7 Day Road Trip Through Quebec

Looking for your next road trip destination? Why not Quebec! I had the opportunity this fall to road trip through Quebec with HI Canada. It was such a great opportunity to uncover more of Canada’s beauty and experience some fun adventures along the way. From stunning Canadian landscapes, delicious food, charming towns, cafe hopping, nightlife and more, exploring more of Quebec should be on everyone’s travel bucket list. Staying with HI Canada along the way, our accommodations were in great locations, its budget-friendly (so you can spend more on activities and experiences), and you’re able to meet people from all over the world. Here’s a 7-day itinerary to make the most of your trip through Quebec:

Stop One: Ottawa – HI Ottawa Jail Hostel

First stop was Ottawa where we stayed at the HI Ottawa jail hostel. This was one of the most unique accommodations I’ve ever stayed in. This hostel used to be a jail. It that was built in 1862, closed down in 1972 and has been a hostel ever since. Each room is an individual cell and tells you a story of who stayed in there before you. Ella Matthews, who had my room, went to jail for 3 months for being a pawnbroker. Even though we were in a jail, I had such a comfy sleep. Luckily our jail tour was the next day so I didn’t have any scary stories running through my head….although I did hear a scream at night.

We went to Town the dinner the first night. This restaurant that’s been on my list to try forever. It certainly lived up to its reputation. Every dish was so delicious and it was a great opportunity to get to know my fellow travellers over some great food.

Jail Tour

After a goods night sleep, we woke up for breakfast at the hostel (included with your stay). After that, we started our jail tour with Jeremy. He told us all the creepy past of the jail. Next door to the jail is Arts Court that used to be the old Courthouse. They would bring prisoners from sentencing through an underground tunnel to the jail next door. People who did low-level crimes were put in ‘general population’ which is now the common area. The higher you were kept in the jail, the more severe your sentence. I asked if the jail was haunted and he said no but that if there were ghosts would be the happy kind :p

You don’t have to be a traveller to stay here. As a local, it’s a cool experience to delve more into Ottawa’s history and have a unique staycation. Would you stay in a jail hostel?

Gatineau Park

Up next we visited Gatineau Park’s Pink Lake trail. Gatineau Park is stunning in any season but I loved seeing the reflection of the leaves in the lake. HI Ottawa Jail hosts activities and for fall the hostel was taking the free NCC shuttle (link to blog) and showing travellers around Gatineau Park. Hostel activities are a great way to explore a city with a local and meet travellers at the same time.

We ended our stay at HI Ottawa Jail with a BBQ on the hostel’s terrace! Travellers come together over lunch before they go out to explore. This is also a popular spot for events and weddings, I can see why!

One of the things I love about hostels is the people you meet. You have the opportunity to meet people from all over the world. This is the community board where people left a note on where they were from.

Stop Two: Montreal

I’ve been to Montreal many times but it was a totally different experience seeing it through the eyes of the HI Montreal staff and seeing all their favourite parts of the city!

We arrived at HI Montreal right in time for dinner. The hostel is at 1030 Mackay St between Downtown and Griffintown. It’s in a great location with so many cool spots within walking distance of the hostel and we were also close to a metro station. We made our way to dinner at Cafe Parvis. This spot had always caught my eye and I was excited to try it out. Its adorned with plenty of plants inside and it’s a nice cozy spot that changes from coffee to cocktails. I got their cassis & concombre cocktail and salami de boeuf pizza, delicious! Afterward, we headed back to HI Montreal for a pub crawl. We went to the common room for some drinks and met some other travellers. I met people from Ottawa, Paris, Chile and more! I loved hearing what brought everyone to Montreal and how long they were staying, some a few days some a few months!

Montreal Bike Tour

We started our day with breakfast at HI Montreal and then it was time to explore Montreal. Our guide from the hostel, Gabrielle, took us to some amazing spots in Montreal. I loved hearing about the history she shared with us along the way.

First stop, we picked up our bikes in Old Port after a coffee at Flyjin (also a spot to get cocktails at night). One of the best ways to get around Montreal is by bike. We took the path all the way to  Parc de la Cité-du-Havre for a beautiful view of Old Port across the river! Skip the ferris wheel and do this bike tour for a fantastic view of the city! It was one of those spots where you had to stop for a while to take in the view.

On our way back we learned that there are some rapids where you can surf and we caught a few people catching a wave.

Next, we biked along the Lachine Canal to the Atwater Market for lunch at Satay Brothers. This spot had been recommended by many people so I was excited to finally try it! Everything was so delicious and it sure lived up to its reputation. Get the iced tea and the laksa, a spicy coconut soup.

We headed back to Old Port to return our bikes then took the metro to Mile End. It’s a spot full of cool shops, colourful buildings, and murals! If you like thrift shopping this is the place to do it. Make sure to grab a coffee at Pastel Rita, best almond milk latte of my life and an atmosphere to match!

After exploring some shops and sites we went to Big in Japan for a cocktail before dinner. Naturally I got ‘the traveller’ cocktail 🙂 Afterwards, we went for dinner at Bar Suzanne.

Stop Three: La Malbaie

We woke up bright and early to head to La Malbaie. We stopped for a quick lunch in Charlevoix, such a cute town (reminded me of Wakefield). If you have some time it’s a great spot to stretch your legs and explore the shops.

Before La Malbaie we stopped in Tadoussac for whale watching. This was my first time going and I had no idea what to expect. I lost track of how many whales we saw and so many different types as well! It’s a cool experience to be out on the water for a few hours totally focused on spotting whales. If you’re going I highly recommend Tadoussac Autrement for the experience. We saw so many whales and they taught us how to spot them too. You could tell how much the staff loved what they do. They’re also the last family-run whale-watching company in Tadoussac!

It is SO beautiful along the St. Laurent River. I couldn’t believe some of the views we were getting from the boat, it reminded me of Central America.

After whale watching, we headed to HI La Malbaie where we would be staying for the night. Downstairs is a restaurant where a live band comes to play so we had a great time unwinding over some great food and tunes. Their menu is full of local ingredients. I recommend getting their charcuterie board, its a great introduction to the area. Their restaurant is also a stop on the Charlevoix flavour tour.

This hostel was right along the St. Laurent River so the whole crew woke up bright and early the next morning to catch sunrise ☀️The sky turned brilliant hues of pink and orange as the sun came up, what a great start to the morning! To my surprise, I also found some friendly huskies outside, bonus!

Stop Four: Ste-Anne-Des-Monts

We hit the road early to visit Bic National Park. This national park was full of stunning bays, coves, islands, mountains, wildlife and more. This was another spot that really showed off Canada’s beauty!  As soon as we got there we spotted seals sunbathing on rocks in the distance, another first for me!

After a picnic lunch we hit the trails. Everywhere we turned we were getting stunning views. We also saw some wild deer, including a little bambi. I’m sure any season is a great time to visit this park but I loved seeing all the pops of colour from the fall leaves. This park needs to be on your Canadian bucket list.

This is one of my favourite shots from the park:

After exploring the park we made our way to HI Ste-Anne-des-Monts also known as Sea Shack, the next HI Canada hostel on our trip. It’s full of cabins beside the river and tiki huts!

This was the cabin we all shared. It was so cozy and had a great view of the river.

This photo best describes this hostel location – incredible views, tiki huts and water sports!

I definitely recommend visiting in the summer or fall. It would be a great spot to spend warm nights at a bonfire.

Sea shack is known as a party hostel. There was plenty going on a night including live music. Not keen on the party? No worries, they also have a chill area where you’re away from the noise and still get all the other benefits like a great view.

The staff here will take you out for some fun water adventures like paddle boarding, diving, and fishing.

Ps. the only way to book your spot at Sea Shack is by calling so make sure to call in advance.

Stop Five: Quebec City

Our last stop was HI Quebec in Quebec City. On our way, we stopped at La Fabrique in Matane for a brewery tour and lunch.

Quebec City was a quick stop but its always a blast. I love exploring this charming town. There’s so much history and I love getting lost on all the streets in Old Quebec. HI Quebec was right downtown so everything was easily walkable. We had dinner at Albacore. This trendy open-kitchen bistro offers delicious seafood and vegetarian options.

We woke early to visit this umbrella installation before we left! You’ll find it on Rue du Cul de Sac.

Staying in Hostels

I had a great time on this adventure with HI Canada. Hostels are a great budget friendly way to get to new cities, meet new people and save your money for experiences. The activities at the HI Canada hostels made it easy to explore the city and it was great to see each new destination through a local’s perspective. You also meet people all over the world at hostels. It’s such an easy way to travel and make friends at the same time. You can also take advantage of the HI membership discounts on everything from transportation to activities. You can see a full list of all of HI Canada’s 56 locations here. Where will you go?

Thank you to HI Canada for such an incredible trip. I had such a blast exploring more of Quebec on this trip. It’s a great way to spend a free week and explore more of Canada <3 As always, all opinions are my own.