The Best Things to Do in St. John's, Newfoundland

While there are many places to visit in Canada, Newfoundland is an unmissable province with landscapes, traditions, and a cultural vibe that's truly unique. When travelling to Newfoundland, you'll likely spend at least a few days in St. John's, the capital city of Newfoundland and Labrador. These are the very best things to do in St. John's, NL.

Whether you spend a long weekend in St. John's or take a road trip around Newfoundland, I'm sure that you'll be captivated by this fascinating place. From the brightly painted homes to the warm and inviting locals, it actually reminds me more of Ireland than Canada (and people's accents are even more Irish I find!).

I've since travelled to Newfoundland twice and I'm sure that I'll be back again and again. Every time I visit St. John's, there's always something new to discover. I've compiled a list of the top things to do in St. John's so you can have the best trip.

Walking Tour of St. John's

Taking a walking tour is a great way to become familiarized with a new place. Plus, you'll learn some history and interesting facts on the way. Why not take a walking tour of St. John's, Newfoundland with a knowledgeable, local guide? This is one of the oldest cities in North America with many intriguing tales.

On a downtown walking tour, you'll embark on a stroll with a small group from Water Street to Duckworth Street to Bannerman Park and the Colonial Building. Learn about how Newfoundland became a Canadian province (and was the last to do so, in 1949).

Admire the architecture of St. John's, walk past the Anglican Cathedral of St. John the Baptist and end your tour at the War Memorial. This walking tour lasts approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, and you can take it in the morning or the afternoon depending on your schedule. Book this tour here.

Things to Do in St. John's: Hike at Signal Hill

Signal Hill National Historic Site is a must visit location that is easily accessed by car or by foot. On my first trip to St. John's, I drove to the top of the hill to admire the scenery. On my second trip to St. John's, I walked the North Head Trail from The Battery and up to the top. Out of the two options, the hike is definitely the most memorable and offers the most spectacular scenery.

Hiking the North Head Trail at Signal Hill is one of the best things to do in St. John's, if not the best thing. Walk through The Battery neighbourhood and along a footpath and boardwalks on the edge of the North Atlantic. Admire Ross Valley, a hanging valley formed by a glacier during the last ice age.

I'd rate this hike as moderate. It is 1.7km from the bottom to the top and it will take you at least an hour. I stopped to take many photos on the way and walked quite leisurely, and I spent about two hours here. Be prepared for some stairs, especially on the final ascent, and plenty of wind.

From the top of Signal Hill, soak up panoramic views of St. John's and the Atlantic Ocean. While this was once the site of famous battles between the English and the French, Signal Hill is most well known for its role in communications history.

In 1901, Guglielmo Marconi received the first ever transatlantic wireless signal there. If this didn't happen, we might not have the same wireless technology as we do today.

If you have some extra time at Signal Hill, venture over to the nearby Johnson Geo Centre. This science centre is cut into the ancient rock at Signal Hill. Go underground to learn about our planet's history and nature. This is also a perfect rainy day activity in St. John's.

The Houses of Jellybean Row

Who knew that St. John's was so bright and cheery? I have a thing for colourful houses. St. John's has the most brightly painted houses in one space that I've ever seen.

Jellybean Row isn't a street, but many streets of St. John's. These colourful homes are everywhere. There are rows upon rows of houses, street after street, in every colour of the rainbow.

While there are candy-coloured storefronts on Water Street and Duckworth Street, head a couple of streets north to find a myriad of rainbow houses. Jellybean Row captures the playful nature of the city, and seeing them is one of the best things to do in St. John's, Newfoundland.

While many visitors might think that the colourful paint is attributed to helping the fishermen find the land in the fog, this isn't true at all. It really started when the city's residents wanted to spruce up its downtown.

They gave it new life with splashes of colour back in the 1970s. Nowadays, St. John's is known for Jellybean Row and it's one of the most iconic symbols of the city.

One other thing I should mention: St. John's is quite hilly! You will walk up hills to reach the jellybean houses and around the downtown area in general. Visiting St. John's is a great workout. Every day is leg day.

Things to Do in St. John's: Quidi Vidi Village

Quidi Vidi is a neighbourhood in St. John's with a picturesque harbour and a few exceptional attractions. Pronounced "kitty vitty", this quaint fishing village will transport you back in time. The views from the wharf are sensational and I snapped more than a few photos here.

The Quidi Vidi Village Plantation is an incubator for local and emerging artists and artisans, doubling as both a workspace and a studio. At these booths, I interacted with the craftspeople and was able to purchase their creations. We found pottery, screen printed works, handspun yarn, paintings, and more.

Craft beer fans won't want to miss the famous Quidi Vidi Brewery. While there are many refreshing brews, the most iconic is their Iceberg Beer. Yes, they use iceberg water to brew the beer, harvested from chunks of icebergs that materialize off the coast of Newfoundland. I really enjoy their Crown & Anchor light lager, too.

Brew Bus Tour

Speaking of breweries, why not take a tour of the best breweries in St. John's? McCarthy's Party offers their Brew Bus Tour for larger groups of at least 16 people.

I attended the Brew Bus Tour as an activity during the TMAC conference in St. John's. If you're seeing St. John's with a bigger group, this is a great option, though I understand that most of you won't be travelling with so many people.

If you still want to see the breweries and brewpubs of St. John's, I'll list the ones that I visited on my Brew Bus Tour so you can check them out on your own. Most of these are within walking distance of one another, so you can have a pint at each place across the afternoon.

YellowBelly Brewery is a historic venue that spans five floors with exceptional craft brews. Happy Hour is from 4pm-6pm daily with $5 pints. I sampled the Come From Away Islander Pale Ale, Fighting Irish Red Ale, Wexford Wheat, and the YellowBelly Pale Ale in a flight.

Next, we popped over to the Newfoundland Embassy Pub & Eatery for another local pint. I tried the Kolsch49 by Boomstick Brewing Co out of Corner Brook, NL.

Fun fact: Newfoundland doesn't have an embassy as it's part of Canada (and you'd visit the Canadian Embassy for assistance), but it doesn't stop the pub receiving calls from people thinking they're actually an embassy building.

Afterwards, I had another pint at Brewdock Beer Bar where I enjoyed a lager by Banished Brewing Ltd (Paradise, NL) called An Elaborate Series of Mirrors. Brewdock has so many local beers on tap so you can drink your way around Newfoundland in one place.

On the beer tour, we ended our day at Quidi Vidi Brewing, which I've previously mentioned above. But, another great brewery in St. John's to check out is Bannerman Brewing in the east end of downtown St. John's.

They've got an amazing patio and fantastic beers to match. There are their regular and rotating varieties, including some unique finds like a rice lager and blackberry haskap fruited ale.

Things to Do in St. John's: Get Screeched In

An absolute must for newbies to Newfoundland: getting screeched in. I got screeched in on my first visit to the province and it's one of the best things to do in St. John's. Feel free to do this at the end of your stay as a memorable send off!

The "screech-in" ceremony is performed on non-Newfoundlanders ("mainlanders") to welcome you to the province. It involves taking a shot of dark rum (screech), reciting some traditional lines, and kissing a cod. Skipper Dickie performed the ceremony at O'Reilly's, a pub on George Street, a lengthy stretch of pubs in St. John's.

You hold your shot of screech, recite the line (Deed I is, me ol' cock! And long may yer big jib draw!), down the shot and then kiss the fish (which was a frozen fish). We saw another ceremony that involved kissing the bum of a toy puffin, which was a lot cuter and less smellier. After this joyful and hilarious ceremony, I felt one step closer to belonging in Newfoundland.

Things to Do in St. John's: Mad Catter Cafe

Love cats? Miss your cat at home when travelling? Both of those apply to me, so I happily spent an hour at the Mad Catter Cafe to get my daily dose of kitties on the road. Like the name suggests, they have cats and they have coffee. I enjoyed both!

Every cat here is up for adoption and provided by St. John's Humane Service's Animal Care and Adoption Centre. If you fall in love with one of the cats, you might be able to adopt him or her. Otherwise, you're welcome to spend some time with the friendly cats while sipping a coffee.

For one small fee, you can spend 50 minutes in the cat room. You might be able to walk in and visit without any issues, but I recommend making a reservation on their website just to be sure. Visit the cats in a relaxing environment that feels like a living room with loads of cat beds and scratching posts.

Things to Do in St. John's: The Rooms

The Rooms is Newfoundland and Labrador's largest public cultural space. There are many stories to uncover in Newfoundland and The Rooms shares many of them. It's a great way to immerse yourself in the local culture, both past and present. Explore the collections and exhibits through its art, artifacts, archaeology, architecture and archival records.

Downtown St. John's Shops and Cafes

Downtown St. John's has many interesting stores, coffee shops and restaurants lining Water Street, Duckworth Street and beyond. Whether it's for coffee or a new plant, don't miss stopping by Calathea's.

A lovely mother and daughter team own and operate Calathea's and it was fun chatting to them both. The plants and greenery here is stunning and my coffee was one of the best I had in the city.

Posie Row is another shop filled with unique finds, whether they're made locally by artisans or sourced from around the globe. Pins, jewelry, pots and planters, kitchenware, greeting cards, accessories, clothing, and other quirky items might end up coming home with you.

Terre Cafe on Water Street is right inside the front lobby of the Alt Hotel St. John's. This is an excellent choice when seeking your first cup of coffee of the day or a little mid-afternoon pick me up. The coffee here is bold and flavourful. While there are many great coffee shops in St. John's, don't miss trying one at Terre Cafe.

Fred's Records is the place to find Newfoundland music and DVDs as it's the most complete source in the world. It's been a staple of St. John's since 1972 and specializes in Newfoundland and traditional Irish music. Of course, there's music across all genres so you'll certainly find something that interests you.

Cape Spear at Sunrise

A highlight of the trip was watching the sunrise at Cape Spear, just outside of St. John's. We woke up bright and early at 4:00am to make the drive, as the sun rises at around 5:15am. With a coffee in hand, I soaked up my surroundings in total awe. This is one of the best things to do in St. John's, NL.

I was one of the first to see the sunrise that day in North America. Cape Spear is the most eastern point in Canada and the sunrise was spectacular.

The Cape Spear Lighthouse is a national historic site as it's the oldest surviving lighthouse in Newfoundland and Labrador. There's a second, more modern lighthouse a little closer to the cliff edge.

You will need a car to reach Cape Spear and its lighthouses, especially this early in the morning. I'll share my suggestions for rental cars a little later in this article.

Whale and Bird Watching Tour

St. John's is home to some pretty amazing wildlife and a boat tour is an unmissable experience. We boarded a boat tour with O'Brien's Whale and Bird Tours in the hopes of seeing some wildlife. At different times of the year, you can view whales, seabirds, and even icebergs!

In the spring, many migrating birds were everywhere, including the adorable Atlantic Puffin. While Justin and I saw a bunch of puffins and whales in Iceland, but nothing compared to the quantity of puffins I saw in Witless Bay, Newfoundland.

We watched hundreds upon hundreds of puffins flutter in the air and glide into the water, sometimes clumsily splashing about. These tiny birds certainly are quite cute, and I  can't get enough of them.

Out of the four islands in Witless Bay we passed, Green Island had a massive amount of Common Murres. There had to be thousands of them, resting on the rocks and flying in the air.

From afar, they almost look like penguins with their black and white feathers. I've travelled across oceans to witness something this beautiful, and scenery and wildlife sightings that are equally as amazing (if not better) exist right in my own country. Book your tour here.

Coastal Villages of the Avalon Peninsula

I highly recommend driving a car from the city if you have a few days in St. John's. While there's plenty of things to do in St. John's, you're going to want to get out to explore the rugged coastline and the quaint harbour villages. From Bauline East to Petty Harbour, there is no shortage of dramatic scenery dotted with colourful homes.

Continue your way up the coastline north of St. John's to the villages of Flatrock and Pouch Cove for more stunning views. Flatrock was even designated as one of the "Tidy Towns," a tradition I thought only existed in Ireland. Apparently, it's alive and well on the east coast of Canada, too!

Getting Around

When you travel to St. John's, I highly recommend renting a car. Downtown St. John's is very walkable, and you won't need a car if you only intend on exploring the downtown core. You can also walk to Signal Hill and Quidi Vidi.

However, I wouldn't travel to St. John's without experiencing Cape Spear and the activities and coastal villages of the Avalon Peninsula. You will need a car to get to these destinations.

I always use Discover Cars to book my rental cars when I go anywhere. Discover Cars allows you to compare prices between multiple car rental agencies to find the best rates. They've also got great customer service. Do a quick rental car search and book your vehicle here.

Where to Eat in St. John's

As I follow a vegan diet, I'm going to share a few of my favourite vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants in St. John's. Even if you aren't vegan or vegetarian yourself, you should consider heading to these establishments as they serve up such delicious cuisine.

Peaceful Loft is a vegan Chinese restaurant with dishes from Macau. It's operated by a very sweet Asian couple: he works in the front and she cooks the delicious food in the kitchen. They both show amazing hospitality and serve up flavourful cuisine. If there's one place you should dine in St. John's, this is the spot.

Toslow is my top pick for breakfast in St. John's. This eclectic eatery and bar on Duckworth Street opens early for breakfast and stays open late for drinks. The breakfast and brunch menus are very vegan-friendly. Don't miss the vegan Griddle sandwich served only on weekends.

The Nook and Cannery is a cozy cafe and eatery that emphasizes sustainability and community. This restaurant has a very vegan-friendly menu, including fresh homemade baked goods. While the vast majority of dishes can be made vegan, I suggest trying what I ate - the Southern Buffalo Tofu Tacos and Truffle Parm Fries.

Bad Bones Ramen is an authentic ramen restaurant in downtown St. John's, Newfoundland. The menu changes regularly based on seasonality, but there are always vegetarian dishes that are vegan-friendly. There's a vegetable miso ramen and a vegetable shoyu ramen.

Where to Stay in St. John's

So far, I've travelled to St. John's on two separate occasions and I've stayed at two different hotels. I'd recommend either of them in a heartbeat. They both offer friendly customer service, a great location, and a number of amenities.

JAG Boutique Hotel

On my first trip to St. John's, I spent two glorious evenings at the JAG Boutique Hotel in downtown St. John's. From the accommodation, we could walk all over town or hop in the car and embark on our road trip. Besides the perfect location, I had a very peaceful night's sleep in my spacious and comfortable suite.

Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland

On my second trip to St. John's for the TMAC conference, I stayed at our host hotel, the Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland. It's located on the east end of downtown St. John's, making it an ideal place to stay in terms of location. The rooms are spacious and comfortable, and you'll enjoy a restful night's sleep for sure.