10 days in Quebec: Montreal, Quebec City and Charlevoix
Overview
Ten days in Quebec is the perfect length for a traveller who wants to see both of Quebec’s flagship cities properly and add one full regional immersion beyond them. Three days each in Montreal and Quebec City gives enough time to go beyond the tourist surface, and three days in Charlevoix — the rolling, UNESCO-Biosphere region an hour east of Quebec City — adds landscape, food culture and a sense of rural Quebec that the two cities alone cannot provide.
This itinerary is designed for a couple or solo traveller with a rental car for the Quebec City–Charlevoix portion. Without a car, substitute a day tour to Charlevoix from Quebec City and you still get most of the experience.
At a glance
| Days | Destination | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| 1–4 | Montreal | Old Montreal, Plateau, Mile End, Mont-Royal, Jean-Talon Market |
| 5 | Montreal to Quebec City | VIA Rail (3 hrs) or scenic drive |
| 5–7 | Quebec City | Old Quebec, Petit-Champlain, Montmorency Falls, Île d’Orléans |
| 8 | Drive Quebec City to Baie-Saint-Paul | Route 138, arrive Charlevoix |
| 8–10 | Charlevoix | Baie-Saint-Paul art town, Route 362 coastal drive, La Malbaie |
| 10 | Return via Quebec City for departure | Drop rental; train or flight out |
Days 1–4: Montreal
Day 1 — Arrival and Old Montreal
Arrive Montreal-Trudeau Airport. Take the 747 bus ($11) or taxi to downtown. Check into a hotel in Old Montreal or downtown — our recommendations include Hotel Nelligan, Hôtel William Gray, or Hôtel Le Germain.
Afternoon: walk Old Montreal. Start at Place Jacques-Cartier, work to Notre-Dame Basilica (€15 entry; the Aura immersive show in the evening is excellent if you can get tickets), continue to Place d’Armes and the Bank of Montreal Museum (free).
Evening: dinner in Old Montreal. Toqué! (upscale contemporary Québécois), Garde Manger (seafood, atmospheric), or more casually Olive et Gourmando (closes early) or Marché de la Villette.
Day 2 — Plateau and Mile End
Morning: St-Viateur or Fairmount for a bagel breakfast. Walk through Mile End — a dense network of cafés, independent shops, and murals. Visit Dieu du Ciel! microbrewery (if open for lunch) or grab a sandwich at Snowdon Deli.
Afternoon: walk south through the Plateau-Mont-Royal neighbourhood. See Rue Saint-Denis, Carré Saint-Louis, Duluth’s restaurant row, Rue Prince-Arthur (pedestrian street with BYOB restaurants). Mural Festival murals visible throughout.
Late afternoon: walk or take the metro to Mont-Royal Park. Climb to the Mont-Royal Chalet viewpoint for city views. Kondiaronk Belvedere is the classic lookout.
Evening: dinner in the Plateau. Au Pied de Cochon (legendary Québécois, book 6+ weeks ahead), L’Express (classic bistro), Joe Beef (Little Burgundy, also excellent).
Day 3 — Jean-Talon Market, Little Italy, Olympic Park
Morning: Jean-Talon Market (Little Italy). Buy cheeses, cretons, fresh produce, charcuterie. Coffee at Café Olimpico nearby.
Late morning: if weather permits, rent a BIXI bike and cycle the Canal de Lachine path (starts at Old Port, runs 15 km west). Alternatively: take the metro to Olympic Park.
Afternoon (Olympic Park option): Biodome, Insectarium, and Botanical Garden complex in the east of Montreal. Families love this; worth a full afternoon.
Evening: Plateau or Mile End bistro for dinner. Or a later meal at one of Montreal’s late-night institutions (Schwartz’s Deli stays open; La Banquise for poutine).
Day 4 — Day trip or downtown cultural day
Two options:
Option A: day trip to Mont-Tremblant (2 hrs) or the Eastern Townships. With limited time, Tremblant is the easier day trip — drive up, walk the pedestrian village, take the gondola in summer/fall, return by evening.
Option B: stay in Montreal. Museum of Fine Arts (superb permanent collection), Pointe-à-Callière archaeology museum, Atwater Market for lunch, wander Old Port, sunset at the Grande Roue de Montréal.
Evening: if you’re leaving the next morning, have a relaxed dinner in your favourite discovered neighbourhood.
Day 5: Montreal to Quebec City
Two routes:
VIA Rail: check out of Montreal hotel, take metro to Central Station, train to Quebec City (3 hrs). Arrive Gare du Palais mid-afternoon. Walk or taxi to Old Quebec hotel.
Driving: rent a car in Montreal. Drive via Autoroute 20 or the scenic Route 138 (longer but follows the river). Optional stops at Trois-Rivières (historic town, coffee break), Cap-de-la-Madeleine, or Port-de-Baie-Saint-Paul.
Check into Old Quebec hotel. Our recommendations: Fairmont Le Château Frontenac (iconic, splurge), Auberge Saint-Antoine (boutique), or Hôtel Manoir d’Auteuil (mid-range).
Afternoon/evening: settle into Quebec City. Evening walk in Upper Town — Place d’Armes, the Château, Terrasse Dufferin. Dinner in Old Quebec at Aux Anciens Canadiens (traditional), Le Saint-Amour (fine dining), or Le Clocher Penché (Saint-Roch neighbourhood).
Days 6–7: Quebec City
Day 6 — Old Quebec deep dive
Morning: walk the walls of Old Quebec — the only fortified city north of Mexico still with intact walls. Artillery Park and the Citadel visitor centre give context.
Mid-morning: Petit-Champlain — the Lower Town’s “oldest commercial district in North America.” Boutique shops, cafés, the Breakneck Stairs (Escalier Casse-Cou) connecting Lower to Upper Town.
Lunch: Lower Town — Chez Boulay (bistro, Quebec-inspired), Buvette Scott (wine bar, small plates), or Paillard (casual bakery café).
Afternoon: Plains of Abraham — the vast park where Wolfe and Montcalm fought in 1759. Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec at the park’s edge. A walk along the Terrasse Dufferin at golden hour is essential.
Evening: Saint-Jean-Baptiste neighborhood for dinner — Rue Saint-Jean has excellent smaller restaurants.
Day 7 — Montmorency, Île d’Orléans, Wendake
Full-day excursion outside the walls. Rental car needed (if you didn’t already have one).
Morning: Montmorency Falls (15 min north of Quebec City). Cable car or trail up; dramatic 83-metre falls (taller than Niagara). 1-1.5 hours.
Mid-morning: cross to Île d’Orléans (the “cradle of French civilization in North America”). Drive the loop road (Route 368). Stops at farms, cider producers, artisanal cheese (Cassis Monna pour les liqueurs de cassis; Isle-de-Bacchus for ice cider; Fromagerie Île d’Orléans for raw-milk cheese). Lunch on the island: La Goéliche (old inn) or L’Abri du Pêcheur.
Afternoon: Wendake — Huron-Wendat Nation community 15 minutes from Quebec City. Visit the Huron-Wendat Museum, the reconstructed longhouse, and the excellent Hôtel-Musée Premières Nations (non-guests can tour).
Evening: return to Quebec City. Dinner in Quebec City; recover.
Days 8–10: Charlevoix
Day 8 — Quebec City to Baie-Saint-Paul
Morning: depart Quebec City. Drive Route 138 east. The road hugs the St. Lawrence north shore; the landscape gets dramatically hilly after Cap Tourmente.
Mid-morning stop: Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area (birding, snow geese in spring and fall).
Late morning: arrive Baie-Saint-Paul (1.5 hrs from Quebec City). Check into hotel. Our picks: Le Germain Charlevoix (design-forward), Hôtel La Ferme (conceptually the Charlevoix experience), or Auberge des Peupliers.
Afternoon: walk Baie-Saint-Paul’s downtown. The town is Canada’s “art capital” — dozens of galleries, the Museum of Contemporary Art. Café and bakery stops on Rue Saint-Jean-Baptiste.
Evening: dinner at one of Baie-Saint-Paul’s excellent restaurants — Le Diapason, Restaurant Saint-Pub, or a farm-to-table evening at one of the Route des Saveurs producers.
Day 9 — Route 362 and Route des Saveurs
The defining Charlevoix day.
Morning: drive Route 362 (the scenic coastal road) from Baie-Saint-Paul toward La Malbaie. This is one of Canada’s most beautiful drives — clifftop views of the St. Lawrence, rolling hills, small villages.
Stops along the way:
- Les Éboulements — panoramic views, historic village
- Saint-Irénée — beachside village, Le Domaine Forget arts centre
- Pointe-au-Pic / La Malbaie — end of Route 362
Lunch: La Malbaie — Casino de Charlevoix or Maison D’éric Borderon (upscale). Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu dining room is an experience but pricey.
Afternoon: Route des Saveurs — stops at producer farms, cheesemakers, and cider producers. Notable: Laiterie Charlevoix (cheese), Cidrerie Domaine Marie-Grenier, Les Viandes Biologiques de Charlevoix. Choose 3-5 producers based on interest; each is a 20-45 minute stop.
Option: if time permits, drive up to the Massif de Charlevoix ski area for summit views (summer gondola operates; winter requires ski pass for upper access).
Evening: dinner at Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu, or return to Baie-Saint-Paul for a more casual dinner. Overnight La Malbaie or Baie-Saint-Paul.
Day 10 — Parc des Hautes-Gorges and return
Morning: Parc national des Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie — the most dramatic canyon in eastern Canada. Boat cruise on the river (summer; 90 min) or hike the Acropole-des-Draveurs trail (strenuous but spectacular). Half-day minimum.
Lunch: back in Baie-Saint-Paul or en route.
Afternoon: drive back to Quebec City (1.5 hrs). Drop rental car, transfer to hotel or airport.
If you’re flying out the next day, overnight Quebec City. If flying from Montreal, take evening VIA Rail to Montreal (3 hrs) and stay near the airport.
Alternative Day 10 add-ons (if staying 11+ days)
- Le Massif de Charlevoix: gondola up to 780m, views over the St. Lawrence. 2-3 hours.
- Île aux Coudres: free ferry to this small island; cycling or driving the 23-km loop.
- Extend into Saguenay Fjord: drive to Tadoussac (another 1.5 hrs) for whale watching. Turns this into a 12-14 day trip.
Budget guide
Per-person approximate costs for 10 days, moderate budget:
- Accommodation: $200-350/night × 9 nights = $1,800-3,100 (per couple, usually split)
- Food and drink: $80-150/day/person = $800-1,500
- Rental car (5 days): $350-500 total + fuel $80-120
- VIA Rail Montreal-Quebec City: $50-100 per person
- Activities: $300-500 per person across 10 days
Total for a couple (moderate): approximately $6,000-9,000 CAD
When to go
- Best: late May to mid-October — full Charlevoix access, ferries running, restaurants open
- Late September to mid-October: peak fall foliage in Charlevoix
- June to August: warmest, longest days, highest prices
- Winter (December–March): Charlevoix works for skiing (Le Massif) and winter sports but is a very different trip — see our Quebec 10-day winter alternative for a winter-focused version
Related content
- Quebec 7-day itinerary — shorter version
- Quebec 14-day itinerary — longer version adds Gaspésie or Saguenay
- Montreal weekend itinerary
- Quebec City weekend
- Charlevoix destination guide
- Quebec fall foliage guide
- French Canadian cuisine guide
Final word
Ten days is the Goldilocks length for Quebec — enough to experience Montreal and Quebec City without rushing, plus full immersion in one rural region. Charlevoix is the right choice for this extension: dramatic landscape, strong food culture, excellent accommodations, and very accessible from Quebec City. By the end of the trip, you’ll have experienced urban Quebec, the French heritage of Old Quebec, and the rural Quebec that defines the rest of the province.