Hotel Tadoussac

The Cultures of Québec

Wildlife & Nature Culture & History + 1 more + 2 more

Whales & riverside towns from Montréal to Saguenay.

14 days

from £3,495 pp

including flights

Rocky Mountain Express

Classic Luxury + 2 more + 3 more

Canada’s mountains, glaciers & iconic railways.

8 days

from £4,990 pp

including flights

Winter Wonderland in Western Canada

Family Wildlife & Nature + 1 more + 2 more

Because nowhere does winter quite like Canada.

14 days

from £2,915 pp

including flights

Ultimate British Columbia

Wildlife & Nature Off-the-beaten-track + 2 more + 3 more

An off-the-beaten-track journey along Canada’s wild west coast.

15 days

from £4,990 pp

including flights

Western Canada Highlights

Classic Wildlife & Nature + 2 more + 3 more

Waterfalls, glaciers and outdoor adventures from Vancouver to Banff.

12 days

from £4,595 pp

including flights

Newfoundland and Labrador Grand Tour

Walking Off-the-beaten-track + 1 more + 2 more

Drive Newfoundland’s wild coastline from St. John’s to Quirpon.

20 days

from £3,995 pp

including flights

Quirky excursions

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Charlevoix & Saguenay – Ideas for Free Time

Baie St. Paul is a popular weekend spot for residents of Quebec City, and despite its small size, it boasts a good selection of cafés, restaurants, galleries, and boutique shops. If you’re staying here, allow an afternoon to wander, or if you’re passing through, it’s a great place to stop for lunch. Further on, Baie St. Catherine and Tadoussac offer picturesque views of white weatherboard buildings with bright red roofs. These towns can feel disproportionately busy due to their main attraction: the whales. However, if you take the time to wander the streets, you’ll find charming souvenir shops and friendly locals who seem refreshingly unfazed by the hustle and bustle. Up the hill from the ferry landing in Baie St. Catherine, the Pointe-Noire Observation Centre (open mid-June to early September) serves as a whale study post. It features informative exhibits about these incredible creatures, along with an observation deck and telescope. In Tadoussac, the Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre is well worth a visit, and several short walking trails provide excellent viewpoints to spot whales frolicking in the waves. In La Baie, the Musée du Fjord offers a fascinating look at the colonisation and industrial development of the area, as well as the ecology of the fjord. Highlights include a giant saltwater aquarium and a vivarium that bring the fjord’s unique ecosystem to life. Meanwhile, the Village Historique de Val-Jalbert in Chambord is a reconstructed 1920s company town that offers insight into the lives of workers during the paper mill heyday. For those travelling between Baie St. Catherine and Tadoussac, there is a free roll-on/roll-off ferry that operates continuously, with departures roughly every 15 minutes. No pre-booking is required.

Cani Hiking

Cani Hiking (sometimes called canicross or cani-hike) is a brilliant “no snow” way to enjoy the spirit of dog sledding, teaming you up with an enthusiastic Nordic sled dog for a guided walk with a twist. Instead of riding a sled, you’re on foot, connected to your dog by a comfortable harness and elastic line, so you feel that gentle pull and momentum that makes sled dogs so much fun, while building a real bond with your four-legged teammate. The experience begins by meeting the dogs and learning how the pack works, with your guide helping you get comfortable, covering safety and showing you how to work together. Once you set off, you’ll quickly find your rhythm as your dog leads with energy and purpose, turning an ordinary hike into something much more interactive and memorable. Set in the Saguenay region, the route is designed to reward you with a standout viewpoint, where you can take in wide-open scenery across the Fjord-du-Saguenay, often timed for beautiful evening light as the sun drops. It’s a private, guided experience, so it feels relaxed and personal, and it works really well for families too, with younger children paired with a parent. This is an active outing and the traction element is part of the fun, so it’s best suited to guests who are comfortable walking on uneven ground, and it isn’t recommended for anyone with ongoing back, hip, knee or ankle issues.

Five Line ZipTrek Adventure

The Zipline Tour at Mont Tremblant is an epic way to experience the mountain, swapping hiking trails for a series of long, high zips that carry you from the summit all the way back down to the pedestrian village. It’s fast, scenic and properly exhilarating, with a real sense of travelling through the landscape rather than just getting a quick adrenaline hit. This is a full course experience, featuring five distinct ziplines that together cover almost 4 km, with big views over the forest canopy and the Laurentians unfolding around you. A fun touch is that the lines are set up for side-by-side zipping, so you can fly alongside a friend or family member, which adds to the buzz and makes for some great shared moments. Guides are on hand throughout to keep everything smooth and safe, and the overall feel is a nice blend of aerial adventure and light eco interpretation, so you come away with more than just the thrill. If you’re looking for an outdoor activity that feels unique to Mont Tremblant and delivers both scenery and excitement in one hit, this is a standout. The tour runs seasonally from mid-May to mid-October. It’s best suited to adults and older children, with minimum and maximum weight limits in place, and under-14s needing to be accompanied by an adult.

Whale Watching on the St. Lawrence River

Whale Watching in Tadoussac with AML is one of Québec’s classic wildlife experiences, taking you out onto the St Lawrence in a region famous for its rich marine life and dramatic scenery. Where the Saguenay Fjord meets the St Lawrence, nutrient-packed waters attract whales throughout the season, and the backdrop of cliffs, forested shoreline and open river makes the whole outing feel spectacular, even before you spot a fin or a blow. You’ll cruise on a large, purpose-built observation boat designed for comfort and visibility, with panoramic indoor areas as well as outdoor terraces and viewing platforms, so you can move around easily and choose your favourite vantage point. It’s a great option if you want the excitement of whale watching without the more rugged feel of a smaller boat, and it suits a wide range of ages. On board, passionate naturalist-guides provide interpretation as you travel, helping you understand what you’re seeing and why this area is such an important habitat. They’ll point out wildlife behaviour, share facts about the different species found here, and keep everyone in the loop as sightings develop, which adds loads to the experience. Tours run seasonally from mid-May to mid-October, with departures from both Tadoussac and Baie-Sainte-Catherine. As always with wildlife, sightings can’t be guaranteed, but this is one of the strongest locations in Eastern Canada to give yourself a very good chance of an unforgettable encounter.