Montreal and Quebec City itinerary, day by day

Lively Montreal and the walled old town of Quebec City, joined by the St Lawrence, with Charlevoix and the whales of Tadoussac beyond: the map, what is worth booking, everything that costs nothing, and where to sleep at three budgets.

🗓️ 4 or 7 days📍 2 stops☀️ Best time: June to October

Québec · Photo Victor Lucas / Pexels

Route map (numbers = order of the stops).

Montreal and Quebec City in 4 days

2 stops · 8 things to do · ≈ 104 km

1Montreal

Days 1-2

A bilingual city on an island in the St Lawrence: the cobbled streets of Old Montreal, the colourful Plateau, and a festival in every season.

🎟️ Worth booking

Old Montreal guided walk2h · from €25
Notre-Dame Basilica, the Old Port and the historic lanes, with the stories behind them.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Mount Royal Park · The Plateau Mont-Royal · Jean-Talon Market

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: M Montréal Hostel (€35 a night) · Mid-range: Le Petit Hôtel (€145 a night) · Luxury: Ritz-Carlton Montréal (€450 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Bistro Le Cerf-Volant ★ 4.9 · 641 reviews
Restaurant Mastard ★ 4.8 · 745 reviews
Restaurant Canada Best ★ 4.8 · 697 reviews · €€
BOUILLON BILK ★ 4.7 · 2800 reviews · €€€
Restaurant Kazu ★ 4.7 · 2610 reviews · €€

Photo Nancy Bourque / Pexels

🚗 Car · 3h · 260 km

2Quebec City and Charlevoix

Days 3-4

Founded in 1608, the only city in North America north of Mexico to keep its walls, and UNESCO-listed. Beyond it, the river road climbs into the hills of Charlevoix.

🎟️ Worth booking

Whale watching from TadoussacFull day · from €70
Belugas live here all year, and minke, fin and humpback whales come to feed where the Saguenay fjord meets the St Lawrence.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Old Quebec and the Château Frontenac · Montmorency Falls · Île d'Orléans

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Auberge Internationale de Québec (€40 a night) · Mid-range: Hôtel Manoir Victoria (€145 a night) · Luxury: Fairmont Le Château Frontenac (€360 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Restaurant Tanière3 ★ 4.9 · 823 reviews · €€€€
Ah La vache ! La fondue en cavale ★ 4.9 · 413 reviews · €€
Buvette gentille ★ 4.9 · 399 reviews
Restaurant Melba ★ 4.9 · 367 reviews
Faux bergers ★ 4.9 · 358 reviews

Photo Abdel Achkouk / Pexels

Montreal and Quebec City in 7 days

2 stops · 8 things to do · ≈ 260 km

1Montreal

Days 1-3

A bilingual city on an island in the St Lawrence: the cobbled streets of Old Montreal, the colourful Plateau, and a festival in every season.

🎟️ Worth booking

Old Montreal guided walk2h · from €25
Notre-Dame Basilica, the Old Port and the historic lanes, with the stories behind them.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Mount Royal Park · The Plateau Mont-Royal · Jean-Talon Market

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: M Montréal Hostel (€35 a night) · Mid-range: Le Petit Hôtel (€145 a night) · Luxury: Ritz-Carlton Montréal (€450 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Nancy Bourque / Pexels

🚗 Car · 3h · 260 km

2Quebec City and Charlevoix

Days 4-5

Founded in 1608, the only city in North America north of Mexico to keep its walls, and UNESCO-listed. Beyond it, the river road climbs into the hills of Charlevoix.

🎟️ Worth booking

Whale watching from TadoussacFull day · from €70
Belugas live here all year, and minke, fin and humpback whales come to feed where the Saguenay fjord meets the St Lawrence.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Old Quebec and the Château Frontenac · Montmorency Falls · Île d'Orléans

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Abdel Achkouk / Pexels

Hotel prices are per room per night, activity prices per person, checked when written. Some links are affiliate links (Booking, GetYourGuide): we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

Take this itinerary with you

The free printable Montreal and Quebec City guide: map, stops day by day, hotels by budget. Works offline.

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Good to know before you go

🍽️ What to eat

Poutine: chips with fresh cheese curds and brown gravy, born in rural Quebec in the 1950s.
Maple syrup: on pancakes and bacon, or poured hot onto snow and rolled into taffy.
Tourtière: a spiced meat pie, eaten above all at Christmas.
Montreal bagels: smaller, denser and sweeter than New York's, boiled in honeyed water and baked in a wood oven.
Smoked meat: spiced, cured brisket piled high on rye bread, the Montreal deli classic.

⚠️ What to avoid

Prices are shown before tax: federal and Quebec sales taxes add about 15% at the till.
Tip 15 to 20% in restaurants and bars, worked out on the total before tax.
French is the official language: greet people in French before switching to English, and expect road signs in French only.
Distances are long: Quebec City to Tadoussac alone is about three hours' drive.

Plan this trip

📒 The free printable Montreal and Quebec City guide→ 🗓️ Best time to visit Montreal and Quebec City, month by month→ 🎟️ What to book before you go→

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