Viking Trail: Grab life by the horns in Western Newfoundland

From the towering Tablelands of Gros Morne National Park to the windswept fishing villages lining its shores, the Great Northern Peninsula in Western Newfoundland is majestic at every turn. These unbelievable vistas will lure you, but it’s the warmth and community that will make you glad you came. The friendly greetings, genuine conversations, and Newfoundland home cooking combine with the scenery to make the Viking Trail a road trip entirely unlike any other.

We think the Viking Trail is one of the best road trips in Canada. Discover it for yourself before the secret gets out.

Our visit to the Great Northern Peninsula was hosted by Go Western Newfoundland and Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism, and the expenses for our visit were covered. Want to ask questions about planning your own Viking Trail road trip? Join our Facebook community!

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Newfoundland’s Viking Trail: What to know before you go

The Viking Trail follows Newfoundland Route 430’s for its entire length along the province’s Great Northern Peninsula. At 413 kilometres, Route 430 is the longest road on the island, apart from the Trans-Canada Highway itself. The Great Northern Peninsula is Newfoundland’s largest and longest peninsula and is the northernmost section of the island.

There are only two ways to connect with Route 430: at the town of Deer Lake at its southern end, or via the ferry that connects Labrador and Blanc-Sablon, Quebec, with the island at the port of St. Barbe. The majority of travelers start and end their journeys in Deer Lake and drive the Viking Trail as a return trip. It’s a good idea to plan some stops for your northbound drive and others for your southbound drive to help break things up.

The Trans-Canada Highway connects with Deer Lake, and direct flights to its airport are available from major Canadian cities on Air Canada, Porter Airlines, WestJet, and PAL Airlines, Newfoundland and Labrador’s provincial airline.

It takes roughly five hours to drive from Deer Lake to St. Anthony without stopping. However, there’s so much to explore on this route that we recommend setting aside five to seven days, possibly longer if you plan to board the ferry at St. Barbe and take a side trip to the mainland.

Set up for your Viking Trail drive in Deer Lake

Nearly all road trips up the Viking Trail start from the Newfoundland town of Deer Lake. It sits on the shores of a lake that shares its name. From the west, Deer Lake is a three-hour drive from the ferry terminal in Channel-Port aux Basques and 40 minutes from Corner Brook. From the east, it’s two hours from Grand Falls-Windsor, three hours from Gander, and six and a half hours from the provincial capital of St. John’s.

Enjoy creepy crawly fun at the Newfoundland Insectarium

Before you leave Deer Lake or as you head back into town, be sure to visit the Newfoundland Insectarium. This nature museum is dedicated to insects of all kinds. It’s located in Reidville, just north of Deer Lake. Inside the converted barn, you’ll find more than 8,000 square feet of exhibit space dedicated to insects of all kinds, including a butterfly house, honeybee hive, leafcutter and colony, and two storeys of tanks and displays.

This is Newfoundland and Labrador’s only insectarium and one of only a handful you’ll find anywhere across Canada. It’s a fascinating way to spend a couple of hours or more, especially if you have kids along!

Explore geological wonders in Gros Morne National Park

The first major landmark you’ll encounter after leaving Deer Lake is Gros Morne National Park. You’ll drive on Route 430 for less than half an hour before you reach the entrance gate. From there, it takes roughly another 30 minutes to reach the town of Rocky Harbour. Most visitors use Rocky Harbour as their home base for their stay while visiting the park.

With so much incredible geology to explore, Gros Morne National Park is one of the true gems of Canada’s national park system. Take a Western Brook Pond boat tour with BonTours to see the farthest reaches of Western Brook Pond, a fjord that has become one of Canada’s most iconic vistas.

Drive on Route 431 between Woody Point and Trout River to follow the Tablelands scenic drive. This is one of the few places on the planet where the Earth’s mantle is exposed. The peridotite rocks of the Tablelands have an unusual orange colour that seems to shift with the light. It’s a rare and unusual sight.

Tour the historic Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse, visit Memorial University’s Bonne Bay Aquarium and Research Station, and end your days in either a cozy hotel room or a rustic cabin. We’ve stayed at several accommodations at Gros Morne National Park, including the Fisherman’s Landing Inn and the cabins at the Berry Hill campground and thoroughly enjoyed both.

Explore the many things to do in Gros Morne National Park >

See amazing rock formations at The Arches Provincial Park

As you continue north from Rocky Harbour on the Viking Trail, you’ll travel in and out of national park lands as you drive past the communities of St. Paul’s, Cow Head, Three Mile Rock, and Parson’s Pond. North of Parson’s Pond but before you reach Portland Creek, you’ll see a small green shield-shaped sign on the west side of the road marking the entrance to The Arches Provincial Park.

You won’t be able to see much from the road, so you might be tempted to drive past this stop. But trust us: you don’t want to miss this view. Once you drive past the cover of trees, you’ll be met with a breathtaking sight. A trio of arch formations has been carved from the rock by the sea across thousands of years!

Newfoundland’s The Arches Provincial Park has no admission fee. It’s a great place to take in the spectacular views while stretching your legs or enjoying a picnic.

Delve into history at Port au Choix National Historic Site

Our first sight upon arriving at Port au Choix National Historic Site was a caribou descending over a ridge. It was a fitting preview of the tranquil natural wonders we were about to experience.

Humans have been visiting this midway point on Newfoundland’s Great Northern Peninsula for more than 6,000 years. While Port au Choix National Historic Site sits on a peninsula today, this land was once an island. It’s been inhabited by five different Indigenous peoples as well as the Basques, who once frequented this area’s rich fishing waters.

There’s plenty of history here to explore. Check out the Basque wood-fired oven, the historic Maritime Archaic burial ground, and the Paleo-Eskimo settlement site at Phillip’s Garden. In a way, Port au Choix is as much a day-use park as it is a historic site. You’ll gain the most from your visit by exploring its many kilometres of stunning coastal trails. On quieter days, you may have the seaside at this lesser-known site entirely to yourself.

A visit to Port au Choix National Historic Site is a trip through human history. It’s well worth making the 20-minute detour off the highway as part of your Viking Trail road trip.

For an adventurous side trip, board the ferry to Labrador

Who knew a road trip could come with a side quest? Located roughly an hour north of Port au Choix, the Qajaq W. ferry from St. Barbe, Newfoundland provides one of only three ways to enter Labrador with a car. The ferry lands in Blanc-Sablon, Quebec, where you can explore the northernmost reaches of Quebec’s Côte-Nord region or head east and drive some or all of the remote and awestriking Trans-Labrador Highway.

During our visit, we drove to the village of Red Bay to visit Red Bay National Historic Site. Basque whalers established a port here in the 16th century. Here, you can learn more about the historic settlement and view artifacts from this era. While you’re in Red Bay, take in a whale watching or iceberg-hunting tour with Whaler’s Quest Ocean Adventures!

Even if you only have a couple of days for this side trip, there are some great reasons to consider adding it to your itinerary. If you love exploring the road less traveled, you want to see these starkly beautiful barren landscapes, or you’re arriving later in iceberg season and want a better chance of seeing one for yourself, this voyage is for you!

How long is the ferry ride from St. Barbe to Blanc-Sablon?

On average, the St. Barbe-Blanc Sablon ferry completes its journey across the Strait of Belle Isle in 1 hour and 45 minutes.

You’ll find a canteen on board the Qajaq W. selling refreshments. There’s plenty of window seating, with or without tables, for enjoying the views. If you visit during late spring or early summer, you’ll have a good chance of seeing icebergs from the boat along the way.

Don’t forget to factor in the time difference when you depart or return. Blanc-Sablon, where the mainland ferry dock is located, is the easternmost settlement in Quebec. It operates on Atlantic time but doesn’t observe daylight savings time. Meanwhile, the island of Newfoundland and the southeast portion of Labrador operate on the Newfoundland time zone.

This means the time difference between Blanc-Sablon and St. Barbe/southern Labrador can be either a half hour or 1.5 hours, depending on the time of year. For example, if it’s 3:00 PM in Blanc-Sablon in July, it’s 4:30 PM in Newfoundland and southern Labrador. This can be confusing as you plan your itinerary, so be sure to research carefully when calculating arrival and departure times.

Explore Viking life at L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site

Although the northernmost reaches of the island of Newfoundland are considered remote today, to early seafaring peoples they were among North America’s most accessible places. The Norse first landed in Newfoundland’s far north a thousand years ago, tracing a path that ran from modern-day Norway through Iceland, Greenland, and Labrador.

Today, the only undisputed remains of a pre-Columbus European settlement anywhere in North America are preserved at the tip of the Great Northern Peninsula at L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site.

The most engaging display here is the replica sod hut, where costumed interpreters explain and demonstrate what life may have been like in this Norse settlement 1,000 years ago. You might see them whittling tools from wood, playing games, preparing food, or even practicing for battle!

You can also view the historic ruins themselves, see some of the artifacts found on the site, take part in an escape room or a retelling of a Viking saga, and explore a 2.4-kilometre hiking trail through the bog and along the coast.

Plan to spend at least two hours at L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site exploring the visitor centre, historic ruins, and interpretive programs. If you’d like to explore the hiking trail and/or take part in timed programming, allot four hours or more. No food service is offered, so bring a picnic lunch, or time your visit around a midday meal at The Norseman Restaurant, located a five-minute drive from the site.

Drive to the end of the Viking Trail in Saint Anthony

Saint Anthony is the northernmost town on the island of Newfoundland, and it also marks the northern end of the Viking Trail. After turning inland at Eddies Cove and driving for nearly 80 kilometres without seeing another village, you’ll hardly believe your eyes when you reach this far-flung place and find a Tim Hortons, a microbrewery, and a car dealership. Canada truly is a vast and beautiful country!

The most famous resident of Saint Anthony was Sir Wilfred Grenfell. While you’re in town, learn more about his legacy by paying the Grenfell Historical Society a visit.

What is Sir Wilfred Grenfell known for?

Sir Wilfred Grenfell was the first European doctor to settle in Newfoundland and Labrador. He became the first trained doctor to deliver modern medicine to villages along the coasts of Labrador and northern Newfoundland.

The Grenfell Historical Society in St. Anthony records his life and works. Grenfell established a health network of six hospitals, seven nursing stations, and two hospital ships, improving living conditions in coastal communities throughout the province. Some visitors may wish to know in advance that Grenfell’s Christian missionary work in Indigenous communities is also detailed in the museum’s exhibits.

Where does the Viking Trail end?

The Viking Trail ends in Saint Anthony as you take Newfoundland Route 430 and then West Street all the way through town to the end of the road at Fishing Point Municipal Park.

Since the rest of the drive follows the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Strait of Belle Isle, this is the only point on the Viking Trail where you can look out over the Atlantic Ocean! Check out the Fox Point Lighthouse, have a great homecooked seafood meal at the Lightkeeper’s Café, stroll through the gift shop, and watch the sun set over Saint Anthony Harbour.

When you’re ready, rejoin Route 430 to head west and then south to return to Deer Lake. This is a rare drive where you’ll be delighted to see the same awe-inspiring scenery along your return trip!

Explore more Newfoundland and Labrador road trips >