You are in Montréal and have a long weekend ahead? Let me provide you with the perfect getaway this summer! ☀️
En route to Tadoussac to observe whales and belugas! 🐳

Les Escoumins, QC, Canada

Québec, QC, Canada

Tadoussac, QC, Canada

Saguenay Fjord National Park, Rue Notre Dame, Rivière-Éternité, QC, Canada

Montréal, QC, Canada

from Montréal to Tadoussac : 4 days itinerary ⛴️

On your first day you will be leaving Montréal either in the morning or the afternoon right after work, it's up to you! Direction, Québec, only 3h away from Montréal. 🚙

Rise and shine! It's already time to leave Québec and head to Tadoussac as early as possible as the whales are waiting for you!

Now, let's explore Tadoussac and its surroundings! 

For the last day, a quick breakfast to take away at Café l'Abri Côtier before heading back to Québec.

After a pleasant day and weekend overall, it's already time to drive back to Montréal!

Once arrived in Québec, we checked in at Hôtel Champlain, well located in Old Québec. Note that they do not offer the parking lot so you will have to find a private one. There are plenty in the area so you can ask the reception to indicate you where to go.

We had dinner at Sapristi which was pretty near the hotel. It's one good option that was open late!

Because a roadtrip in Canada is not complete without it, stop by Tim Hortons on the road for a nice breakfast 🍩

To reach Tadoussac, you will have to get on the ferry crossing Saguenay Fjord. It's free of charge but there can be some traffic depending when you arrive so plan to arrive early.

We booked our whale watching not in Tadoussac but a bit further, in Les Escoumins. We had a tour in the afternoon so we could hang in the area before the whale watching. 

There is the Marine Environment Discovery Centre accessible by walk with a nice view. It has been said that you can even spot whales from shore sometimes as the waters get pretty deep near the shore.

During the tour we could observe seals and a group of belugas. They are protected so the boat has to stay in the distance with the engine shut but the belugas came willingly to us, playing around the boat and with bubbles. It was incredible!

After the whale watching tour, we picked up some food and drove straight to the Dunes to eat with a beautiful view!

In Canada, Summer really is pleasant especially because of the amount of daylight you get. ☀️ So the very last thing of the day I highly recommend you to do is to walk the Pointe de l'Islet by sunset. It's a promenade really, with an easy wooden path around it. 

You get the chance to observe seals but also if you have the eye of the tiger, you can spot belugas and other whales swimming in the fjord. I would suggest investing in binoculars to fully appreciate the wildlife surrounding you! 🔭

When you arrive somewhere new, I always recommend that you stop by the Information Center because they know the area like nobody else and it can be pretty useful to follow their recommendations to discover new places!

We've decided to organise the day with first breakfast at Café l'Abri Côtier and a hike further in the fjord. Before picking up the car, we did a little bit of shopping on the way for souvenirs.

At the Info Center, they recommended that we go to the Halte au Beluga. It's located in a national park (there is a small fee to be paid at the entrance) and accessible by a short hike. Once arrived, you get an incredible view on the Saguenay Fjord and as the area is protected for belugas, you can spot some from ashore!

On the way back, you can go and stop by l'Anse de Roche. It's another nice viewpoint over the fjord without any hike.

Once back in Tadoussac, you can visit the wooden chapel of the city. It's pretty old, full of history. I personally didn't like the feeling inside, maybe because it's small and all wooden but it's a place you should explore if you have the occasion.

There are different restaurant options for you in Tadoussac. We've decided to first try a Microbrasserie to have many appetisers and after that we went to Café Bohème for dessert!

Just before arriving in Québec, you definitely should stop by the Montmorency Falls! They are impressive and you can observe them from the bottom but also from the top. As they are part of a national park, there is a fee to be paid to have access to it but it allows you to go to both parking lots at the top and bottom.

Most likely, after you will arrive in Québec perfectly for lunch! Since you are in Québec, you should definitely look for a Poutine or I can suggest to try some classical French Crêpe!

After lunch, you have the rest of the afternoon to explore Québec. It's not a city as big as Montréal so many people will tell you that you can visit it in one day only. So here are the main things you have the time to visit in an afternoon:

from Montréal to Tadoussac : 4 days itinerary ⛴️

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