Independent Québec City and Montréal: People, Places, Culture

Activity note: Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m.

Afternoon: Program Registration: 5:15 p.m. After you have your room assignment, come over to the Road Scholar table on the Mezzanine Level beginning at 5:30 p.m. to register with the program staff and get your welcome packet containing your name-tag, up-to-date schedule that reflects any last-minute changes, and other important information, and to learn when and where the Orientation session will take place. If you arrive late, please ask for your packet when you check in.

Dinner: At a gracious French restaurant a short walk from the hotel, we’ll enjoy a 3-course plated meal with appetizer (soup or salad), 3 choices of entrée, dessert of the day, and beverage choices including coffee (regular/decaf), hot tea, water; other beverages available for purchase from the bar.

Evening: Orientation. This is a Road Scholar INDEPENDENT PROGRAM. It is designed for participants who want high-level Road Scholar instruction, a few group activities, and who are capable and comfortable setting out on their own independently for a significant part of the day/night. The program is staffed with a Study Leader who will also serve as Group Leader. As Study Leader, she will be your primary resource in making the most of your independent study time, offering local knowledge and insider tips to ensure you get to know the cities beyond tourist highlights. As Group Leader, she will attend to logistical details. After welcome and introductions, we will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. We will also have an introduction to Montréal's Museums Pass that is included in the program cost and provides access to public transportation and the city's most important museums. Free time is reserved for your personal independent exploration. Evenings at leisure offer opportunities to make the program more meaningful and memorable through personal independent exploration, engaging in available activities on your own, or simply relaxing and making new friends among fellow participants. The Study Leader will always be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local conditions/circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the full day ahead.

Activity note: Walking up to 4 miles throughout the day.

Breakfast: At the hotel, the breakfast buffet offers a variety of choices such as an egg dish, breakfast meats, hot and cold cereals, breakfast breads, fruit, milk, juice, coffee, tea, water.

Morning: We’ll set out on a walking field trip to explore Old Montréal, focusing on its history and architecture.

Lunch: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Afternoon: Free Time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Study Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. In Old Montréal, you might like to see the port, the Pointe-à-Callière Museum of Archaeology (built on the very foundations of the city), the Bonsecours Market (Québec Arts & Crafts, featuring top-quality “made in Québec” creations), or a popular street known for its art galleries. 5:30 - 6:30 Cocktail Hour: You're invited to join our study leader for drinks (Dutch Treat), to share the highlights of your day, and plan your evening.

Dinner: On your own to explore the multitude of Montréal eateries. The Study Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Use of public transportation, métro & bus. Walking up to 4 miles throughout the day.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: This second day of discovering Montréal will be dedicated to three of the city's star attractions with a local expert: the surprising "Underground City," the Theater District and the Golden Square Mile, including the renowned McGill University and the magnificent Museum of Fine Arts.

Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like at the Museum or in the surrounding area.

Afternoon: Free Time. You may wish to further acquaint yourself with the Golden Square Mile, exploring its impressive art galleries, imposing 19th century houses, and grand museums, including the stately McCord Museum.

Dinner: On your own to sample the local fare.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Use of public transportation, métro & bus. Walking up to 4 miles throughout the day.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: This is a day for food lovers. A local expert will lead us on a culinary adventure through the many flavors of Montréal by strolling along beloved Saint-Laurent Boulevard. Here we'll discover many colorful restaurants, brought to the city by the different ethnic communities that have settled along the length of the street over time. We will finish our food lovers' exploration at the Jean-Talon public market in Little Italy, a favorite meeting place of Montréalers. We’ll be able to savor the Schwartz’s famous Montreal smoked meat, Jewish bagels, Portugal's renowned egg tarts (Pasteis de nata), true Italian coffee, and an array of Québec products at the public market.

Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like at the farmer market.

Afternoon: Free Time. As you continue exploring Montréal, you might like to visit the impressive Botanical Garden. A popular oasis in the heart of the city, the Montréal Botanical Garden is recognized as one of the world’s largest. You can explore the beauty of the garden through its 10 greenhouses and some thirty thematic gardens.

Dinner: At a landmark French restaurant in Old Montréal, we’ll say farewell to the city with a 3-course plated meal including appetizer, choices of entrée, dessert of the day, coffee, hot tea, water; other beverages available for purchase from the bar.

Evening: At leisure. You might like to explore more on your own, attend a performance or other event, or revisit a favorite Montréal café with new friends. The Group Leader will have plenty of suggestions. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning. Baggage aboard the train is limited to one piece of luggage and one carry-on bag.

Activity note: Baggage aboard the train is limited to one piece of luggage and one carry-on bag per person. We will carry our baggage when we transfer to the train station. There it will be loaded onto the train for us; keep carry-ons with you. The train ride is about 180 miles, approximately 3.5 hours. Upon arrival in Québec City, we will retrieve our baggage and load it onto a van for transfer to the hotel where it will be taken to our rooms. Getting in/off taxis and train.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: We’ll take a field trip to the incredibly beautiful Notre-Dame Basilica of Montréal. Our visit will feature an exclusive presentation of its fabulous organ by the Basilica's titular organist. We’ll then return to the hotel for check out and transfer to the train station for the trip to Québec City.

Lunch: On your own. We suggest buying your lunch at the food court in the train station, one the best in Montréal, and take it with you to have on the train.

Afternoon: Upon arrival in Québec City, we will transfer to the hotel by taxis for check-in with some time to freshen up and relax before dinner.

Dinner: At a restaurant in Old Québec known for its local gastronomy, we’ll have a 3-course plated meal with appetizer, choices of entrée, dessert of the day, and beverages including coffee, hot tea, water; other beverages available for purchase from the bar.

Evening: We’ll set out on a stroll of discovery and first impressions with our Study Leader through the streets of the Old City to the Terrase Dufferin overlooking the St-Lawrence River behind the Château Frontenac.

Activity note: Walking up to 2 miles, approximately 2 hours; cobblestones, hill.

Breakfast: On your own to enjoy what you like. There are many options from a simple pastry and coffee to a full cooked breakfast at nearby cafés. The hotel also offers breakfast for an additional charge.

Morning: At the hotel, our local expert will give a presentation highlighting the city's foundation and exceptional geographical location as well as its present-day social and economic facets. We’ll gain an understanding of how Québec City's history contributed to the creation and development of Canada and why it was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. We’ll then head out on a walking field trip with our expert to explore Québec City with its eclectic architecture, streets, and monuments that serve as eloquent, perfectly conserved testaments to its evolution. Enjoy the city's uniquely European atmosphere, enchanting setting, and friendly inhabitants. We’ll conclude at the renowned Château Frontenac, one of the city’s landmarks and the most photographed hotel in the world. It boasts a fascinating history, owing its name to Louis de Buade de Frontenac, the powerful Governor-General who guided the destiny of New France in the late 1600s.

Lunch: At the Château Frontenac, we’ll have a 3-course plated meal with appetizer, choices of entrée, dessert of the day, and beverages including coffee, hot tea, water; other beverages available for purchase from the bar. Bon appétit!

Afternoon: Free Time. You might like to explore the lower part of Old Québec near the river and enjoy Petit Champlain, one of the most appreciated neighborhoods in Québec City which is known for its architecture, street performers, boutiques, craftsmen, art galleries and the Museum of Civilization. From 5:30 - 6:30 p.m., we’ll enjoy cocktail hour. You're invited to join our study leader for drinks (Dutch treat), to share the highlights of your day, and plan your evening.

Dinner: On your own to explore the varied and exciting Québec City dining opportunities.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Walking up to 2 miles.

Breakfast: On your own.

Morning: Our second full day in Québec City will be dedicated to a field trip designed exclusively for our group and led by a local expert. Strategically located on the heights overlooking the Saint Lawrence River, Québec City was the first major milestone on the road leading to the foundation of Canada. A visit to the Residence of the Governor General of Canada, within the walls of the Citadel, will help us understand the region's unusual geopolitical journey over the course of history as well as how the province functions today. This private exploration includes access to a unique exhibition of Canadian artists.

Lunch: At the historic restaurant Les Anciens Canadiens, specializing in traditional Québec cuisine, we’ll have a 3-course plated meal with appetizer, choices of entrée, dessert of the day, and a beverage (glass of wine, beer, soft drink, coffee, hot tea, water). This important landmark is situated in the historic Maison Jacquet and was built in 1675-76 when it was one of the largest houses in the upper-town. It now reigns as the oldest house in the entire city.

Afternoon: Free time. You might like to explore the famous Plains of Abraham, a magnificent 267-acre urban park composed of plains, woods and gardens. It is also the setting for the National Fine Arts Museum of Québec. This exceptional museum is dedicated to the works of the best artists of the region. Its surprising annex is the former prison! At 4:30 pm take part of our Book-Club Hour. Join our literary expert for a one-hour walking field trip to some of the sites featured in Bury Your Dead, the best-selling novel by acclaimed author Louise Penny. A great way to bring the book to life.(voucher included in the program). From 5:30 - 6:30 p.m., we’ll enjoy cocktail hour. You're invited to join our study leader for drinks (Dutch treat), to share the highlights of your day, and plan your evening.

Dinner: On your own to enjoy the local fare of your choice.

Evening: At leisure. Perhaps you would like to stroll through the Old Town and enjoy coffee and a digestif in a café or bar.

Activity note: Walking up to 3 miles.

Breakfast: On your own.

Morning: We’ll take an expert-led field trip via motorcoach a few miles from the city to experience the beauty of the traditional Québec countryside. The birthplace of French America, Île d'Orléans is a large pastoral island known for the quality of its agricultural products as well as the heritage of its many historic buildings. This well-preserved natural and cultural landmark is situated in the middle of the St. Lawrence River. On our return to the city, we'll stop for a closer look of the Montmorency falls that we saw from the Ile d'Orlean. With its 272' tall, (30 more than Niagara) the falls offers a stunning demonstration of the power of nature. The falls has captivated visitors in all seasons for centuries.

Lunch: On your own.

Afternoon: Free time. You might like to continue exploring Québec City — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — and what is known as New Québec. A list of suggestions for individual exploration and other activities will complement the program. Options include a walk on the Grande Promenade Samuel-De Champlain along the Saint Lawrence River and a visit to the Public Market.

Dinner: At the hotel, we’ll have our farewell dinner, a 3-course plated meal with appetizer, choices of entrée, dessert of the day, and beverages including coffee, hot tea, water; other beverages available for purchase from the bar. Share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends and enjoy a lovely evening.

Evening: At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

Activity note: Hotel check-out 12:00 Noon.

Breakfast: On your own. This concludes our program.

Morning: If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!