14-day Québec road trip: full province including Gaspésie loop

Why 14 days and what makes this challenging

Fourteen days is the minimum to see the full breadth of Québec — from the cosmopolitan culture of Montréal to the end-of-the-world drama of the Gaspésie Peninsula. The “challenging” rating reflects the driving distances (over 2 000 km total) and the logistical complexity of the Gaspésie loop, not any physical difficulty. The roads are excellent throughout.

The Gaspésie is what sets this itinerary apart from all others. This 1 300-km peninsula jutting into the Gulf of Saint-Laurent is one of North America’s greatest road trip experiences: granite cliffs dropping into the sea, the iconic Rocher Percé standing offshore, moose on the Chic-Chocs mountain passes, and a French-Canadian culture utterly untouched by tourism. Most visitors to Québec never get here. You will understand the province on a fundamentally different level if you do.

Important: Gaspésie is far. Montréal to Percé is approximately 950 km and 9-10 hours of driving — always split across multiple days with overnight stops. Never attempt it as a day trip. An alternative for those pressed for time is the guided 3-day Gaspésie trip from Montréal , which handles all logistics.

Days 1-2: Montréal

Follow the 4-day Montréal itinerary compressed into two days:

Day 1: Old Montréal walking tour with the Original Old Montréal walking tour , evening in the Plateau.

Day 2: Mount Royal, Jean-Talon Market, best of food walking tour, Mile End for dinner. Pack for the road — tomorrow the road trip begins.

Day 3: Montréal to Mont-Tremblant

Drive north on Route 117 (130 km, 1h30). Afternoon: white-water rafting on the Rouge River or the treetop walk. Evening in the Tremblant pedestrian village.

See the 7-day classic loop for detailed Tremblant coverage.

Day 4: Tremblant to Québec City

Leave Tremblant by 12:00 after a morning activity. Drive via Route 50 then Autoroute 20 (430 km, 4h-4h30). Evening arrival in Québec City. Walk the Dufferin Terrace at dusk.

Day 5: Old Québec City in depth

Full day in the UNESCO city. Morning: Old Québec 2-hour grand walking tour . Afternoon: Citadelle, Plains of Abraham, Petit-Champlain. Evening: food tour or dinner in Saint-Roch. See the 3-day Québec City itinerary for more detail.

Day 6: Québec City to Charlevoix

Morning: Île d’Orléans (15 min from city, drive the 67-km circuit, stop at local producers). Afternoon: Montmorency Falls (30 min), then Route 138 northeast to Baie-Saint-Paul (1h30 from Montmorency). Evening in Baie-Saint-Paul — galleries, restaurants, stunning valley views.

Day 7: Charlevoix to Tadoussac

Morning: romantic horseback riding or the Gouffre River descent. Drive via La Malbaie to Baie-Sainte-Catherine and take the free ferry (10 min) to Tadoussac. Total drive: 2h from Baie-Saint-Paul. Check in at the Hôtel Tadoussac (historic, excellent view) or the newer La Maison Majorique.

Day 8: Tadoussac whales and Saguenay Fjord

Morning: whales and fjord morning tour — the twilight/morning zodiac departure combines whale watching and the Saguenay Fjord entrance in 3 hours. Afternoon: drive Route 172 to Saguenay for the Saguenay Fjord 3-hour classic cruise from La Baie. Evening: overnight in Chicoutimi (Saguenay) or return to Tadoussac.

Day 9: toward Gaspésie — Bas-Saint-Laurent

This is the beginning of the Gaspésie loop. From Tadoussac (or Saguenay), cross to the south shore via the ferry at Rivière-du-Loup (from Saint-Siméon on the north shore, ~70 min crossing, seasonal) or drive back via Québec City and Autoroute 20 east.

Drive: Tadoussac/Rivière-du-Loup → Rimouski = 200 km, ~2h30. The south shore Route 132 follows the Saint-Laurent through the Bas-Saint-Laurent region — wide river views, white beluga whales visible from shore near Kamouraska, heritage farmhouses. Stop in Kamouraska (one of Québec’s most beautiful villages) for lunch. Overnight in Rimouski (Auberge La Seigneurie or equivalent).

Day 10: Rimouski to Gaspé Peninsula

Drive: Rimouski → Sainte-Flavie → Matane → Gaspé = 440 km, ~5h. This is a long day on the road, but the scenery escalates continuously as the peninsula narrows. Leave early (8:00) and take your time. At Sainte-Flavie, the Route 132 splits around the peninsula — take the south shore via Matane for the shorter route to Gaspé.

The Gaspé Peninsula begins in earnest at Sainte-Flavie. By Mont-Joli, the mountains of the Chic-Chocs appear on the horizon. Matane has an excellent fish counter at the Marché des Pêcheurs. Arrive in Gaspé by late afternoon. The Gaspé town itself is small (15 000 people) but has decent accommodation — Auberge sous les Arbres, Hôtel des Commandants.

Day 11: Percé and Rocher Percé

Drive: Gaspé → Percé = 75 km, 1h. Percé is the crown jewel of the Gaspésie. The Rocher Percé — a 400-metre limestone sea stack with a massive natural arch — is one of Canada’s most photographed natural features. In summer it turns golden at sunrise and deep orange at sunset.

Full day in Percé. Morning: walk down to the tidal flat at low tide to approach the Rocher on foot (check tidal schedules — the crossing is only possible for 2-3 hours around low tide). Afternoon: take the boat to Île Bonaventure — home to one of the world’s largest northern gannet colonies (60 000 birds). The hike across the island through the nesting colony is extraordinary. Budget 3-4 hours for the Bonaventure excursion. Evening: dinner at La Maison du Pêcheur (the best seafood restaurant on the peninsula, reserve in advance).

Day 12: Forillon National Park

Drive: Percé → Forillon National Park = 80 km, 1h. Forillon occupies the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula — the literal land’s end where the Saint-Laurent meets the open Atlantic. The park’s cliffs host seabird colonies (murres, razorbills, kittiwakes), and harbour seals and porpoises are common offshore.

Full day in Forillon. The Cap-Bon-Ami trail (7 km return) to the cliff headland is the best hike in the park — dramatic views across the Gulf. The trail to Cap Gaspé (15 km return) takes you to the true end of the peninsula. Wildlife is abundant: moose, black bears and foxes are frequently seen along park roads, particularly at dawn and dusk. Park entry: 10.50 CAD/day (Parks Canada pass valid).

Day 13: Gaspésie interior — Chic-Chocs mountains

Drive: Forillon → Sainte-Anne-des-Monts (north shore) = 200 km, ~2h30. Take Route 197 across the interior of the peninsula to switch to the north shore Route 132. This north shore drive is arguably more dramatic than the south shore — closer to the Chic-Chocs Mountains that form the Gaspé’s spine.

At Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, Parc national de la Gaspésie is 30 km south via Route 299. The park protects the Chic-Chocs summit plateau — home to the southernmost caribou herd in North America and some of the best high-altitude hiking in eastern Canada. If time allows, drive the Route 299 to the visitor centre (views of Mont-Jacques-Cartier, 1 268 m) and return.

Continue west on Route 132 toward Matane for the overnight stop (3h from Forillon, 1h30 from Sainte-Anne).

Day 14: return to Montréal

Drive: Matane → Montréal = 600 km, ~6h30. This is the longest single drive of the trip. Leave early (7:00-8:00). Options: take the Matane–Baie-Comeau ferry (crossing 1h30-2h, then drive south via Route 138 and Autoroute 40) to avoid backtracking, or continue on the south shore Route 132 to Québec City then Autoroute 20 west to Montréal.

Alternatively, fly home from YGP (Gaspé airport, seasonal Air Canada flights to Montréal, 1 hour) to avoid the marathon driving day. Check Air Canada schedules in advance — YGP flights are limited.

Drive distances summary

Leg	Distance	Drive time
Montréal → Tremblant	130 km	1h30
Tremblant → Québec City	430 km	4h30
Québec City → Baie-Saint-Paul	100 km	1h20
Baie-Saint-Paul → Tadoussac	100 km	1h40
Tadoussac → Rimouski (south shore)	200 km	2h30
Rimouski → Gaspé	440 km	5h
Gaspé → Forillon	80 km	1h
Forillon → Matane (north shore)	200 km	2h30
Matane → Montréal	600 km	6h30
Total	~2 280 km

What to book far in advance

Rental car: 4-6 weeks in advance
Tadoussac whale and fjord tour : 1-2 weeks in advance
Saguenay Fjord cruise : 1 week in advance
Hôtel Tadoussac: 4-6 weeks in summer
Auberges in Gaspésie: at least 3 weeks (limited accommodation)
Matane–Baie-Comeau ferry: reserve online at traversiers.com

Budget estimate

Category	Mid-range (CAD) per person
Accommodation (14 nights, shared)	1 400-2 100
Rental car (14 days)	450-600 (split)
Fuel (~2 280 km)	220-300 (split)
Meals	1 200-1 800
Activities and tours	600-900
Ferries	80-120
Total	3 950-5 820

Before taxes (~15%). See the Québec budget guide for seasonal price variations.

When to do this itinerary

July-August: Peak season. All attractions open, whale watching at its best, Gaspésie accommodation available (but book well ahead). Warm throughout. Downsides: peak prices and road construction season.

Late June: Ideal balance — Forillon opens, gannets nesting on Bonaventure, whale season starts, pre-summer prices.

September: The foliage begins in Gaspésie and Charlevoix. Wildlife more active at dawn and dusk. Fewer tourists. Whale watching continues (excellent for minke and beluga). Strong recommendation for those with flexibility.

Avoid October-May for the Gaspésie section: Forillon NP closes in October, Bonaventure boat tours end in mid-October, and Route 132 in winter can be challenging to drive.