We are spending 12 nights in the south of Quebec province in mid October (6-18). The rough plan is Montreal-Quebec city-Tadoussac-Saguenay-La Tuque-Montreal. We are interested in culture, architecture and nature. Short-Medium hikes are good, longer and more demanding less so. We know about Quebec center and whale watching, but not too much beyond that (yet), so any further tips will be much appreciated!
Posted by
791 posts
Yo I-b,
Below is our recent-ish and very loooooong TR photo essay. There will surely be something of use to you guys in it.
I used to work all over Quebec including Montreal and Quebec City. My advice for the latter would simply be the obvious: stick to the Old Town.
cheers
I am done. the end
https://www.fodors.com/community/canada/en-pays-quebecois-a-montreal-mt-tremblant-tr-avec-fotos-1715084/
Posted by
The States
132 posts
My husband and I were in Montreal and Quebec City around the same time last year. We enjoyed both cities, but we preferred Montreal to Quebec City. There were lots of charter buses and tour groups in Quebec City, especially the old town. Montreal gave us a bit more breathing room. Also, Montreal has better public transit, which made it easier to venture to other parts of the city. That being said, the old town in Quebec City is lovely and should be seen. In order to avoid some of the tour groups, try to get out in the earlier part of the morning. It was much quieter then.
Favorite Things in Montreal
Parc Jean-Drapeau is a large green space in the middle of the St. Lawrence River. It can be easily reached via metro or bus. It is a peaceful and relaxing area to walk. We saw some nice fall foliage. On the weekend, it was filled with cyclists.
We much preferred Marché Atwater to Marché Jean-Talon because it felt more local. Plus, it is near the Canal de Lachine, which makes for a nice picnic spot. You can walk/cycle along the canal, and the path is flat and paved. I saw kayak stands, but they weren't renting the day we were there. We were able to reach the market and canal by bus.
Downtown Montreal has plenty to see, and you could probably spend a full day there. At the Place d'Armes, we liked the small free museum housed in the Bank of Montreal. Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours is an interesting church dedicated to sailors. The Vieux-Port offers scenic walking along the river. There are plenty of other things to do downtown; these are just the things that stuck out in my memory.
Hiking up to Parc du Mont-Royal would properly be too strenuous. However, you could take a bus to the top and enjoy the area there. The area around the lake is pleasant, and you can also visit the neighboring Cimetière Mont-Royal.
Do you like beer? The brewery scene is strong here. We liked BreWskey and Brutopia, but there are lots of other options. You will notice multiple 3 Brasseurs throughout the province because it's a chain. We went to one in Quebec City and liked it.
Favorite Things in Quebec City
As mentioned earlier, the old town is the major sight. Some highlights for us were walking along the fortifications, Musée des Ursulines, lunch at Aux Anciens Canadiens, and views from Terrasse Dufferin.
You can visit the Hôtel du Parlement. All you need is a photo ID. We used our US driver's licenses. It's always interesting seeing the insides of government buildings.
The Plains of Abraham was our go-to walking area because it was near our hotel. There was a cafe there with a good patio. We had drinks (coffee and wine) there a couple times.
St. Matthew’s Cemetery surrounds Bibliothèque Claire-Martin, which is a public library housed in a former church.
The best dinner we had here was at Le Billig. They specialize in Breton crepes (aka galettes), which are made with buckwheat. They had a really good cider selection, and they let me taste a couple before I committed to one.
Posted by
Moncton NB
1328 posts
I assume if you're going to Tadoussac, you know about the whale watching? Best I've seen and world famous.
Whether as part of a whale watching excursion, or a separate trip, do a cruise down the fjord between Saguenay and Tadoussac.
Saguenay, the thing I most remember is the blueberries. The people there are called "Bleuets" after the berries. There is a monastery there, Trappist I think, who do fantastic chocolate covered blueberries.
There is a fantastic zoo near Saguenay, at St-Félicien. The best polar bear exhibit I've seen - there is a glass tank where you can see how they swim.
In Montreal, we enjoyed the Marché Jean Talon, but am interested about the other post saying the Atwater Market is even better. We did the hike up Mount Royal. It was ... an experience. We ended up too tired to go back down, but enjoyed the view and took an Uber home.
In Quebec, there is a restaurant called Aux Anciens Canadiens, in the Vieux Ville, which serves the kind of food les habitents would have eaten in the 1600 and 1700s - venison, duck, all kinds of game. And make sure you see the Basse Ville.
Just outside Quebec, don't miss Montmorency Falls. Nice walks, and a zip line if you're into that.