Feedback on a 20-day Quebec road trip plan

I don’t know enough to give you great advice, but it seems like you’re spending too much time in Montreal—personally, I didn’t find much to do there. 2 days should be enough.

Would it be possible to take 2 days to visit Niagara Falls and do a boat tour of the Thousand Islands from Kingston or nearby?

Have you considered a multi-destination flight with arrival in Montreal and departure from Quebec City (or the other way around)? These days, it’s usually not more expensive.

If you can push your trip to early August, there’s the *Fêtes de la Nouvelle-France* in Quebec City. Kids (and adults, for that matter) will love it: https://nouvellefrance.qc.ca/

hi, A few ideas—not necessarily to follow 😛 - In my humble opinion, visiting a sugar shack in June isn’t very "traditional" (let’s just say sugar shacks are really a thing in early spring when the maple trees start flowing and there’s still snow!!). To me, going to a sugar shack outside of "sugaring-off season" is pretty "anachronistic" and just for tourists... So I’d skip the sugar shack, even if Sucrerie de la Montagne is nice (okay, it’s a huge shack, but it’s still fun—*in season* 😛)

- I’d do Parc Omega on the way out of Montreal (leaving early, which’ll be easy thanks to the time difference), so you arrive by mid-morning (it’s roughly a 1h30–1h45 drive from Montreal). Visit the park (make sure to buy carrots at a supermarket in Montreal before you go—it’ll cost less than buying them there), have a picnic in the park (there are several picnic spots), and in the late afternoon, head toward Ottawa. One last thing about Parc Omega: I *highly* recommend signing up for the park’s mailing list because they regularly send out promotional offers with discounts on admission!

- In Ottawa/Gatineau, obviously, you’ve got Parliament Hill to see, but also (especially with kids) the Canadian Museum of History (Canadian Museum of History). This museum should be a hit with the whole family—there’s a great "timeline" of Canadian history, but the real highlight is the Children’s Museum (which the kids will *definitely* love 😏 Children’s Museum | Canadian Museum of History). Just in case, there’s a Best Western hotel right nearby with a small pool: bestwestern.com/fr_FR/book/hotels-in-gatineau/best-western-plus-gatineau-ottawa-downtown/propertyCode.67015.html

- After your little stay in the capital, you’ll pick up your road trip again and head east.

- For Saint-Félicien, I don’t have any accommodation recommendations, but I’m sure if you start a thread about it, you’ll get answers!

- Around Tadoussac, I recommend visiting the Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre, taking a walk at Pointe de l’Islet, and for the cruise, you’ll need to check the age requirements for your kids if you’re thinking of a Zodiac tour (not sure if the youngest will be allowed on a Zodiac). For accommodations, check out Essipit (Natakam Condo-Hotels - Vacances Essipit)—they also offer Zodiac cruises. And don’t forget to check out the dunes in Tadoussac! It’s less famous than whale watching, but it’s a really nice thing to do!!

- After Tadoussac, I’d keep going a little farther by taking the ferry between Les Escoumins and Trois-Pistoles to reach Parc du Bic, where I’d spend at least one night (e.g., cross the river in the afternoon, arrive at Parc du Bic in the late afternoon, settle into park accommodations, take a short walk to watch the sunset, and visit the park the next day: Bic National Park - National Parks - Sépaq)

- Then head back to Montreal via Route 132, which follows the south shore of the river.

- Stop in Quebec City (and don’t forget a quick round-trip on the ferry to Lévis at the end of the day to relax after all that walking and enjoy the view).

Just a few ideas—I’ll be following this thread because there’ll surely be more suggestions to come 😏

happy trip planning!!

FYI, from June 12 to 20, it’ll be Les Francos de Montréal, followed by the Montreal Jazz Festival on June 25, 2026—tons of free outdoor concerts and a section just for kids!!

Hi there, I’m not familiar with the first part of the trip at all. In La Tuque, we just made a picnic stop at Parc des Chutes de la Petite Rivière Bostonais (free, nice).

For Lac Saint-Jean, we stayed in a mobile home at Camping Saint-Félicien (right next to the zoo). There’s a pool, which our kids loved. The zoo is one of their best memories. They also have another campground in Saint-Prime that’s right on the lake (and you get access to the Saint-Félicien pool). We visited the Village de Val-Jalbert—it’s really nice, and I think kids would enjoy it.

Near Tadoussac, we stayed at Motel Coronet in Sacré-Cœur (15 minutes from Tadoussac). It’s cheaper and close to the fjord and Tadoussac. The dunes are indeed a great activity! The town itself is tiny and can be explored quickly. The walk at Pointe de l’Islet, as suggested, is really pretty—you might spot some belugas. We took a cruise with Croisières Escoumins, which was great, but our kids were older then.

Parc du Bic is one of our favorites (but you have to pay for the ferry).

In Quebec City, we visited Canyon Sainte-Anne, went strawberry picking on Île d’Orléans (though we were there in July), and explored Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier. We also took the kids to Parc Bora Bora at their request (it’s a water park—nothing touristy or typically Québécois!).

In Montreal, we visited the Botanical Garden—it’s stunning, but again, our kids were older by then. There’s also Parc Jean-Drapeau with its mosaïcultures, which looks like a fun spot for kids: https://www.parcjeandrapeau.com/en/mosaicultures-experience-gardens-floralies-works-sculptures-horticultural-art-flowers-plants-montreal/

Otherwise, you might find some ideas here: https://www.quebec-cite.com/en/what-to-do-quebec/family-activities https://www.timeout.com/montreal/en/things-to-do/best-things-to-do-with-kids-in-montreal