St. John's is the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is the oldest city in North America outside of the Caribbean and is on the Avalon Peninsula in the southeast corner of the island of Newfoundland. Highlights in this city facing the Atlantic are military history, colourful houses along hilly streets and many variants of fish and chips.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
St. John's is the easternmost point on the Trans-Canada Highway, a network of roads leading more than 8,000 km westward to Victoria, British Columbia. In fact, the easternmost point in North America aside from Greenland, Cape Spear, is just 15 km from downtown. With a location 2,100 km (1,339 miles) northeast of Toronto, St. John's is closer to Dublin than to Vancouver on the west coast of Canada, and closer to the Azores than to Ottawa. It is 3½ hours behind Greenwich Mean Time, 1½ hours ahead of Eastern Time, and 4½ hours ahead of Pacific Time. A taste of the Old World in the New, St.
Metrobus, ☏ +1 709-722-9400, informationservices@metrobus.com. St. John's public transit system, serves nearly all of St. John's, with limited service to the neighbourhoods of Shea Heights, Kilbride and the Goulds, as well as the neighbouring city of Mount Pearl. Surrounding communities are not served by bus.The fare is $2.50 per ride (adults and seniors, Jan 2022), and not per distance, making it a very cheap, affordable way of getting around town. A ten-ride pass is $22.50 for adults, $18.00 for seniors. Most bus drivers are kind and courteous to passengers and are willing to give directions.Travellers can check routes and the current position of any bus on the Metrobus website or app.
1 Signal Hill. Majestically overlooking the city and designated as a National Historic Site. The hill was the last stand of the French army in North America during the Seven Years War. Cabot Tower, built in 1897, stand as the top today. The first wireless transatlantic message was received there in 1901. 2 The Battery. Small village on the edge of the downtown where small houses are framed by the sheer cliffs. The village was once part of the British Defence for the St. John's Harbour. A trail leads from the end of the Battery around the cliffs and up to Signal Hill. 3 Bowring Park, 305 Waterford Bridge Rd, ☏ +1 709-364-1531, bpf@bowringpark.com.
1 Iceberg Quest Ocean Tours, Pier 6, 135 Harbour Dr, ☏ +1 709-722-1888, book@icebergquest.com. One to four departures a day (9:30AM, 11:30AM, 2PM, 4:30PM) depending on time of the year. Enjoy St. John's from the water. See whales, seabirds and icebergs. Head to icebergfinder.com to see how many icebergs are around the island at a given moment. $120 adult, $100 student, $75 child (age 9-17), $65 child (age 2-8), free (under 2). (updated May 2026) 2 The Quidi Vidi Brewing Company, 35 Barrows Rd, ☏ +1 709-738-4040, sam@quidividibrewery.ca. Tour the brewery and sample specialty beers. The 30-min hike along the shore from Signal Hill is gorgeous.
St. John's is the hometown of Canadian fried chicken chain Mary Brown's Chicken. The first location opened in 1969 in St. John's at the Avalon Mall, where there is still a branch. Many of their locations are available in Newfoundland and Labrador. 1 Bagel Café, 246 Duckworth St, ☏ +1 709-739-4470. One of the best breakfasts available in St. John's. Newfoundlanders will tell you that you can't leave St. John's without having fish and chips at either Ches's or the Big R (known to locals as "the Big Arse").
George Street, in the heart of downtown, is a prime location for nightlife. Water Street, said to be the oldest street in North America, also contains several pubs, usually of a more relaxing atmosphere. 1 Duke of Duckworth, 325 Duckworth St, ☏ +1 709-739-6344. Cosy English style pub with excellent food and good beer.
While St. John's is generally regarded as a safe city, increases in the crime rate have been reported. Panhandling is very common in downtown, however simply replying "no" or ignoring those individuals usually does the trick, while a few more may be more persistent. Very rarely will these people become violent, and are usually not a problem. As in any other city of comparable size, use caution when travelling after dark. Common areas to avoid after dark include Buckmaster Circle, Old and New Penneywell Road, areas immediately around Hamlyn Road, Livingstone Street, Water Street west (Springdale Street west to the beginning of Waterford Bridge Road including Victoria Park) and Shea Heights.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
In Jul, St. John's typically sees ~22°C daytime highs and 10 rainy days.
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