Natural Wonders of Western Newfoundland

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Departing July 2, 2024

8 days, 7 nights

This exceptional experience of Western Newfoundland features Gros Morne National Park’s natural wonders, a visit to the Norse Viking settlement at l’Anse aux Meadows and a stay at a historic lighthouse along the Iceberg Alley. Your journey of discovery will be filled with walking, cultural immersion, breathtaking scenery, wildlife, fine dining experiences and evenings to remember.

We’ve selected the top day hikes in Gros Morne National Park and combined them with delicious Newfoundland cuisine, comfortable lodging, and cultural experiences. Newfoundlanders are renowned for being excellent storytellers and we will have the chance to hear tales from the Vikings during our visit to L’Anse aux Meadows, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the only Viking site in North America. Before concluding this adventure, we make our way to the northernmost tip of Newfoundland, where we will stay at the base of a still-operating lighthouse. Quirpon Island boasts the most extended iceberg viewing season in Newfoundland and an impressive number of whales off its shores.

  • Enjoy guided hikes in Gros Morne National Park
  • Cruise the waters of dramatic Western Brook Pond Fjord
  • Visit UNESCO World Heritage site L’Anse aux Meadows
  • Get the best views of the Iceberg Alley around Quirpon Island
  • Sample incredible local cuisine, including food tour dinners
  • Keep an eye out for whales, moose, bald eagles, and much more
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Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Deer Lake, transfer via Viking Trail

Day 2: Tablelands & Little Look Out Hikes

Day 3: To l’Anse aux Meadows, transfer to Quirpon Island

Day 4: Explore Quirpon Island by foot and by zodiac

Day 5: Water shuttle to St. Anthony, visit historic sites

Day 6: Hike the Green Gardens Trail in the Tablelands

Day 7: Boat tour, walks and Western Brook Pond fjord

Day 8: Transfer to airport, trip concludes

Meet your RCGS Travel Ambassador

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David Gray

With more than three decades of experience as a journalist, former CBC Radio host David Gray has filed stories from around the world, focusing on Europe and North America. Based in Calgary, David is an avid adventurer, diver, skier, and cyclist. 

David, a Fellow of the RCGS, has travelled by sea with the RCGS in the Eastern Arctic and Atlantic Canada, (including a particularly memorable excursion to Sable Island). On the West Coast he has explored the islands of Haida Gwaii with Maple Leaf Adventures, and continues to serve as a guest lecturer aboard Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth II to Alaska. He also hosted a conversation with a prestigious panel of Indigenous leaders at the 2018 Fellows Dinner at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, and a more informal gathering of Western-based Fellows at McDougall Centre in Calgary.

Whether it’s skiing from the heights of the Chic-Choc Mountains down to the shores of Gaspe, kayaking Johnstone Strait with the orcas of Robson Bight, or hiking the ridges of the Bugaboos above the glaciers of the Purcells, David has a deep passion for Canada’s wild spaces. He is an amateur ornithologist and former park naturalist, with a growing passion for photography. He has also launched a new Canada-wide podcast, GraydioCanada.

His documentary work has won numerous national and international awards and he is a frequent guest host on well known CBC radio programs such as “As it Happens”, “Sunday Edition” and “Cross Country Checkup”. His daily morning program “The Calgary Eyeopener” was one of Canada’s top-rated local radio shows for over a decade. 

In his spare time, he performs with Calgary band Sweet Potato. David and his wife Kim have two children.