Canada East Coast - Tangcheekit

14 Days Road Trip in Canada (East Coast)

This 14 days road trip covers most of the popular attractions in 2 eastern provinces of Canada (Ontario and Quebec). This trip is a 1-way journey that starts from Toronto to Quebec.

Summary of this itinerary:

About Canada

Canada, located in North America region, is the second largest country ranked by total area. Canada has ten provinces and three territories which extend from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean.

The currency of Canada is Canadian Dollar (CAD).

Day 1 to 3 – Toronto

For day 1, it would be great to explore Toronto Islands and Toronto Harbor region as it is one of the must-do activities in Toronto.

Toronto Islands consist of 3 main Islands (Centre Island, Ward Island and Hanlan’s Point) and other small Islands. There are public ferry services that provide access to the Toronto’s Islands from the Toronto Harbor. The ferry tickets are quite affordable as it costs less than 10 CAD for a return trip. It is recommended to start by going to the Centre Island to rent a bicycle and ride across the different Islands. The ferry service also provide an opportunity to take photo of the Toronto Skyline.

There are several attractions in the Toronto Harbor area. On day 1, It is always good to start by going to the highest observation point to have a grasp of the Toronto city area. CN Tower, the tallest free-standing structure in the Western Hemisphere, fits this criteria perfectly. Situated beside the CN Tower, Ripley’s Aquarium is another recommended attraction to visit.

For day 2, it is time to explore further in Toronto. How about visiting the only real full-size castle in North American, Casa Loma? Casa Loma is one of the most popular attractions. It has been featured in 30+ movies which include X-Men (2000). After visiting the castle, it is time to go to the largest museum in Canada! Royal Ontario Museum is a museum of art, world culture and natural history equipped with 40 galleries and more than 6,000,000 items for you to explore.

At night, it is recommended to explore the city hall area. Right in front of the city hall, there is a huge fountain with the Toronto city sign which provides a great background for photo-taking.

To save on the admission costs, I purchased the city pass to visit the aforementioned attractions (CN Tower, Ripley’s Aquarium, Casa Loma and Royal Ontario Museum). Hence, I could only choose either Ontario Science Centre or the Toronto Zoo as my final destination on day 3. I chose the latter as Toronto Zoo is the largest Zoo in Canada and it is home to more than 5000 animals.

If you are visiting 4 out of 5 aforementioned attractions, it is advisable to purchase the city pass to cut costs and have an expedited entry in most of the attractions.

Day 4 to 6 – Ottawa

For day 4 (first day in Ottawa), it would be great to explore the east side of parliament hill (Byward Market, Major’s Hill Park, Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica) and have a slight glimpse of the majestic Parliament of Canada first.

Note that it is recommended to stay in the Hi Ottawa Jail Hostel and experience at least a “night” in Jail. It was a super thrilling and eerie experience that I ever had. However, do not need to worry so much as I managed to survive 3 nights in the Jail.

There is a free complimentary guided tour about the Hi Ottawa Jail history if you stay in there for a night.

For day 5, it is time to wake up early and queue for the free parliament house ticket! Be sure to arrive around half an hour before the opening hours of the Capital Information Kiosk. The tickets usually run out quite fast. Do note that the last parliament tour does not come with a complimentary peace tower tour.

After getting a ticket for the parliament tour, you could either go for a walk along Rideau Canal or explore the Canadian War Museum depending on your parliament tour timing. If you have more time, you could explore the war museum to understand more about Canada history. There are several cool artifacts that include artillery, aircraft, army vehicles and naval weapons in the museum. Otherwise, you could just take a short stroll along the Rideau Canal.

For day 6 (last day in Ottawa), I spent my time in Jacques-Cartier Park as there was a Mosaiculture Gatineau event. It was an eye-opener and I did not expect garden arts to be so amazing. Do check out the park for other activities such as Winterlude. After visiting the park, you can cross the Alexandra Bridge and go to the National Gallery of Canada. The most famous painting in the gallery is “The Death of General Wolfe” where it depicts the Battle of the Plains of Abraham (Battle of Quebec).

Day 7 to 10 – Montreal

Whenever I travel to cities, I will always visit the old town if it exists. It is always great to understand the history of the city for a better travel experience. Founded by French in 1642, the old Montreal is a place filled with stories. Visit the museum of archaeology and history to find out the different phases of Montreal transformation. After visiting the museum, check out the Notre-Dame Basilica and the amazing light show in the evening. If you have time, you can visit the old port/city hall as well.

For day 8, it is time to do some hiking! Hiking Mt Royal is actually quite an easy task as the hiking trails are paved and there are plenty of direction signs around the mountain. The Mt Royal Cross and the view from the mountain are impressive. After the morning hike, it is recommended to go to the Jean Talon Market to grab some awesome food!

After lunch, go to the Biosphere. Biosphere, a super cool sphere shape structure, is an informative and engaging museum. There are some activities in the museum where you can be an environment scientist for a day and prove the hypothesis that you think it is the correct answer.

For day 9, visit the Montreal Botanical garden. Montreal Botanical garden is an unique garden where wild foxes are roaming around and hunting squirrels. If you are not afraid of insect, you can visit the Insectarium to see some of the colorful insect displays.

At autumn night, there is usually a “Garden of Lights” night show in the Botanical garden.

For day 10 (last day in Montreal), you can visit the Barbie Expo and the Museum of Fine Arts. Barbie Expo is an interesting small exposition. The Expo is suitable for all ages and genders as there are a lot of dolls with different themes. Museum of Fine arts is one of the largest museum that I have ever seen. Three buildings are connected together with an underpass to form the museum. Most importantly, it is free for most of the art exhibitions.

Day 11 to 14 – Quebec

For day 11 (first day in Quebec), check out the Quebec Parliament and La Fontaine De Tourny in front of the Parliament. You need a ticket to get into the Parliament but it is relatively easier to get the tickets as compared to the Parliament of Canada in Ottawa. After a tour in the Parliament, you can take a stroll in the Plains of Abraham and enjoy the greenery.

For day 12, it is recommended to visit the Citadelle in Quebec. The Citadelle is the oldest military building in Canada and it has the best view to the Quebec Harbor. After visiting the Citadelle, check out the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac. The Châteauesque-styled building is one of the iconic symbol of Quebec since 1893. If you have time, try to visit Levis which is located across the Quebec City and it is easily accessible by a simple ferry.

For day 13, it is time to explore Parc De La Chute-Montmorency. At the Montmorency Falls, you could walk through a suspension bridge, take the cable car and even try the double zip line if you are daring enough! There are also stairs to the bottom of the falls where you could take awesome photos.

For day 14 (last day in Quebec), it is time to chill and shop at Rue Du Petit Champlain, the oldest commercial district in North America. After eating and shopping, go to the Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Quebec to clear your sins (especially the greed in eating Poutine, the Canada’s national dish).

Note that the cathedral is the oldest church in Canada and it is one of the eight places in the world that has a holy door. Do check out La Boutique De Noel/Morrin Centre if you have time.

Ending Remarks

Overall, this road trip is one of my favorite road trips as the first two cities (Toronto and Ottawa) has a slice of British feel and the last two cities (Montreal and Quebec city) has a taste of French ambience. This unique transition from British to French atmosphere within the same country really enhance the travel experience.

Although this trip covers most of the popular cities in eastern Canada, there are still a lot of places to explore such as the Prince Edward Island and the Newfoundland. The duration of this trip is just nice and travelling between cities is easy with buses/ Via Rail.