We came here for my wife's birthday (at the time, fiancé), and it turned out to be an absolute…read moreblast -- easily one of the highlights of our trip! The crew was amazing and so memorable, making the whole experience even better. The views along the coastline and out on the water were stunning, and we even made it all the way down to the beautiful Cape Spear. To top it off, we were lucky enough to spot a couple of whales, puffins and eagles during the trip -- truly unforgettable. If you're in St. John's, this is an absolute must-do experience. Highly recommend!

We were not disappointed!! Today we saw lots of puffins, a bald eagle, several northern Gannett…read more(looks like an albatross!) but the best part was seeing 2 humpback whales who came up to the boat. They even rubbed their backs under the boat and nudged us some. Several times they poked their noses out of the water, flapped a fin like a wave, and brought their tails out of the water, we got sprayed by there blowhole. And they stayed around the boat. Outstanding. The crew was serious about safety and even provided a squirt of sunscreen. The history, humor, and Screech-in ceremony were certainly memorable. Definitely recommend this group!

In order to see puffins (and sometimes whales), book a tour with this family-owned business for…read moreover 40 years. The day before our tour, we walked in and book the 8:45am tour for the next day. Here's our experience. We arrive 20 minutes before our departure, checking in inside the gift shop. We used the restrooms and lined up to board. The ship itself fits 100 people. There's an outside on the top and inside seats with a bar, restrooms, and warmth. There are views out the windows. The staff are great and teach you about the 2.5M sea birds at Gull Island. After being on the bumpy water for 30 minutes, we arrived and saw tons of puffins and other birds. Afterwards, we tried to spot whales, but were unsuccessful. We arrived back at the dock exactly 1.5 hours from when we left.

Top 3 experiences in my St John's trip! I'm always a litter…read morenervous getting on a boat because I do get sea sick from time to time. But from the moment we were greeted this experience calmed my heart. The greeting was warm and genuine, even by the kind lady who was tending to the restrooms before we got in the boat (which were immaculately clean) The boat itself was spacious and with its two levels gave room for everyone. When we began our sail we were treated with some live music by one of the gentlemen who worked the ship. It was the perfect start to our sail. They took their time looking for whales which we did see, and as we went out further to see the puffin the knowledge they shared about the different birds was incredible, they really know their stuff! They have a small bar on board which is great if you want to become a honorary Newfoundlander by being screeched in! Even on the way back they took time to show us more whales! Amazing experience that I'll Never forget!

Quaint amazing brewery in Quidi Vidi and a must see for all visitors to Newfoundland. Probably the…read moremost amazing brewery location on the inlet of the Atlantic Ocean with local fisherman going by the brewery in their fishing boats. Fantastic selection of beers and sours with my recommendation to try a flight and try 4 of what's on their taps. Very inclusive and feeling like a local here. Highly recommended. I tried their 10,000 year old glacier ice lager and 3 others which were all fantastic!

Tried some of the food. We weren't a huge fan of the cod…read moretongue and the fish cakes. Beers are excellent and place is very cool to hang out at. Wasnt a fan of the cocktails. Lots of great souvenirs for the brewery.

We recently had friends visiting from Honduras and decided to immerse them into some local history…read moreby booking a 'Travel Through Twine' walking tour of the Battery in St. John's with Randy Pearcey. I have to say that it is one of the best ways to spend a few hours, especially if you have friends or family visiting from away. Randy is a retired teacher and is a wealth of knowledge of the area with an ability to educate his guests in a very passionate and informative way. Tony Pearcey had the wood stove nicely burning by the time we returned to Pearcey's Twine Store after our walking tour, which was so welcoming. We were able to relax, tell a few stories and enjoy the view of the harbour. This tour is highly recommended. It's a very good experience and will leave you with many good memories. I highly recommend it. Janet Lenover Bay Roberts, NL

We went to Manuels River as a last-minute activity before boarding a plane back to Toronto. We…read morethought it would help tire the kids out. But as we rushed off to the airport 3 hours later, we were wishing we had more time to spend at this beautiful place, and talking about all the things we'd like to do there the next time we visit. We started our morning with a tour of the truly excellent Interpretation Centre, which is the perfect size to get a great overview without being overwhelmed. The information is presented in a very accessible way, and there are plenty of things to touch and buttons to push to keep children engaged. We were also provided with some additional information by a Manuels River facilitator, Madison, who was very knowledgeable and great with our kids. She also provided us with a map and directions to set us up for our hike. The trails are well marked and well groomed and perfect for families - we even brought our stroller along. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking. But the highlight for me was searching for trilobite fossils in the shale beds - and actually finding (a small) one! Very unique experience, and my dinosaur-obsessed kids loved every moment.

We did the combination tour while in St. John's which is a 3 hour tour. Most of that time is spent…read moretraveling between the stops we made. We went to Cape Spear, Petty Harbour, downtown St. John's, Signal Hill, Cabot Tower & Quidi Vidi. I appreciated the breadth of Brendan's knowledge about St. John's & Newfoundland in general. During the drive he would tell us interesting historical facts & stories. I do wish we'd had more time at each stop. The longest time we had was at Cape Spear, about 25 minutes. Hubby & I only had enough time to go up to the gift shop, take some pictures of the lighthouse & views. It would have been nice to get a chance to hike around some more. Also the van we were transported in fit 4 couples comfortably but it looked kind of worn. Some of the upholstery on the backs of the seats was fraying & the van smelled a bit musty. There was another tour group shadowing us & their bus looked much larger & newer so I was wishing we'd been in a nice bus like that. Other than that though, I would say the tour was enjoyable. The price of the tour was fair.

Very disappointed in this tour. I went on it to learn about the history of St. John's... cause you…read moreknow it has a long, vivid history. What we got was some guy driving us around in a van - except it wasn't near as creepy as that sentence sounds. We received a few tidbits of information, but a lot more bad jokes. Just avoid it.

No one answers the phone, causing stress when flight was running late. Changes made from rental…read moretime of 7:00 am to 7:00 pm did not go through. Car was i piece of junk. Felt old and warn down. "Maintenance Required" light/message was on, which blocked the use of cruise control. Tire had a leak, which we had to hunt down a place to get air to fill it back up. I requested compensation for the inadequate quality of this vehicle. They agreed if was not good and repeatedly (every message included) said how important quality is, but only provided a very small refund to me. 5% of the cost of the rental, not including the repairs I was charged for, which I'm uncertain I was at fault for given the quality of this car. They clearly did not ensure I was provided a vehicle is tip top shape. First car rental that was much worse then my vehicles back home. I'll never rent from Avis again.

I can't say enough about the wonderful service at this Avis location. I had troubles with my air…read morebooking and called the main Avis line to let them know I'd be arriving early the next morning instead of late night. The counter closes at 2am so I knew I would miss my pick up. The 800 line told me they could not adjust my reservation because they were sold out of cars. I explained I was not cancelling, just picking up late, but that made no difference. A bit later in the day I decided to try and call the location at St John's directly, which I did. When I called I spoke with Kelly and she assured me that they would have a car for me the next morning and not to worry, what a relief! My flight arrived at 3am and low and behold, there was a young lady at the Avis counter checking in another group! Evidentially they were driving far and needed their car that night so the young lady chose to stay the extra hour and help them. I introduced myself and she immediately said, we were expecting you in the morning but I'm happy to help you now. Wow!!! She checked me in, and I also might add they had booked me as an arrival into the wrong airport so she had to adjust that, adjusted my rate, and gave me a nicer car. I've read a lot of negative rental car reviews from St John's, so I really felt I needed to share my wonderful experience. Thanks Avis St John's for helping to make my stay so wonderful:)

Located directly across from The Mallard Cottage restaurant, this is a tastefully done guest house…read morein the style of cottages in Newfoundland. The inn actually consists of two houses, each with four guest rooms. Guests can enjoy breakfasts from the restaurant and walk up the road to the scenic, and narrow, entrance to the harbor or visit the nearby brewery. Quidi Vidi is one of the most scenic harbors you'll ever see and this is a major addition to the St. John's experience. It's only a ten minute drive to downtown St John's, but you probably won't want to leave Quidi Vidi. Now you won't have to.