Newfoundland holidays, Viking trail
| country: | Canada |
| location: | Newfoundland |
| departures: | 2009: 7 Jun, 14 Jun, 28 Jun, 12 Jul, 26 Jul, 2 Aug, 16 Aug, 6 Sep, 13 Sep |
| price: | From CA $2500 (8 days) excluding flights, based on 2 people (or CA $2850 + 13% tax single) |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Journey through time with us to learn about the birth of a continent and the death of an ocean. Walk in the footsteps of the New World's first peoples and explore the home of the first Viking explorers.
This exciting holiday starts and ends in Deer Lake, Newfoundland and explores the nature and geology of Gros Morne National Park - a United Nations World Heritage Site. L'Anse aux Meadows, North America's only known Viking settlement and Red Bay, the Labrador home of over 1,000 Basque whalers during the 1540s, are also highlights of this unique vacation.
The holiday also features the northern terminus of the Appalachian Mountains, a visit to the Grenfell Interpretation Centre, lots of birds and wildlife, plus a short journey to the "centre of the earth." Enjoy Newfoundlanders, our culture, and our landscape on this unforgettable holiday. And help us celebrate the 1008th anniversary of the Vikings walking our shores. The price includes all accommodations, all ground transportation, meals as indicated (B,L,D), the services of our experienced guide, all admissions and all boat/ferry passes. Transportation to and/or from Newfoundland is not included.
We do reserve the right to re-arrange the schedule for your comfort and convenience should the weather or ferry schedule require changes to be made.
This exciting holiday starts and ends in Deer Lake, Newfoundland and explores the nature and geology of Gros Morne National Park - a United Nations World Heritage Site. L'Anse aux Meadows, North America's only known Viking settlement and Red Bay, the Labrador home of over 1,000 Basque whalers during the 1540s, are also highlights of this unique vacation.
The holiday also features the northern terminus of the Appalachian Mountains, a visit to the Grenfell Interpretation Centre, lots of birds and wildlife, plus a short journey to the "centre of the earth." Enjoy Newfoundlanders, our culture, and our landscape on this unforgettable holiday. And help us celebrate the 1008th anniversary of the Vikings walking our shores. The price includes all accommodations, all ground transportation, meals as indicated (B,L,D), the services of our experienced guide, all admissions and all boat/ferry passes. Transportation to and/or from Newfoundland is not included.
We do reserve the right to re-arrange the schedule for your comfort and convenience should the weather or ferry schedule require changes to be made.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Meet at the airport in Deer Lake. Light evening hike in Gros Morne featuring wild flowers, orchids, lush forests, mountains, birds, waterfalls, and our first moose hunt. (D) |
| Day 2: | Gros Morne provides one of the world's great geology lessons. As Prince Edward noted, "What the Galapagos are to biology, Gros Morne is to geology." Hence, its United Nations World Heritage Site designation. Travel to Western Brook Pond for a 2.5-hour boat journey through a billion years of geological history. The afternoon features beaches, dunes, spectacular scenery, and often some caribou. (B,L) |
| Day 3: | Today we travel to the centre of the Earth - the Tablelands where an 80 square kilometer slab of the Earth's mantle has been shoved up on land from deep beneath the ocean floor. We take the beautiful Green Gardens trail to the remains of ancient volcanic islands. Optional sea kayaking. (B, L) |
| Day 4: | Drive north to St. Barbe and the Labrador ferry, visiting The Arches, where the ocean has carved tunnels in the limestone rocks. Whales, seals, icebergs, puffins, and pelagic seabirds are all commonly seen on the ferry ride. (B,L) |
| Day 5: | Visit Red Bay, the 16th Century's Whaling Capital of the World, and the interpretation centre. Catch a boat ride to the actual dig site where we explore the trails walked by the Basques over four centuries ago. We also visit Canada's second tallest lighthouse at Point Amour and the oldest burial mound in North America - older than the pyramids. This wild place, with sweeping seascapes where the sea appears in dramatic colours, is rich in birds of prey, wild flowers, and fossils. (B,L,D) |
| Day 6: | Explore the beautiful Labrador Straits and possibly Quebec before returning to Newfoundland. Travel to L'Anse aux Meadows - the only authenticated Viking site in North America - from where we can look out at Belle Isle. (B,L) |
| Day 7: | Explore St. Anthony, on the northern tip of Newfoundland, which was the staging point for many northern expeditions. Arctic explorers used its sheltered harbour to take on sled dogs and other supplies as the world raced for the North Pole. We also stop at the Maritime Archaic Indian exhibit at Port au Choix National Historic Park. (B,L,D) |
| Day 8: | Depart for home. If your schedule permits you can explore some of Corner Brook from your well located hotel. |
how this holiday makes a difference
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All participants are encouraged to assist with our whale work but this is a fun and educational introduction to the wildlife and human culture of Newfoundland and Labrador. This coast has had human occupation for 9000 years and we explore the natural world and how the various peoples have lived here.
We visit two UNESCO World Heritage Sites and we bring visitors from around the world to remote and fiercely beautiful coastal areas. All of our programs feature local hosts/leaders and all distribute non resident travellers to remote areas where they enjoy local services and hospitality ranging from boat tours to delicious homemade bread and local sub arctic berry jams. A National Geographic survey of guest satisfaction looked at the ethic of sustainability and educational emphasis of these very enjoyable excursions, and resulted in National Geographic Adventure Magazine listing our company as one of the best Adventure Travel companies on earth. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |