Canada, Newfoundland: St. John’s & Bonavista Bike Tour

DAY 1:

Introductions; hike Signal Hill ~5km.

Meet in St. John’s for a welcome briefing, then walk through the Battery to Signal Hill National Historic Site, the site of the first transatlantic communication and an excellent viewpoint over the mouth of St. John’s Harbour. Return to the city on foot for dinner, followed by time to enjoy traditional music at one of the many venues on George Street.

Meal Inclusions: Dinner.

DAY 2:

Bell Island Loop ~15km (+250m / -250m).

Begin the day with a transfer to Portugal Cove for the short ferry ride across The Tickle to Bell Island, a place where time moves at an easy Newfoundland pace. Spend the morning riding quiet roads through open meadows and toward the island’s cliffs and sea stacks, passing small homes, fishing stages, and stretches of coastline shaped by decades of wind and weather. If you’re up for a short adventure, walk down to the Grebe’s Nest—a hand-blasted tunnel carved by local miners in the 1960s to reach the second beach more easily. Pause at the Bell Island Lighthouse Café for a simple picnic lunch with views over Conception Bay, where whales and seabirds often drift through. In the afternoon, catch the ferry back to the mainland and return to St. John’s to settle in before dinner.

Meal Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch.

DAY 3:

Brigus to Harbour Grace ~56km (+500m / -500m); optional hike at Mad Rocks ~3km.

Ride from your inn toward Harbour Grace. We recommend allowing time for an optional hike at Mad Rocks, named for the turbulent “mad water” that forms during Atlantic storms. Visit Madrock Café for a traditional Newfoundland touton before continuing by bike. Arrive in Harbour Grace with time to visit the Conception Bay Museum, the historic courthouse, or take a short walk on the Pirates Path Trail.

Meal Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

DAY 4:

Transfer to Trinity; afternoon options: bike to New Bonaventure ~47km (+800m / -800m), hike Gun Hill ~2km, and/or attend the Trinity Pageant.

After breakfast, transfer ~2½ hours to the Bonavista Peninsula. Choose a challenging ride to New Bonaventure to explore the Random Passage Site and the now-abandoned communities of Kerley’s Harbour and Ireland’s Eye, or opt for a shorter hike with views of Trinity’s cliffs, coves, and wildlife. If scheduling allows, attend the Trinity Pageant—an immersive outdoor performance where actors lead you through the town’s past. Much of Trinity is a national heritage site, known for its maritime history and preserved architecture.

Meal Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch.

DAY 5:

Trinity to Bonavista ~67km (+500m / -600m).

Ride north along the coast toward Bonavista. Visit Catalina and the puffin viewing site in Elliston before continuing to the Cape Bonavista Lighthouse—one of the few stone-tower lighthouses where you can still see the original 19th-century light apparatus. This area offers excellent whale, iceberg, and puffin viewing in season. After your visit, continue into Bonavista to unwind for the evening and enjoy the easy pace of this historic fishing town.

Meal Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

DAY 6:

Bonavista to Plate Cove with stops in Keels and Tickle Cove, up to ~82km (+1200m / -1100m); optional hike in King’s Cove ~4km.

Explore the cafés and art galleries before departing on your coastal ride to Keels, where you can visit the Devil’s Footprints, mysterious hoof-shaped impressions in the rock tied to local folklore. Continue onward to Tickle Cove Sea Arch — a dramatic natural arch carved into red sandstone by the Atlantic — then ride past Plate Cove to your lodging. Along the way, enjoy local art, perhaps pick up a handcrafted souvenir, and finish the day with a hearty homemade Newfoundland meal.

Meal Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

DAY 7:

Return to St. John’s.

Following an early breakfast, transfer for approximately 3 hours to St. John’s, arriving by noon.