Recommended itinerary for an 11-day road trip from Quebec City? (page 2 of 3)

I've been to Lac St-Jean a few times. I always took the 381 because I wanted to revisit the "ghost" village of Val Jalbert, which I highly recommend. After that, you can head to Tadoussac via the 172. See my screenshot

Hi, From La Malbaie to reach Lac Saint-Jean, I recommend taking Route 138 (passing through Port-au-Persil, a really charming little village) and then heading up to the lake via Route 170. You can then head back down to Tadoussac via Route 172. For accommodations in the area, I only have one 'Couette et Café' (a B&B for Europeans in Saint-Hilarion—L'AUberg'inn), but I’m sure if you start a discussion with some accommodation ideas, you’ll get plenty of suggestions. Happy planning!

PS: I agree with Bauhaus—it’d be great to "propose" your itinerary in the format Day 1..., Day 2..., etc. That’ll make it easier for us to help you craft a fantastic route! 😏

Your suggestion to take Route 138 is way better than mine.

I recommend taking route 138 and passing through Port au Persil, a really charming little village)

I loved this route and stopping for a long time in Port au Persil: a truly peaceful spot that exudes serenity (it was in September 2014, and the memory is still vivid).

A Quebec specialty: covered bridges (like in the movie *The Bridges of Madison County*). I managed to find 7 of them (I think) near our route. In my opinion, it’s worth making a small detour to admire them and snap a few photos... Just my personal take, of course.

Puma2A

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Here’s the list of covered bridges in Quebec from Wikipedia:

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_des_ponts_couverts_au_Qu%C3%A9bec

hi, Route 381 was also an option to "climb" up to the Lake faster, but I really like 138, which runs along the river—it’s especially pretty in this area!! But it *is* longer to get to the lake, though when you're sightseeing, you’ve got a little time ;P

Thanks everyone for your tips! Yeah, I’m refining the stops (they’re looking great) that I’m planning to make. After that, I’ll check the possible durations to set Day 1, Day 2, etc. Even if you think my timing’s too tight sometimes, nothing’s set in stone—I don’t like being too strict on vacation, and I prefer deciding on the spot whether to speed up or not (so I won’t book accommodations too early—late September shouldn’t be too crowded). I’ll also adjust based on the weather.

Anyway, I’m noting to take routes 138/170. Thanks again!

Hi,

Another interesting "visit" topic: The old lighthouses along the St. Lawrence.

Puma2A

(Just so you know, at the end of September 2014, many accommodations and restaurants were closed.)

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If you stop by L'Anse-Saint-Jean, here are some great spots: For a place to stay: Maison de Vébron has comfortable, functional, and well-equipped rooms at a reasonable price with self-check-in. 56 rue de Vébron. maisondevebron.com

A cold beer and a good meal at the cooperative brewery La Chasse-Pinte, 417 rue Saint-Jean-Baptiste, L'Anse-Saint-Jean. Chassepinte.com

Excellent coffees, pastries, and bites to enjoy at Brûlerie-Boulangerie Nuances à Grains, 356A rue Saint-Jean-Baptiste, L'Anse-Saint-Jean.

Thanks Louis for the tips! I checked out the Maison de Verbon—they’re at $150 in late September, but unfortunately, I can’t afford that. It’s way over my budget (( I’m traveling solo and looking for budget options.

By the way, has anyone in the same area stayed at this community: https://assi-nipi.com/? They offer tents and dorms for $40. I stumbled upon it online.

Here’s an update on my itinerary—I should mention that the middle part of the trip is flexible. I don’t want to book accommodations too far in advance so I can keep things adaptable (I’ve listed places and activities below, but I probably won’t do everything due to timing, weather, or if I want to stay longer somewhere). So yes, it looks packed, but in the end, I won’t do it all.

Just to clarify, I’m traveling solo and love getting up early to see as much as possible… so I’m planning some hiking, kayaking, sightseeing, parks, and whale watching.

**Day 1:** Arrive in Montreal in the morning, explore the city **Day 2:** More of Montreal **Day 3:** Early departure for Quebec City, pick up rental car in town, then drive to Parc des Grands-Jardins (stop at Montmorency Falls on the way or at the end of the trip, depending on timing). Overnight in Baie-Saint-Paul **Day 4:** Drive to Les Éboulements, visit Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive, maybe Sainte-Irénée beach? // Parc des Hautes-Gorges, hike L’Acropole des Draveurs (5h)… and return to sleep in Baie-Saint-Paul (I’m hesitant because there aren’t many options down there) **Day 5 & 6:** Port-au-Persil, Anse-Saint-Jean, Lac Saint-Jean / Saguenay Fjord, kayaking, Zoo de Saint-Félicien, and the Village historique de Val-Jalbert **Day 7:** Drive back down via Sainte-Rose-du-Nord to Tadoussac or Les Escoumins **Day 8:** Whale watching and crossing the Saint Lawrence **Day 9:** Parc national du Bic (2–3h hike) between Trois-Pistoles and Rimouski **Day 10:** Parc de la Gaspésie? (I saw there are refuges/dormitories in the park—reservations by phone only, according to the park. Has anyone stayed there before?) **Day 11:** ? **Day 12/13:** Kamouraska region, villages like Saint-Roch-des-Aulnaies, L’Islet-sur-Mer, Berthier-sur-Mer, Saint-Michel // Saint-Jean-Port-Joli **Day 14:** Arrive in Quebec City in the morning, return rental car downtown, explore **Day 15:** More of Quebec City, late-night flight

Hi, Check if you can stay overnight in Parc des Hautes-Gorges because during the period you're planning to visit the Acropole des Draveurs, you need to start the hike before 12:00 PM, and the descent from the summit must be done by 3:00 PM at the latest. So, you're better off being there in the morning!

I checked the park, and they don’t offer dorms in the refuge—just camping (and I won’t have my tent)... I also don’t see any cheap options nearby. But if I sleep in Baie-Saint-Paul, I can drive there in the morning for the hike (1 hour away), do the 5-hour hike, and on the way back, visit the little coastal towns.

What’s bugging me is that I can’t find any budget accommodations near Anse-Saint-Jean or Saguenay, so after the Haute-Gorges hike, I’d have to spend a second night in Baie-Saint-Paul just to head back toward Saguenay the next day (losing 1 hour in the evening + 1 hour the next morning).

Affordable accommodations are indeed not easy to find, as you’ve noticed.

There’s a youth hostel in Tadoussac: https://www.ajtadou.com/services-5

Otherwise, for campgrounds, you can sleep in your car—depending on the rental—and use the restrooms/showers, but it’s less comfortable.

Awesome, thanks Claire for the address—I hadn’t seen this one!

Here’s a list of all the youth hostels in Quebec:

https://www.bonjourquebec.com/fr-ca/se-preparer/ou-dormir/auberges-de-jeunesse-et-residences-etudiantes

This info comes from the Bonjour Québec site, which has tons of useful details:

https://www.bonjourquebec.com/fr-ca/se-preparer/ou-dormir?gclsrc=aw.ds&ds_rl=1298156&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22520267218&gbraid=0AAAAA_f6VnqAfFbNxQDrM2b5BcaJwc2k9&gclid=CjwKCAjwtKrUBhAhEiwAr77ZoiEC6fd3_JweQLv42vFALCe_7NGWsUWbJETRRzleDgB--f47TRoBzhoCjbcQAvD_BwE

The hostel Claire suggested is listed on this other site. Quebec Vacances; https://www.quebecvacances.com/fr/hebergement/auberges-de-jeunesse

In the Côte-Nord region, under the name La Maison Majorique – Youth Hostel; https://www.quebecvacances.com/fr/hebergement/auberges-de-jeunesse?_filter_destinations=Côte-Nord

I checked the park and they don’t offer dorms in the refuge, just camping (and I won’t have my tent)... and I don’t see any cheap options nearby

Hi! Check if it’s possible to rent a chalet or cabin—it’s very common in natural parks. During this time, late September, there won’t be many people since most visitors will be back at work

The prices for these rentals are very likely to exceed your budget