Welcome to the windy, colourful and boisterous capital of Newfoundland. You will be picked up from the airport and brought to your St John's Hotel (details are provided with your final documents). Spend the rest of the day exploring one of the oldest cities in North America, discovering its bright-painted heritage houses and buildings, restaurants, galleries and antique shops. Your accommodation is also close to the legendary nightlife and live music on George Street. Tonight meet your guide for your group orientation.

Meals:  Nil

Your guide will pick you up from your St John's hotel. This stretch of trail features steep hills, a rugged coastline, and sweeping ocean views, with the chance to spot whales and seabirds, especially in the summer. About halfway from the Biscan Cove trailhead, you'll find a lovely picnic spot where Freshwater River meets the ocean by a creek and waterfall. The Horrid Gulch viewpoint is anything but horrid, though you'll want to watch for some boggy patches along the way. The trail also passes through prime berry-picking areas and the remnants of the Cape St. Francis Lighthouse, along with a still-operational helicopter pad. Walk back to your beautiful B&B in Pouch Cove.

Meals:  B,L,D

This morning the group will leave from your B&B in Pouch Cove, passing Shoe Cove, which was mostly used as a summer fishing station. Shoe Cove Road, constructed circa 1900, links the cove to the highway and allowed local families to homestead in the area nearby. After heading west and crossing Shoe Cove Brook, the trail continues along a traditional cow path through coastal woods on the cove's steep eastern slope. Cattle used to roam the community pasture nearby between the 1960s and the early 2000s, the early operational years of Shoe Cove's chief pasture. Lookout points and side trails along the day's route overlook Shoe Cove Island, exposed rock ledges and a few gorgeous waterfalls. You will reach Stiles Cove, where seals would haul up on sea ledges to rest and hunt in coves with streams frequented by salmon. Beyond this point are more wooded tracks, a known eagle's nest to keep an eye out for, and more sweeping views. The group will be shuttled to your B&B in Bay Bulls for the next two nights after you reach the Flatrock trailhead.

Meals:  B,L,D

The group will be picked up after breakfast and taken to the trail head at Petty Harbour for your hike to Cape Spear, the most easterly point of the continent, in the shadow of the oldest surviving lighthouse in Newfoundland and Labrador, and an iconic symbol of the province’s maritime history. Your hike will feature board-walked bog crossings, a variety of terrains, two river crossings and expansive views of deep swells rolling in across the Atlantic. Before the group is transferred back to your B&B in Bay Bulls, you will have plenty of time to explore the Cape Spear Lighthouse. Originally built in 1836, the lighthouse was rebuilt in 1955 using the active light of the original lighthouse.

Meals:  B,L,D

After a hearty breakfast, the group will take on two of the easier sections of the East Coast Trail, ending at the famous brightly-painted saltbox houses in the community of Tors Cove. With its epic views of blue ocean, rocks, field and forest, “the Cribbies” is the most photographed meadow in Newfoundland. It has one of the best views of the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, and fairy-tale magic about the place. The trail hugs the shoreline with lovely shore and coastal views all the way to the reserve, which is a sanctuary for puffins and migrating seabirds. The area is also a popular feeding ground for humpback whales, so keep an eye out for tails and breaches. The hike concludes in Beauline East, a charming, picturesque community that preserves the island’s rich fishing heritage. While waiting for our driver to arrive and bring the group to the next B&B in Port Kirwan, take a moment to admire the traditional fishing life at the covered dock, where you can observe the local culture up close.

Meals:  B,L,D

Today, sparkling turquoise waters and cliffside boardwalk await you at La Manche Provincial Park. The 50-metre/164-foot long swaying La Manche suspension bridge is another highlight of the East Coast Trail, crossing a tranquil cove that once serviced a long-abandoned fishing village. You’ll continue south along the Flamber Head Path, one of the more remote, underrated sections of the ECT. The trail rolls over wooded hills, headlands and cliff-faces with sweeping coastal views, concluding at your pick-up point in the charming little harbour community of Brigus South. You should note that the segment of trail approaching Brigus South involves some rugged terrain and can be more challenging in adverse conditions. A home-cooked meal awaits back in Port Kirwan.

Meals:  B,L,D

If there’s a single photo of your trip that will stop people in their tracks, it will be the massive sea arch at Berry Head located on the Spurwink Island Path section of the trail. Chunks of the stratified archway continue to fall to the ground below, while the reflecting ocean window is sublime on a summer day. The group will hike an out-and-back hike to the archway from your accommodation. A home cooked meal awaits at the B&B.

Meals:  B,L,D

A morning transfer awaits after breakfast to join this diverse coastal trail connecting Logy Bay with St. John’s. The trail features two significant elevation changes of 150 meters. Along the way, you'll enjoy stunning coastal vistas from atop Sugarloaf Head to the north, explore unique rock formations at the Skerries, and take in panoramic 360-degree views of St. John’s and Quidi Vidi from the Bawdens Highlands in the south. Be aware that the hiking trail and biking route, both well-marked, criss-cross up Bawdens Highland. After crossing White Hills and Bawdens Highland, Quidi Vidi Village offers a range of services for visitors and a community link to Signal Hill National Historic Site. The optional 175-meter climb up Signal Hill is well worth it, as viewers who have experienced the historic viewpoint will attest. The group will be walking back to your St. John's hotel, whether you decided to take the more relaxing route directly from Quidi Vidi Village or to climb Signal Hill for the impressive views of the city harbour and surroundings. Having ticked off some of the most magnificent hikes in Newfoundland, celebrate with some screech in the boisterous pubs on George Street.

Meals:  B,L

Services end after breakfast. We hope you enjoyed your stay at 'the Rock'!

Meals:  B