Canada, Newfoundland: Viking Trail Hike

DAY 1:

Independent Arrival in Deer Lake.

Your room will be waiting for you at the Deer Lake Motel, 4km from the airport. This is simple, clean lodging with a restaurant, well situated at the very beginning of the Viking Trail. Your guide(s) or support person will meet you here tomorrow morning.

DAY 2:

Hike the Lookout Trail ~6km and/or the Tablelands Trail ~11km.

Today’s ride takes you to Trout River for lunch overlooking the Gulf of St. Lawrence. On the way, stop at the Discovery Centre to learn about the remarkable geological history of the Tablelands. From here, you can choose a steep one-hour walk on the Lookout Trail, or continue directly to the Tablelands Trail to explore this rare exposure of the earth’s mantle—a geological phenomenon central to the park’s UNESCO designation. After an afternoon exploring the Tablelands, return to Bonne Bay.

Meal Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

DAY 3:

Hike the Green Gardens Trail ~11km; one-hour transfer.

Today’s hike explores the volcanic coastline of Green Gardens, a spectacular walk partly along the ocean’s edge where temperate, boreal, and arctic species coexist. Brook trout and Arctic char share the same waters, and rhododendrons grow alongside Lapland rosebay. The trail crosses an ancient sea floor before descending through lush boreal forest to a coastline of sea stacks, cliffs, and grassy meadows. At day’s end, transfer around Bonne Bay to Rocky Harbour for the night.

Meal Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

DAY 4:

Hike Gros Morne Mountain ~17km / 8 hrs / 800m / 2,600ft elevation gain.

A full-day, challenging hike to the top of Gros Morne Mountain, where caribou are sometimes seen in the arctic-alpine landscape of the Long Range Mountains. Rock ptarmigan and Arctic hares are also frequently spotted. This is a difficult eight-hour hike, rewarded (weather permitting) with 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 known for its sunsets. If you prefer a less strenuous option, you may turn around at the base of the mountain, just above the tree line.

Meal Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch.

DAY 5:

Hike Western Brook Pond ~6 km with ~2-hour boat tour; hike the Lighthouse Trail at Cow Head ~3km.

Transfer north to a coastal lowland walk across bogs and limestone ridges leading to Western Brook Pond—a dramatic, landlocked freshwater lake often mistaken for a fjord. A two-hour boat tour takes you between 650-metre cliffs with views of waterfalls dropping from the plateau above. Afterwards, continue to the Lighthouse Trail at Cow Head, known for its 500-million-year-old rocks marking the boundary between the Cambrian and Ordovician eras. The area has also revealed artifacts from Maritime Archaic, Groswater, and Dorset cultures. It’s a beautiful and highly underrated hike.

Meal Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

DAY 6:

Hike Port au Choix ~7 km; transfer north ~4 hours.

On your drive north, your first stop is at Port au Choix—a crossroads of more than 6,000 years of human history. The rich marine environment drew Maritime Archaic, Groswater, and Dorset peoples long before Europeans arrived. Seals on passing ice floes were central to Dorset life, providing food, shelter, and clothing. This fascinating archaeological area sits amid rugged limestone barrens, forests, and sheltered bays. You can visit ancient burial sites and settlements and view original artifacts ranging from slate spears to harpoons. After lunch in Port au Choix, continue your transfer up the Northern Peninsula to your inn at Gunner’s Cove.

Meal Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

DAY 7:

Walk the Birchy Nuddick Trail into L'Anse aux Meadows ~3km; Zodiac Boat Trip to Quirpon Island.

Arise early this morning to visit the profoundly stirring site of L’Anse aux Meadows, where Norse explorers landed more than five centuries before Columbus. Believed to be Leif Eriksson’s Vinland of the sagas, this UNESCO World Heritage Site offers remarkable insight into early European presence in the New World. You can also visit Norstead, a recreated Viking port of trade that brings daily life in a Norse settlement to light. After lunch, a 90-minute boat trip will carry you through iceberg alley to Quirpon Island Lighthouse, with the chance to spot whales, icebergs, and coastal wildlife. Your destination is a private island with wide views, excellent walking trails, and a lighthouse lodge in a dramatic northern setting—often considered a highlight of the trip.
Please note a 20-pound luggage restriction for today’s boat trip to the island.

Meal Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

DAY 8:

Transfer to Deer Lake ~5 hrs.

Following breakfast, board your boat back to the mainland for a transfer to Deer Lake, arriving at about 17:00, in time for an independent dinner. Your guide(s) or support person will say farewell before the evening meal.

Meal Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch.

DAY 9:

Independent Departure.

Deer Lake Airport is about 4 km from your hotel, and taxis are readily available through the front desk.

Meal Inclusions: Breakfast.