Quebec is a great province with a fun mix of cities and nature to explore!
Quebec Tips:
French is the primary language in Quebec, but I only ran into one incident where the person I was trying to order from did not speak any English, so don’t sweat it!
There are a bunch of cute little towns along the Saint Lawrence River to explore—namely between the Charlevoix region and Quebec City!
Driving and parking in Montreal is crazy. It is a large, spread-out city so be sure to plan ahead so you’re not backtracking through traffic. Google Maps was terrible in terms of knowing road closures and construction as a forewarning.
On a road trip? Check on my recommendations for neighboring New Brunswick and Ontario!
Charlevoix Region
Hautes Gorges de la Rivière Malbaie National Park: This mouthful of a park has a beautiful gorge and is definitely worth checking out. It is pretty small and there are just a few trails, all with different views of the gorge. It is a pretty busy park so 1) you need to pay an entrance fee and 2) you cannot drive into the park you must take a shuttle from the parking lot for most of the trails.
I opted for the Le Riverain Trail which leads you to the Yeti viewpoint with gorgeous views. This trail does not require you to take the shuttle and therefore is dog-friendly. This route is 7.5 miles long with 1,212ft of elevation gain and takes about 2 hours and 45 minutes to complete. It was incredibly quiet and peaceful. It is more common to complete the trail in the other direction after taking the shuttle and that route is here.
Mont du dome-Mont Orignal-Mont Saint Michael Trail: I completed the Mont du Dome loop part of this trail, which is 3.75 miles long with 1,950ft of elevation gain—but you can also add on Mont Orignal and Mont Saint Michael for an extra 2.25 miles and a little more elevation gain (I was up against sunset and wanted to wrap it up!). The views here are absolutely stunning! However, if you do this is a loop it is quite a difficult trail where you will climb over boulders and it is incredibly steep. Overall I found it to be worth it for the dramatic views, but you’ve been warned!
Stay at Repère Boréal: These amazing little cabins are the perfect stay. Highly recommend!
Menaud Brewery and Distillery: This is a neat spot in Clermont with Farmhouse Ales and spirit tastings.
Quebec CIty
Ste Petronille Winery & Cidery: An absolute gem located on Île d'Orléans, an island about 15 minutes from QC. Tasty wine, great Neapolitan pizza, beautiful views, chill vibes. Highly recommend!
Emporium: A great brewery with a diverse tap list. They also have a pizza-focused food menu and nice patio space.
Alimentation L'Impact: This unassuming market has an absolutely insane selection of beers. Highly recommend for grabbing cans/bottles from across Canada.
Nano Cinco: This brewery has great IPAs alongside a menu of cheese plates and snacks.
Siboire: This brewery has multiple locations and I visited the taproom in the Saint-Vallier neighborhood. The beers are good and I also enjoyed the food. This location also has a nice back patio space.
Bar Le Sacrilège: This bar has a stellar back patio space. Their beer list is pretty good, but the cocktails are mid.
Wander the Saint-Roch neighborhood:
Noctem Artisans Brasseurs: This brewery has solid IPAs, tasty food, and a nice patio.
Maelstrøm Saint-Roch: A cute coffee shop and cocktail bar with great drinks.
bar jjacques: A speakeasy/fancy restaurant combo that you enter through the alley after ringing the doorbell. The food menu is seafood focused, and the cocktails are boujie.
Le Lit Double Bar & Bouffe: This spot in Saint-Jean has dive bar vibes and nice seating outside for people watching. Great martinis.
Chez Rioux & Pettigrew: A nice spot for dinner just outside of the chaos of Old Port.
Café La Maison Smith Belvédère: A cute spot for breakfast and coffee with a great patio.
Jacques-Cartier National Park: This park is about a half hour north of the city and is most known for watersports along the river carved by glaciers. There is an entrance fee and you can make your reservation in advance.
The Eperon Trail is 3 miles long with 955ft of elevation gain and takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes to complete. It is a pretty steep climb up at times and has a couple nice viewpoints of the snaking river. The last two miles are unfortunately completely boring with zero views, so overall it was average.
Plains of Abraham: This historic park is quite pretty and large. It leads out to nice views of the river and several battlefield markers along the way.
Musette is a nice coffee shop in a bike store near the park entrance if you want a beverage while you walk!
Wander Old Port: This fortified, historic area of QC feels very European with tons of parks, sidewalk seating, and charm. It gets very, very busy.
Skip Montmorency Falls: This tourist trap is about 20 minutes from QC and is an absolute nightmare. The waterfall is a decent size but the entrance is paid, the amount of humans here is absurd, and it is just pure chaos. Go for a hike and see a better waterfall in nature :)
Montreal
Messorem: An incredible brewery that I highly, highly recommend. They make a wide variety of styles and have a huge tap list. They have a spacious patio and solid eats as well.
Mellön Brasserie: A great brewery focused on Lagers. They also have a small food menu and friendly staff.
Isle de Garde is a a solid brewery with a nice patio and a food menu located just down the block!
BreWskey: A fantastic brewery with 3 locations all in the same building. The taproom has a great patio, great beers, and solid food. Each location has a different menu so peruse your options before deciding!
WILLS Brewery: Another great brewery, particularly tasty IPAs!
Cloakroom Bar: A fun speakeasy located in a tailor shop. They do not have a menu, they craft a cocktail based on what you like.
The Coldroom: Another fun speakeasy located in a basement in Old Montreal. If choosing between the two I would go for Cloakroom, but they have very different vibes so check out both if you can!
Meander Old Montreal: This downtown area has European vibes with lots of patio seating, historic buildings, and parks.
Check out Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal while you are in the area!
Mount Royal Park: Known for its sweeping views of the city. Head to Kondiaronk Belvedere for the lookout. It is a 7 minute walk each way from the parking lot.
Crux Comptoir: A cute little spot for acai, juice, and smoothies. Super nice people!
Salumi Vino: A nice restaurant for Italian eats in Old Montreal.
Vices and Versa: A beer bar in Little Italy with 40 taps.
Kinton Ramen: A solid ramen choice downtown—great to-go packaging!
Les Trois Monkeys: An arcade downtown with mini-golf, laser tag, tons of games, and a restaurant/bar.
La Fabrique de Bagel Montréal: This bagel spot has multiple locations across the city.
Bagels le Trou: Located in Griffintown, a bit basic.
