Montréal serves as starting point for our Christmas in Québec & Montréal Adventure. Our first official activity is a Welcome Orientation this evening at our hotel at 7:30 pm. Those arriving early, however, may wish to join us this afternoon on an optional food tour.

Montréal Walk & Christmas-themed Cultural Food Tour
Montréal is one of Canada’s major immigration hubs, and its food scene reflects a delightful and harmonious blend of cultures from around the world. Our Christmas-themed “foodie” tour starts with a walk in the historic district and continues by motorcoach along a major thoroughfare lined with dozens of ethnic neighborhoods inviting us to sample an astonishing diversity of delicious fare. ~ Estimated price: $95 per person

Walk #1: Montréal Lachine Canal & Old Town Walk ~ 6 km, rated 1B
Walk #2: Mount Royal Park Walk ~ 4 km, rated 2A

A guided winter morning walk begins at Montréal’s colorful Atwater Market, along historic Lachine Canal. Dating back to the 1850s, the canal was instrumental in opening up North America’s interior to trans-Atlantic shipping. Though New York’s Erie Canal ultimately won the battle of canals, Lachine Canal allowed Montréal to become, for a time, the second-busiest port in North America.

This pleasant route wanders past architectural remnants of the canal’s glory days as our guides share not only the history but also the Christmas traditions in French-speaking Canada. We finish in Montréal’s lively historic district with a tour of Notre-Dame Basilica and free time for lunch.

Bundle up this afternoon for outstanding panoramas and pleasant park trails awaiting us at Mount Royal Park, designed by Frederick Olmsted, the prolific landscape architect who also planned New York’s Central Park.

The evening is free to explore Montréal’s Christmas lights and enjoy the great dining scene in Old Town.

After a relaxed morning in Old Town Montréal, we board a comfortable train and enjoy a relaxing ride to Québec City in business class that includes a tasty lunch.

The Adventure continues up north in Québec City, considered by many the most “European” city in North America. Old Québec earned a place on UNESCO’s World Heritage List due largely to the fact that it is the only city on the continent to have preserved its colonial fortifications.

Our hotel is situated conveniently on the edge of the historic district.

We offer a chance this evening to explore some of Québec’s most beautiful Christmas scenes lit up at night.

Walk #3: Historic Québec Walk ~ 10 km, rated 2B

Today is devoted entirely to exploring historic and charming Québec City, starting with a guided winter walk from our hotel.

Québec was founded by French explorer Samuel de Champlain in the early 17th century and became capital of New France until the history-changing British victory at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759. Our route wanders through lovely Battlefields Park and along Dufferin Terrace past Le Château Frontenac, said to be the world’s most photographed hotel.

Petit-Champlain is a delightfully decked out pedestrian area in Lower Town, Nearby Place Royale, with its romantic cobblestone square and outdoor cafés, contains the city’s oldest buildings.

Opportunities for food, photography, people watching, and window shopping are endless on this walk, and at Québec’s German-themed Christmas Market, which we will explore this evening.

Enjoy a free day to explore the countless Christmas delights of Québec City from our well-situated hotel. There’s no shortage of colorful, holiday-themed activities in Québec City, but a half-day snowshoe excursion is also available today in Jacques Cartier National Park. This excursion allows you to get out into the Québec countryside and savor a winter wonderland walk suitable for experienced and beginning snowshoers alike.

Jacques Cartier National Park snowshoe hike
Following an hour-long bus ride from our hotel, a 3-hour snowshoe hike explores the most beautiful trails in Jacques Cartier National Park, including the valley of Belleau Creek, the splendor of the Laurentian Mountains, and a walk along the Sautauriski River.

Discover these magnificent winter landscapes on a one-of-a-kind excursion that includes roundtrip transportation, a professional local guide, snowshoes and poles, hot chocolate, lunch, and all park fees. ~ Estimated price: $110

This evening, we cap off our Canadian Christmas celebration with a wonderful dinner at Le Chateau Frontenac, one of the world’s iconic hotels!

Our Christmas Adventure concludes in Québec City as we say farewell to friends old and new. We return home full of holiday spirit and with a new appreciation for the breadth of history, culture, yuletide charm and scenery offered by these two beacons of French-speaking Canada!

To register, a non-refundable $300 deposit is required to hold your spot.

A final payment is due 90 days before departure and is non-refundable after the due date. You will receive a prompt email from us 2 to 3 weeks in advance.

Once a tour has a viable number of participants, an “Adventure Advice” email will be sent with critical information on flight arrangements as well as important steps to take in the months before your trip. Please do not buy your airline tickets until you review this Adventure Advice email.

Please follow this link to read our full General Tour Conditions.

In the case of Christmas in Québec & Montréal, both cities  have been included in past WAI itineraries through eastern Canada, going back to the mid-90s. These experiences in itinerary planning and leading walking groups have been adapted to Christmas themes prevalent in both cities to produce a the perfect Yuletide-themed Adventure.

Winter walking can be an oxymoron, but also a glorious combination! We plan for backup activities or routes in the event of weather surprises, but hope for the best—a dusting of picturesque snow that has fallen long enough before we arrived to have been cleared off of our paths!

Be aware that we offer fewer official walks on this tour than is our norm—just 3 official walks are featured on Christmas in Québec & Montréal. This is partly due to the risk of interfering weather, and partly because we use walking regularly throughout the program to enjoy the Christmas sights throughout these two iconic French-Canadian cities.

We generally walk at a pace of 2 to 3 miles per hour. Several walks on this trip are oriented more towards education, and therefore take longer due to stops for guide commentary. Nature walks, on the other hand, generally continue at a steadier pace because we’re stopping less to talk.

In most cases, we are not “strolling.” We are walking at a relaxed but steady pace. Your experience will be significantly affected by your level of physical fitness. If not walking regularly at home, we strongly recommend that you make a priority of “training” beforehand in order to both enjoy the trip and avoid medical issues due to overexertion. If you have questions about your ability to participate, please call our office at 1.360.260.9393.

We have adopted a walk difficulty rating system which contains a numeric indicator for trail incline and an alpha indicator for trail terrain. The explanation for this system is presented on the table below:

INCLINE

1. Minimal hills or stair climbing. Cumulative elevation gain: <200 feet.
2. Some moderate hills and stair climbing. Cumulative elevation gain: 200-1000 feet.
3. Some significant hill or stair climbing. Cumulative elevation gain: 1000-2000 feet.

TERRAIN

A. Almost entirely on pavement.
B. A significant part of the route is on well-groomed trails with very few obstacles.
C. A significant part of the route is on somewhat difficult terrain (rocky / rooted paths or soft sand).

The official starting point for this Adventure is our hotel in Montréal served by Montréal–Dorval International Airport (airport code YUL). The official finish point is our hotel in Québec City, served by Jean Lesage International Airport (airport code YQB).

More details about flight arrangements and travel agent contact information will be provided in an Adventure Advice PDF by email after you register for the Adventure. Please do not book your airfare prior to receiving these flight details from us!

Once you receive the Adventure Advice memo, we recommend that you contact Laura Pfahler, the travel agent we work with, to help book your flight arrangements. In this age of airfare complications and airport uncertainty, using a travel agent is a good investment!

• Laura Pfahler: 503.434.6401 or [email protected]

WAI recommends travel insurance for financial and medical protection from any number of unforeseen circumstances that can arise before departure or during your Adventure. Many travel insurance providers are available for you to consider. Laura Pfahler and Sharon Mitchell of World Travel Inc. can provide travel insurance options for your WAI tour, as well as for your airfare. For those who purchase airfare through Laura, purchasing your travel insurance from her colleague, Sharon Mitchell, may be the simplest option.

Be aware that some travel insurance policies contain time-sensitive provisions (i.e. some benefits, such as coverage of pre-existing conditions, are available only if the policy is purchased within a certain number of days of the purchase of the travel package). In addition, remember that airfare is not covered by any travel insurance policy you may have purchased for the tour.

Check out Insurance Tips from World Travel for a short introduction to travel insurance.

To contact Sharon Mitchell:
Phone: 971.261.2091
Email: [email protected]

Other options include:
Allianz
Betins
Travel Guard
Travel Insured International

Using the www.SquareMouth.com website can be a easy way to compare pricing.

We suggest purchasing from a reputable, well-established insurance company (avoid buying insurance from an unknown company found only online). Travelers interested in purchasing “cancel for any reason” insurance coverage should be careful to check pricing and terms BEFORE they register for a tour. Recent changes in the international travel landscape has caused changes in the policies of some insurance companies, and made the purchase of this particular type of policy even more time-sensitive.

NOTE: WAI receives no commission or financial remuneration from World Travel Inc. In addition, WAI bears no responsibility for travel insurance benefits advertised by various credit card companies. If you are relying on this type of benefit for insurance, we advise you to verify coverage types and limits and that your purchase does in fact qualify you for this insurance.

• Focus on health before the tour so you start healthy.
• Pace yourself while on tour; travel is inherently stimulating and can produce adrenalin boosts that mask energy drain. Guard your energy reserves and consider the length of the trip and whether to opt out of some activities and/or walks.
• Be self-aware. If you feel yourself tiring or feel a bug coming on, take precautions to block it (e.g. extra rest, extra doses of vitamin C, etc).
• If you feel a bug coming on or if you take ill, distance yourself from others when possible.
• If you feel ill, isolate yourself towards the back of the bus and away from others

Click WAI Wellness on Tour Policy to view the WAI policy on Wellness on Tour.

Soon after registration, an “Adventure Advice” email will be sent with critical information on flight arrangements as well as important steps to take in the months before your trip. Please do not buy your airline tickets until you review this Adventure Advice email.

A final payment is due 90 days before departure (September 3, 2023) and is non-refundable after the due date. You will receive a prompt email from us a week or two in advance. Please see our General Tour Conditions for the full terms and conditions for participation in this Adventure.

Around 2-3 weeks before departure, you will receive a final email packet with details of the program, including hotel names and contact information, a list of fellow travelers, and a more detailed daily schedule.

We look forward to enjoying this festive corner of Canada together as we explore Christmas in Québec & Montréal!