Explore the Great Outdoors Along the St. Lawrence River for an Invigorating Adventure

Begin your day of adventure at Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier and the Vallée de la Jacques-Cartier. Paddle through the river in a canoe, kayak, or mini raft, or simply float in a tube. There are also multiple hiking trails to explore. Lunch is an hour’s drive to the Bistro-bar Le Quatre-Temps, before spending your afternoon at Parc de la Chute-Montmorency where you can marvel at the 272-foot waterfall. A trail leads to a suspension bridge for the best view of the falls, as well as the St. Lawrence River, Île d’Orléans, and Québec City. From there, it’s 45 minutes to Station touristique Duchesnay. Pick from a variety of on-site adventures at this forest-based destination, including a 1,000-foot zipline as well as hiking, biking, canoeing, kayaking, paddle boarding, and pedal boating on the shores of Lac Saint-Joseph.

Check in to Auberge Duchesnay and take advantage of their fine dining package to enjoy a gastronomic feast or drive 45 minutes into Québec City to discover the abundance of restaurants on offer such as Le Monastère des Augustines.

Start your morning with a road trip to Charlevoix, which you’ll reach in less than two hours, home to Parc national des Grands-Jardins and its mountain peaks, glacial valleys, and more of the beauty of the Québec wilderness. Try the via ferrata on Mont-du-Lac-des-Cygnes, an exciting and challenging way to discover the park on both long and short circuits.

Drive an hour to Parc national des Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie and stay in one of their Étoile ready-to-camp tents or eco cabins or choose traditional camping.

This morning, explore the Parc National des Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie and take the discovery cruise with a naturalist guide on board to learn about the park, the best lookouts, and views including, Le Riverain trail, L’Acropole-des-Draveurs, and Des Rapides trail. After relaxing at your campsite or lodging, drive 15 minutes to enjoy dinner at the Auberge Le Relais des Hautes-Gorges.

Over the next day, you’ll explore the Saguenay Fjord in thrilling yet safe ways. Saguenay Aventures Zodiac is about two hours from Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie and offers an incredible experience of the fjord, thanks to inflatable Zodiac boats that allow visits to otherwise inaccessible spots on the Saguenay Fjord.

Choose from multi-activity stays and expeditions such as opportunities to spot marine life, including whales, on both the fjord and the St. Lawrence River. Alternatively, you can take a sailboat tour with Voile Mercator ranging from three-hour tours to multi-day sail-and-sleep excursions.

For mountain biking enthusiasts, the new trail La Piñata at the resort, Vélo de Montagne Mont Édouard, is anadvanced intermediate trail that’s both technical and flowing. It’s one of seven “Enduro” runs, from beginner to expert level, available, in addition to five miles of forest trails for the family.Top it off with a meal close by at the Microbrasserie la Chasse-Pinte and their menu showcasing regional products and craft beers to sample.

Your exploration of the Saguenay Fjord continues today as you drive 20 minutes to Parc national du Fjord-du-Saguenay. Adventurers will find themselves at home here where you can spend hours hiking trails with incredible views or scale the cliffs of Baie Eternité on the via ferrata. With water and forest views you’ll have plenty of opportunities to spot wildlife including the iconic Peregrine Falcon. Cross the 278-foot-long suspension bridge for stunning panoramas and thrills.

To see the marine park waters at a more leisurely speed than on your Zodiac trip yesterday, take a guided kayak trip with Fjord en Kayak at L’anse Saint-Jean and paddle at your own pace. Then drive to Contact Nature to hike the trails along the Rivière-à-Mars canyon and cross footbridges with magnificent views. (If you’d like to stay the night, Contact Nature also has lodging available.) Dine this evening at L’Auberge des Battures.

Start your day from an elevated vantage at Parcours aventure escalade climbing school, pioneers in adventure tourism. Certified professionals will help introduce you to rock climbing or take your skills to the next level.

Explore the region’s highest peaks and the famous Vallée des Fantômes, and canoe or kayak the river Valin and Bélanger Pond, at Parc national des Monts-Valin ,a 45-minute drive away. Or you can join a group sea kayaking adventure with Kayak Sainte-Rose-du-Nord (Aventure Rose des Vents) and stay at the on-site Auberge Aventure Rose-des-Vents. Another accommodation option that’s a 10-minute drive away are the eco-chalets at Exode en Nature.

Enjoy dinner at Les Jardins de Sophie for farm-to-table delights. Also nearby is the Distillerie du Fjord where you can raise a glass of quality spirits as you make a toast to your adventures in Québec.