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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Percé
Give Percé 2 nights: one full day for the national park (boat to Bonaventure Island + Percé Rock), one for the town and trails. Go mid-June to mid-September.
Percé is the tourist centre of the Gaspé Peninsula, a village of about 3,300 on Route 132 where the draw is the offshore Percé Rock and Bonaventure Island, home to the world's largest accessible northern gannet colony. The season runs mid-June to late September; outside it, most businesses close. A car is the practical way in and the only way to reach the outlying villages.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- Mid-Jun to mid-Sep; Jul–Aug warmest
- Avoid
- Nov–Apr (most businesses closed); shoulder months have reduced hours
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CAD
- Money
- Currency is the Canadian dollar (CAD, $). Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere.
- Daily spend
- Budget C$90–140 excl. bed · Mid C$140–230 excl. bed · High C$230+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Rogers, Bell and Telus plus cheaper brands (Fido, Koodo, Public Mobile); prepaid SIMs in malls and stores. Canadian data is expensive — an eSIM is often cheaper.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Same as the US.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 15–20% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: CAD 1–2 per drink.; Taxi: 10–15%.; Housekeeping: CAD 3–5 a night.; Guide: 10–20% of the tour price.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable; treat water from lakes and streams (giardia).
- Toilets
- Free in malls, Tim Hortons, stations and park visitor centres.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | C$3–5 |
| Fish soup or a plate of seafood | C$18–35 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at a shop | C$8–10 / C$3–4 |
| RéGÎM bus fare | C$4 cash, C$3 with a ticket |
| National park admission, adult | C$9 (check) |
| Boat to Bonaventure Island, return | C$40 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | C$20–40 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YGP · Michel Pouliot Gaspé Airport
- Nearest scheduled airport, about 65 km; car rental on site or nearbyNearest scheduled airport, about 40 mi; car rental on site or nearby
- YVB · Bonaventure Airport
- About 100 km; car rental nearbyAbout 62 mi; car rental nearby
- YUL · Montréal–Trudeau
- Connect via Air Canada Express to YGP or YVB
- YQB · Québec City Jean Lesage
- Connect via Air Canada Express to YGP or YVB
Typical fares
- Boat Percé → Bonaventure Island, return
- about C$40, 45–60 min each way (check)
- RéGÎM bus, single
- C$4 cash or C$3 with a ticket
- Parking at the national park
- C$10 per car (check)
Get around
Walk the town centre; a car is needed for the outlying villages, Cap-Blanc and the trailheads. RéGÎM rural buses (Routes 22, 31, 32) serve Percé and neighbouring villages on weekdays, cash $4 or $3 with a ticket.
See and do
Known for
- Percé Rock (Rocher Percé)
- Bonaventure Island gannet colony
- Bonaventure Island and Percé Rock National Park
- Gaspé Peninsula coastal scenery
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bonaventure Island and Percé Rock National Park | Boat from Percé dock to L'Anse à Butler, then walk the island trails | Half to full day |
| Gaspé | Car on Route 132, or RéGÎM Route 22 from Barachois/L'Anse-à-Beaufils | About 1 h by car |
| Chandler | Car on Route 132, or RéGÎM Route 31 (two weekday departures each way) | About 1 h by car |
| L'Anse-à-Beaufils | Car, or RéGÎM Route 22 | About 15 min by car |
Sleep
- Town centre (rue de l'Église and waterfront)
- Walk to the dock, restaurants and the park Discovery Centre; busiest and priciest in Jul–Aug.
- Route 132 strip (motels and gîtes)
- Cheaper roadside motels and B&Bs; you need a car for everything.
- L'Anse-à-Beaufils and Barachois
- Quieter outlying villages 10 km south; good if you have a car and want lower rates.Quieter outlying villages 6.2 mi south; good if you have a car and want lower rates.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjour |
| Thank you | Merci |
| How much is it? | Combien ça coûte ? |
| Where is the dock? | Où est le quai ? |
| Two tickets, please | Deux billets, s'il vous plaît |
| Do you speak English? | Parlez-vous anglais ? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; 'Bonjour' first in Québec; avoid: Assuming everyone speaks English
- Queues: Line up and wait your turn; avoid: Pushing in
- Apologising: 'Sorry' is politeness, not admission of fault; avoid: Loud confrontation
- Canada vs US: Treat Canada as its own country; avoid: Calling Canadians American
- Indigenous culture: Buy from Indigenous-owned businesses and ask before photos at ceremonies; avoid: Wearing headdresses as costume
Scams and watch-outs
- Walking to Percé Rock at low tide is no longer allowed (bird protection); view it from shore or by boat.
- The park is provincial (Sépaq), not Parks Canada: a Parks Canada Discovery Pass does not work here.
- Off-season Percé is close to empty: many restaurants, shops and attractions shut from mid-October.
- Book boat trips and lodging ahead for Jul–Aug; the town fills up.
- Fuel and services thin out along Route 132: fill up when you can.
Percé is a small, low-crime seasonal town; the real risks are cold water and fog on boat trips, rough trails behind the town, and wildlife distances on Bonaventure Island. Keep well back from the gannet colony and never approach seals.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Percé yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Percé Rock (Rocher Percé)
- Bonaventure Island gannet colony
- Bonaventure Island and Percé Rock National Park
- Gaspé Peninsula coastal scenery
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Ville de Percé (official): ville.perce.qc.ca/
- Sépaq — Bonaventure Island and Percé Rock National Park: www.sepaq.com/pq/bon/index.dot?language_id=1
- Orléans Express: www.orleansexpress.com/en/
- Wikivoyage: Percé, revision 5202495 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5202495
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Percé
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No embassies in Percé; the US consulate general is in Montréal, and most other countries have embassies in Ottawa or consulates in Montréal.
French is the main language here; English is widely understood in tourist businesses.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/perce). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.