Day Trips from
St. John’s
Everything worth doing beyond the city. Cape Spear, Bay Bulls whale tours, Petty Harbour, the Ferryland Lighthouse Picnic, Bell Island’s mine, and Cape St. Mary’s the best day trips from St. John’s with drive times, what to book, and how to sequence a 3–4 day Avalon Peninsula stay.
🗺️ Why St. John’s Is the Best Base on the Avalon
St. John’s superpower is proximity. The city sits at the tip of the Avalon Peninsula, and within 90 minutes of downtown sits an extraordinary concentration of diverse experiences: the easternmost point in North America, one of the world’s largest puffin colonies, shore-based humpback whale watching, an actively excavated 17th-century settlement, 30,000 nesting gannets, and some of the most dramatic coastal scenery in Atlantic Canada. A 3 to 4 day St. John’s base with a rental car covers all of it without a single overnight drive.
To fully experience St. John’s and its surroundings, a visit of 4 to 5 days is recommended allowing time to explore the city’s historical sites, enjoy the local cuisine and George Street nightlife, and venture out to nearby natural attractions. The key is a rental car, which you should pick up at YYT Airport on arrival.
Two things sell out and cannot be booked on the day: (1) Bay Bulls whale and puffin boat tour book O’Brien’s or Gatherall’s at least a week ahead in July and August; (2) Ferryland Lighthouse Picnic basket call or book online before leaving St. John’s on the morning you plan to drive south. Arrive without a reservation for either and you will likely be turned away.
🚗 The Best Day Trips Sorted by Drive Time
Cape Spear National Historic Site is the most easterly point in North America a dramatic headland with two historic lighthouses, cliff-top walking paths, and consistently excellent whale and seabird sightings in summer. The North Head Trail along the cliff edge is one of the finest short walks near St. John’s. Icebergs drift past the headland in May and June. Best paired with Petty Harbour (15 minutes further south) for a half-day morning excursion before driving back for a Bay Bulls afternoon tour.
Petty Harbour is the most photogenic fishing village within easy reach of St. John’s traditional fishing stages lean over the harbour, colourful boats crowd the small dock, and the surrounding hills close the cove in on three sides. Chafe’s Landing Restaurant (32 Main Road, Petty Harbour) serves excellent fresh seafood in an atmospheric setting. The Petty Harbour Mini Aquarium is popular with families in summer. North Atlantic Ziplines (32 Main Road, Petty Harbour) offers an optional adventure add-on. Most naturally paired with Cape Spear into a single half-day circuit.
O’Brien’s Whale and Bird Tours and Gatherall’s Puffin and Whale Watch depart from Bay Bulls harbour for 2-hour tours into Witless Bay Ecological Reserve home to the largest Atlantic puffin colony in North America and one of the best humpback whale watching sites in the world. In June, icebergs are sometimes visible offshore on the same tour the triple play. This is the most important pre-booking on any St. John’s itinerary. Walk-on availability in shoulder season; July and August sell out weekly.
The flagship Irish Loop day trip. Collect your pre-ordered picnic basket from Lighthouse Picnics at 1 Lighthouse Road, Ferryland, then walk 2 kilometres along the headland to eat on the cliff with the Atlantic on three sides. Icebergs drift past in May and June. The Colony of Avalon one of North America’s best-preserved 17th-century European settlements, actively excavated in summer is directly adjacent. Allow a full day: drive south, morning at Colony of Avalon, afternoon picnic, optional continuation south on Route 10 to La Manche Trail.
The Bell Island ferry departs from Portugal Cove (15 minutes from St. John’s) for a 20-minute crossing. The No. 2 Mine Tour takes visitors underground into a former iron ore mine that was once the largest submarine iron ore mine in the world. Bell Island also has a significant WWII history involving German U-boat attacks on ore carriers in the harbour one of the only attacks on North American soil during the war. A genuinely extraordinary piece of industrial and military heritage, largely undiscovered by tourists.
One of the most accessible seabird colonies in North America 30,000 Northern Gannets nesting metres from the public viewing platform on Bird Rock. A 1.5 km trail from the Visitor Centre reaches the mainland cliff edge. Free to visit. Humpback and minke whales are regularly spotted from the clifftops. A 2-hour drive from St. John’s via Route 10 south through Placentia. Best paired with a St. Vincent’s Beach whale watching stop on the return route (shore humpbacks, free). Check fog forecast for St. Bride’s before the 2-hour drive.
La Manche Provincial Park sits on the Irish Loop south of Witless Bay and offers an accessible half-day hiking destination with a memorable centrepiece: a 35-metre suspension bridge over the La Manche River mouth. The 5-kilometre Village Path leads to the remains of an abandoned fishing village. Swimming holes along the river are popular in summer. Pairs naturally with the Ferryland day trip La Manche is 20 minutes north of Ferryland on Route 10.
📋 Sample 3-Day Avalon Day Trip Plan
| Day | Morning | Afternoon / Evening | Pre-book? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Signal Hill + Jellybean Row walk (in city no car needed) | Quidi Vidi Village + Brewery. George Street evening. | Mallard Cottage dinner |
| Day 2 | Cape Spear (25 min) morning light on cliff. Drive to Petty Harbour (15 min further) for lunch at Chafe’s Landing. | Bay Bulls whale and puffin boat tour (30 min from Petty Harbour). Return St. John’s evening. | Bay Bulls tour essential |
| Day 3 | Drive south to Ferryland (~90 min). Colony of Avalon archaeological site. | Ferryland Lighthouse Picnic on the headland. Optional: La Manche suspension bridge trail on return (20 min north of Ferryland). | Ferryland picnic basket |
| Day 4 (optional) | Cape St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve (~2 hrs SW). Check fog forecast first. | St. Vincent’s Beach whale watching from shore (30 min from Cape St. Mary’s). Return to St. John’s. | None needed |
St. John’s downtown is walkable for the city attractions Signal Hill, Jellybean Row, George Street, and The Rooms are all accessible without a car. But every day trip destination requires one. Pick up your rental car at the airport on Day 1 and keep it for the full stay. It pays for itself on Day 2 alone. Book 3–4 months ahead for summer inventory at YYT sells out.
Planning Your St. John’s Day Trips?
Book your rental car first, then the Bay Bulls whale tour, then the Ferryland Lighthouse Picnic. In that order.
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