Gaspé Maritime
Gaspé Peninsula, Quebec

"When I look at the pictures, it reminds me that some of the most beautiful places I've seen have been on your tours. One of my best memories is of the park in Gaspé: we rode in together... and then I hiked as the sun came slowly out. 
The trail with wild-flowers, the colorful steep cliffs with pounding surf, and the deep blue sky and water with whales broaching the surface made for some heady stuff. I think that this park that day had to be as close to heaven as we can get on this earth."

- Whitley Vick, United States

 
"All in all a grand week of motorcycle touring; a golden combination of superb roads, fascinating history, wonderful camaraderie and magnificent accommodations. And, best of all, for us, a tour that we were able to ride our own machines on. A big plus! 

The Gaspé is a place of stark and raw beauty. It has a rich history and a distinctly French and European feel, yet  is only a few days' ride away from the Backroads area. You could go see it by yourself, but for the money you will never surpass the roads, dining experiences, inns and history that a week in the Gaspe with Northeastern Motorcycle Tours will give you." 

- Brian Rathjen, Publisher, Backroads Magazine
Read the new Backroads review of our Gaspé tour

  "Thanks again for the best vacation we have ever had. We loved every (beeping) minute of it."

- Susan & Larry Rogers, 
  United States 

"Thoroughly enjoyed the tour, excellent scenery, routes, and accommodation (can't forget the food either!). I definitely want to come back..."

- Miles Spencer, Jersey, United Kingdom
From the high summits of the Chic-Choc mountains to the rocky ocean cliffs of Forillion National Park, the dramatic landscape of the Gaspé Peninsula (the Gaspésie) is full of variety and breathtakingly beautiful.  Carved by the glaciers, Gaspé is where the Appalachian mountain range begins. 

 

As we tour through Gaspé, we'll enjoy scenery unlike any other in the world. Travelling along the rocky coast, the roads first twist along the cliffs and then drop to sea level where the waves crash just a few yards from the pavement.

 

There are no interstate highways in Gaspé. Instead, much of the island located inland of the coast is wilderness which can be crossed only by twisting mountain roads. This is the southernmost location in North America where herds of Caribou still roam the tundra. The forests and surrounding waters are rich with wildlife of all kinds, from eagles to moose to whales.

Located in the French - Canadian region of Québec, the architecture of Gaspé's traditional villages is simple and beautiful. Old homes cluster around small harbors and centuries-old churches face the ocean or sit high up on hills.


As with all of our tours, the inns and hotels used for each night's stay represent the best that each region of Gaspé has to offer. They range from traditional French inns to grand hotels in the mountains and resorts along the coastline. In the coastal town of Percé we will spend two nights at one hotel so that you have the option of spending the day exploring the town or taking a boat trip out to the nearby islands and around the famous Percé rock.

Gourmet dinners with full choice of the menu are a Northeastern Motorcycle Tours tradition and the food on this tour is superb. The French, of course, are famous for their culinary skill and the meals on this tour will live up to that reputation. Every dining room and restaurant we've chosen to provide dinner on this tour were among those jury-selected by Bonnes tables au Québec as being the best in the region. One of the restaurants we'll enjoy for two evenings has been the regional champion in this competition for the last three years.
The Gaspé Maritime tour begins and ends in a small village west of Rimouski in the Canadian province of Québec. You might choose to come on your own motorcycle or have it shipped to northern Maine for an easy day's ride to the tour start location. Rentals of Honda, BMW and Harley- Davidson motorcycles are also available within a day's ride of the tour base.

Of all of our tours, the Gaspé tour has the shortest overall daily mileages (150 miles average instead of 200) as well as a triple-night layover in a coastal resort town.  This means that we're often at our evening hotel by 4:00pm and have a little extra time in the afternoons to explore the surrounding areas.   We recommend reading  the Backroads review of our tour to get a good sense of it's pace and style.


Extended Gaspé Tours 

Riders have the option to begin and some Gaspé Maritime tours in Montpelier, VT.  Riders on this extended tour will travel up through the Green Mountains of Vermont and the White Mountains of New Hampshire into Quebec and then on to Rimouski. After the riding in Gaspé is finished, we will return to Montpelier.

For more Gaspé photos and a tour evaluation see the Backroads review of our Gaspé tour which appeared in their September, 2000 issue.

Core Tour At A Glance

Day 1: Ride meeting at 5:30 pm at our tour base near Rimouski, Quebec 

Day 2: Ride along St.Lawrence River into Chic-Choc Mountains

Day 3: Ride through Chic-Choc Mountains and along the southern coast to coastal resort town 

Day 4: Open schedule layover day with optional whale watching, island hopping and/or "The NMT Mini-Alps Loop Ride"

Day 5: Eastern coastal loop ride to town of Gaspe and exploration of Forillion national park 

Day 6: Northern coastal ride back into the Chic-Chocs

Day 7: Ride along St. Lawrence returning to tour base near Rimouski

Day 8: Tour ends after breakfast


Extended Tour At A Glance

Day 1: Ride meeting at 5:30 pm at our tour base in Montpelier, Vermont

Day 2: Ride through Green and White Mountains into the Beauce region of Quebec

Day 3: Ride to and then along St. Lawrence River to village near Rimouski, Quebec 

Day 4: Ride along St.Lawrence River into Chic-Choc Mountains

Day 5: Ride through Chic-Choc Mountains and along the southern coast to coastal resort town 

Day 6: Open schedule layover day with optional whale watching, island hopping and/or "The NMT Mini-Alps Loop Ride"

Day 7: Eastern coastal loop ride to town of Gaspe and exploration of Forillion national park 

Day 8: Northern coastal ride back into the Chic-Chocs

Day 9: Ride along St. Lawrence returning to Rimouski

Day 10: Ride along St. Lawrence and then back into the Beauce region

Day 11: Ride through Beauce region, White Mountains and Green Mountains back to Montpelier

Day 12:Tour ends after breakfast

* Note: Loop rides begin and end at the same hotel, allowing you decide how far and how long you want to ride that day.

See our schedule page for dates and pricing.

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