Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Quebec: the Gaspé Peninsula, Percé, Forillon and Le Bic
8 days from Quebec City around the Gaspé Peninsula by Kamouraska and Le Bic, the Chic-Choc Mountains, Forillon's cliffs, two nights in Percé and the Baie des Chaleurs.
8 days · Quebec City to Mont-Joli · up to 12 guests
Percé Rock, where we spend two nights and take the morning boat to Bonaventure Island Photo: Hayden Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Perc%C3%A9,_Quebec,_Canada_3.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Quebec City to Mont-Joli
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 4.5 h on day 4
- Activity level
Moderate
About 2 to 4 hours on foot most days, on town pavements, gravel park paths and coastal trails, with road days of 3 to 4 hours broken by stops. The harder parts are optional: the summit hike in the Chic-Choc Mountains on day 4 (about 4 hours return and 450 to 600 m of climb on rocky trail), the Land's End walk to Cap Gaspé (about 8 km return on a forest track with some hills) and the island trail to the gannet colony on Bonaventure (about 3 km each way, uphill on the way out). Each has a shorter, level choice on the same day.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 3 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 925 (estimated price)
- Season
- June to September
Highlights
Why this trip
- Seals hauled out on the rocks of Le Bic at low tide, and the sunset over Kamouraska's tidal flats
- A morning summit hike in the Chic-Choc Mountains, where the last caribou herd south of the St. Lawrence lives
- The sea cliffs of Cap Bon-Ami and the walk to Land's End at Cap Gaspé in Forillon National Park
- Whales off Forillon from a small boat in the Gulf of St. Lawrence
- The first boat of the morning around Percé Rock to Bonaventure Island and its northern gannet colony
- Two nights in Percé with the rock outside the window and an evening free in the village
- Miguasha's fossil cliffs and the salmon water of the Matapédia valley on the way out
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day. The longest is 4.5 h, on day 4.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 925 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 4.5 h, on day 4.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Quebec City
Quebec City Jean Lesage Airport to Old Quebec, then a walk through the walled city
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Quebec City
- Drive about 15 min
Fly into Quebec City Jean Lesage Airport (YQB), where your See Sight Tours guide meets the group in arrivals at about 2:30 pm for the 20-minute drive to a hotel in or beside Old Quebec. After check-in we walk the historic district, listed by UNESCO in 1985 as the only walled city north of Mexico: along the Dufferin Terrace under the Château Frontenac, down the Breakneck Stairs to Place Royale and the Petit-Champlain quarter, and back up by the funicular.
Evening
The late afternoon is the quiet hour, after the day visitors thin out and before dinner. Your guide, who speaks French and English, gives a short briefing on the week ahead: the tides, the boats and what to wear in the parks. Then a welcome dinner together in the old town. If your flight lands later, a private transfer brings you in and you join the group at the table. Quebec City gets one night here; if you want more of it, add nights before the trip or join our Quebec City and Charlevoix trip.
Included
- Group transfer from Quebec City Jean Lesage Airport (YQB)
- Guided walk through Old Quebec: the Dufferin Terrace, the Breakneck Stairs, Place Royale and Petit-Champlain
- The Old Quebec Funicular
- Welcome dinner
Free time: An hour free before dinner
Activity: Land by about 2 pm to join the group transfer and the walk; the exact meeting time is confirmed with your final itinerary.
Kamouraska and the seals of Le Bic
Quebec City down the south shore of the St. Lawrence to Kamouraska, then Parc national du Bic and Rimouski
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Rimouski
- Drive about 3.5 h
We leave Quebec City at about 8:30 am down the south shore of the St. Lawrence, where the river widens into an estuary and the farms run in long thin strips to the water, a pattern left from the French seigneuries.
Afternoon
After about two hours we stop in Kamouraska, one of the oldest villages on the shore, for a walk past its old houses and the eel weirs on the mudflats, and lunch in the village with smoked fish from the river. In the afternoon we continue past Rivière-du-Loup to Parc national du Bic, a coast of coves, headlands and small islands. Our first choice is this afternoon's low tide, when harbour seals and grey seals haul out on the rocks off Pointe-aux-Épinettes and we watch them from the shore path with binoculars. If low water falls too late, we walk the coast now and the seals move to 8 am tomorrow.
Evening
Then 20 minutes on to Rimouski, a waterfront town, for an evening free.
Included
- Walk through Kamouraska village
- Lunch in Kamouraska
- Parc national du Bic entry
- Seal watching at low tide from the Bic shore path, with binoculars provided
Easier option: Watch the seals from the level path near the car park.
More active option: Walk the coast trail round the Bic headlands, about 5 km.
Free time: Evening free in Rimouski on the waterfront promenade
Activity: Seals are wild and the tide moves about 50 minutes later each day. The afternoon low tide is the first choice; an 8 am visit on day 3 is the fallback.
Reford Gardens to the Chic-Chocs
Rimouski (Le Bic at 8 am if the tide suits) to Reford Gardens at Grand-Métis, along the coast by Matane to Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, then Parc national de la Gaspésie
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts
- Drive about 3.5 h
If yesterday's tide was wrong, we start at 8 am back at Le Bic for the seals; otherwise we leave Rimouski at 8:30 am. Our first stop is Reford Gardens at Grand-Métis, laid out by Elsie Reford from the 1920s, where a warm pocket of the coast lets blue poppies and other plants grow far north of their usual range; we arrive at opening and have about 90 minutes. Then the shore becomes the Gaspé proper: route 132 runs between the river, now so wide the far side disappears, and the first hills.
Afternoon
We pass Matane and reach Sainte-Anne-des-Monts for a late lunch. In the afternoon we drive 40 km inland into Parc national de la Gaspésie, the Chic-Choc Mountains, for an easy first walk to the Sainte-Anne waterfall and round Lac aux Américains, a lake in a glacial bowl.
Evening
On the way back at dusk we watch for moose along the road. Dinner is together in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, where restaurants are few.
Included
- Reford Gardens (Jardins de Métis)
- Lunch in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts
- Parc national de la Gaspésie entry
- Guided walks to the Sainte-Anne waterfall and round Lac aux Américains
- Dinner in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts
Easier option: The waterfall viewpoint and the level lakeside path only.
More active option: Add the short climb to a lookout above Lac aux Américains with your guide.
Free time: An hour free in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts before dinner
Activity: About 2 hours on foot in the park on easy trails. June brings black flies; bring repellent.
A Chic-Choc summit, then the north coast to Forillon
Parc national de la Gaspésie for a morning hike, then route 132 along the north coast by Mont-Saint-Pierre and Grande-Vallée to Cap-des-Rosiers and Gaspé
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Gaspé
- Drive about 4.5 h
This is the full day of the trip.
Morning
At 8 am we are back in the park for the morning hike, before the cloud builds on the summits. The active group climbs with your guide on the summit trail the park has open that season: Mont Jacques-Cartier, about 1,268 m, by the park shuttle, where the endangered Gaspésie caribou are sometimes seen above the tree line, or the plateau of Mont Albert, both about 4 hours return. The easy group walks the valley trails and the visitor centre exhibit on the caribou with a park naturalist.
Afternoon
After a packed lunch we drive the most dramatic stretch of route 132, where the road hugs the foot of the mountains and drops into fishing villages in each valley. It is about 300 km and just over four hours of driving, slightly over our cap, because there is no shorter way round; we break it with stops at Mont-Saint-Pierre and Grande-Vallée. We enter Forillon at Cap-des-Rosiers, where the lighthouse is given as the tallest in Canada, then drive the last half-hour to Gaspé.
Included
- Guided summit hike in Parc national de la Gaspésie (Mont Jacques-Cartier by park shuttle or Mont Albert), or valley trails and the park visitor centre
- Packed lunch
- The north coast of the Gaspé by route 132
- Cap-des-Rosiers lighthouse
Easier option: Valley trails of about 1 hour and the visitor centre, then the coast drive.
More active option: The summit hike, about 4 hours return with 450 to 600 m of climb on rocky trail.
Free time: Evening free in Gaspé
Activity: Summit trails can close for caribou protection or weather; the guide confirms the trail the week before. Bring a warm, windproof layer for the summit.
Forillon: Land's End and the whales
Gaspé to Forillon National Park for the walk to Cap Gaspé and Grande-Grave, a whale cruise, then Percé
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Percé
- Drive about 1.5 h
Forillon, created in 1970, is the end of the Appalachians: forested ridges that stop at sea cliffs. We start at 8:30 am at Anse-aux-Amérindiens and walk the old track towards Cap Gaspé, the tip of the peninsula the French called the land's end, about 4 km each way through forest above the sea, to the lighthouse on the cliff. The easy group walks the shorter shore path and the restored fishing settlement of Grande-Grave, where a 19th-century store still stands on the beach.
Afternoon
Lunch is together near the wharf. In the early afternoon a local boat takes us out for about two and a half hours into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, where minke, humpback and fin whales feed off the cliffs in summer and grey seals rest on the ledges.
Evening
Then we drive south about an hour and a quarter to Percé and see the rock for the first time in the evening light. Dinner tonight is in the village.
Included
- Forillon National Park entry
- Guided walk to Land's End at Cap Gaspé, or the shore path and Grande-Grave
- Lunch near Grande-Grave or in Gaspé
- Whale-watching cruise off Forillon, about 2.5 hours
- Dinner in Percé
Easier option: The level shore path and Grande-Grave heritage buildings instead of the walk to the cape.
More active option: The full track to the Cap Gaspé lighthouse and back, about 8 km with some hills.
Free time: Evening free in Percé after dinner
Activity: Whale sightings are likely in summer but never certain. If the sea is too rough, the cruise moves to the spare morning in Percé or the money for it is refunded.
Percé Rock and Bonaventure Island
Percé by boat round the rock to Bonaventure Island and its gannet colony, then the géoparc platform
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Percé
- Drive about 15 min
Morning
We take the first boat of the morning from Percé's wharf, before the day visitors arrive. It runs close along Percé Rock, a wall of limestone about 88 m high with an arch worn through it, then crosses to Bonaventure Island, a national park and one of the largest northern gannet colonies in the world. From the landing we walk about 3 km uphill through the island's woods and old fishing homesteads to the cliff top, where tens of thousands of gannets nest packed together a few metres from the fence: the noise and the smell arrive first.
Afternoon
We have time to sit and watch them come and go, then lunch on the island or back in the village. The afternoon is free. Later, those who like take the shuttle up Mont Sainte-Anne to the géoparc glass platform, about 200 m above the sea, for the view over the rock, the island and the village.
Evening
The evening is yours in Percé.
Included
- Boat round Percé Rock to Bonaventure Island
- Parc national de l'Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé entry
- Guided walk to the northern gannet colony
- Lunch on the island or in Percé
- Géoparc de Percé glass platform
Optional experiences
- Sea kayaking off Percé with a local outfitter
- A second boat trip out to the rock at sunset
Easier option: Stay on the boat for the tour round the rock and the island without landing, or take the shortest island trail.
More active option: Walk the longer trail round the island back to the landing, about 6 km in all.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Percé
Activity: If wind cancels the boat, it moves to tomorrow morning and we leave Percé later.
The Baie des Chaleurs to Carleton-sur-Mer
Percé along the Baie des Chaleurs by Chandler and Bonaventure to Carleton-sur-Mer and Mont Saint-Joseph
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Carleton-sur-Mer
- Drive about 3.5 h
Morning
A slower morning in Percé, kept free as the spare slot if wind moved the boat or the whales; otherwise walk the beach at low tide out towards the rock, or have a long breakfast facing it. We leave at about 10:30 am round the southern corner of the peninsula onto the Baie des Chaleurs, a warmer, gentler shore of beaches and farms with New Brunswick on the far side.
Afternoon
This coast was settled by Acadians after the deportation of 1755, and in Bonaventure we have lunch and visit the Musée acadien du Québec, which tells that story. Then on through New Richmond to Carleton-sur-Mer, about 245 km and three and a quarter hours in all with the stops.
Evening
Before dinner the van climbs the road up Mont Saint-Joseph, about 555 m, to the stone oratory at the top, where the whole bay, the barrier beach and the New Brunswick shore spread out in the evening light. Farewell dinner tonight in Carleton.
Included
- Lunch in Bonaventure
- Musée acadien du Québec, Bonaventure
- Mont Saint-Joseph lookout and oratory
- Farewell dinner in Carleton-sur-Mer
More active option: Walk down from Mont Saint-Joseph by the forest trail, about 1.5 hours, while the van takes the bags.
Free time: Morning free in Percé, and an hour on the Carleton barrier beach before dinner
Activity: The morning is the weather spare for the Bonaventure boat and the whale cruise.
Miguasha, the Matapédia valley and home
Carleton-sur-Mer to Parc national de Miguasha, up the Matapédia valley by Matapédia and Amqui to Mont-Joli Airport
- Breakfast and lunch
- Drive about 3.5 h
We leave at 8:30 am for Parc national de Miguasha, 20 minutes west, a cliff of grey shale on the bay listed by UNESCO in 1999 for its fossils of fish from about 380 million years ago, among them species close to the first animals that walked on land. A park naturalist shows the museum's fossils and walks us down to the cliff. Then the road turns inland at Matapédia, where the Restigouche and Matapédia rivers meet, both known for Atlantic salmon, and climbs the long green valley north past fishing camps and farms.
Afternoon
We stop for lunch in Amqui, by the river and its covered bridge, then reach Mont-Joli Airport (YYY) by about 3 pm, about 250 km and three and a quarter hours of driving in the day. Your guide checks your flight and says goodbye at the terminal. Flights from Mont-Joli go to Quebec City or Montreal (Saint-Hubert); we confirm the current schedule with you before you book.
Included
- Parc national de Miguasha museum and cliff walk with a park naturalist
- The Matapédia valley by road
- Lunch in Amqui
- Transfer to Mont-Joli Airport (YYY)
Activity: Flights from Mont-Joli (YYY) go to Quebec City or Montreal (Saint-Hubert); we confirm the current schedule before you book flights. On request, on the evenings VIA Rail's Ocean runs, we drop you at a station on its line for the overnight train instead, at your own cost.
- Quebec City1 night
- Rimouski1 night
- Sainte-Anne-des-Monts1 night
- Gaspé1 night
- Percé2 nights
- Carleton-sur-Mer1 night
- Mont-Joliend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: June brings long days, wildflowers and black flies in the parks; gannets are on Bonaventure Island from spring to autumn and their chicks hatch around early summer. July and August are warmest and busiest, especially in Percé. Whales are present from about June, and July to September is the most reliable window for humpbacks and fin whales off Forillon. September is quieter, with cooler nights and the first autumn colour in the Chic-Chocs. Sea fog and wind can cancel a boat on any date, which is why Percé has a spare morning.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who have seen Quebec City and Charlevoix and want the coast beyond Tadoussac
- Nature lovers: seals, gannets, whales, moose and mountain trails in one week
- Anyone who wants the Gaspé loop without driving 1,300 km of coast road themselves
- Couples, friends and solo travellers who like a small group, a bilingual guide and an included boat or park most days
Not for you if you want
- Anyone who wants a city trip: Quebec City gets one evening
- Travellers who want to unpack only once or twice: there are six hotels in seven nights
- Anyone who cannot sit in a van for three to four hours on four of the days
- Travellers set on a guaranteed whale or caribou sighting: wildlife is likely, never certain
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Quebec City1 night
- Rimouski1 night
- Sainte-Anne-des-Monts1 night
- Gaspé1 night
- Percé2 nights
- Carleton-sur-Mer1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights: 1 in Quebec City, 1 in Rimouski, 1 in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, 1 in Gaspé, 2 in Percé and 1 in Carleton-sur-Mer
- Central hotels or inns of a 3-star-plus standard with private bathrooms (in Quebec City by the old town; in Percé facing the rock); we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Group transfer from Quebec City Jean Lesage Airport (YQB) on day 1 and transfer to Mont-Joli Airport (YYY) on day 8
- A private minivan and professional driver for the group from Quebec City to Mont-Joli
- The Old Quebec Funicular
- The boat round Percé Rock to Bonaventure Island and back
- A whale-watching cruise off Forillon, about 2.5 hours
- The Parc national de la Gaspésie shuttle where the summit trail needs it, and the géoparc shuttle in Percé
Your guide
- A bilingual (French and English) See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip, from the airport in Quebec City to the airport in Mont-Joli
- Park naturalists at Miguasha and in Parc national de la Gaspésie where the park provides them
Activities
- Quebec City: guided walk through Old Quebec
- Kamouraska village walk
- Parc national du Bic: seal watching at low tide
- Grand-Métis: Reford Gardens
- Parc national de la Gaspésie: waterfall and lake walks, and a guided summit hike or valley trails
- Forillon National Park: Cap-des-Rosiers lighthouse, the walk to Cap Gaspé or the shore path and Grande-Grave, and a whale cruise
- Percé: Bonaventure Island and the gannet colony, the géoparc glass platform
- Bonaventure: Musée acadien du Québec
- Carleton-sur-Mer: Mont Saint-Joseph
- Parc national de Miguasha fossil museum and cliff
Meals
- 7 breakfasts
- 7 lunches, on days 2 to 8 (a packed lunch on day 4)
- 4 dinners: a welcome dinner in Quebec City, dinner in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, dinner in Percé and a farewell dinner in Carleton-sur-Mer
Not included
- Flights to Quebec City and from Mont-Joli
- Travel insurance
- An eTA or passport if your nationality needs one
- Dinners not listed, and lunch on day 1
- Drinks, including alcohol
- Optional activities: sea kayaking in Percé and a sunset boat to the rock
- VIA Rail tickets and sleeper cabins if you leave by the Ocean train instead of flying
- Tips
- Personal expenses
- Extra hotel nights before or after the trip
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 925 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Seven nights in central hotels, 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 4 dinners, airport transfers at Quebec City and Mont-Joli, a private minivan and driver, your bilingual See Sight Tours guide throughout, the Bonaventure Island boat, a whale cruise off Forillon, entry to Forillon and the Bic, Gaspésie, Bonaventure and Miguasha parks, Reford Gardens and the Acadian museum.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, never more. That is one minivan that can stop at a seal haul-out or a moose by the road, one table in small coast restaurants and a guide everyone can hear on the trail. Private departures are for your party only.
Who leads the trip, and do I need to speak French?
No French needed. A See Sight Tours guide who speaks French and English travels with the group from Quebec City airport to Mont-Joli airport and translates wherever English is thin. Park naturalists join at Miguasha and in the Gaspésie park. We name your guide when we confirm your dates.
How fit do I need to be?
If you can walk two to three hours a day on gravel paths, you will be fine. The demanding parts are optional: the Chic-Choc summit hike (about 4 hours with a steady climb), the 8 km walk to Cap Gaspé and the uphill island trail to the gannets. Each has an easier choice on the same day.
I am travelling solo. What does a room of my own cost?
A room of your own is from CAD 925 more, shown before you book, with no surprise at checkout. Single rooms in Percé's small inns are few in July and August, so book early. Solo travellers get the same seats, tables and free time as everyone else.
When is the best time to visit the Gaspé Peninsula?
June to September. The Bonaventure Island boats, Reford Gardens and Miguasha open in early or late June. July to September is the most reliable time for whales, July and August are warmest and busiest in Percé, and September is quieter with cool nights and the first autumn colour.
How does booking work?
Choose a date and request to book; nothing is charged. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request. Prices are per person sharing, with taxes: the small group starts from CAD 5,425 per person.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The trip also runs as a private trip for your party only, with your own guide and vehicle, on a date you choose, from CAD 9,765 per person. If you would rather drive the Gaspé independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the hotels, boats and a car.
Do I need a visa to visit Canada?
US citizens need a valid passport and no visa. Most other visa-exempt travellers, including UK, EU and Australian citizens, need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) before flying to Canada, applied for online. Some nationalities need a visitor visa; check your passport and we will help.
Can I take the train back from the Gaspé?
Yes, on some days. VIA Rail's Ocean, the overnight Halifax to Montreal train, runs a few evenings a week along the Matapédia valley and the lower St. Lawrence towards Quebec City and Montreal. On request we drop you at the nearest station on its line instead of the airport, confirmed with VIA when you book; the ticket and a sleeper cabin are at your own cost.
Will I see whales, gannets and caribou?
Gannets, almost certainly: tens of thousands nest on Bonaventure Island through the summer. Whales are likely on a summer cruise off Forillon, more so from July. Caribou are rare and endangered, seen only some days above the tree line, so treat them as a bonus. Seals at Le Bic depend on the tide.
Why so many one-night stops?
Because the Gaspé is a loop of about 1,300 km and each base sits by a different park. We keep each drive to about four hours or less, start no earlier than 8 am, give Percé two nights and include lunch every travel day, so the moves feel short.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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