St. John's City and Coastal Private SUV Tour with Guide

5.00 (22 reviews) 100% rated it 5 stars
Free cancellationExcellent quality
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1/44
Meeting pointPickup optional
Duration5h–6h
GroupPrivate
Live guideEN
Book up to4h before

Six hours at your own pace through St. John's history, from Jellybean Row to the Atlantic cliffs

A private SUV tour of St. John's and Cape Spear National Historic Site lasting around six hours, with a local guide and no more than four travelers per vehicle. The guide shares stories from 65+ years living in the city, stops run 30 to 90 minutes each, and you walk inside a working fishing stage, an 1800s lighthouse, and a traditional Newfie shed. Pickup is included. Cape Spear's entrance fee is covered.

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Step-by-step itinerary

Explore St. John's city and coast

  • Begin in historic downtown St. John's
  • See Jellybean Row colorful houses
  • Walk along Southside Road coastline
  • View Battery and Chain Rock
  • See Cabot Tower from below
  • Explore Fort Amherst ruins and coastline
  • Stop at lookout over St. John's harbour
  • Tour Cape Spear lighthouse and WWII tunnels
  • Watch for whales, icebergs, and puffins
  • Visit Petty Harbour fishing village
  • Walk wharf and see fishermen fillet cod
  • Lunch at Chafe’s Landing seafood restaurant
  • Pass Newfoundland National War Memorial
  • View the Four Sisters stone homes
  • Walk Quidi Vidi Village and artisan studios
  • See Quidi Vidi Brewing Company
  • Visit The Gut fishing inlet
  • Stop inside a traditional Newfie Shed
  • Pass Fort Pepperell military base site
  • Tour Cabot Tower monument
  • End at Signal Hill National Historic Site
  • Climb Cabot Tower on Signal Hill
  • Learn about noon day gun and Marconi history

The experience

Six hours is long enough to move slowly through St. John's without the pace of a crowded bus tour. You start downtown at Jellybean Row (the famous Victorian houses painted in brilliant colors), then walk the Southside Road coastline past the Battery and Chain Rock, where a chain once stretched across the harbor to block enemy ships. Fort Amherst sits at the end of that walk, its World War II gun batteries and ruins overlooking the open ocean. A lookout stop gives you a panoramic view of Water Street and the harbor before the SUV heads east.

Cape Spear National Historic Site is the continent's easternmost point. You explore the underground WWII tunnels, see the disappearing gun, and tour the restored 1800s lighthouse to learn how lightkeepers lived. In season, the lookout offers close views of icebergs, breaching whales and diving puffins. From there, Petty Harbour (a fishing village continuously inhabited since the late 1500s) is where you step inside a working fishing stage and watch fishermen fillet cod. You eat lunch at Chafe's Landing with reserved VIP tables, avoiding the notorious two-hour waits. The menu runs from fresh seafood to burgers and Newfoundland dishes. The fishermen you just watched are the ones who caught the cod on your plate.

The afternoon loops through Quidi Vidi Village, a 1600s fishing settlement tucked inside the city, where you walk narrow streets lined with colorful homes and stop inside a traditional Newfie shed. You pass the Quidi Vidi Brewing Company and watch fishermen navigate the narrow inlet at "The Gut." The tour ends at Signal Hill, where Cabot Tower stands 400 meters above the city. Climb to the top for views of the entire harbor, the Atlantic, and the defensive "horseshoe" layout (Cape Spear, Fort Amherst, the Battery, and Signal Hill) that protected the entrance for centuries. This is where Guglielmo Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless signal in 1901.

What’s included

  • Pickup in a private air-conditioned SUV.
  • a local guide who has lived in St. John's at least 65 years.
  • bottled water.
  • entrance ticket and fees for Cape Spear National Historic Site.
  • a handmade souvenir from your guide to keep.

Before you book

Days and timesSundayDeparts at 09:00
Book up to4h before
AgesAdult (9 and older) · Under 9: can't be booked
GroupPrivate
Live guideEnglish
Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 3 pickup points.
Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know
Moderate physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Iconic Newfoundland A Coastal Journey

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English and has lived in St. John's for at least 65 years, so the stories are rooted in real experience rather than a script. Book this if you want to hear how locals actually see their city. The private SUV holds no more than four travelers and moves at your pace, spending 30 to 90 minutes at each stop, which suits anyone who wants to linger and explore rather than tick off a list of photo spots.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

What is Jellybean Row and why are those houses painted so bright?

Jellybean Row is the iconic row of Victorian houses in downtown St. John's painted in brilliant colors. The guide shares the stories behind why these homes were painted such vivid shades, a tradition unique to the city's character.

Can I actually go inside the lighthouse at Cape Spear?

Yes. The 1800s lighthouse at Cape Spear is meticulously restored and you tour the inside to see how lightkeepers lived during that era. The climb to the top is steep, but the lighthouse can be viewed from below if you prefer.

Do I get to meet the fishermen at Petty Harbour?

Yes. You step inside a working fishing stage and watch the fishermen fillet their daily catch. You talk with them and hear their personal stories from the harbor, then eat lunch at Chafe's Landing where the cod on the menu comes from the fishermen you just met.

What makes Signal Hill the end point of the tour?

Signal Hill towers over St. John's and offers a panoramic view of the entire harbor, the Atlantic, and the Narrows. From the top of Cabot Tower, you can see how Cape Spear, Fort Amherst, the Battery, and Signal Hill historically formed a defensive "horseshoe" to lock down the harbor entrance. The geography the guide has explained throughout the day finally clicks into place.

Is this tour suitable if I have limited mobility?

Many areas of the tour can be visited or viewed from accessible points. The lighthouses involve steep climbs and are difficult to reach fully, but can be viewed from below. Other areas of Cape Spear and Fort Amherst are accessible. You can choose individually which portions of the tour to participate in.

St. John's City and Coastal Private SUV Tour with Guide

5h–6h · EN

from CA$ 169 per person

5.0022 reviewsVerified traveler reviews via our booking provider
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