Canada, Quebec: Bas-Saint-Laurent Bike Tour

DAY 1:

Arrival and independent exploration of Québec City.

Arrive in Québec City at your leisure, where your pre-arranged room awaits. Your guide(s) will meet you early tomorrow morning. Take the opportunity to explore the art shops, galleries, historical quarters, and cafés of Old Québec. Other highlights include the Museum of Civilization and The Citadelle of Québec, North America’s largest fort.

DAY 2:

Berthier-sur-Mer to Saint-Jean-Port-Joli ~52km (+200m / -190m).

Meet your guides this morning after breakfast. Transfer 45 minutes to the pastoral tranquility of the Saint Lawrence's southern bank. From Berthier-sur-Mer, the paved country roads of the Route Verte lead you between the Appalachians and the Saint Lawrence River, toward the seaside town of Saint-Jean-Port-Joli. Woodcarvers and musicians frequently gather here to display their art.

Meal Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

DAY 3:

Saint-Jean-Port-Joli to Kamouraska ~67km (+350m / -350m).

Your ride through Saint-Jean-Port-Joli begins along a riverside road, passing artisan and sculptor galleries and museums toward La Pocatière. Ride through St-Pacôme, the first of several of Québec's "25 Most Beautiful Villages" you'll encounter this week. You will finish in Kamouraska, famous for its medieval festival and the archipelago off its shores. The water retreats so far at low tide that some of the islands can be reached on foot. Try not to get caught by the rising tide, or you'll spend the night alone!

Meal Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

DAY 4:

Kamouraska Loop ~47km (+300m / -300m).

By now, you will have noticed the conical granite peaks rising incongruously from the farmland. Today's ride meanders between these 'monadnocks,' which inspire some adventurers to leave the saddle and scramble up for a view. Your route returns you to Kamouraska, where a waterfall hike and optional sea kayaking might ensure that you appreciate the comforts of this village by day's end.

Meal Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch.

DAY 5:

Trois-Pistoles to Le Bic ~55km (+570m / -590m).

Start with a morning transfer to Trois-Pistoles, marked by the tall steeple of the enormous church of Notre-Dame-des-Neiges. Stop at the fromagerie and at the government wharf to take in the view of Île aux Basques, where fishermen rendered whale fat long before Jacques Cartier arrived. The ride from Trois-Pistoles to Le Bic takes you through the Basque Highlands, where you can stop to stock up on local specialties such as maple-based drinks. Enjoy the spectacular lookout outside Saint-Fabien, home to wild falcons frequently seen flying from the cliffs, then cycle to the village of Bic via the trails of Le Bic Provincial Park.

Meal Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

DAY 6:

Le Bic to Métis-sur-Mer, up to ~74km (+85m / -100m).

Ride along the waterfront through Rimouski, stopping at the lighthouse and Pointe-au-Père Maritime Museum to learn about the RMS Empress of Ireland's fate – Canada's biggest peacetime disaster, on the scale of the Titanic's, two years earlier. Continue through Sainte-Luce-sur-Mer toward another real and perhaps more peaceful highlight of the day: Les Jardins de Métis/Reford Gardens. The gardens are truly spectacular, fusing traditional garden serenity with unusual and contemporary artistic themes. You can choose to finish your cycling at the gardens or continue another 15 km beyond to your Auberge.

Meal Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

DAY 7:

Transfer and farewells.

The return transfer to Québec City takes approximately 4 hours. It departs after breakfast and will arrive in Québec City in the early afternoon. If you prefer not to transfer by van, consider flying from Mont-Joli (YYY) to either Québec City or Montreal. The small airport at Mont-Joli is about 25 minutes from your inn and operates daily flights to Montreal (Air Canada) and Québec City (Pascan Airlines).

Meal Inclusions: Breakfast.