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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Sacré-Coeur
Go for 1–2 nights as a fjord-and-whale base on Route 172, 20 min from Tadoussac; skip if you want a town with a walkable core.
Sacré-Coeur is a small municipality of about 1,900 people on the north shore of the Saguenay River, in the Manicouagan tourist region of Quebec's Côte-Nord. It sits between the Saguenay fjord and Route 138, and most visitors use it as a quieter, cheaper base for whale watching and fjord kayaking than Tadoussac. One or two nights covers the village, the Anse-de-Roche marina and a fjord trail; three nights if you add a national park day or an outfitter stay.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- Jun–Sep (whales, kayaking, trails open)
- Avoid
- Nov–Apr (cold, many services closed)
- Stay
- 1–2 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$150–250 excl. bed · High C$280+ 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 |
| Casual meal (fries, sandwich, soup) | C$15–25 |
| Restaurant main course | C$22–38 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at the store | C$8–10 / C$3–4 |
| Whale-watching excursion | C$60–120 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | C$20–40 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YQB · Québec City Jean Lesage
- About 3 h 15 min by car via Route 138 and the Tadoussac ferry; the usual gateway.
- YYY · Mont-Joli
- Smaller regional airport downriver; check seasonal connections.
Typical fares
- Tadoussac ferry (Route 138 crossing)
- free, about 10 min (check)
- Whale-watching trip from Tadoussac
- C$60–120 per adult (check)
- SÉPAQ park day fee
- about C$9 per adult (check)
Get around
A car is effectively required: the village, Anse-de-Roche and the trailheads are 10–20 min apart and there is no local bus. Route 172 links the village to Route 138 and Tadoussac. Fuel up at the Route 172 service stations before heading up the fjord; the marina at Anse-de-Roche has fuel for boats in season.
See and do
Known for
- Saguenay fjord and Sainte-Marguerite river
- Whale watching on the St. Lawrence
- Anse-de-Roche marina and cliffs
- Outfitters, hunting and fishing
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Tadoussac | Drive Route 172 south to Route 138, about 20 min | About 30 min |
| Parc national du Fjord-du-Saguenay | Drive to the Sainte-Marguerite sector, then walk the Le Fjord trail | About 45 min |
| Baie-Comeau | Route 138 north-east, about 2 h 15 min | About 2.5 h |
| Forestville | Route 138 south-west, about 1 h | About 1 h |
| Godbout | Route 138 north-east, about 1 h 30 min | About 1.5 h |
| Franquelin | Route 138 north-east, about 1 h 45 min | About 1.75 h |
Sleep
- Village centre (rue Principale)
- Inns, gîtes and the church; walkable, closest to the restaurant cluster.
- Anse-de-Roche
- Fjord-side marina and campground; best views, 10–15 min drive from the village.
- Route 172 north (toward Sainte-Marguerite)
- Farm stays, outfitters and cabins; you need a car for everything.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Mercimair-SEE |
| How much is it? | Combien ça coûte ?kom-BYEN sa KOOT |
| Can I pay by card? | Est-ce que je peux payer par carte ?ess-kuh zhuh puh pay-YAY par KART |
| Where is the toilet? | Où sont les toilettes ?oo son lay twa-LET |
| I have a reservation | J'ai une réservationzhay oon ray-zair-va-SYON |
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
- No local public transport: without a car you are limited to what your lodging or a tour operator drives you to.
- Many restaurants, gîtes and outfitters close from late October to May; check before booking a winter trip.
- Cell coverage is patchy on the fjord roads and trails; download offline maps.
- Black bears and moose are common in the surrounding forest: store food properly and drive slowly at dusk.
Very safe for a rural Quebec municipality; the real risks are wildlife on the roads, cold water on the fjord and services shutting in winter. Tell someone your trail plan and carry bear spray where allowed.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Sacré-Coeur yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Saguenay fjord and Sainte-Marguerite river
- Whale watching on the St. Lawrence
- Anse-de-Roche marina and cliffs
- Outfitters, hunting and fishing
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- SÉPAQ — Parc national du Fjord-du-Saguenay: www.sepaq.com/pq/sag/index.dot?language_id=2
- Tourisme Côte-Nord: www.tourismecote-nord.com/en/
- Wikivoyage: Sacré-Coeur (Quebec), revision 5218325 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5218325
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Sacré-Coeur
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 here; the US consulate general is in Québec City, and most countries' embassies are in Ottawa or Montréal (check).
French is the main language; a few words go a long way.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/sacre-coeur-quebec). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.