Feedback on 15-day Quebec itinerary

Hi there, I’m heading to Quebec from 08/07/26 to 08/21/26 with my wife and our two sons, aged 8 and 10. I’m sharing my itinerary below—if you have any suggestions or feedback, I’d love to hear it!

Day 1: Arrival in Montreal on Friday, August 7th around 2 PM (it’s also one of my sons’ 8th birthday!). We’ll head to Westmount via public transit or taxi to pick up our Airbnb.

Day 2 & 3: Exploring Montreal.

Day 4: Picking up our rental car (not yet booked, but likely with Hertz via BSP Auto). We’ll explore the area around Montreal and then head to Montebello for the night.

Day 5: Visit to Parc Omega, staying overnight in Montebello (Airbnb).

Day 6: Heading to Shawinigan, possibly catching an evening show at Cité de l’Énergie. I’ve spotted Motel Auberge Pique-Nique for the night.

Day 7: Mauricie National Park. Overnight in Shawinigan.

Day 8: Heading to Lac Saint-Jean. I’ve looked into the Village Historique Val-Jalbert, but many say there are better options for visiting an old village, like the Village Québécois d’Antan near Quebec City. We’ll stay somewhere around the lake.

Day 9: Day around the lake, then overnight in Saguenay. FYI, August 15th is a holiday in Quebec (like in France), so some places might be busier or closed.

Day 10: Heading to Tadoussac. Staying overnight at the youth hostel to meet other travelers.

Day 11: Day in Tadoussac—whale watching and a guided forest excursion to see bears. Another night in Tadoussac.

Day 12: Heading to Quebec City, possibly stopping at Montmorency Falls along the way. We’ll pick up our Airbnb along the St. Lawrence River, not far from the aquarium.

Day 13 & 14: Exploring Quebec City and its surroundings.

Day 15: Returning to Montreal to catch our flight in the late afternoon.

I’ve tried to stay in the same place for two nights in a row for logistical reasons—it’s easier with kids. So far, only the Airbnbs are booked. For the rest, motels seem like the most budget-friendly option. I’d also love to find B&Bs with meals included, like Gîtes de France, but I’m not sure if that’s a thing here—I’m struggling to find options.

Don’t hesitate to let me know if this itinerary seems too packed. I’ve been mindful of the distances, but unfortunately, we can’t do everything, so we’ve had to make some tough choices.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can chime in!

Hi, First off, welcome to the Forum and best wishes for 2026 (still relevant 😛) That’s a sweet gift for the 8th birthday—a trip to Quebec Okay, more seriously, I’ll go ahead and comment on your itinerary—obviously, my suggestions aren’t set in stone The idea of visiting Parc Omega is great; the kids will love it (and so will the parents ;-)) The park is about 2 hours from Montreal, and in my humble opinion, if you pick up the car early in the morning (jet lag will have everyone up early anyway), you can aim to arrive at Parc Omega by late morning, have a picnic on-site, visit the park, and then crash nearby. After that, you can hit the road for your road trip directly, which "gains" you a day to use elsewhere. For Parc Omega, two quick tips: buy a big bag of carrots at a supermarket (like Super C or Maxi) before heading there, and sign up for the park’s newsletter (what we call a *newsletter* in France!) since they often have promotional offers (discounts on entry fees). Around the Saguenay area, a place that’s often mentioned for lodging is Ferme 5 Étoiles (Saguenay vacation center. Accommodations, North Shore activities). I’ve never tried it, so I won’t give my opinion, but I’ve seen it pop up a lot on the Quebec forum! Near Tadoussac, staying in Les Escoumins can be a nice alternative (just like whale-watching cruises). Otherwise, walking the Sentier de la Pointe de l'Islet is a must! POINTE DE L'ISLET | Les sentiers de la Côte On the road between Tadoussac and Quebec City, just after Saint-Siméon, take a detour off the 138 to Port-au-Persil—it’s a super nice spot to stop and have a picnic! It’s not even really a detour since you can easily get back on the 138 afterward. For Montmorency Falls, the best thing is to park your car at the top (Montmorency Falls: 2579 Avenue Royale) and leave it behind the gas station. Then you can enter the Parc des Chutes on foot by crossing Avenue Royale (full disclosure, it’s been a while since I’ve been there, so the direct entrance might not be accessible anymore—but worst case, you’ll have to walk a bit toward the *manoir* to get in). On the day of your departure, allow plenty of time because access to the airport can be chaotic (and I’m not exaggerating—sometimes the last kilometer takes longer than walking…). To answer your question: no, August 15 isn’t a holiday here. As for guest rooms, what we call B&Bs in France are known as *Couette et Café* here. To help with your accommodation search, I recommend the official Quebec Tourism Ministry site: Tourism and vacations in Quebec, Canada | Official government tourism site | Bonjour Québec But something tells me you already know about this site! That’s my two cents—I’ll be following your post. Happy planning!

Hello everyone and happy New Year! Thanks for your detailed response. I’ll look into your suggestion about the start of the trip and visiting Parc Omega. I’ll keep Monday free since I might have the chance to meet up with an acquaintance who lives in Beloeil, which is in the opposite direction. But maybe not stay overnight in Montebello on the second day after visiting the park. That said, we’re used to taking our time since we usually travel by camper van in France, and anyway, I always assume we can’t see everything. So cute—the term "couette et café"! Thanks again for all the tips.

hi, First, a little "linguistic" note—people in Quebec are very casual with *tu* (informal "you"), so don’t hesitate to use it on the forum (at least in the Quebec section 😛). That’s why I went ahead and used *tu* with you even though we don’t know each other!! Just a small detail 😛

For Parc Omega, I don’t actually think it’s necessary to plan an overnight stay *before* or *after* your visit near the park. Sure, my plan to pick up the car in the morning and head straight there isn’t exactly *relaxing*, but there are two reasons for it: arriving early at the park because it gets busy in the summer, and the earlier you enter, the fewer people you’ll have on the route (driving through the park like it’s Paris traffic isn’t much fun). Also, it avoids renting the car the day before your trip to Omega so you don’t pay for an extra day or deal with Montreal parking!

Yeah, *Couette et Café* has a little "charming" vibe that *Bed and Breakfast* just doesn’t 😏

happy planning

Hi there, yeah, it’s true—being on a first-name basis is really nice! 👍👍 How much time do you think we should spend visiting the park? I don’t think I’ll stay overnight in Montebello again.

For the Park, if it's not too crowded on the driving route, plan for a solid 2 hours, but you also need to add the presentations (wolves, birds of prey, etc.). So roughly, allow half a day. I’ve done it several times in one day by leaving early from Montreal in the morning and returning in the evening. It’s worth packing a picnic to eat in the Park (especially in the First Nations Trail area). If you can arrive around 10:00–11:00 AM, start with the driving tour, then have your picnic, and in the afternoon, check out the presentations (the wolf one is a must-see). Double-check the presentation schedules on the website! Happy planning!

Hi there, I’m wondering about the 4-hour detour to get to Parc Omega—when around Lac Saint-Jean you’ve got the Zoo Sauvage de Saint-Félicien, which would save you 4 hours of driving. Have you all had different experiences with these parks? Otherwise, sticking to 2 nights in the same place is great with kids—it also saves parents from having to repack every single day! 😊

Hi! I actually checked out both. I had good and bad experiences with each. From what I gathered, Omega is bigger and more focused on North American animals. I also preferred the drive-through aspect. And yes, it’s less logistical hassle with kids.