Quirky and Essential Things to Do in St. John's: Newfoundland's Technicolor Treasure

Must-Try Things to Do in St. John’s (Without Getting Cod-Slapped)

St. John’s may be small, but it punches well above its weight class in the attractions department. This is a city where history isn’t confined to museums but spills out onto every street corner, where nature doesn’t politely wait at the city limits but crashes right into town, and where even a simple pub visit can turn into an anthropological expedition. The following things to do in St. John’s have been carefully selected to ensure visitors experience this colorful outpost in all its quirky glory.

Historical Highlights (That Won’t Put You to Sleep)

Signal Hill National Historic Site looms over St. John’s like a sentinel, marking the spot where Guglielmo Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless signal in 1901—essentially the world’s first successful text message. For the bargain admission of $14, visitors can hike trails that offer views so spectacular they’ll make your social media followers develop acute location envy. On clear days, the panorama extends to the horizon where ocean meets sky in a blurry blue handshake, while on foggy days (a common occurrence), visitors experience the unique thrill of standing in a cloud while trying to photograph landmarks they can’t actually see.

Cape Spear Lighthouse sits at North America’s easternmost point, making it the first place on the continent to greet the sun each morning. Early risers who make the 15-minute drive from downtown for a 5:00 AM summer sunrise are rewarded with the kind of light show that makes professional photographers weep with joy. History buffs can explore the restored 19th-century lighthouse keeper’s home and WWII coastal defense battery, all while standing at a spot where, if you headed due east, your next landfall would be Ireland. It’s America’s edge—literally.

The Rooms dominates the St. John’s skyline like a modern-day castle, its distinctive architecture designed to resemble the “fishing rooms” where early settlers processed their catch. This cultural complex houses the provincial museum, art gallery, and archives for $15 admission (free Wednesday evenings—a detail budget travelers should tattoo on their forearms). Inside, exhibits trace Newfoundland’s journey from isolated fishing outpost to reluctant Canadian province, while the top-floor cafe offers coffee with a side of the best harbor views in town. It’s educational tourism that doesn’t feel like homework.

Outdoor Adventures (For Both the Brave and the Barely Coordinated)

The East Coast Trail system offers 336 miles of coastal hiking that begins right in St. John’s city limits—because nothing says “urban escape” like being able to walk from downtown coffee shop to wilderness in under 30 minutes. Popular sections like the Sugarloaf Path (3.5 miles, moderate difficulty) reward even casual hikers with whale spottings, seabird colonies, and clifftop views that render smartphone cameras essentially useless in capturing their grandeur. For those with limited time or ambition, even the short Fort Amherst Path offers scenery that puts most American “scenic overlooks” to shame.

Iceberg viewing transforms St. John’s into nature’s most impressive frozen drink display from late May through June. These 10,000-year-old ice chunks (some the size of small office buildings) break off Greenland glaciers and drift down “Iceberg Alley” to the waters off Newfoundland. While Alaska might have glaciers anchored in place like geographic features, St. John’s specializes in “free-range icebergs”—each one unique, transient, and determined to upstage the last. Boat tours ($65-120) get visitors close enough to feel the cold radiating off these ancient ice mountains, though binoculars and a good viewing spot on Signal Hill work for the nautically disinclined.

Whale watching reaches peak excitement from mid-June to mid-August when 22 species of whales, including humpbacks the size of school buses, arrive to feed in the nutrient-rich waters. Tour operators ($65-100) boast 80%+ success rates, with many trips including bonus appearances from dolphins, puffins, and other marine wildlife that seem almost suspiciously cooperative with tourism efforts. The sheer abundance of marine life makes St. John’s waters feel like the ocean equivalent of an overcrowded subway car, except everyone’s delighted about it.

Cultural Experiences (That’ll Have You Talking Funny by Day Three)

George Street holds the official record for the most bars per square foot in North America—a statistic that explains both the street’s popularity and why walking it on weekend nights feels like navigating a particularly good-natured mosh pit. This is ground zero for the infamous “Screech-In” ceremony ($20-30), where visitors become honorary Newfoundlanders by reciting local phrases, kissing a cod (yes, an actual fish), and downing a shot of Screech rum. The ritual sounds like something invented to embarrass tourists, which it absolutely was, but has since become a beloved tradition even locals endorse.

Downtown shopping in St. John’s offers relief from North American retail homogeneity. Independent stores selling local crafts, woolens, and sea-inspired jewelry line the colorful streets, while boutiques showcase “Maritime-chic” fashion—essentially practical clothing for people who accept that precipitation is less a weather event and more a lifestyle. The local design aesthetic could be described as “fisherman meets art school graduate,” with waterproof functionality disguised as urban style.

The music scene pulses with Celtic influences so strong you’ll forget you’re still in North America. Live venues feature traditional Newfoundland instruments like the ugly stick—literally a decorated mop handle with bottle caps and tin cans attached that somehow, in skilled hands, produces actual music rather than just noise complaints. Even non-musicians find themselves inadvertently learning folk songs after a night out, as audience participation isn’t just encouraged but practically enforced by friendly locals who consider musical shyness a condition to be cured.

Culinary Adventures (Where Cod is King and Vegetables are Suspicious Foreigners)

Seafood specialties in St. John’s elevate “fresh” to new standards—fish that went from ocean to plate so quickly they barely had time to realize their situation had changed. Local delicacies include cod tongues (which are actually throat muscles—a detail tour guides enjoy revealing mid-chew), fish and brewis (pronounced “brews”—salt cod and hardtack soaked together in a dish that tastes far better than its components suggest), and toutons (fried bread dough with molasses that makes donuts seem nutritionally responsible). Mid-range restaurants serve these specialties for $15-25 per plate, with establishments like Mallard Cottage and The Merchant Tavern offering upscale versions that don’t compromise authenticity.

The craft brewery scene has exploded in St. John’s, with Quidi Vidi Brewery leading the charge from its picturesque location in a former fish plant. Their Iceberg Beer, made with 25,000-year-old iceberg water, is less a beverage and more a conversation piece that happens to be potable. Yellowbelly Brewery occupies downtown’s oldest commercial building and serves tasting flights ($15-20) that pair surprisingly well with the cod-heavy local cuisine. The breweries represent Newfoundland’s talent for transforming practical necessity (historically, alcohol was safer than water) into recreational pleasure.

Berry picking becomes a competitive sport from August through September, when blueberries, partridgeberries, and the oddly-named but delicious bakeapples (cloud berries) ripen across the barrens surrounding St. John’s. Locals guard their prime picking spots with the secrecy usually reserved for nuclear launch codes, but visitors can join organized picking tours or try their luck on publicly accessible trails. These berries make their way into traditional desserts like figgy duff and blueberry grunt—dishes whose names sound like rejected Dickens characters but taste like concentrated summer.

Accommodation Options (From Luxury to “At Least It’s Dry”)

Luxury accommodations in St. John’s center around boutique properties rather than international chains. The JAG Hotel ($250-350/night) offers rock-and-roll themed sophistication in the heart of downtown, while The Luxus Hotel provides apartment-style suites for those who prefer their indulgence with extra square footage. These properties master the balance between high-end amenities and the authentic character that draws visitors to St. John’s in the first place.

Mid-range options like the Alt Hotel and Murray Premises Hotel ($150-220/night) deliver excellent value with prime locations. Murray Premises occupies a heritage building that began as a fish warehouse in the 1800s but now houses exposed-beam guest rooms considerably more fragrant than its original purpose. These properties put visitors within stumbling distance of George Street’s attractions while providing recovery spaces comfortable enough to face another day of hill climbing.

Budget-conscious travelers find salvation in the city’s guesthouses and BandBs ($40-90/night), with Gower Street House offering particular value for its central location and included breakfast featuring local specialties. For extended stays, vacation rentals in converted row houses ($120-200/night) provide full kitchens and the Instagram-worthy experience of temporarily living inside a giant jellybean. These colorful accommodations often come with the bonus entertainment of watching tourists photograph your temporary front door.

Practical Information (That Nobody Tells You Until It’s Too Late)

Weather realities in St. John’s demand respect and strategic packing. The city experiences what locals call “four seasons in one day,” and they’re not being poetic—they’re filing an accurate meteorological report. Waterproof everything is essential, layers are non-negotiable, and at least one warm hat should accompany visitors even in August. The upside to this atmospheric indecision is that bad weather rarely lasts long, and locals have elevated waiting for sunshine to an art form, usually practiced in cozy pubs.

Transportation around St. John’s requires planning, as public transit exists in theory more than practice for tourist purposes. Rental cars (compact models strongly recommended for narrow streets) offer the most flexibility, though parking downtown requires the patience of a saint and the spatial reasoning of a geometry professor. Most attractions cluster within walking distance, assuming visitors don’t mind hills steep enough to qualify as cardio workouts. Taxis are plentiful but ride-sharing services remain limited—another way St. John’s maintains its time-capsule charm.

Money-saving strategies include timing visits for shoulder season (September offers temperatures of 55-65°F with dramatically fewer tourists), taking advantage of free museum days, and embracing happy hour specials that transform otherwise budget-busting restaurants into reasonable propositions. The favorable exchange rate ($1 USD = approximately $1.35 CAD) already gives American visitors a built-in discount, which locals politely pretend not to notice when Americans loudly celebrate paying “only” $4 for coffee that’s technically $5.40 Canadian.

Safety in St. John’s generally involves watching for natural rather than human threats. The city boasts crime rates that make most American visitors feel like they’ve entered an alternate universe where leaving doors unlocked isn’t an invitation to being robbed. Instead, danger comes from unpredictable ocean conditions, slippery cliff trails, and the false confidence that comes after participating in too many Screech-Ins. Standard urban precautions apply, but most locals are more likely to invite you in for tea than cause any trouble.