Four great day trip destinations to extend your time in Montréal

The Eastern Townships is an agricultural region located an hour southeast of Montréal. A popular destination for both wine aficionados and visiting locavores, the picture-perfect rolling landscape is a patchwork of verdant cornfields, fruit orchards and dairy farms. Go for an afternoon to take in the official wine route, a cheese tour or an orchard hop. For a slower-paced getaway, reserve a night (or two) in one of the area’s renowned inns that dot the handsome towns, including Hovey Manor in North Hatley, Maplewood Manor in Waterloo or Ripplecove Hotel and Spa in Ayer’s Cliff. 

Directly north of the city, the Laurentians encompass a vast area that include rugged mountains, thick forests and lots of swimmable lakes. In the autumn months, the trees are the big attraction with maples leaves changing into ruby reds and sunshine yellows. In the winter, the popular ski hills and dog sledding workshops attract a snow-hungry international crowd. The summertime provides opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, canoeing and more. The area is famous for its Nordic spas, many of which are attached to hotels, like the Scandinave Spa Mont-Tremblant, the Manoir Saint-Sauveur and the Estérel Resort. 

The historic epicentre of the province, Québec City is perched high on a hill that overlooks the magnificent St. Lawrence River. The old city is notable for its charming narrow streets and age-old buildings (hello Instagram likes!), but outside of the old quarter, you’ll find a modernized metropolis with historic museums and exciting contemporary art spaces (check out L’Œil de Poisson and VU Photo). No visit is complete without a visit to the Musée National des beaux-arts du Québec. Notable hotels include the iconic Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in the centre of town and the modern Hôtel 71.