If you're dreaming about a Fall wonderland, Quebec is definitely the place to be! Located on the East side of Canada, most people might first think about New England or maybe Ontario for a Fall road trip. But Quebec has so much to offer! Starting in the vibrant city of Montreal, this itinerary will take you to the best places to drown in an ocean of orange forests, between city trips and nature đ
This guide is best suited for road trip enthusiasts and avid travelers who want to see as much as possible in a limited time. There is little time for relaxation, expect to be exploring and driving every day (on average 3 hours per day), but it will be absolutely worth it!
This guide includes a detailed 5 day itinerary based on my own road trip done in 2023, with accommodations, places to eat, hikes and sight suggestions. Everything you need in one place, so you can focus on enjoying your trip! I even give you ideas to extend your trip if you have more time available!
Quebec is the second largest province of Canada, both area and population wise, with its 9 million inhabitants. Very unique in Canada, it has its own culture and a very strong French heritage due to its history. It is known for its dynamic cities (especially Montreal), but also for its amazing nature.
đ€ Climate
Quebec beneficiates from a very diverse climate, from very cold winters (it can go down to -40°C!) to very warm summers (up to 30°C).
But what this region is famous for is its indian summer. It occurs when weather is still sunny and dry with warm temperatures after Fall has started to settle in. At its peak, this is when the foliage has the most vibrant colors. Unfortunately, there is no way to predict when exactly the peak colors come in, as it is different every year. However, generally the best time to go is between mid-September and late October.
This itinerary is based on a trip I did at the beginning of October 2023.
đ” Currency
Quebec is part of Canada, so they are using the Canadian Dollar $
1 $US = 1.37 C$
1 ⏠= 1.47 C$
đŹ Language
Quebec is, with New Brunswick, one of the only provinces in Canada where French is the official language. Note that it's not exactly the same French as in France though, they have their own words and phrases for many things. But don't worry, nearly everyone speaks English in the touristic places.
đ Getting around
There is public transportation that could get you between the most popular places (Montreal, Quebec, Mont Tremblant). However, there is a lot you will miss out on, especially hikes and national parks, which is the main focus of the trip! Therefore, I strongly recommend renting a car for freedom of your movement.
This itinerary is designed as a road trip by car.
đ Special Fall Tip
To make the best out of this road trip, you will have to chase the Fall colors. Luckily, there is an official website that will help you for it! When Fall starts, it's updated weekly with an interactive map to let you know what stage of color change the foliages are at in many parts of Quebec. The differences can be huge between places, one area can be at its peak while another still has unchanged green trees! So definitely keep an eye on the map and consider being flexible in your plans to accommodate better chances of color sightings (this itinerary will give you the opportunity to choose between different areas as day trips).
To give you an idea, the photos in this guide were taken when it was still the beginning of the color change in Montreal, but between middle and advanced stage in all the other places.
Welcome to Montreal, Canada's second largest city! There are TONS of things you can do in Montreal, you could easily spend a week here. But for the purpose of this trip, you will stay for one day, so let me guide you through Montreal's main sights to make sure you make the most of it!
To enjoy it as much as possible, make sure that this is a full day. Either you would have arrived by an overnight flight and are ready to start the day, or have arrived the day before.Â
If you arrive to Montreal by train or by bus, you will be downtown already. If you arrive by plane, the bus 747 will take you to the city center in 30 mins. Pro tip: the special bus ticket from the airport costs 11$ and gives you unlimited access to public transport for 24 hours! Even if you didn't get here by plane, I highly recommend to buy a day pass as well because you will be using public transport a lot today.
To start the day, you will head to the Old Montreal and wander its streets.
The Old Montreal is a very nice neighborhood filled with old historical buildings. You will also find tons of restaurants and souvenirs shops. It gets very busy during the day, so if you want to enjoy a peaceful stroll through the streets, make sure to come early!
Directly connected to the Old Montreal is the Old Port. It's just another nice area to stroll around on the banks of the Saint Lawrence. Make sure to check out the ferris wheel and the clock tower!
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Next stop is going to be the Parc Jean-Drapeau, which is on an island just on the other side of the river. There are two ways to get there:Â
- the metro 2 and then 4 from Champ-de-Mars to Jean-Drapeau
- a water shuttle directly from the Old Port, for an extra 6$
There are many things you can do in this park! There is a swimming pool, a rose garden, a biosphere museum, multiple walking path in the forest and even a theme park with rollercoasters! The best thing about it for me though is the views that you get of Montreal from the west banks of the island.
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You're now leaving the city center area to explore one of my favorite neighborhoods: Le Plateau. To get there, take the metro 4 then 2 to the Mont-Royal station.
Le Plateau is a very vibrant neighborhood in Montreal. The Mont-Royal avenue is filled with cafes, restaurants and shops going on for kilometers! There are also a lot of cool murals.
Don't hesitate to go off the main avenue though, the residential streets are just as lovely to walk in. The architecture of the houses is very typical and there is such a peaceful atmosphere!
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As the day is going by, your last stop will be the infamous Mont Royal Park, the symbol of Montreal and where the city got its name from. From Le Plateau, you can take the bus 11 to the park.
This is without a doubt the best view of Montreal! It's a plaza with panoramic views of the whole city's skyline. Did you know that no building is allowed to be taller than the Mont Royal? This is a great spot sunset!
As you're making your way down from the lookout, you can enjoy relaxing around Beaver Lake, or "Lac aux Castors", and maybe even watch sunset from there!
If you've been to other cities in Canada you may know this treat already as it's a chain, but if this is your first time you MUST try it! Queues de Castor, or Beaver Trails, are flat doughnuts with a variety of different spreadings. It's high in calories but it's so good! My personal favorite is Nutella-banana :)
If you're a cat lover you have to go to this cat cafe! Not only there are super cute cats, but also the admission is free and the food they serve is seriously delicious! I go to this place every time I visit Montreal!
This place is a bit off the itinerary, but if you happen to be around this neighborhood I highly recommend this cafe. The decoration is super cute and the food is really good.
Now let's be serious, you can't possibly go to Montreal without trying a local poutine. And when we're talking about poutines, La Banquise is an institution. What is poutine you may ask? It's a traditional meal from Quebec made of fries, a very special cheese and gravy. Another very "light" specialty right? And at La Banquise, they have a crazy selection of toppings you can add to your traditional poutine. Be aware that it's an extremely popular place and you may wait in line for some time, but it's worth it!
It's now time to hit the road and leave Montreal for a day in the countryside! So get a rental care first thing in the morning. There are multiple agencies where you can rent from right in the city without having to go back to the airport.
From Montreal, you will have a little over 1h30 drive to Mont-Tremblant. But to start the day, you're not going to the town of Mont-Tremblant yet, but to the trail head of a hike to Mount Nixon, to begin soaking in those gorgeous Fall colors.
Mount Nixon is one of the most beautiful Fall hikes of Quebec, and it's not even a particularly busy one! I would consider it as a moderate hike, as there is definitely some incline but it's not very technical.
There is no dedicated parking, you can park on the side of the road at the trail head. There are in total 3 viewpoints not to be missed, and the best one for me is the last one, but it's also the hardest one to find! I attached the AllTrails link so that you can have some further guidance.
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After you nailed the hike, you can enjoy some more relaxing time in the town of Mont-Tremblant, at about 20 minutes drive from Mount Nixon. Make sure you are headed to the ski resort, as there are a few different "Mont-Tremblant" in the area!
Mont-Tremblant is a very touristic ski resort, even when it's not winter time. But I still think it's worth a visit. The colorful architecture of the houses can look a bit like Disneyland, but that's also what gives it its charm in my opinion. There are tons of shops and restaurants, and what I find the best is that it's a pedestrian only village. There's even a very fun and FREE mini gondola that can take you up and down the village if you don't wan't to walk, and at the same time gives you amazing views with the orange mountains in the background!
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At the end of the day, drive back to Montreal for about 1h45.
Alternative or Extra day
If the foliage colors happen to not be the best around Mont-Tremblant, I got you! Chances are that it might be better on the East side of Montreal, in the Cantons-de-l'Est region. It's a similar driving time and can offer you just as spectacular views!
Mont Orford is another ski resort where you can take beautiful hikes. I listed below different AllTrails links with various hikes you can do in the area.
But note that if you're not in the best condition for hiking, you can take a chairlift up to the top of Mont Orford and be treated with just as amazing views!
Today you're leaving Montreal for good and you will head north east along the Saint Lawrence river. Your aim for the day is the beautiful Mauricie National Park, about 2 hours drive away from Montreal.
Little tip: instead of going on the highway to Trois-RiviĂšres, leave the highway a bit earlier around Louiseville and finish the drive going on the small roads. It's a little longer but the drive is so much more enjoyable as you go through the little villages and get a real Quebec countryside experience!
Mauricie National Park is not super big, you can drive the loop in a full day and do some stops and hikes along the way. The drive itself through the park is absolutely stunning! There are two entrances to the park, for this itinerary it makes more sense to go through the Saint-Mathieu entrance on the west side. It costs 9$ per person.
This is the first stop you should not miss. From the paring lot there are a couple stairs going down to a viewing platform, where you will be treated with panoramic views of Lake Wapizagonke and the endless forests around
This is another gorgeous viewpoint on the Lake Wapizagonke that you can just pull over to. There are actually two viewing platforms, one on each side of the parking lot, don't miss out!
If you have to choose one hike to do while in Mauricie, I would recommend this one. Your day will have been pretty filled already, so it's the perfect hike as it's not very long, not very hard, but gives you more gorgeous views. The AllTrails link is attached.
As you're leaving the Mauricie, there is one last picture stop that might be worth it. If you pull over at this park, you will have a really nice viewpoint of the village of Grandes-Piles on the other side of the river. It's a cute little village with a distinctive church, and the Fall colors make it really picturesque!
If you want to give yourself some extra time for a unique experience, you can take a scenic floatplane flight to admire the Fall colors of the park from the sky! You have to contact the company directly to check their prices, for the tour #1 "The Classic".
The nearest town is called Shawinigan, that's where you will find most restaurants. There are not a ton of options, but we went to this one and were very satisfied!
$$ - We've been to this place and couldn't recommend it more! We got our own little cabin right in front of the lake and with a private jacuzzi! Absolutely gorgeous and for a very reasonable price.
This morning you're heading to the charming Quebec City, capital of the province of Quebec. It takes a bit less than 2 hours to drive there from Shawinigan.
After making the crossing, we are going to save the visit of Quebec City for later in the day and you're first going to head to Montmorency Falls, just a 15 minutes drive away. There are different parking options, I would recommend going to the one at the bottom of the falls.
Montmorency Falls is a must do when in Quebec City. There are a multitude of trails leading to different viewpoints to enjoy the falls from multiple angles. My suggestion would be to first follow the path on the right side of the falls and get the view from the very bottom. It could be a little wet! Then climb up the 487 steps, trust me it's worth it! You can then cross the bridge over the falls and get one last view from the lookout on the other side before turning around. If you have mobility needs, you can also take a gondola up the falls at an extra cost.
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You can then make your way back to Quebec City for some city exploration for the rest of the day! This Canadian city has one of the most historical backgrounds and you will definitely feel it by strolling its streets, it almost feels like Europe sometimes! Another really nice thing is that it's totally walkable.
If you don't know where to park your car, you can look for the SPAQ parking lot in front of Espace Quatre Cents, the cost is quite reasonable.
This is one of the many cute streets of Quebec City at the bottom of the hill. All the houses are made of stone, which make them so charming! Feel free to just get lost wandering the streets!
This is the busiest street of Quebec City, it's filled with shops and is very picturesque!
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This was the lower part of the old Quebec City, now you have to check out the upper part! You can take a couple of stairs to make it all the way up, or you can also take the cable car for 5$.
This terrace is without a doubt the most popular sight of Quebec City, but for good reasons! It's a really nice panoramic walk overlooking the lower part of the old town and the Saint Lawrence river. And of course, it gives you views of the infamous ChĂąteau Frontenac (Fairmont Hotel), symbol of the city.
Your little walk will eventually take you to the entrance of the citadel of Quebec City. It's free to roam the top of the walls and it makes a really cool experience! With as a bonus nice views of the city.
As the day is coming to an end, this little grassy plaza is the perfect place to relax for a bit while enjoying gorgeous views of the ChĂąteau Frontenac.
This is a bit out of the city center, but I can't help myself to recommend this fast food chain. It's very special though as you can only find it in the Maritimes! It's definitely on the pricier side of the fast food, but I swear this is the best fried chicken with the tastiest sauce I've eaten, you have to try it!
Your trip is now coming to an end and it's time to drive back to Montreal, which will take approximately 2h45 from Quebec City. Depending on what time is your flight/train/bus, you may still have some extra time to chill in Montreal.
However, if you don't want to end your trip just yet, there are ways to extend it! I have to tell you though, I haven't been to any of these places so I can't give you a lot of details and personal experience, but I did some research!
Jacques-Cartier National Park
This could be a day trip from Quebec City, as it's only a 30 minutes drive from there!
Jacques-Cartier National Park is a natural haven where you can enjoy mountains, lakes and rivers. You can hike, camp, and of course, canoe.
The entrance to the park costs 9,85$/day.
If you want to sleep in the park, this is a great option in the middle of the woods.
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Charlevoix
Charlevoix is a region of Quebec on its own. You can do hikes, or even just drive on scenic roads. If you want to add this bit to your trip, you should plan at least one extra day, with an overnight stay around Baie-Saint-Paul. Note that from there, the drive back to Montreal would take nearly 4 hours.
This is considered as a quite challenging hike with a steep incline, but the views at the top are so rewarding! As part of the SEPAQ, the entrance costs 9,85$ per person.
Hi there! I'm Chloe, a 27 years old girl born and raised in France. I'm OBSESSED with trip planning, from my first road trip planned in Ireland when I was 18 to this day, it really became a passion of mine. Literally before even learning about this platform, all my trips were already planned exactly as you can find them here!
I thoroughly traveled Europe until I crossed the Atlantic in 2022, where I did a 6 months solo trip through Canada, where I'm now based in. So if you're planning a trip pretty much anywhere in Canada, I got you!
When it comes to my travel style, I wouldn't call myself a backpacker, as I enjoy a bit too much a minimum of comfort. But always on a budget! My main focuses are sightseeing on road trips, outdoor activities, hiking, as well as city trips (I'm an architect so I always keep an eye out for some cool buildings). To be honest, you won't find me much relaxing. I'm a quite fast paced traveler, I always want to see as much as possible in a limited time!
My motto is: "if I'm not more tired than I was before going on a trip, I haven't enjoyed enough of it" :D
