Want to Copy Our Ontario-Quebec Road Trip?
Curious about our the exact itinerary for my Ontario-Quebec road trip? Here it is below!
As you guys know, as soon as Canada opened its borders, I drove up to visit my friend, Alyshia! We spent a little under two weeks in Montréal, Québec City, Ottawa, Toronto and the Niagara region. It was a blast, and I really feel like we saw a lot, ate a ton of good food (unfortunately her mother’s dinners aren’t included below!), and caught up on the the few months we were apart from when she left Vietnam!
If you want to copy our itinerary, here it all is below. Click those links above if you want more detailed guides.
A 2-Week Ontario-Quebec Road Trip
Day 1: Drive to Montreal
The first day is mainly going to be driving! It took me around 7 hours to get to Montréal, and I left around 10/11 AM. There’s not much to do today besides go get dinner or late night poutine at Dunn’s Famous like we did.
Day 2: Mont-Royal
Time to stretch out those legs! After grabbing a light breakfast at La Finca, take the subway over to Plateau Mont-Royal. Grab some food for a little picnic before walking over to the George-Étienne Cartier Monument in Mont-Royal Park. If you’re there during the summer on a Sunday, check out a Tam-Tam’s performance. When you finish lunch, make your way up to the lookout. It’s a pretty easy walk up with very few stairs and the views are the best in the city.
Once you’ve enjoyed the views, make your way back down and walk around the neighborhood! Head over to the fun Rue St-Laurent to see some murals and find food. If you’re craving some Vietnamese, Sapa had some delicious bánh xèo or you could eat a smoked meat sandwich at the famous Schwartz’s Deli.
Rest up a bit at your hotel before heading out to Montreal’s little Chinatown at night. Stroll down the main street before stopping at Sammi & Soup Dumplings for late night dinner. You’ll want some cash on hand as some of the smaller shops are cash only while most restaurants can do credit card.
Day 3: Vieux Montreal & Vieux Port
Start off the day with a hearty breakfast Allô ! Mon Coco before making your way over to Vieux Montréal. You’ll know you’ve gotten there when you first see Notre-Dame Basilica. The very cute Le Petit Dep is next door – stop in for some more coffee and to pick up some fun things from local artisans. Vieux Montréal is very cute, and if you’re interested in the history of the area and the buildings, my friend Elissa loved doing a proper history tour on her visit!
Otherwise walk around before heading towards Vieux Port. Pick up a cute postcard from one of the shops there and don’t forget to snap a shot with the Montréal Ferris Wheel and get pink lemonade from one of the colorful food stalls. Take advantage of all the cute, French bistros and grab something to eat while relaxing in one of their outdoor tables. We liked 3 Brasseurs. which is more of a chain around Canada.
After some relaxing a your hotel, head to Sansotei Ramen on Rue Saint-Catherine. Absolutely delicious and they have delicious Tonkotsu ramen.
Day 4: Relaxing Day
Grab breakfast at the very popular Tommy’s before walking over to Bota Bota to try their 3-hour water circuit. It’s basically a fancier Korean spa with bathing suits and all you have to do is relax, soak in their various tubs, and maybe even take a nap. Bring a book as phones must be kept in lockers. Use Rue St. Pierre to walk back to your hotel for more pretty architecture and stop into Libraire Betrand to pick up a book.
Wash up at your hotel and head back to Rue Saint-Laurent to properly enjoy the walking street. There are a ton of murals spread out as well as fun (pricey) boutiques and a few spots for food and drink. If you didn’t get Schwartz’s before this your sign to get it today as the smoked meat sandwich really is life changing.
End the evening with dinner and LOV, a fun, trendy vegan restaurant with a few locations. The food is incredible, and you won’t go wrong with whatever you order.
Day 5: Orange Julep & Drive to Quebec City
Time to say goodbye to Montréal! Grab breakfast at Eggspectation for one last look at Rue Saint-Catherine during the day before packing up and headed to your neck destination – Québec City. Before you go, though, make sure to pay a visit to the Giant Orange Julep and get a julep drink to go.
Québec City is only 3 hours away from Montréal, so you should arrive around check-in with time to wander around Vieux Québec at golden hour. Make sure to make dinner reservations at Restaurant Pub D’Orsay and sit outside so you can enjoy the view of Notre Dame de Québec Basilica-Cathedral. Get the French onion soup; it’s only fitting.
When you’re ready to explore, walk around Vieux Québec and fall head over heels in love like I did. If you’re staying outside of the area, use the Fairmont Chateau Le Frontenac as your drop off/starting point.
Day 6: Ile d Orleans
Start your first full day off in Québec City with a little road trip! Grab a quick breakfast from Bügel de Fabrique or any breakfast spot close to your hotel. Then hop in the car and head first to Montmorency Falls. Give yourself around an hour or more here and don’t forget to see all the best angles of the falls including – from above, from the top of the stairs, and from the bottom parking lot!
Then cross over to the very quaint Île d’Orléans, a tiny island with the cutest homes and most scenic views. Stop for lunch at either Restaurant de Plage (if they’re open) or Bistro du Hangar, which has some amazing poutine. Walk around a bit to see all the historic houses and take in views of the water. While you drive, keep an eye out for fruit stands and cheese shops! End the little trip with a stop at Cassis Monna & Filles for their black currant alcohol or ice cream.
For dinner, drive over to Don Vegan, the city’s first 100% vegan restaurant. You won’t regret getting the carbonada spaghetti.
Day 7: Vieux Québec
Wear comfy shoes because today is gonna be all on foot! Start with a stroll over to Cafe Le Cousins, a nice cafe/bakery spot, for some coffee and food. From here walk over to the Plains d’Abraham, made famous from a major battle during the French and Indian War. You could walk all over or just pop into the pretty Joan of Arc garden like we did.
As you walk towards the Parliament Building, be sure to stop off at Rotisserie St-Hubert for some addicting sugar pie! If you don’t see it on the menu, don’t worry. Just ask; they’ll have it! Once you’ve finished, head over to the parliament and gardens. You can see statues of all of the major European historical individuals who figured into modern day Canada’s founding.
Time for some more Old Québec! Follow Rue Saint-Louis into the historic quarter and don’t forget to wander a bit of turn down the smaller roads and alleyways. Rue Donnaconna was my personal favorite. For the ultimate view of the chateau, walk around to Dufferin Terrace. Another good spot is where Rue de Baude and Rue Port Dauphin/Fort St intersect.
As it gets closer to dinner, head to Escalier Casse-Cou, the oldest staircase in Québec City. It will lead you down to the cutest street in one of the cutest cities. Rue du Petit Champlain really looks like it belongs in a storybook! Stop at Le Lapin Sauté and get the duck sauce and rabbit leg cassoulet. If it’s nice, sit outside so you can do a little people watching too. Leave the street and look for Umbrella Alley which is a whimsical lil spot and gives you a view of the chateau that makes it look like Hogwarts.
End the day with a visit to Place Royale and Notre and then a look at the Quebec City Mural. If you want, you could walk back to your hotel. But if it’s farther like ours, just call an Uber! Your legs will be tired.
Day 8: Drive to Ottawa
So long, Québec! Time to make the five hour drive to Canada’s capital city! If you sleep in a bit like we did, you’ll probably arrive to Ottawa around 3:00 PM. Once you’ve checked in to your hotel, you can make your way over to Byward Market. Just a heads up, most of the shops close pretty early. You should be able to get something to eat at Blue Cactus and, of course, some fried dough goodness at Beaver Tails.
Once you’ve eaten, walk on over to see the ever-changing mural stairs and famous Ottawa sign before circling back to pass by Parliament Hill. Right by the Fairmont Château Laurier are the Rideau Canal Locks and Major’s Hill Park, which has some very pretty views.
Day 9: Morning in Ottawa, Big Apple, Drive to Toronto
Time for a little sightseeing! Grab something quick to eat before walking over to the National Gallery of Canada. Make sure you walk through Major’s Hill Park for the prettiest way to get there. Say hi to the giant spider, Maman, outside the entrance before heading inside. Definitely spend time enjoying all the different exhibits!
Try out one of the scooters (just be sure to download the app) and take it all the way to Jax’s for some lunch. Or you could just stop off and get your car and drive over. There’s plenty of parking nearby.
Then it’s off to Toronto! This is another pretty long drive, over four hours at least. Make sure to detour to The Big Apple to pick up some apple baked goods and snap a shot with the giant apple.
Day 10: Down Day or Oakville/Mississauga/Hamilton
By the time we got to Alyshia’s place in Oakville, we were beat. If you’re tired like we were, this is an excellent day to sleep in and just veg out. We snacked on her mom’s super addicting baked goods and watched “American Horror Stories” lol.
If you’re not tired, I’d spend this day driving around Oakville, Mississauga, and Hamilton! I don’t have much advice on where to go specifically, but Alyshia has a whole guide to Oakville and a bunch of highlights on her Instagram.
Day 11: Toronto – CN Tower & Kensington Market
Time to explore Toronto! First up – head over to the CN Tower to see the city from 1,815 feet in the air! When you come back down, stop at a cafe nearby for some coffee! Moretti’s Cafe is nice if you want somewhere to sit, but I really liked Strange Love‘s iced chai latte! They should have indoor seating back by the time you go.
Continue on to the very cool Kensington Market! You’ll pass through Chinatown on your way — don’t miss the fun Saigon mural. When you get to Kensington, be prepared to do some fun vintage shopping and eat the most random and delicious food! We loved Rasta Pasta and Seven Lives Tacos. But honestly, all the food looked so good. If you can, split a lot of the food so you can try more.
Once you’ve had your fill, walk along Queen Street for more shopping and a cool view of the CN Tower. This will take you to the Toronto sign and then Younge-Dundas Square, which is Canada’s Times Square.
Day 12: Centre Island
Island time! Grab the ferry over to Centre Island and relax on the beach. It’s not great for swimming as it only goes up to your calves but it’s still a nice vibe. For food, walk back over to the Toronto Island BBQ & Beer Company. You’ll get food, drinks, and a cool view of the city from afar.
Day 13: Niagara Region & Drive Home
Time to go home! You can always extend this another day and stay in Niagara if you want to make it a full two weeks. Once I got my stuff packed and we had breakfast, we first went off to the lil town of Grimsby. Once there, park your car and walk around the ridiculously cute Painted Ladies – old Victorian homes painted in the most fun colors.
There’s a little beach if you want to bring a small picnic or hang out here for a bit (though no swimming). Otherwise, drive on to The Watering Can, which is a plant shop, flower shop, and restaurant/cafe. Have lunch here and then stop into the a grocery store nearby to stock up on some Canadian goodies like ketchup chips, and maple syrup.
Before you full cross the border and head back home, don’t forget to stop off and see Niagara Falls in all its glory!
And there you have it, our exact Ontario – Quebec road trip itinerary!
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