatures on the planet to release free oxygen. This is one of two locations on the planet where thrombolites are known to exist.
Lunch:
At a restaurant in Hawke’s Bay.
Afternoon:
We will continue on to the Torrent River Salmon Interpretation Centre, including a presentation on the Torrent River Boardwalk and Salmon River Fish Ladder. The boardwalk ends in a spectacular waterfall and is the site of a unique and successful salmon enhancement project. We’ll discover geological anomalies which were forged underwater eons ago while walking through Arches Provincial Park. We will then complete our journey to Deer Lake and check in at the hotel.
Dinner:
At the hotel in Deer Lake. Enjoy classical Newfoundland music performed by a local musician. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.
Activity Note
Hotel check-out by 11:00 a.m.
Breakfast:
At the hotel. This concludes our program.
Morning:
If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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