MONTREAL, QUEBEC CITY, OTTAWA
August 25-30th (Not Labor Day)
$2950
-$300 flying without the group
-$250 sharing a room
Montréal is the most eclectic city in Canada and the world’s largest francophone city outside of Paris! The island hosts international events, delights culinary crowds with innovative French-Canadian cuisine, and struts a Euro-heritage along its newly revitalized historic streets. Bilingual in English and French, Montréal’s global population is diverse and eclectic, wrapped up in a vibrant arts and culture scene energized by an exuberant university community. If you have been here before, a lot has changed! Montreal has more restaurants per capita than NYC and it has become a foodie paradise as many Montrealers are true gourmets, or at least enthusiastic food-lovers. Indeed, the city has thousands of restaurants, markets, and food boutiques catering to just about every conceivable taste.
We will spend 5 nights in Montreal and see lots of sites and tours, eat lots of amazing food at top restaurants and stay in high end accommodations. We will be staying at Le Westin located in Old Montreal.
PLEASE NOTE A VALID PASSPORT IS NEEDED TO ENTER CANADA. If you do not have this, start to work on getting it.
Most items below will be on our itinerary but are subject to change. We are working on time-frames and availability to schedule these tours.
We are dining at #1 restaurant in Canada and the #2 restaurant on Trip Advisor in the world for Reader’s’ Choice. #9 restaurant in Montreal, #1 Steakhouse in Old Montreal, #5 restaurant in Ottawa, #7,9 in QC.
A more detailed itinerary will follow:
•Montreal City by Bus/ Guided Sight-Seeing Tour- Experience an overview of Montreal on this guided, 3.5-hour sightseeing tour of the city. Visit over 200 points of interest and many of Montreal’s top attractions and historical sites: Notre-Dame Basilica, Chinatown, Mount Royal Park, Olympic Stadium, Saint Joseph’s Oratory, Old Port and Old Montreal, to name just a few. Hop aboard a comfortable bus/van and get to know the largest city in Quebec, with live commentary from an English speaking professional tour conductor. This will give us an overview of all of Montreal.

•Day trip to Quebec City. Get to know Québec City and its top attractions on our guided tour, 2.5 hours from Montreal. Founded in 1608, Quebec City is one of the oldest cities in North America. The ramparts surrounding Old Quebec are the only fortified city walls remaining in the Americas north of Mexico, and Quebec City was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985. Explore Old Québec, the historic heart of French Canada and the capital of the province of Québec. Its narrow streets, stone buildings and Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church, Place Royale and Old Port, the beautiful Plains of Abraham, the Place d’Armes and the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac to cite a few, then follow Avenue Royale through the traditional villages and farms of the Beaupre Coast 15 minutes north of Québec City to visit Montmorency Falls (30 meters higher than Niagara Falls). There will be ample time to walk/explore Old Quebec and take a 1.5-hour scenic cruise on the St Lawrence River. This is an all day, 14-hour trip and will be optional for those who do not want to take the full day to travel here.
•Day Trip to Ottawa- Experience the history and grandeur of the capital of Canada. We will see: Parliament Hill, The Peace Tower, The Centennial Flame, The Canadian Museum of History, Rideau Hall- the home to the Governor General of Canada, The Royal Canadian Mint and then take a 75-minute Ottawa river boat cruise and sail down the beautiful Ottawa River, the border between Quebec and Ontario.
•A private walking tour of Old Montreal- #2 things to do on TripAdvisor-. We explore a mix of cobbled streets, cozy restaurants and boutiques that make Old Montreal a walkers’ paradise. Soak in the rich history, culture and heritage of Montreal as we visit famous sites such as Place d’Armes, Place Jacques-Cartier and City Hall. Learn about the city’s amazing art and spectacular architecture while enjoying the quaint French charm. Stroll down St Paul Street and explore Champ de Mars, a public park that was once the site of Montreal’s city walls and Bonsecours Market, which has served as Montreal’s main public market for more than 100 years! This tour will also include a visit inside Notre Dame Basilica- #1 thing to do on TripAdvisor- Built in 1656, this is Montreal’s oldest church and a key Old Montreal landmark. Inside, the blaze of carvings, sculptures and stained glass is certainly impressive and unmissable. Everything about Montréal’s magnificent Roman Catholic basilica is grand, from the 228-foot twin steeples to the 7,000-pipe organ in the loft. This is widely recognized as one of the most phenomenal landmarks in the world!!
•Local Food Tour- Montreal Mile End Food Tour- This 3-hour food tasting tour is given by Quebec’s number 1 food tour company as we see Montreal’s most culturally diverse neighborhood. We visit passionate food vendors, taste amazing food, and discover parts of the city that reveal its history, quirks, and culture. This is an off-the-beaten-path experience of the city, bringing lesser known gems of the city as well as cultural hot spots to our attention. As we stroll the eclectic streets of the Mile End we will get the chance to experience life as a native Montrealer. The tour presents how the Mile-End came to have the most artists per capita in all of North America. We also learn the historical and cultural significance of many landmarks found in the bustling sector. The Mile-End has become the epitome of Montreal’s multicultural standard and our tour discusses the deep history of immigration and settlement embedded in these streets. This is the fastest growing district in Montreal. The Mile End sector is a thriving community of musicians, artists and young entrepreneurs. We walk a flat 1.4 miles over 3 hours.
•Montreal Museum of Fine Arts- # 6 things to do on TripAdvisor- Founded in 1860 as the Art Association of Montreal, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) was one of the first museums in North America. It now numbers over 41,000 works from Antiquity to today, comprising of paintings, sculptures, graphic arts, photographs and decorative art objects displayed in four pavilions. It has an exceptional collection of Canadian art, from portrayals of pioneer life by Paul Kane to dazzling abstractions by Paul-Émile Borduas, all housed in a former church. The permanent collection features artwork by such world masters as Rembrandt, Renoir, and Picasso.
Private Cooking Class and wine and cheese class- One of the top cooking classes and things to do in Montreal- cook a 6 tapas style courses and taste wine and cheese during a 3 hour ‘cooking class where our group works with 2 incredible chefs. We are divided in half cooks and pairs wine with cheese. Asll in all we east 12-15 Tapas and have lots of wine.
Other ideas optionsl
•Jean-Talon Market- #10 things to do- In the heart of Little Italy this market opened in May of 1933 and was named “Marché du Nord” before becoming the Jean-Talon Market, in honor of the first Intendant of New France. Known for its numerous local fruit and vegetable vendors as well as the cultural diversity of its shopkeepers, it is the largest open-air market in North America. It’s a little village where families have gathered and generations have grown. Here you will find a wide selection of regional products from all over Québec at this truly one-of-a-kind world famous market.