Newfoundland and Labrador
The Best of Spectacular Newfoundland Coast to Coast
Program No. 13535RJ
Embark on a spectacular journey across Newfoundland and Labrador! Observe puffins and whales in their natural habitats, explore national parks, and experience Newfoundland hospitality.
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Participant Reviews
Based on 31 Reviews
SHOWING
Absolutely fascinating place to visit. We considered doing this on our own and we are so happy we chose to go with Road Scholar. We stopped at places we would have just driven by never knowing it was a perfect gem. The geology of Newfoundland and Labrador is amazing when you can look around and realize you are standing on a piece of the earth’s mantle that is on the surface rather than miles below you.
Jean was a fantastic leader who was able to fill a rainy day with great options when our hike into the National park was closed. She had a sense of humor that sparkled and we learned many Newfoundland phrases that we can put to good use at home.
Our goal was to see Puffins in the wild and very early in the trip we were able to see over 250,000 flying, eating, swimming and raising their babies on the cliffs. National Parks, UNESCO Heritage sites and fantastic people were bonuses.
— Review left October 14, 2024
Our first Road Scholar trip, and I absolutely loved it! Carolyn, our tour guide, was fantastic--knowledgeable, personable, and a great singer. She was able to provide so much information on the places we visited, traditions, history, and anecdotes. Each of the local guides and speakers were able to inform and share their knowledge in understandable and captivating ways. This was a great introduction to Road Scholar!
— Review left October 2, 2024
Some memories of Newfoundland and Labrador:A moose and her twins sauntering across the road and into the woods. The lifesaving white and red lighthouses dot the coastline. Geologically - a glacial lake, rare thrombolites and shafts of the earth’s mantle. Local history highlighted in communities large and small. Miles of stacked wood along the highways. Walking alone four miles, never gave up. Fresh vegetables on the table along with that first mooseburger,,,, Participating in a fabulous home cooked buffet dinner, prior to becoming a SCREECHER! Tasting rum for the first time! Puffins and whales, gentle, massive Newfoundland dogs, blossoming beautiful flowers everywhere.
— Review left September 8, 2024
The program was true to its description. It was well planned, well executed. Jean was a great leader: personable, organized, knowledgeable, and a fun sense of humor. My third Road Scholar trip in all and this year. I traveled a lot with my late husband. Road Scholar is meeing my needs now as a solo traveler.
— Review left September 2, 2024
Great overall view of this special place with little other tours and a quiet pace of life.
— Review left August 31, 2024
If you are new to joining Road Scholar trips, my experience at joining on my first Road Scholar trip was wonderful, especially unlike my other vacations because I did not have to be the driver, did not have to negotiate directions or find food sources. And the whole time was filling with enjoyable experiences.
— Review left August 31, 2024
My trip along the coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador exceeded my high expectations. I can unreservedly recommend Road Scholar to anyone who wants to see the world but hesitates to travel alone. I was solo on this and my previous trip, but I was not alone!
— Review left August 18, 2024
I would highly recommend this trip to learn more about the early history of our continent. Many fun topics and many surprising things you would not see if traveling on your own.
— Review left August 16, 2024
Exceptional Beauty in the Scenery and outstanding hospitality and warm welcomes from all Newfoundland and Labrador people!
— Review left August 7, 2024
This program provided an in-depth look at a little known part of the world. It offered scenery, history, education and a touch of adventure….and a LOT of codfish to eat!
— Review left August 2, 2024
A great trip with great people both local and our group. Enjoyed the behind the scenes (or private presentations) that we would of not got if we did this trip by ourselves. We enjoyed the local dialogs/interaction with guides and their effort to prepare their local jams (cloudberry and Partridgeberries), seal meat tasting and the Port Union Community Hall Screeched party. We appreciate their extra effort to welcome us and share their traditions. Over all size of 23 was perfect size which may have been smaller than available.
— Review left July 28, 2024
A great Road Scholar Trip. The trip with Dark Tickle was exciting with the breaching of the whales.
— Review left July 21, 2024
Spectacular scenery. Fascinating history and geology. Beautiful flora and fauna. Delightful, welcoming, and loving people. I'm so glad I went.
— Review left June 21, 2024
This trip was absolutely awesome -- great leader, wonderful driver, incredibly nice locals, beautiful scenery, interesting history. This program clearly ranks in the top three of the 18 Road Scholar trips I've taken so far. Definitely worth the cost.
— Review left October 16, 2023
This program is wonderfully comprehensive and provides a thorough background of the maritime region of Canada.
— Review left September 14, 2023
In just 14 days the tour captured the essence of Newfoundland and Labrador! The tour director and coach driver were outstanding and quickly tended to every issue that arose. Con (Cornelius), our bus driver, deftly avoided hitting a giant moose which darted into the road toward our coach. Some loose items such as sunglasses on a seat went flying but everyone was ok. The tour included a mix of scenery, museums, history, culture, fauna, and flora. Every participant was congenial and considerate. Just FYI, on the road internet connectivity was often spotty. If you have a Nexus card you do not need a passport to enter Canada or to fly within Canada. We flew from Toronto to St. John’s NF and were allowed to use the expedited Nexus lane. Bev
— Review left September 12, 2023
This trip is very scenic and interesting. We had the best trip leader you could ever hope to have. We learned so much about the cod fishing industry and its demise, the history of the province and its amazing geology. (You get to hike on the Earth's mantle and see fossils of the earliest life form with muscles!) The only serious complaint I have concerns the trip's timing. If you go on this trip expecting to see icebergs, whales and lots of sea birds, do not take a departure in August. Take one of the earlier ones, because on our August 18 departure, we struck out on icebergs and whales. The last iceberg in Labrador had melted a week before we got there! Our whale watching cruise was only one hour. The crew explained that we'd have seen a whale if we'd been able to stay out longer. But the group had to split up into 2 halves in order to go whale watching, due to the larger boat being unavailable at this time. We took a small zodiac boat instead, in 2 shifts. The weather that day was not great and the ride was "strenuous" and whale-less.
Some sea birds were still present in places we went, including some delightful puffins, but most of the shore birds had already begun their migration south. My main purpose in taking this trip was the nature part of it, so I was somewhat disappointed.
Also, the food at our meals was a bit disappointing. I love fish and seafood of all kinds, but it wasn't well prepared most of the time.
Overall, I would recommend this trip, but go early in the season, and don't expect wonderful cuisine!
— Review left September 2, 2023
My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed this Road Scholar program, my 31st. Five Stars! Other reviews have provided good, practical information about this trip, so I will add just a few points….. Our leader Carolyn and driver Con were a superb team, always catering to the individual needs of our group, and fine-tuning the itinerary along the way to give us a great experience. The Newfoundlanders were all friendly, warm, and welcoming, and they have a certain way about them which made this a relaxing learning experience. The variety of activities was incredible. One of note: At the lunch stop in Gander, we had a wonderful presentation by a woman who had been actively involved in the airport logistics during the 9/11 grounding of planes, when planes and people from all over the world had to be accommodated on short notice. We highly recommend this program.
— Review left August 7, 2023
Excellent trip to truly experience Newfoundland!
— Review left July 31, 2023
I thought I had had my "trip of a lifetime", I found out you can have more than 1! I would definitely recommend this program. So glad I had this experience. It was wonderful.
— Review left July 29, 2023
The NL trip is thoughtfully orchestrated taking participants from Pangea to present day Newfoundland. While each activity could stand alone as an experience, the trip weaves the island’s geology and geography with its influence on vegetation and fauna, and, in turn, with the people of Newfoundland throughout time who have been intimately dependent on the island’s resources for survival. The cultural history begins with subsistence indigenous people, through the European invaders and early fishing and whaling institutions, to current day Newfoundlanders who are adapting to their rapidly changing environment and economy. I’ll say no more, for it is your own adventure to discover.
— Review left July 29, 2023
This was an extraordinary program that far exceeded my already-high expectations. I'll never forget it. Special shout-out to coordinator/leader extraordinaire Jean Knowles and our wonderful bus driver Con!
— Review left July 28, 2023
July 24, 2023
***** Five Stars
Fantastic trip! Scenery was always interesting and sometimes breathtaking. Everyone was friendly and helpful. We saw whales, puffins, moose, caribou, and lots of icebergs. Luckily, we did not see any wildfires or have any smoke from them. The food and the hotels were good. This was a memorable trip to a very unique place.
Corinne
Class of 2019
Corydon, IN
— Review left July 24, 2023
Newfoundland is fascinating and beautiful! Come prepared with a bug net in your pocket to put over your head as it will protect you from the biting insects that are a problem some of the time. You will have a lovely carefree time then!!
— Review left July 23, 2023
The group leader and driver were outstanding on this program. There were many unique experiences that contributed to a better understanding of the people, the geography, and the importance of this area. Truly a worthwhile experience.
— Review left September 16, 2022
went in late August and did not see moose or whales. Screeching ceremony with the locals was really fun.
— Review left September 11, 2022
There is so much to see and learn about Newfoundland & Labrador - history, geology, flora & fauna, etc. It's a part of the world that we generally don't know much about, but very significant things happened there that impacted our world. There are many stops and stays, so you need to be prepared for that, but I am glad to have seen and experienced so much! Saw lots of puffins, and even a distant glimpse of an unexpected iceberg at this time of year. Highly recommend for the variety of learning and experiences in this beautiful and friendly Canadian province!
— Review left August 21, 2022
The Best of Newfoundland and Labrador is a stellar program. The educational value of the program alone makes it worthwhile. As I participated in this program, a new world opened to me. I am forever changed by this positive experience.
— Review left August 20, 2022
We feel very lucky to have had Jean Knowles as our tour guide. She was extremely knowledgeable and vey accommodating. We learned a LOT. I can’t give high marks to RS’s tour time allocation. The tour members were able to socialize and get to know one another at our meal breaks but that was pretty much it. Road Scholar tried to cram too much into our day. The one day ferry trip to Labrador contributed very little and seemed to be included just so RS could say we had been there. Really no new experiences or knowledge gained for the effort. We would have rather gotten back to our motel many days by 4 PM and spent some time in the bar with other tour members. As we age seeing everything possible is no longer a priority. Just show us the good stuff and give us more free time. Bob & Jean Kaminski
— Review left July 24, 2022
Spectcular Newfoundland and Labrador, Coast to Coast. July 2022. Exceeded my expectations. The places visited, most especially the days on the water were exceptional. Foremost, Our leader Jean and driver Con, MADE this trip so much more than traveling to a new area. Their personal insights and years of living in this area added knowledge, local lore, tales and humor not gained on one's own personal explorations of this very special area of Canada!
— Review left July 22, 2022
Just back from the Newfoundland-Labrador trip. Hats off to our group leader, Eleanor Dawson and our bus driver, Clarence, , for making a good trip a great trip!!!!
— Review left June 24, 2022