The Gaspé Peninsula is the long arm of eastern Quebec that reaches into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It is a place of distances: Forillon National Park is about 770 km from Québec City, Gaspésie National Park is about 530 km from the city, and Percé sits between them on the end of the road. This guide covers Percé Rock and Bonaventure Island, the Percé geopark, Forillon with the Cap-des-Rosiers lighthouse, Gaspésie National Park, the Jardins de Métis at the western gateway and the town of Gaspé.
Know the seasons first
Most of the peninsula runs from late May or June to mid October, and early November is the closed season. In 2026 the Bonaventure Island park ran from 31 May to 12 October, the Percé geopark was open daily to 12 October and on weekends to 1 November, the Jardins de Métis ran from 30 May to 4 October, the Birthplace of Canada village ran from 1 June to 15 October and Forillon's operating season ended on 15 October. Riotel Percé closed on 11 October and Fort Prével runs from May to October. What is open now: Percé Rock, which you can see for free from the shore, the Musée de la Gaspésie, which is open all year, and Forillon National Park, which stays accessible but is not maintained and closes its gates after the first snow. Hôtel Baker and Rodeway Inn in Gaspé town are open all year.
When to go
June to September is the main season, with the island boats, the glass platform, the festival gardens and the lighthouse tours all open. Early autumn is quieter and good for walking, but hours shrink from mid September, and everything has closed or is closing by mid October. Winter belongs to snowshoeing and skiing in Gaspésie National Park, where the inn reopens from 27 December 2026 to 29 March 2027.
What to book ahead
Book hotels first, because there are few of them and summer weekends fill. Buy the Bonaventure Island park access online through Sépaq, which is $10.30 for adults in 2026, and buy the boat ticket at a kiosk in Percé on the day. Buy Jardins de Métis tickets online, and buy access to Gaspésie National Park in advance in high season because entry is limited by daily numbers.
Getting around
A car is essential. The coast road, route 132, runs right around the peninsula, and the distances between sights are long. Orléans Express buses and the RÉGÎM regional service reach Forillon, and Michel-Pouliot Gaspé Airport is the nearest airport, 43 km from the park's South Area entrance, but buses will not take you from sight to sight. A seasonal shuttle runs from Sainte-Anne-des-Monts into Gaspésie National Park, once a day from July to September.
How many days
Four to five days gives a loop with a rhythm. Give a day to Percé, with the rock, the geopark and the boat to Bonaventure Island. Give a day to Gaspé town and Forillon, with the museum and the village. Give a day to Gaspésie National Park, and a night to the Jardins de Métis on the way in or out. With only two days, choose Percé and Forillon and skip the rest.
Where the headline sights fit
Percé is the centre of the trip, with the rock, the geopark and the island. Gaspé town is the base for Forillon and its lighthouse, and for the museum and the village. Gaspésie National Park is the mountain stop on the north coast, and the Jardins de Métis is the garden stop at the west.
Weather and packing
Wind off the Gulf is constant, so bring a windproof layer, a hat and gloves in any season except midsummer. Services are thin outside July and August, so carry water and fuel up before long stretches. Check opening dates for each place the week before you travel, since seasons are set each year.
