Pubs, Puffins & Atlantic Chaos

After arriving in St. John's, we'll settle into our hotel before heading out to meet the group and start the adventure properly.

Our first stop is George Street, one of Canada's most famous nightlife districts and home to more pubs per square metre than seems entirely necessary. Over welcome drinks you'll get your first taste of Newfoundland hospitality, local beer and live music. Don't be surprised if complete strangers start talking to you. Around here that's considered normal.

Expect local lagers, craft brews, folk music and a strong possibility that your "one quick drink" quietly becomes several.

This morning we head to Cape Spear, the easternmost point in North America. After standing on the edge of a continent and taking in the Atlantic views, we'll spend the day exploring dramatic coastlines, fishing villages and hidden coves.

Along the way we'll stop at local pubs and breweries where fishermen, retirees and storytellers gather to discuss everything from hockey to weather forecasts that are almost certainly wrong.

Expect sea views, fresh seafood and pubs where the conversations are often better than the decor.

Today belongs to the Atlantic Ocean.

We'll head out in search of whales, puffins and, depending on the season, giant icebergs drifting south from Greenland. Watching a humpback whale explode from the water while holding a coffee is one thing. Watching one while discussing where to find the next beer is quite another.

Later we'll visit small coastal communities where every harbour has a story and every pub seems to have a local character who's become part of the furniture.

Expect wildlife, ocean air and bars where everyone somehow knows each other.

Today we hit the road towards Bonavista, stopping at scenic lookouts, fishing villages and a selection of local watering holes along the way.

This isn't a pub crawl in the traditional sense. Think more "slowly drinking your way through one of the most beautiful coastlines in North America."

We'll sample local beers, hear stories about shipwrecks, storms and survival, and learn why Newfoundlanders can turn almost any conversation into an entertaining tale.

Expect incredible scenery, local brews and at least one pub dog.

Twillingate is famous for icebergs, but it also happens to be an excellent place to enjoy a drink while staring at something that has travelled further than most tourists.

We'll spend the day exploring rugged coastlines and hunting for icebergs before settling into a local pub for an evening of music, laughter and Newfoundland hospitality.

Expect local beer, rum, whisky and enough tall tales to fill several guidebooks.

By now you'll have sampled Newfoundland beer, explored countless harbours and probably started using local expressions incorrectly.

Tonight we celebrate properly.

Expect a farewell feast, local drinks, live music and the opportunity to take part in the famous Screech-In ceremony, Newfoundland's traditional initiation for visitors. We won't reveal exactly what happens, but your dignity may need to take the evening off.

The music usually gets louder as the night progresses. Coincidentally, so do the stories.

After breakfast it's time to say goodbye to Newfoundland.

You'll leave with photographs of whales, icebergs and dramatic coastlines, but you'll probably remember the pubs most clearly. The live music. The conversations. The stories. The locals who treated you like an old friend despite meeting you five minutes earlier.

And, if we're being realistic, you'll spend the flight home trying to explain what a Screech-In is to somebody who wasn't there.