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Jellybean Row houses, St. John's

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Newfoundland

St. John's

North America's oldest English-founded city: colourful row houses climbing from the harbour, Cabot Tower on Signal Hill, Cape Spear at the continent's eastern edge, and boats to see puffins and whales.

14 things to do7 free1 ready-made trip

Photo: Jellybean Row houses, St. John's, Wallace Howe from Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0

You reach St. John's harbour through a narrow gap called the Narrows, guarded by Signal Hill. Cabot Tower, at the top, marks where Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless signal in 1901.

Downtown's brightly painted row houses are known as Jellybean Row. Cape Spear, 15 minutes south, is the most easterly point in North America. Be the first to see the sunrise.

Show

Free No charge to enter · Cheap A small entry, permit or parking fee · Paid Tickets, tours or rentals

Outdoors and nature

Trails, lookouts, waterfalls, beaches and time on the water come first.

Cabot Tower - Signal Hill
Cheap

Signal Hill

A hill over the Narrows with trails and Cabot Tower.

Parks Canada ↗
Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site
Cheap

Cape Spear

The most easterly point in North America, with a lighthouse.

Parks Canada ↗

Sights and attractions

Museums, landmarks and the places people come here for.

Cheap

Petty Harbour Mini Aquarium

A small catch-and-release aquarium.

Season Seasonal, check official site.

Petty Harbour Mini Aquarium ↗
The Rooms, St John's NL
Paid

The Rooms

The province's museum, art gallery and archives.

The Rooms ↗

Markets, shops and festivals

Main streets, markets and the dates worth planning around.

Book a tour or activity

Cruises, tours and experiences people book here. Each one goes to the operator's official page, and you can still add it to your trip.

Cruise

O'Brien's puffin and whale tours

Boat tours to the Witless Bay seabird islands for puffins and whales.

Season Tours run roughly May–Sept (check before you go).

O'Brien's Boat Tours ↗
Cruise

Gatherall's puffin and whale watch

Boat tours to see puffins, whales and icebergs.

Season Puffins roughly May–mid-Sept; whales peak early June–early Aug (check before you go).

Gatherall's ↗

Part of our Eastern Newfoundland guides.

Make it a weekend

Why stay the night

  • Live music on George Street at night.
  • A puffin boat at Witless Bay makes a day trip.
  • Sunrise at Cape Spear.
Book flights, cars and tours on Vulpeca Travel ↗

Nearby and worth the drive

Bonavista and Trinityabout 3 h · Guide ↗

A clifftop trail, puffins and two historic harbours, about three hours north-west.

Gros Morneabout 9 h · Guide ↗

Fjords and the Tablelands.

Witless Bayabout 35 min

Puffin and whale boats.

Ready-made trips with St. John's

Cliffs over Western Brook Pond, Gros Morne

5 days · Gros Morne National Park → St. John's

Gros Morne and the Avalon

Fjords and the Tablelands in the west, then capes and colourful houses in the east.

Good to know

  • Tourism: Destination St. John's.
  • We list only places we can check against an official source. Hours, seasons and prices change, so confirm before you go.

Photos on this page

Photo: Jellybean Row houses, St. John's, Wallace Howe from Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: Cabot Tower - Signal Hill, William Zimmerly, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site, KristaKals, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Quidi Vidi village, St. John's, Gordon Leggett, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove, NL A0A, Canada, BihnX, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: The Rooms, St John's NL, Mo Laidlaw, CC BY-SA 3.0

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