Day Trips From Quebec City Canada

The Capital Region of Quebec offers a lot to explore. In addition to many parks and green spaces to visit, there are attractive towns with deep French Canadian roots and history, making it a perfect spot to explore.

Driving around the region is generally easy. Road signs are not often written in English, but signage is obvious. The region is also designed for cycling, and has very distinct seasons – winter is snowy and very cold, while summer is hot, humid and often rainy, and fall is extremely colourful.

1. Isle d’Orléans

Natural Feature

Only minutes up the north coast from Quebec city, Orleans Island is a charming retreat. The Island remains agricultural with berries for sales along the roads. There are several small communities on the island and the southern tips offer nice views of Quebec City, Cape Diamond and the narrowing of the river. It can be reached by bicycle as well as by car, and the architecture is particularly beautiful.

2. Montmorency Park

Natural Feature

Home to the largest and best-known waterfalls near Quebec City, the whole park is worth a visit. There is a small entrance fee, but once inside, the park offers a cable car, stairs up to the falls, zip-lines and nice walks. The falls are a natural stop when heading to Orleans Island.

4. Tadoussac whale watching

Natural Feature

Whale watching on Saint Lawrence river in Tadoussac, Quebec, Canada

A scenic three-hour drive along the north Charlevoix coast, the community of Tadoussac is located where the Saguenay River meets the Saint Lawrence. The area offers the most-accessible whale watching within reach of Quebec City and is a popular day trip. Mink, humpback, fin and blue whales come to feed in the area and beluga whales stay all year.

5. Train de Charlevoix

Natural Feature

This summer sightseeing train is run in conjunction with Canada’s Via Rail service and runs along the north east coast. It is important to book tickets in advance, and the entire train journey is 125km, calling into eight stations and ending at the tourist community of La Malbaie. The one-way journey takes several hours by train, or around 90 minutes to La Malbaie or back to Quebec City by car.

6. Thetford Mines

Natural Feature

As a different sort of day trip, Thetford Mines are one and a half hours south of Quebec in the province’s Appalachian region. This community was developed around major asbestos mines – the last of which ceased operations in 2011, although magnesium is still extracted. For Thetford, tourism has become an economic alternative to asbestos.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.