Tours

Local operators offer sea kayaking, ocean diving, canoeing, wildlife viewing, mountain biking, white-water rafting, hiking, and interpretive walks in summer. In winter, snowmobiling expeditions are popular. In spring and early summer, a favored activity is iceberg watching. Maxxim Vacations in St. John's organizes packaged adventure and cultural tours. McCarthy's Party in St. John's arranges guided bus tours, learning vacations, and charter services. The luxurious Tuckamore Lodge, in Main Brook, on the Great Northern Peninsula, is a base for winter snowmobile excursions and for viewing caribou, seabird colonies, whales, and icebergs. Wildland Tours in St. John's operates weeklong guided tours to view wildlife and visit historically and culturally significant sites.

Maxxim Vacations. Offering a range of tours, they are notable for their "self-drive" options where they plan your trip and book the rental car and accommodations for you but you enjoy the trip unescorted. 709/754–6666; 800/567–6666; www.maxximvacations.com. Self-drive weeklong tours start at C$1,019; escorted tours from C$1,800.

McCarthy's Party. Specializing in bus tours, the guides are never a letdown; they show intimate knowledge of the area and with plenty of humor. Offering everything from three-hour tours of St. John's to 12-day tours of the entire province, they will handle all aspects of your trip including luggage handling. 709/579–4444; 888/660–6060; www.mccarthysparty.com. Half-day tours start at C$55; weeklong tours start at C$2,090.

Tuckamore Lodge. Activity packages specialize in fishing, and the outdoor experience with whale- and iceberg-watching, wilderness adventures, snowmobiling, kayaking, and hiking. 709/865–6361; 888/865–6361; www.tuckamorelodge.com/tour-packages-cat.htm. Weeklong hiking tours start at C$1,550; fishing tours C$700/day.

Wildland Tours. These are full-week packages focusing on various parts of Newfoundland or Labrador. They include all accommodations but not airfare. 709/722–3123; 888/615–8279; www.wildlands.com. Tours in summer start at C$2,950 .