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A white beluga whale surfaces in the blue waters of the St. Lawrence River region in Québec.
Québec

Whale Tales: Adventures in Québec With Your Grandchild

Program No. 5455RJ
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Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. Read More.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
7 days
6 nights
What's Included
Included
15 meals ( 6B, 5L, 4D )
2 expert-led lectures
10 expert-led field trips
3 hands-on experiences
An experienced Group Leader
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Quebec City, Québec
Whale Tales: Adventures in Québec With Your Grandchild
Jul 18 - Jul 24, 2027
Program Number 5455
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Activity Note
Hotel check-in from 4:00 p.m. Remember to bring your name tag.
Afternoon:
After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table in the lobby to meet with program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
Orientation: The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule and any changes, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions.

We will learn from a series of local experts who will give lectures and lead field trips. Program-related travel and transfers will be via private motorcoach unless noted otherwise.

Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may be changed due to local conditions/circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible.

Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead. You may also wish to explore what the city has to offer. If you’d like to go out on your own, the hotel is in the heart of Old Quebec near museums, the fortifications, and some of the finest restaurants in the city.
Activity Note
Walking and standing for approximately 2 hours during field trips. Many steep hills, uneven terrain, cobblestone streets, and some stairs will be encountered, some without railings. Extent and duration of walking will increase based on your free time personal choices.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will start our day learning about the environmental history of the St. Lawrence River and the impact humans have had on the ecological health of the river. We will then head out on an expert-led walk of Old Quebec City with a local historian. We will gain an excellent overview of Québec City from its founding to the present day. We will learn about the principal historical events that occurred here and explore charming and historic Old Québec City.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
Free time. This period of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Please note that the period scheduled for free time is subject to change depending on local circumstances and opportunities for independent exploration.
Dinner:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to have what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out in the morning and transfer to Tadoussac after lunch.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving nearly 135 miles throughout the day, approximately 3.5 hours total riding time to Tadoussac. Walking up to 1 mile on roads and boardwalks.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
Following check-out, we’ll depart by motorcoach for a morning activity in Quebec City. We will visit the traditional site of the Huron-Wendat Nation and the Yänonhchia’ longhouse. During your guided experience, we will learn about Indigenous history, culture, and traditional way of life exploring the smokehouse & drying tent, sweat lodge, and tee-pee. Grandchildren will then participate in a traditional craft-making activity with the grandparent.
Lunch:
At the Huron-Wendat Museum.
Afternoon:
Depart for Tadoussac by motorcoach. We will arrive at the hotel for check-in. After we will walk the mouth of the Saguenay Fjord behind the wharf with our Group Leader and explore the village of Tadoussac before dinner.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Walking 2 miles over 4 hours with periods of standing. Getting on/off a cruise boat; cruising about 40 miles over 3 hours aboard a whale watching boat. Getting on/off a school bus; driving up to 5 miles round trip. Climbing up/down giant sand dunes.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will start our day with a presentation by a local expert, exploring the rich history of Tadoussac, a village which began as a trading post between Indigenous peoples and early European explorers. We’ll engage with the interesting contrast between life then and now, and see how Tadoussac has evolved into a vibrant Northern Quebec community powered through tourism, education, municipal services, and marine research.

Next, We will walk to the Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre at the CIMM museum to hear about the role and activity of the Whale Research Station. We will discover the fascinating and mysterious world of the St-Lawrence whales with the museum specialists. Where can one see them? How to recognize them? The museum’s exhibitions, skeleton collection and reconstitutions of sea mammals, films and slideshows are not to be missed. We will listen to the underwater sounds of the Saguenay River, see spectacular images and reproductions of whales, and much more.
Lunch:
At the hotel.
Afternoon:
We will embark on a whale watching safari with an experienced naturalist to see Fin, Minke, and Beluga whales, perhaps humpback and blue whales as well. The Gulf and Estuary of the St. Lawrence form a kingdom for whales. They are like an open-air laboratory for biologists fascinated by these giants. Since the beginning of the 1980s, the St. Lawrence has also become an incomparable destination for those wishing to attempt an encounter with whales. For it is here where the upwelling phenomena supplies vast clouds of krill and small fish that attract so many whales.

Next, we’ll travel by school bus to the sand dunes where we can run, jump, roll, slide, and somersault down the sand dunes descending 200 feet to the shore. This is a highlight for the grandchildren.
Dinner:
On your own to enjoy the local flavours of Tadoussac. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Walking about 2 miles, approximately 2 hours with periods of standing. Getting on/off a zodiac. Cruising for 2.5 hours, approximately 40 miles. Getting on/off a school bus; driving about 40 miles roundtrip, approximately 1 hour total riding time.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will embark on a second whale watching safari by zodiac to see Fin, Minke and Beluga whales, perhaps humpback and blue whales. The Estuary of the St. Lawrence forms a kingdom for whales. They are like an open-air laboratory for biologists fascinated by these giants. Since the beginning of the 1980s, the St. Lawrence has also become an incomparable destination for those wishing to attempt an encounter with whales.
Lunch:
At the hotel.
Afternoon:
We’ll board a school bus for a ride to Cap-de-Bon-Désir, an excellent place from which to admire the St- Lawrence Estuary and the many species of marine mammals, including minke, common and blue whales, belugas and many species of seals and seabirds. Next, we will visit the Marine Environment Discovery Centre and learn about the marine environment, tides, currents, fish, and animals. This is also a wonderful spot to whale watch from the shore.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer back to Quebec City in the morning.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 135 miles throughout the day, approximately 3.5 hours total riding time. Walking about 1 mile for approximately 1.5 hours with periods of standing.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We’ll check out of the hotel and board the motorcoach for Quebec City. We will stop to discover Charlevoix’s maritime tradition at the Maritime Museum located at the former Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive shipyard. The shipyard was dedicated to the building, repair and winter dry-docking of schooners until it closed in 1972. The Maritime Museum preserves and recounts the Charlevoix’s maritime history through tales of the schooners that once sailed the St. Lawrence and the building techniques unique to these magnificent ships. We will enjoy a magical moment on the shores of the mighty St. Lawrence, where centuries of history unfolded and learn, from a docent about the history of navigation and better understand the role of the navigation in the economic development of Quebec.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant in Charlevoix.
Afternoon:
Continuing our way back to Quebec City, we will stop for a guided experience of the Copper Art Museum, where we will explore and discover over 90 years of the Gilles family’s dedication to the art of repoussé (metal embossing). Walking though the museum, we will see intricate copper art pieces, and learn how copper ore is turned into copper art. We will then join a hands-on copper repoussé workshop, where we will have the opportunity to create our own copper art creation.

We will continue our journey back to Quebec City and we will check in to the hotel.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant in Quebec City.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure tomorrow.
Activity Note
Hotel check-out by 11:00 a.m.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
This concludes our program. 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 like our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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