Take a flight from Halifax to St. John's for a great getaway
Book a flight from Halifax to St. John’s and experience all that the oldest city in North America has to offer.
This town is a true breath of fresh ocean breeze. To commemorate your visit, make sure you snap a photo of the colourful houses lining the town’s famous, and endearingly named, Jelly Bean Row.
From a zipline, you’ll catch great aerial views of St. John’s attractions and the historic village of Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove. Friendly staff are on hand to teach visitors about the surrounding historical and natural attractions while telescopes are available to give you a closer look at the area’s natural beauty.
Back on the ground, be sure to save some space for The Rooms. This museum houses permanent and temporary exhibits on World War I, boating, fishing, architecture and also has an extensive cartography collection. Listen closely and you may even encounter some fascinating avant-garde sound sculptures.
They say you shouldn’t throw stones if you live in a glass house, but the modern glass-fronted structure that the Johnson Geo Centre calls home is full of stone and rock-related exhibits. St. John’s impressive geological interpretation centre is located on historic Signal Hill.
It features a stellar exhibit on the solar system with illuminated and suspended model planets. At the Johnson Geo Centre’s outdoor area, the Geo Vista Park, visitors can explore hundreds of millions of years of geological history. If you’re in search of even more tranquility, a number of scenic and relatively short drives will transport you to even more peaceful locales by the ocean.
First settled in the early 1600s, it’s no wonder St. John’s has lots of history. Bell Island is a great day trip and offers a peek into St. John’s past. Easily accessible by ferry from Portugal Cove, Bell Island has been dubbed the most haunted island in North America. Take a haunted walk starting at sunset if you dare.
This island’s haunted history is steeped in stories of the supernatural, originating from its inhabitants’ native lands and folklore. If you’d rather explore by daylight, there are iron mine tours, historical outdoor murals, the Bell Island Lighthouse, and the neighbouring and welcoming Lightkeeper’s Café.
St. John’s is a great home base for a myriad of scenic hikes and day trips. Book a flight from Halifax to St. John’s and have your camera ready for picturesque outings.
Downtown St. John’s
Colourful oceanside attractions
After your flight from Halifax to St. John’s, make downtown your first stop.
Pull up a chair and enjoy St. John’s nightlife on George Street. This central street in downtown St. John’s is home to welcoming pubs, restaurants and lively music and street festivals.
By daylight, you’re sure to notice the vivid colours of Jelly Bean Row Shop & Gallery.
Be sure to bring your camera to capture these colourful houses that line several of St. John’s downtown streets.
Start off at Signal Hill, a historical site and lookout with spectacular views of the harbour and city below. The name Signal Hill comes from the hill’s function. In past centuries, merchants, customs officials, and the harbour pilot spotted flag signals from their spot on the hill and knew that they needed to prepare for the incoming ships to dock.
Below this iconic point and throughout the area, you’ll find performing arts theatres, centuries-old churches, fine art galleries, tea rooms and distinctly local St. John’s attractions. All making downtown a unique and entertaining escape.
The Leyton Gallery of Fine Art spotlights work from up-and-coming Canadian and international artists, all created in eastern Canada.
Take a break at historic parks like Kings Beach at Harbourside Park, Martin’s Meadow Park and Bannerman Park. Bannerman Park housed refugees of the Great Fire in 1892 and today hosts annual music festivals.
Raise a glass to Newman Wine Vaults on Water Street. Now a museum space dedicated to the history of liquor trade in Newfoundland and Labrador, the vaults retain their brick and stone architecture from centuries ago. The wine aging practices they used were also steeped in history, dating back to 1679.
For shopping, dining and souvenirs, you'll want to dive into other spots along Water Street. Book a flight from Halifax to St. John's and explore this downtown centre with offers of handmade goods and friendly greetings.
Cupids
It’ll steal your heart
About one hour from St. John’s along the Baccalieu Trail, the sweet little town of Cupids might steal your heart. Cupids is located on the shores of Conception Bay North and is often called “the birthplace of English Canada.” Its 400 years of history is steeped in stories of pirates, pilgrims, and Aboriginal communities.
With a population fewer than 1,000, Cupids has a close-knit creative community. In a theatre modelled after Shakespeare’s Globe in London, you may be treated to innovative and elaborate Shakespearean performances.
Learn something new at the Cupids Legacy Centre, which features a museum, legacy hall and archaeological dig site. The centre focuses on Cupids' long and rich history with interactive exhibits.
The Archaeological Dig at Cupids Cove Plantation Site is a mere five-minute walk from Cupids Legacy Centre. At this designated provincial historic site, you can take a closer look at European and Aboriginal artifacts on display, as well as the cleaning, labelling and cataloguing process. Experts are also on site to answer questions.
When you’ve satisfied your archaeological curiosity, head over to the Spectacle Head Trail, right across the street from Cupids Legacy Centre. A short hike of about 35 minutes brings you 100 metres above sea level.
Along the way, you’ll spot the John Guy Monument built in 1910 in honour of Cupids 300th birthday. Be sure to also stop and smell the roses at Millbrook Gardens across from the monument.
This lush little spot is full of regional and native plants, and even hosts flag raising events. Book a flight from Halifax to St. John’s and get ready to fall in love with this peaceful, history filled town.
How to get to Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ)
Porter’s check-in desk is located on the second floor, in the departures area.
Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) is about 35 km / 24 mi from downtown Halifax.
Transportation to Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ)
Take the Metro Transit 320 bus to the airport stop. The fare is $3.50 CAD.
The Airport Express shuttle bus provides service to the airport from downtown Halifax from May 1 to October 31, with a reduced schedule from November 1 to April 30. The fare is $22 CAD.
Please allow sufficient time to drop off your car rental before your departing flight.
Taxi and car service from downtown cost about $55 CAD.
Ride-hailing apps such as Uber and Lyft offer services to Halifax Stanfield International Airport and can drop customers off alongside regular passengers and taxis.
The information and figures above are for reference only, and may not be current. Please visit each airport's website for up-to-date details.
Landing in St. John’s
There are many options for transportation to downtown St. John’s from the airport. The quick trip is about 10 km / 6 mi.
Transportation to downtown St. John’s
Car rental services are available in the level 1 baggage hall of St. John’s International Airport (YYT).
The Metrobus route 14 from downtown St. John’s costs $2.50 CAD.
Taxis from downtown cost about $25 CAD.
St. John’s International Airport Parking
Driving to St. John’s International Airport? There are three parking options at St. John’s Airport close to the terminal. Choose from short-term parking for $2 CAD per half hour, long-term parking for a daily maximum rate of $16 CAD or weekly rate of $80 CAD, or Gold Pass Parking with a monthly fee of $120 CAD (requires a minimum 6-month contract). Pre-pay options are available at the six pre-pay stations in the Airport Terminal Building.
The information and figures above are for reference only, and may not be current. Please visit each airport's website for up-to-date details.
Flights may be operated by Porter Airlines (Canada) Ltd or Porter Airlines Inc.
