Here’s the bucket list for your day ashore: the most extraordinary thing to do at each stop, and the private, small-group, or expert-led way to make it yours — your own pace, real access, none of the crowd.
In port at Gaspe, the bucket-list move is Percé Rock & Bonaventure Island: Gannets Up Close. Croisières Julien Cloutier (Les Bateliers de Percé) runs it — a private, expert-led experience at your own pace, not a 40-person coach. Below: all 6 bucket-list things to do on a Gaspe port day, each with the independent way to make it yours.
1wildlife
Sail past the iconic Percé Rock — one of the world's largest natural arches — then land on Bonaventure Island to walk among 116,000 nesting Northern Gannets in one of North America's most spectacular seabird colonies. Utterly unforgettable.
Book it withCroisières Julien Cloutier (Les Bateliers de Percé)CAD 57 per adult (boat tour + island landing); park entry CAD 10.15 ages 13–17, free under 13
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2scenic
Ride a gondola to the clifftop Géopark de Percé and step onto the glass-floored Skywalk suspended 200 m above the St. Lawrence, with Percé Rock, Bonaventure Island, and the entire bay spread below you. A jaw-dropping perspective found nowhere else on Earth.
Book it withGéoparc mondial UNESCO de PercéCAD 39 adult (gondola + Skywalk access); guided geological tours from CAD 59
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3wildlife
Explore the dramatic limestone headlands of Forillon — where the Appalachians plunge into the sea — then board a zodiac whale-watching cruise from the park to encounter minke, fin, and humpback whales in their Gulf of St. Lawrence feeding grounds.
Book it withForillon National Park / Les Croisières Baie de GaspéPark entry CAD 10.50 adult/day; whale-watching zodiac from CAD 75 adult
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4water
Join a small-group, naturalist-guided whale-watching cruise departing from the heart of Forillon National Park, searching the rich, cold waters of the Baie de Gaspé for fin whales, minkes, belugas, and harbour porpoises — one of the most productive whale habitats in eastern Canada.
Book it withLes Croisières Baie de GaspéCAD 75–CAD 95 per adult depending on vessel and tour duration
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5adventure
Venture deep into the Chic-Choc Mountains of Gaspésie National Park — the southernmost caribou habitat in North America — for a guided alpine hike above the treeline with sweeping views of a landscape that feels genuinely wild and untouched.
Book it withGaspésie National Park / SÉPAQCAD 9.50 adult daily access fee; guided hikes from CAD 55 per person (SÉPAQ interpretation guides)
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6culture
Discover one of Québec's most beloved and eccentric artworks — Marcel Gagnon's monumental stone sculpture garden stretching into the St. Lawrence — where 80 life-sized figures appear to wade from the sea in a haunting, joyful procession. A true bucket-list cultural surprise.
Book it withLe Grand Rassemblement / Site Marcel Gagnon (Sainte-Anne-des-Monts)CAD 10–CAD 15 per adult (site access and artist studio); check directly with the site for current 2026 admission
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