Tadoussac: worth the trip/ other ideas??
Replies: 5 - Last Post: Aug 9, 2012 5:28 PM Last Post By: saskja
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Tadoussac: worth the trip/ other ideas??
My husband and I are planning a trip leaving from NY to east Canada this September. We would like to go to the Niagara Falls, Toronto, Algonquin NP, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec city, maybe to Tadoussac and driving back through Maine. We've seen whales a couple of times before (very close). So is it worth the trip to Tadoussac? Also when seeing whales are not the first thing on my list what I'd like to see?Are there any things/parks I missed in my planning (in the route we have so far --> Nova Scotia it too far)? We like to hike, see wildlife, my son is too young to kayak,
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I've never been to Tadoussac, but I've heard of it a lot. I was told the view of the fjord of Saguenay was something I must see. If you late enough in September, the road to get there will be very beautiful because of the red leaves. If you have enough time (from Niagara it's getting a lot of road in total), GO! I think there will be hikes to do around, people are nice and food is good. Get blueberry pie!2
As mentionned in the previous answer, the road on the way to Tadoussac is as beautiful as the place itself. Across Charlevoix, make sure you take the Route du Fleuve (road 362) along the coast instead of the fastest, but less scenic road 138. Baie St-Paul is a nice place to stop.Instead of whale watching tour, you could visit the fjord, either by boat or by hiking along the coast in Parc national du fjord du Saguenay
http://www.sepaq.com/pq/sag/
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I went to Tadoussac back in June 2010 and it was amazing! However as you've said you've already done whale watching and you're not too fussed, it is an awfully long way to go if you're not going for its main attraction. If you do go, I'd recommend breaking up the journey by stopping off at Montmorency falls (sp) just outside Montreal and Baie-St-Paul has a cute ice cream shop and is a nice stop. Then go back via Quebec City (shorter drive than from Montreal)Have you thought about Mont Tremblant as an alternative? It's relatively close to Montreal and has beautiful scenery, good hiking and wildlife. If you have a young son, Omega park (not too far from Mont Tremblant) may be of interest to him.
Nova Scotia is a fair distance, I guess it depends on your time frame, it's a beautiful Provence, especially up on Cape Bretton Island.
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thanks for the tips. I think we will decide going there or not when we're in Quebec City. If our son is done sitting in the car we will spend more time in maine. Otherwise we go.5
If you've seen whales already, I would advise against going as far as Tadoussac. Not even for leaf-peeping, since on the north shore of the river, there are more evergreens than deciduous trees, hence no more than patches of fall colours to see here and there. You should go to Baie-St-Paul ~ quaint, quite a bit of art galleries, even a painting symposium taking place every fall, cute shops ~ then drive a bit farther east along the river (nice scenery with the mountains and the wide river, reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands). And back to Québec City to call it a day.
