Your thoughts on our 3-week Quebec road trip

Hey, In my humble opinion, you should place Charlevoix between Mauricie and Lac St-Jean. If you put it after Gaspésie, you’ll end up crossing the river again (though two crossings could be fun too!). Roughly, it’d look like this: Montreal → Mauricie → Charlevoix → Saguenay (both shores) → Tadoussac (river crossing) → Gaspésie loop → Bas-St-Laurent → Quebec City → Montreal. What time of year are you planning this trip? I’ll get back to your post later today—unfortunately, I’ve got to head to work and don’t have time to give more details right now! 😛

Hi! I agree with Caribous—maybe avoid having to cross the river twice, especially if you're coming now with the start of construction holidays 😅 Also, let us know your travel dates.

One summer activity to consider is catching a baseball game in Quebec City (the Quebec Capitals). Great atmosphere, cheap beer, and hot dogs. If you go on a Friday night, you’ll even get fireworks. If you're in Trois-Rivières, there are the Eagles. A summer evening at a baseball game is always a lot of fun. Plus, you’re sure to meet young people in their twenties for your own grown kids 😉

Keep an eye on festivals in the places you’ll visit. They might help you plan your route. In Quebec City, there’s often stuff to see and do on the Plains of Abraham.

Anyway, as Caribous suggested, share your dates so we can help you out!

Happy planning! 👍😊👋

Thanks, that’s a great idea! I’d thought about ice hockey...

I arrive in 10 days and I still haven’t booked my accommodations! But what do you recommend in Mauricie? Thanks

Unfortunately, you’ll have to forget about hockey in the summer. The season starts, depending on the leagues, categories, etc., around mid-September.

But there’s a play currently showing about hockey and its importance to Quebecers: *Les Boys, le spectacle* at the Théâtre du Vieux-Terrebonne, just north of Montreal. Not too far. It’s a classic vaudeville-style show about what we call "garage leagues" in hockey here. https://lanouvellesociete.com/spectacles/les-boys/ You’ll probably laugh and hear the Quebec accent on stage and in the audience *en masse* 😁

Also, keep in mind that there are currently labor actions affecting ferry services. Check ahead for possible service closures depending on where you plan to cross from one shore to the other.

Don’t forget to stop and taste local products. Lots of microbreweries, cheese, and apple ciders depending on where you visit. As for wine, I won’t even suggest it 😁🍷🍷

If you buy maple syrup, get it from big-box stores to avoid paying too much for nothing.

Looking forward to following your trip here on VF and helping if needed 😊

Cheers

PS: Don’t wait to make your reservations—construction holidays run from July 20 to August 2. Lots of Quebecers will be on the roads for vacation, and with what’s happening with our neighbors to the south, it looks like Quebecers have chosen to spend their vacations in Quebec and Ontario instead.

Hello, If you're arriving in 10 days, you'll be there at the tail end of *Construction Holiday*, a period when many Quebecers (even those who don’t work in construction) take their vacations. Just so you know, it starts tonight and wraps up on Sunday, August 3rd. You mentioned arriving in 10 days, so around July 28th. If you spend 3 days in Montreal, you’ll hit the road just as the holidays are ending, meaning you’ll avoid the tourist rush in places like Gaspésie! What’s drawing you to Mauricie? Is it the canoeing on the lakes or the hikes in the park? If it’s for canoeing, I’d actually recommend heading to Parc de Tremblant instead. Why Tremblant over Mauricie? Simply because in Tremblant, you’ll be canoeing on a river (Parc national du Mont-Tremblant - Parcs nationaux - Sépaq), whereas in Mauricie, it’s on a lake. I’ve done both (canoeing on a lake in Parc de la Vérendrye and several descents of the Diable River), and let’s just say—there’s no comparison. Paddling down a river is *way* less tiring! 😛 For the Diable descent, plan for a full day. You can take a break on one of the many beaches to picnic or swim—perfect for a day in nature! For lodging in the area, there’s a really nice motel in St-Jovite (Hotel-Motel Le Boisé du Lac - Mont Tremblant - Le site officiel -). For Charlevoix, a few quick ideas: a super cozy place to stay is *L’Auberginn* in St-Hilarion. There’s also a gorgeous hike (plan a full day to take it easy) called *L’Acropole des Draveurs* in Parc des Hautes-Gorges. On your way to Saguenay (following the river), just before St-Siméon, take a detour off Route 138 for a little break in Port-au-Persil. Next up, the Saguenay region—take Route 170 and stop at *Anse St-Jean* and *Rivière-Éternité* (the view from the dock is amazing). You could even push on to the *Zoo de St-Félicien*, which, in my humble opinion, is worth the detour! Then, head back down toward the river along the north shore of the Saguenay (Route 172) until you reach Tadoussac. In Tadoussac, take a little walk along *Pointe de l’Islet* and the dunes. For lodging, it might be worth checking out the small chalets at *Essipit* in Grandes-Bergeronnes. Since you’re planning a whale-watching cruise (no matter where), I *highly* recommend visiting the *GREMM Interpretation Center* in Tadoussac (Centre d'interprétation des mammifères marins-Tadoussac). After Tadoussac, continue east (with Gaspésie in your sights) by crossing the river between *Les Escoumins* and *Trois-Pistoles*. Once you’re on the south shore in the Bas-Saint-Laurent, your first stop should be the stunning *Parc du Bic* (Parc national du Bic - Parcs nationaux - Sépaq). If there’s availability, it’d be worth booking a night in the park—maybe in a yurt? It’d make for some great memories! Keep following the river, and you’ll slowly approach the gates of Gaspésie. A must-stop is *Mont-Louis* at *Atkins* to grab some seafood for a picnic (Atkins et Frères - Accueil). Their rillettes are *amazing*, and the salmon fillet is literally *to die for*! 😛😛 Continue east toward *Parc de Forillon*. For lodging, check out *Anse aux Griffons* (Hébergements & Activités de Plein Air | Auberge Griffon Aventure) or *Cap des Rosiers* (Hotel-Motel le Pharillon). Though I should mention—I stayed at the latter *ages* ago, so I’m not sure if it’s still open! In Forillon, the *Les Graves* trail to *Cap Gaspé* is a must (you’ll often spot whales from the trail). Plan for a big chunk of the day—maybe even a picnic at the foot of the *Cap Gaspé Lighthouse*! Still in Forillon, there’s a really nice shorter hike: the *Chute* trail. Next, head to *Percé* and the famous *Île Bonaventure* (home to a gannet colony). Plan to stay at least 2 days in Percé to make sure you get good weather for the island! Keep going around the peninsula—stop at *La Vieille Usine* in *Anse-à-Beaufils* for a great meal! Also, check out the decorated fire hydrants in *New Carlisle* and *Bonaventure* (the *Poissonnerie du Pêcheur* is a must for a food stop! 😛). Then, visit *Parc de Miguasha*, a unique fossil site in the world. Wrap up your Gaspésie loop by heading up the *Matapédia Valley* to *Ste-Flavie*, then head west toward Quebec City, taking your time along the river. Stick to *Route 132* instead of *Highway 20* (especially between *Rivière-du-Loup* and *La Pocatière*). Make a stop in Quebec City—don’t forget to take the ferry to *Lévis* (round-trip on foot, preferably in the late afternoon to catch the sunset over the *Château Frontenac*!). Obviously, you’ll want to explore *Petit-Champlain* and *Montmorency Falls*. In the Lower Town, don’t miss *Rue Sous-le-Cap* (a little nod to a VFI member, *Eleni13*, if she’s reading this! ;-) Well, I’ll probably be back here before my vacation starts on Wednesday! ;-)

thanks a million for these tips, I’m taking notes.

Hi there! We’re doing La Mauricie—we’ve already booked our stay. After that, I’m following your advice and heading to the Charlevoix region. How many nights do you recommend: 1 or 2? Is Île aux Coudres worth it? In general, how many nights would you suggest for Charlevoix and how many around the Saguenay Fjord? We don’t plan on doing a whale-watching boat tour in Tadoussac since we’ve already done it in Costa Rica and weren’t super impressed—we mostly saw a few backs. So, we’ll try to spot them from the shore instead.

After that, we’ll cross over to Gaspésie. We’ll start with Parc du Bic and do a little 6-day loop—does that sound good to you? We’ll finish up in Quebec City with Montmorency Falls and the Canyon Sainte-Anne. Someone also mentioned Île d'Orléans to us...

For now, we’ve got 3 nights in Montreal and 3 nights in La Mauricie Park.

Thanks again, and looking forward to hearing from you!

Hi, I looked up the reference I had in mind for the seaplane flight. Here's the company: Hydravion Aventure Inc. (Seaplane Flight) Saint-Étienne-des-Grès I've never been on a seaplane flight, but I've seen several reports about this company, including *Échappées Belle*. When I decide to take a flight, I think I'll go with them! ;-) For Charlevoix, I'd say 2 nights, but if you decide to hike the ''Acropole des Draveurs,'' maybe plan an extra night! Just in case, there's a nice ''Couette et Café'' (what you call a Bed and Breakfast) in Saint-Hilarion: L'Auberginn (they don’t have a website, but if you search on Google, you’ll find their Facebook page). For the Saguenay, if you like hiking, there’s a really beautiful hike (it’s uphill on the way there, but downhill on the way back) in Rivière-Éternité, or near Anse Saint-Jean, there’s a hike that takes you to the Belvédère de l'Anse de la Tabatière! Lots of info here: Saguenay Fjord National Park - National Parks - Sépaq I’d spend one night in Anse Saint-Jean, then head up to Saint-Félicien for one or two nights, and then head down toward Tadoussac with a ''nighttime'' stop. Here’s a place I’ve seen mentioned in travel reports: Ferme 5 Étoiles in Sacré-Cœur (never tried it myself). For Gaspésie, take your time—6 days is the minimum, in my opinion, especially since you have 3 weeks! To me, Gaspésie is a great region to ''enjoy''! Île d'Orléans is indeed pretty to explore; you can plan an afternoon (easily doable from Quebec City). As for Île aux Coudres, I’m not sure it’s worth the detour—it’s nice, but... Well, that’s just my personal opinion! LOL There you go. Happy planning!

I highly recommend reading the many travel journals out there—they might give you some great ideas! ;-) Especially other perspectives than mine. 😊

Hi Jean Yves, I just read your messages above with great interest—thanks for your help! We’re planning a 3-week trip to Quebec in September 2026. I’m thinking at least 7 days in Gaspésie. We want to hike in the different parks (Bic, Gaspésie—at least 2 hikes, Forillon, Bonaventure). Your message matches what I’m planning for that region. Where I’m more unsure is about the parks on the north side. Jacques-Cartier, Grands-Jardins, Hautes-Gorges, Saguenay—maybe pick 2 or 3 to really enjoy the hikes and not rush from one to the other... Can you help me decide? Maybe some parks are similar... To clarify, we’ll fly into Quebec City and leave the same way. The Montreal area will be for another trip, more focused on the fall colors. Thanks in advance for your help!

Hi there, We just got back from 3 weeks in Quebec, had amazing weather, and the fall colors were stunning. Regarding your question about national parks, of the ones you mentioned for the "north," we only visited Hautes-Gorges de la Malbaie. Our son did the Acropole des Draveurs, which was recommended by Lescaribous, and we did Les Riverains. The latter is less challenging (10-11 km but with less elevation gain), but we loved it—the views were gorgeous. It ends at a dam where you can climb up to a lookout, and if you go on the weekend, you can take the shuttle back (it doesn’t run on weekdays after a certain date, so you’d have to return the same way otherwise). Happy trip planning! !

hi, In my humble opinion, Parc des Hautes-Gorges is a must for those who love hiking. The Acropole des Draveurs offers a magnificent viewpoint, but like any viewpoint, it’s a climb—so it’s earned! 😛 As for Parc du Saguenay, there are also beautiful things to see, but it’s way more "up north" relative to the river!!