Quebec City & Montreal

Old town Quebec is very small and walkable. We’ve been there 2x and didn’t have a bad meal. There are so many nice museums depending on what your interests are. Paillard Le Café-Boulangerie
1097 rue St-Jean Is our favorite for pastry and a light lunch. Also, we took a very interesting and informative walking tour with promenadesfantomes.com . It’s advertised as a ghost tour but it is so much more. They tell the story of the how woman were sent from France to Quebec to help settle and populate, not just Quebec but all along the river. They talk about one particular woman, not fictional, and her life story. We enjoyed the tours so much we took the same one both times we were in Quebec. The first time it was the end of winter and really cold at night so we missed some of the dialogue due to trying to keep warm.

I haven't been to Quebec City in a 30 years, but I do love Montreal, as it's relatively close to home, at least easy for a weekend trip. The last time I was in Montreal, I found a great little cafe between downtown and Old Montreal. It was called Olive et Gourmando (https://www.oliveetgourmando.com/fr/accueil/), and it is really open only late breakfast through late lunch hours (9-5 Tues thru Sat). The pastries are wonderful, on par with the best Parisian bakeries, and the breakfast panini was amazing. Of course, you can always grab something extra to enjoy later.
Not sure if you've been to Montreal previously; if not, I recommend the Biodome out at the Olympic Park. It was recently remodeled, and has exhibits on different ecosystems. Great exhibits. I also love to explore the underground, because I'm normally there in the winter. Vieux Montreal, the old town, is absolutely lovely with its cobblestone streets, and the Notre Dame Basilica is a must see for me. I also love to take in local markets no matter where I am, and particularly enjoyed the Markets Jean-Talon and also Maisonneuve.
I could go on and on... I must be due for another visit!

www.restomontreal.ca

https://www.restoquebec.ca

These twin services, which are commercial guides, offer some reader feedback and will help with reservations. They classify restaurants by location and type of cuisine. See my later post, atop this thread, for info on the bring-your-own-wine service.

My favourite thing to do around Old Quebec City is to spend a half day at Siberia Station Spa:https://siberiaspa.com/

If you are interested in history, I highly recommend the boat to Grosse Isle (Canada'a Ellis Island).

We took our bikes on the ferry over to Levis and had a lovely afternoon riding over there (paved paths), then grabbing lunch from a food truck at the park near the dock. I am sure you can rent bikes in Old Quebec city.

Many years ago we took the kids to Tadoussac and went kayaking with whales. We drove there, but there are tour companies that can take you for the day

Near Montreal, Le Scandinave Spa is our go to, as is Old Montreal and wandering around the port.

Bonne vacances!

Do three days in Quebec City, it is very walkable and lots to see.

I really enjoyed the Plains of Abraham Museum https://www.ccbn-nbc.gc.ca/en/. It's on the site of one of the most important battles in Canadian history which helped determine if Canada was going to belong to the French or the British.

Quebec City:
- Look online and stop by the Visitor's Center - they have excellent tourist resources, maps, itinerary ideas, etc.
- Don't limit yourself inside the old city walls; you will find a lot more local establishments outside the walls including patisseries, small stores, etc. that don't revolve around tourists
- Rent a car for a day and do a drive of Ille d'Orleans and possibly explore more of Quebec Province (Montmorency Falls, Saine-Anne-de-Beupre, small towns up north along the St. Lawrence River)

Montreal:
- Jean Talon Market
- Make use of the good subway system to explore local neighborhoods like Le Plateau, Mont Royal, etc. I really enjoyed the local neighborhoods just as much as the tourist spots like Old Town
- Check out the National Library (Grande Bibliothèque)