Itinerary

This is a great tour for energetic beginners or moderate riders, as well as advance riders who may want more miles. There is about 12-13 miles of gravel bike path riding on this tour.

Day 1: Begin Pedaling the Blueberry route along the sapphire-blue waters of Lac Saint-Jean in Point Taillon NP

Since pre-tour lodging is included for the night before the tour starts, we will pick you up at the Manoir Victoria in Quebec City early in the morning and shuttle (~2.5hrs) north to Alma on the southeast edge of gorgeous Lac Saint-Jean. With three national parks and a marine park totaling over 1,000 square miles, this giant playground is renowned for its outdoor-loving activities. After a bike fitting, take a spin along flat country roads and beside the sapphire blue lake in the Pointe Taillon National Park to the town of Dolbeau-Mistassini on the shore of the Mistassibi River.
Meals: lunch and dinner Lodging: Motel Chute des Pères.
Distance: 42 miles, elevation +895 ft / -833 ft

Day 2: Continue on the Blueberry route to Saint Felicien. Stop at a blueberry museum on the way and enjoy waterfront lodging tonight

After breakfast, hop back on your bike to continue your way along the Véloroute des Bleuets (The Blueberry Route). Take a side trip to Les Délices, a blueberry museum celebrating the region’s culinary history, then pedal on to Hotel du Jardin in the town of Saint-Félicien where we spend the night perched on the shores of Lac Saint-Jean.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner Lodging: Hotel du Jardin
Distance: 37 miles, elevation +827 ft / -869 ft.

Day 3: Sample hand-crafted cheese, visit an indigenous museum, and pedal into the past at the historic village of Val-Jalbert

Stop at La Vieille Fromagerie Perron to experience (and sample) a rural cheese factory’s hand-crafted wares. Pedal to Communauté Innu de Mashteuiatsh, the nation’s oldest Innu reserve, where descendants of the region’s indigenous peoples have lived for over 6,000 years. Explore the museum’s collective exhibit and cultural site celebrating thousands of years of life stories of these nomadic people. Enjoy lunch here. Then continue riding to the Historic Village of Val-Jalbert, a 1920s company town complete with 40 or so original period buildings. Its convent-school, general store, pulp mill and massive waterfall offer plenty to explore. Stay here tonight in a 20’s-themed room with contemporary comforts at Village Historique de Val-Jalbert.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner Lodging: Village Historique de Val-Jalbert
Distance: 28 miles, elevation +695 ft / – 662 ft.

Day 4: Ride the blueberry route from Val-Jalbert to Chicoutimi, a former French fur trading post on the banks of the Saguenay River.

Don’t feel like you have to ride all the miles on today’s route, or tomorrow’s. Our guides can tailor the riding to suit your preferences. Ride from Val-Jalbert to Chicoutimi, an old French fur trading post on the banks of the Saguenay River. Now the central borough of the city of Saguenay, it’s a mecca for hikers, skiers and other active people. Along the way, visit the cheesemakers at La Fromagerie Lehmann. Taste the family’s artisanal cheeses made from milk produced by their little flock of Swiss Brown cows. Back on the bicycle, ride to visit The Little White House (La Petite Maison Blanche), a symbol of hope and perseverance which survived two floods, standing for four days with waters raging around its foundation. Overnight at Hotel Chicoutimi on the bank of the fjord.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Lodging: Hotel Chicoutimi
Distance: 68 miles (or less), elevation: +2305 ft / -2763 ft (or less)

Day 5: Ferry across a large river, the Saguenay, to cycle along a smaller river, the Ste-Marguerite, to spend the night on the banks of an enormous river, the St. Lawrence, in charming Tadoussac Village.

Ride east along the Saguenay River to La Baie, third of the Saguenay city boroughs. Pedal onto a ferry and cross to Sainte-Rose-du-Nord on the other side. Bicycle quiet roads through farms and fields bordering the Sainte-Marguerite River, soaking up the views of lakes, forest lands and mountain peaks. Finish today’s ride where the river meets the giant St. Lawrence River in Tadoussac. Spend tonight at the Hotel Tadoussac with its red roof and whitewashed walls, enjoying views of Tadoussac Bay and the St. Lawrence River.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Lodging: Hotel Tadoussac
Distance: 68 miles (or less), elevation: +3294 ft / -3311 ft (or less)

Day 6: Go for a wildlife cruise in Saguenay St. Lawrence marine park in the morning. Cycle, hike or relax on your own in the afternoon

The St. Lawrence estuary at Tadoussac is a feeding zone for three types of whales: the fin whale, the minke whale and the giant blue whale. This morning, take a 2-hour Wildlife Cruise through the heart of the Saguenay St. Lawrence Marine Park to see these majestic mammals. This afternoon, there’s a 38-mile out-and-back optional ride north beside the St. Lawrence River to the town of Les Escoumins. Or there is also a 2.5-mile hike to Anse à la Barque on the Sentier du Fjord. Lunch is on your own today.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner. Lodging: Hotel Tadoussac

Day 7: Pedal “Avenue Royal” past beautiful basilica and celebrate a wonderful week at Montmorency Falls. Explore Quebec City. Your lodging is included tonight!

A fabulous end to a fabulous tour! Shuttle to Saint-Tite-des-Caps after breakfast to pedal the historic “Avenue Royal.” Begin on a relaxing descent with impressive views of the Saint Lawrence River and surroundings. Continue past the lovely Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré basilica to view the magnificent Montmorency waterfall. At 272-feet, it’s one and a half times higher than Niagara Falls. Board the telepherique (cable car) for an unforgettable celebratory farewell lunch at Manoir Montmorency, right next to the falls. After lunch we head into Quebec City. Your lodging is included tonight at Hotel Le Concorde, but dinner is on your own, and this is where you will say farewell to your guides. Old Québec’s cobblestone streets and landmarks date from the 1600s and make for a wonderful exploring!
Meals: Breakfast and lunch. Lodging: Hotel Le Concorde
Distance: 33 miles, elevation: +1209 ft / -2441 ft.

* This is a general itinerary. Tour itineraries are subject to change based on the group, available accommodations and other unforeseen circumstances such as the weather, local conditions, government intervention, that may affect the quality of the trip and/or safety of the participants. Please view this itinerary as an outline as to what to expect on this tour.

Lodging

Motel Chute des Pères
Hotel du Jardin
Village Historique de Val-Jalbert
Hotel Chicoutimi
Hotel Tadoussac
Hotel Le Concorde in Québec City.
The hotels, inns, and B&B’s we use are always among the finest the area has to offer. Our smaller group sizes allow us to stay at some award-winning places that can’t handle groups of 25 or more. We work closely with the innkeepers to make sure they understand your needs and ours, whether that is having a place to store your bike, an early morning breakfast or a convenient place to park the van, they are as committed to your vacation experience as we are.

Lodging is based upon two people to a room with a private bath. If you’re traveling solo on any of our trips, we’ll assign you a roommate of the same gender and often of the same age bracket. There is no extra charge if we can’t find you a roommate, even if you sign up the day before the trip starts. You can guarantee yourself a private room and bath if you pay the Single Room Fee. Occasionally a room with two beds consists of one bed plus a rollaway bed or sofa bed.

Included:

• 7 nights of lodging
• All meals, one lunch and one dinner on your own. Snacks and beverages between meals
• Road / hybrid bike, E-bike rent possible. Helmet and Wahoo GPS device
• Wildlife cruise
• Museums & hiking
• Luggage transfer

Not included:

• Alcoholic beverages at meals,
• Airline tickets
• Gratuities guides

Pricing / Tour dates

Tour prices 2024: $ 4760.-pp single fee $1285.-
You can avoid a single supplement by sharing a room with another rider.
Extra option rental E-bike $200.- pp
Tour start dates 2024:
14 Jul – 20 Jul
21 Jul – 27 Jul, fully booked
28 Jul – 03 Aug

Conditions

Deposit 25%
The deposit payment for a tour must be paid within two weeks after the booking is confirmed.
The remaining payment is due 90 days before the start of the tour.
For tours that are booked within 90 days before the start of the tour you will pay 100% of the tour price

Information

Meals and dining:

We know how important breakfast is to make sure your day starts off right. Most breakfasts are served at the inn where we spend the night and are either a set menu or a continental breakfast buffet. But if there is a local restaurant with a reputation for a great breakfast, we can guarantee we will find it and you will be treated to a nutritious meal to start the day.
Lunch is provided at a state park or similar scenic setting midway during the day’s ride. Guests are always surprised at the variety and quality of lunches we prepare. Besides sandwich fixings and cold drinks, we offer fresh fruits and vegetables and hot lunches such as tortellini with pesto or veggie burritos. If you prefer a certain item of food or drink, just let your tour guide know and we will be sure to prepare just the right lunch to keep your energy up for the rest of the day.
During the day water, fruit juices, soft drinks, energy bars, fruit, and snacks are available from the van. A cold beer from our cooler waits at the end of the day, and you can relive the day’s highlights at our wine and cheese party before dinner.
Dinner is eaten together at the best restaurant in the area. At most restaurants, you order what you want from the menu. Except for alcohol, everything is included, even appetizers, salad, soup, and dessert. If we have to shuttle everyone a short distance to get to that special place, we do it. We like to eat well.

If you have any special dietary requests, please let us know in advance. We regularly accommodate vegetarians and other restricted diets. All of our meals are carefully selected to provide you with the unusually high nutritional and caloric needs of your body on an outdoor adventure.