Quebec, Canada

Québec – The Blueberry Route Bike Tour

DURATION

7 Days

PRICE

$4,760

LEVEL

BADV_AbilityLevel_IconsIntermediate

DAILY DISTANCE

30-40 Miles (up to 70)

INCLUDED ACTIVITIES

Pre and post tour lodging are included. Cycling (bikes included), Wildlife Cruise, & Museums.

INCLUDED MEALS

All breakfasts. One lunch and one dinner on your own.

Discover and explore what we ultimately strive for in a cycling vacation–which is to simply “Pedal Happy”.

The Blueberry Route – the Véloroute des Bleuets – is a 160-mile paved cycling circuit around Saint-Jean Lake, north of Québec City. This is a great tour for energetic beginners or intermediate riders, as well as advanced riders who may want more miles. Spin along relatively flat routes through national parks surrounded by forested peaks. Ride along sapphire-blue lakeshores, through peaceful farmland and beside glittering rivers. Sample local delights from craft brews to handmade cheese to poutine, Québec’s most famous dish. Explore indigenous history, Québecois culture and the Historic Village of Val-Jalbert, a “Company Town of the 1920s.” Go on a wildlife cruise in Saguenay St. Lawrence Marine Park during the best time of the year for viewing (July).

COMPARE! A SPECIAL LODGING NOTE: We want to make sure you have time to explore wonderful Québec City, so our tour price covers eight nights of lodging on this tour (not just six nights as with most 7-day tour itineraries). Lodging in Québec City is provided both the night before the tour (Day 0) and the last night (Day 7)!

RENTAL BIKES: Models will be different for the bike-types (road, flat bar and e-bike) shown at the bottom of the web page. Call or request our Guest Information Packet for more specifics.

PEDAL HAPPY: There is about 12-13 miles of gravel bike path riding on this tour.

Day 01

Begin pedaling the Blueberry Route along the sapphire-blue waters of Lac Saint-Jean in Pointe Taillon National Park.

Meals

– Lunch
– Dinner

Lodging

Motel Chute des Pères

Distance

42 miles

Elevation

+895 ft / -833 ft

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. Stay tonight at the Motel Chute des Pères.

Day 02

Continue on the Blueberry Route to Saint-Félicien. Stop at a Blueberry Museum on the way and enjoy waterfront lodging tonight.

Meals

– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner

Lodging

Hotel du Jardin

Distance

37 miles

Elevation

+827 ft / -869 ft

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.

Day 03

Sample hand-crafted cheese, visit a an indigenous museum, and pedal into the past at the Historic Village of Val-Jalbert.

Meals

– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner

Lodging

Village Historique de Val-Jalbert

Distance

28 miles

Elevation

+695 ft / -662 ft

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.

Day 04

Ride the Blueberry Route from Val-Jalbert to Chicoutimi, a former French fur trading post on the banks of the Saguenay River.

Meals

– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner

Lodging

Hotel Chicoutimi or Hotel du Fjord Chicoutimi

Distance

68 miles (or less)

Elevation

+2305 ft / -2763 ft (or less)

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 or Hotel du Fjord Chicooutimi.

Day 05

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.

Meals

– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner

Lodging

Hotel Tadoussac

Distance

68 miles (or less)

Elevation

+3294 ft / -3311 ft (or less)

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.

Day 06

Go for a wildlife cruise in Saguenay St. Lawrence Marine Park in the morning (included). Cycle, hike or relax on your own in the afternoon.

Meals

– Breakfast
– Dinner

Lodging

Hotel Tadoussac

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.

Day 07

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

Meals

– Breakfast
– Lunch

Lodging

Hotel Le Concorde in Québec City.

Distance

33 miles

Elevation

+1,209 ft / -2,441 ft

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. After lunch we head into Quebec City. Your lodging is included tonight at Manoir Victoria, 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!

Dates
Guaranteed
This means that the tour will definitely depart as scheduled and not be canceled.
Price
Availability
Dates
Single Supplement
Price
$1,285
This is not required. It is an optional fee to allow a solo traveler to guarantee a private room for the duration of the tour.
Dates
July 14, 2024
Guaranteed
This means that the tour will definitely depart as scheduled and not be canceled.
Price
$4,760
Availability
Open
Dates
July 21, 2024
Guaranteed
This means that the tour will definitely depart as scheduled and not be canceled.
Price
$4,760
Availability
Closed, call for waitlist
Dates
July 28, 2024
Guaranteed
This means that the tour will definitely depart as scheduled and not be canceled.
Price
$4,760
Availability
Closed, call for waitlist

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