7 days in Canada! Tell me what cities to visit!

[nala]

Hello! I know there are many Canadians here so if you don’t mind, would love to hear your suggestions! I will be traveling in mid June of this year and it will be 4 adults plus myself. We have already done Victoria so I am wanting to start in Quebec. Please chime in!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I went to Canada to see Bruce Springsteen a few years back now
i completly forgot they speak French in some parts (i went to New Brunswick) and i couldn't find English speaking tv the night i was there on my own

I wish i had had longer to see a bit- travel time was well over 30 hours to get there
very nice people, very polite
the money is very pretty and the exchange rate was agreeable

I went it August- lovelly hot weather much nicer heat than what we get here, i didn't even burn and no bugs - they said it was too hot for bugs

you will have a wonderful time

 

[Garnetgirl]

If you’re starting in Quebec, then definitely Quebec City and Montreal. I would say a couple of days in Quebec City, maybe three in Montreal.

Ottawa, the capital is a nice smallish city. Toronto would be a seven hours drive, so maybe a bit far.

For something a bit different from the usual tourist visits, the city of Kingston is lovely in summer. It’s on Lake Ontario, is very historic (was once the capital of Canada), home of Canada’s first Prime Minister. Lots of nice walking paths and biking paths along the water, Fort Henry, which saw action in the War of 1812., etc…

Kingston is about a 3.5 hour drive from Montreal.

Welcome to Canada!

 

[chemgirl]

I love Quebec City and Montreal. Balnea spa outside of Montreal is on a lake and hands down my favourite spa experience ever. If you want to get a bit food fancy and see some countryside, the Charlevoix area is near Quebec City and absolutely beautiful.

A classic trip would be Toronto to Niagara Falls, stopping on the bench to tour some wineries.

Banff/Lake Louise in Alberta is lovely if you enjoy hiking.

These general areas are quite far from each other so I wouldn’t recommend trying to do more than one province on this trip.

 

[autumngems]

I've always wanted to visit Canada

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Cities? In 7 days? Quebec city or Montreal are 7 days in of themselves.

cheers--Sharon

 

[nala]

HI:

Cities? In 7 days? Quebec city or Montreal are 7 days in of itself.

cheers--Sharon

Oh my!!! Great to know! I can actually extend my stay! But my only must was Quebec when I started this thread. So to Clarify—which cites are a must besides Quebec City.

 

[diamondyes]

Tell me what you like: museums? Great food? Great shopping? Gorgeous scenery?

Then I can begin to answer

Canada is massive, 7 days is brief. How many cities were you hoping to visit?

 

[nala]

Tell me what you like: museums? Great food? Great shopping? Gorgeous scenery?

Then I can begin to answer

Canada is massive, 7 days is brief. How many cities were you hoping to visit?

I love sightseeing, especially historical landmarks. I especially love to discover off-the beaten path gems. Experiences that are unique to the culture are a must. We are on a time constraint due to my DD’s schedule but hubby and I can stay a bit longer if need be.

 

[diamondyes]

I love sightseeing, especially historical landmarks. I especially love to discover off-the beaten path gems. Experiences that are unique to the culture are a must. We are on a time constraint due to my DD’s schedule but hubby and I can stay a bit longer if need be.

Ok so the focus is on hidden gems and anything with a historical connection? Dumb it down for me- would that mean yes to museums?

 

[nala]

Ok so the focus is on hidden gems and anything with a historical connection? Dumb it down for me- would that mean yes to museums?

Lol
Yes

 

[chemgirl]

I love sightseeing, especially historical landmarks. I especially love to discover off-the beaten path gems. Experiences that are unique to the culture are a must. We are on a time constraint due to my DD’s schedule but hubby and I can stay a bit longer if need be.

So Quebec City with a drive around l’Ile d’Orleans should fit the bill. The city has an extremely rich history. The old town is modelled after a walled European city. The ramparts are still there and you can walk on them.

L’Ile d’Orleans is about half an hour away and holds some of Canada’s oldest farmed land. That might not sound exciting, but it’s a foodie’s dream. DH and I went there for a cheese tour back in the fall and it was amazing. Fresh goat cheese made that day and curds that squeak. There is an awesome poutine stand that sticks in my mind as the best poutine ever (and we used to live in Montreal). There are also a few maple sugar shacks. The sap won’t be running while you’re there, but it might be neat to see how real syrup is made (everyone from northern Ontario and Quebec goes to the sugar shack in elementary school so while it’s touristy, it’s also popular with locals). My grandmother is French Canadian and it was exciting to find authentic tarte au sucre on the island.

I hope you enjoy your trip!

 

[lala646]

I love Montreal. The Old City is just beautiful, and they have a fantastic foodie scene. Early summer will be a beautiful time to be there.

 

[kmarla]

Just to give perspective, the driving distance between Ottawa, the nations capital, and Quebec City is 4 1/2 hours. Ottawa sits right on the Ontario/Quebec border. Montreal is almost squarely in the middle, slightly closer to Ottawa. 7 days is not a lot of time, but would easily allow for a couple of days in each city. There’s so much to see. Ottawa has the parliament buildings, multiple national museums, the National Art Gallery, the Rideau Canal, the market, Gatineau Hills and so much more. I’d recommend staying right downtown. On your way to Montréal you could stop by Parc Omega and spend a few hours. Or stop for lunch and sightseeing in Mont Tremblant. In Montréal there’s old Montréal, Norte Dame Basilica, Botanical Gardens, La Ronde amusement park, shopping, and many other museums etc. Vieux/Old Quebec in Quebec City is a must. Lots of air bnbs or small hotels to stay at and Chateau Frontenac is a hallmark. Ile d’Orleans is beautiful. There’s lots to see in the region. Go wine or cheese tasting. Quebec City is right on the St. Lawrence. Take a whale watching tour. I’m assuming you’re planning on flying in to Montréal which is central but Ottawa also has an international airport. There’s so much to see and do in each city and region and these are just a few ideas. Enjoy your trip!

 

[diamondyes]

Oh my!!! Great to know! I can actually extend my stay! But my only must was Quebec when I started this thread. So to Clarify—which cites are a must besides Quebec City.

Montreal 1000%
Big in Japan - fantastic hole in the wall speakeasy style restaurant

Au pied du Cochon - great restaurant probably need a reservation

The Museum of beautiful art is a must-see

The view from Mount Royal is great

Boustan is shawarma and amazing

Every bakery is divine

Bagels are fairmount or st. Viateur at 2am is legit

Bon voyage!

 

[cannuck]

I have to agree with all the other posts, Montreal (a must) Quebec City, and Ottawa would be my recommendation for cities to visit. Seeing all three in a 7 day trip would be tight, so I would do Montreal and Quebec City, or Montreal and Ottawa. Ottawa is a 2 hour drive/train ride from Montreal. Ottawa has museums, Parliament Hill (beautiful Victorian architecture sitting on the Ottawa River). You also could see the sites by taking a boat ride on the Rideau Canal.
June has warm days and cool nights, so it’s a lovely time to see the sites in these cities.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

I love Ottawa also. And should you ever decide to come back out West (Banff, Lake Louise) look me up!

cheers--Sharon

 

[cnkav]

HI:

Cities? In 7 days? Quebec city or Montreal are 7 days in of themselves.

cheers--Sharon

Yes indeed. 4 days in Quebec City and nearby towns/ villages. 2 in Montreal and 1 day in mount tremblanc

 

[danusia]

I traveled from Vermont to Montreal to visit Old Montreal and it was great but there was a lot of construction at the time plus it was crowded. I also visited Niagara Falls on the NY side and traveled over to Quebec for some site seeing. Quebec was phenomenal and if you go there you have to visit the falls and view them at night when they light up the falls. Also, there was a Butterfly Museum in Quebec that was absolutely fantatstic.