French Canadian Rendezvous
Good Times in Montreal & Quebec City
5 Days | May-October
Starting At $Flexible Pricing
Gather your travelers and let us show you the historic cities of French Canada. Montreal with its European charm and North American attitude; and Quebec City surrounded by it 400 year old wall. Come explore historic buildings, colorful neighborhoods with cobblestoned streets. While it’s just a short drive north of the border it feels like you’ve crossed the Atlantic.
Highlights
Montreal
Quebec City
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Tour Inclusions:
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EscotGroups by US Tours Flexible Pricing:
- Customizable Comps
- Net Rates
- Luxury or First Class Hotels & Meals
- Motorcoach Transportation & Professional Tour Managers are available
Whatever you want, EscotGroups by US Tours will be happy to structure tour prices to match your needs. Just let us know!
Itinerary
Day 1 – Montreal, Quebec – Evening in Old Montreal
Arrive today in Montreal, Quebec. Check into your hotel for a two-night stay. Dinner is on your own this evening in Old Montreal. Wander cobblestone streets and see historic greystone buildings bubbling with busy restaurants, boutiques and nightclubs.
Day 2 – Guided Montreal Tour – Notre Dame Basilica – St. Joseph Oratory – La Ville Souterraine (Underground City) – Sightseeing Cruise – Jazz Dinner
After breakfast this morning, meet your local guide for a morning tour of Montreal. Historic sites you will see on this tour include Old Montreal, as well as Notre-Dame Basilica, the first Gothic Revival style Church in Canada. Modern-day sights are covered, too, such as Olympic Park. You will also ascend Mt Royal to visit one of the world’s most-visited shrines, St Joseph’s Oratory with its massive basilica.
Enjoy a break for lunch and shopping at La Ville Souterraine (The Underground City). This Underground City was first built in the 1960’s, but now connects shoppers to over 1,000 retailers and restaurants through a network of tunnels, corridors and plazas. Connecting some 2,200 shops and restaurants, 10 major hotels, museums and theatres, the Underground City offers a wealth of public art, retail adventures and cultural possibilities.
The afternoon features a scenic 1-hour narrated cruise of Montreal and the surrounding area, along the St. Lawrence River.
Tonight, dinner is included at Modavie, a classic French bistro located in historic Old Montréal. The restaurant features daily live music and is a longtime fixture in the Montreal jazz scene. (B,D)
Day 3 – Rose Drummond – Quebec City – Guided City Tour – Dinner at Aux Anciens Canadiens
Departing Montreal after breakfast, make a stop at Rose Drummond in Drummondville for a quick tour and to explore. This is a legendary stop on Highway 20. Rose Drummond is more than a florist with its café-bistro and its huge shop of homegrown products, it is the place to find the perfect gift, or the perfect place to take a break and enjoy lunch on own between Montréal and Québec City. Enjoy a coffee prepared by a barista, a healthy meal or something from the shop in the dining room set up in the greenhouse.
On arrive this afternoon in Quebec City, enjoy a guided tour of the city. Québec City is unlike any other city in North America with its dramatic cliff-top location overlooking the St. Lawrence River, its fortification walls, narrow winding streets and wealth of historic buildings spanning four centuries. Exploring Québec City’s historic district feels like going to Europe, without having to cross the Atlantic.
Check into your hotel for a two-night stay. Dinner this evening is included at Aux Anciens Canadiens Restaurant, housed in the oldest house in Quebec City. The restaurant is decorated with antiques and collectors’ items and features Authentic Québec cuisine including regional produce. (B,D)
Day 4 – Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré – Chez Marie – Albert Gilles Copper – Montmorency Falls – Île d’Orléans – Vignoble Sainte Petronille Wine Tasting
Today, you travel along the St. Lawrence River, for some wonderful sightseeing starting with the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, the second oldest pilgrimage site in North America. This Shrine dedicated to Saint Anne, the grandmother of Jesus. Through the beauty of numerous artistic masterpieces (paintings, mosaics, stained-glass windows, stone and wooden sculptures), discover the extraordinary history of Saint Anne and the important role she played.
Next, make a stop at the Chez Marie Bakery in Old Côte-de-Beaupré. The fourth generation of the family lives in old Côte-de-Beaupré, in a stone homestead built in 1652. The oven used to bake the bread is 150 years old. Enjoy a sample of great fresh bread with assorted jams and maple produce.
Then visit Albert Gilles Copper. Artisan Albert Gilles developed a specialization in crafting ornamentation for churches, basilicas and cathedrals, including the impressive main doors of the St. Anne-de-Beaupré Basilica. Visit both museums to fully appreciate the magnitude of Gilles’ talent. Here, you can learn about the life of this humble artist and see the diversity of the works he produced, including for such notables as Walt and Roy Disney, Mandelson Chrysler and Pope Pius XII. Explore a copper mine and see how ore is transformed into beautiful works of art.
The afternoon features a visit to majestic Montmorency Falls. At 83 m (272.3′) high, a full 30 m (98.4′) taller than Niagara Falls, the Montmorency Falls are a spectacular sight.
Also included today is a visit to Île d’Orléans (Isle of Orleans). Soak up the beauty of the island countryside and see ancestral homes dating back to the 17th century, the island is a treasure trove of French heritage right here in North America.
While on île d’Orléans, enjoy a tour and tasting at the Vignoble Ste-Pétronille winery. Enjoy a glass of wine on the terrace, walk between the vines on the interpretation trail and take a tour of the shop. Don’t forget to pick up your favorite products (wines, ciders & spirits) discovered during your visit!
Returning to Quebec City, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. (B,D)
Day 5 – Fairmont Château Frontenac – Depart for Home
Before departing Quebec City this morning, tour the Fairmont Château Frontenac, Québec City’s most famous landmark and the most photographed hotel in the world. For over a century, it has perched atop Cape Diamond overlooking Dufferin Terrace and the St. Lawrence River. You will discover the famous people and historical events that have shaped the identity of Fairmont Le Château Frontenac over the years, as well as its architectural development and facelift undergone in recent years.
Following the tour, depart for home. (B)