Newfoundland: Viking Bike & Hike
Seven days of big rides & hikes, a fjord cruise, a whale-watch and iceberg boat trip, all the highlights of Gros Morne National Park, and a visit to L’Anse aux Meadows Viking settlement. One ride is almost 169 miles (289km), but if you want to do less, the van will pick you up at day’s end!
This is a fabulous trip, well suited to intrepid explorers with lots of energy for the hills, distances, and sheer joy of traveling through such an undeveloped, exciting landscape. Riding with the prevailing wind, through picturesque fishing villages, you will encounter people whose unabashed friendliness is truly extraordinary. You will ride and hike in Gros Morne National Park, where the incomparable landscape and unique natural history have earned it a place on UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites. You will hike to the top of Gros Morne Mountain and take a boat into a fjord akin to those of Norway. You can visit a 4000 year old burial ground of the now extinct Maritime Archaic Indians at Port au Choix, and see evidence of the also extinct Dorset Eskimos, and you'll see where the Vikings landed and settled, long before Columbus, at L'Anse aux Meadows (another UNESCO World Heritage Site) 1000 years ago. While you enjoy the landscape, the wildlife, the people, and the history, your comfortable support van will always be nearby. This is one of our favourite trips; we hope you can come to see why.
Day 1: 72km/45 miles (subtract 31km/19 miles with optional transfer to Wiltondale)From Deer Lake, cycle past the Newfoundland insectarium, then the Wiltondale Pioneer Village, enroute to lunch near the entrance to Gros Morne National Park. Spend the afternoon rididing the hilly, exhilarating approach to the shore of Bonne Bay, finishing in the tiny fishing village of Norris Point. LD (Meal inclusions provided for guided trips. Self-guided trips include breakfast only)
Neddie's Harbour Inn; or
Sugar Hill Inn, Norris Point
Day 2: 40 or 104km/25 or 65 miles, plus hiking or boat trip
Begin the day with a ferry to Woody Point and ride to Trout River for lunch overlooking the Gulf of St. Lawrence. On the way, stop at the Discovery Centre, and take the steep one-hour hike up Partridgeberry Hill along the Lookout Trail. The summit offers some of the best panoramic views in the park, and moose are often sighted along the trail. Enroute to Trout River, you will pass the geological curiosity of the Tablelands, and can choose to explore them by boat or on foot. The afternoon is otherwise spent hiking along the coast on the Green Gardens trail, then returning to Woody Point for your water taxi across Bonne Bay, or taking a van transfer to Norris Point. If you want a long ride instead of hiking, you can ride the thrilling hills around the shore of Bonne Bay. BLD
Neddie's Harbour Inn; or
Sugar Hill Inn, Norris Point
Day 3: 8-hour hike, 806m/2645ft elevation
Hike to the top of Gros Morne Mountain, where caribou are sometimes seen atop the Long Range Mountains. This is a difficult eight-hour hike, rewarded (weather permitting) by phenomenal views over Ten-Mile Pond, the Long Range Mountains, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Return to your inn to freshen up before exploring independent dinner options in Rocky Harbour – a pretty community with gorgeous sunsets! BL
Neddie's Harbour Inn; or
Sugar Hill Inn, Norris Point
Day 4: 88km/55 miles plus boat trip
Morning ride or van transfer north through Gros Morne to take a fascinating boat trip up the fjord at Western Brook Pond (in Newfoundland, even the largest lakes are usually called ponds). There is an optional afternoon hike on Cow Head, where an abundance of fossils provides a record of marine life through the ages, before cycling to Portland Creek. BLD
Entente Cordiale, Portland Creek
Day 5: Up to 289km/180 mile cycle (for most participants, this ride is vehicle assisted)
A very long ride today, assisted (we hope!) by the prevailing tailwind and the wide flat road, will take you to L'Anse aux Meadows, where Vikings landed 1000 years ago. Believed to be Lief Eriksson's Vinland of the Norse sagas, this is the site of the birth of the first European descendant in the New World: "Snorri". Most cyclists will accept a boost or two from the van, while others will be determined to complete the entire ride. Either way, you’ll rest well tonight following an evening of fresh local cuisine and traditional folk music. Tonight, you will be “screeched in” – an honour reserved for those who have had a real Newfoundland experience. BLD
Valhalla Lodge, L'Anse aux Meadows; or
Tuckamore Lodge, Main Brook
Day 6: 40km/25 miles Cycle (80km/50 miles extra cycling is available this afternoon)
Early morning, before the crowds arrive, is the best time to visit the profoundly stirring site of L'Anse aux Meadows, where Vikings landed more than five centuries before Columbus. Due to its archaeological and historical significance, L’Anse aux Meadows is recognized by the United Nations as a World Heritage Site; it does not disappoint. You will hear sagas of ancient times and hardy people who sailed forbidding seas to inhabit this wild and beautiful place. Following your visit, you can cycle 40 km to St. Anthony for lunch at the Lightkeepers Kitchen and a whale and iceberg watching boat trip. For those who crave more cycling still, you can ride up to 80km/50 miles to your well appointed lodge in a fabulous wilderness setting, near the Hare Bay Islands Ecological Reserve. This superb retreat is well out of the way; be prepared to enjoy comfort in the northern wilderness! BD
Valhalla Lodge, L'Anse aux Meadows; or
Tuckamore Lodge, Main Broo
Day 7:
A five hour van transfer arrives back in Deer Lake by mid-afternoon. There are late afternoon flights from St. Anthony airport to St. John’s, as an oft-preferred alternative to taking the van back to Deer Lake. B
| Start: | Deer Lake Motel 09:00 day one. This is one mile from the tiny Deer Lake airport |
| Finish: | Deer Lake Motel, Deer Lake, 16:00 day seven. Optional finish at St. Anthony with flights available to St. John’s or other destinations throughout Newfoundland
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$2695 (per person, includes 7 full days, 6 nights, 6 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 5 dinners, one fjord boat trip, one whale-watch/iceberg boat trip, entrance fees to Gros Morne National Park and L’Anse aux Medows National Historic Site, van and guide support, luggage handling, maps and route notes) |
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| Self-Guided Cost: | $2495 (per person, includes 7 full day, 6 nights, 7 breakfasts, luggage transfers, afternoon pick up on day 5, transfer back to Deer Lake on the final day, maps and route notes). |
| Single Occupancy: | $530 |
| Bicycle Rental: | Hybrid: $145; Racing: $195 |
| 2012 Guided Dates: | Jul 1-7; Jul 15-21; Aug 12-18; Aug 26-Sep 1. Add your own dates (learn more) |
| Self Guided Dates: | You choose! We confirm within 48 hours. The following dates are already confirmed: |
All details and pricing are subject to change without notice.
13% sales tax applies, but a 50% refund will be applied for non-Canadians.
