10-Day Family Itinerary. Are these stops worth it?
Hey everyone! I’m planning a 10-day family trip to Canada to celebrate my university graduation. There will be 5 of us adults in total.
We are flying in and out of Montreal (YUL) from Asia. The only fixed anchor is my graduation in Ottawa.
Here is the high-level itinerary we are considering. I'd love your thoughts on the pacing and whether each place is truly worth the time investment!
The Itinerary:
• Day 1 : Arrive in Montreal (YUL). Settle in at Hotel William Gray in Old Montreal to fight jet lag.
• Day 2 : Drive to Ottawa (~2 hrs). Check into Fairmont Château Laurier. Explore Parliament Hill.
• Day 3 : Graduation Day in Ottawa! Celebration dinner at Atelier.
• Day 4 : Drive Ottawa to Quebec City (~4.5 hrs). Check into Fairmont Le Château Frontenac.
• Day 5 : Explore Old Quebec, Citadelle, Funiculaire.
• Day 6 : Montmorency Falls & Île d'Orléans scenic drive.
• Day 7 : Drive to Charlevoix (~1.5 hrs). Check into Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu. Spa and relaxation.
• Day 8 : Whale watching via large ship from Baie-Sainte-Catherine/Tadoussac.
• Day 9 : Drive Charlevoix back to Montreal (~5 hrs). Final celebration dinner at Joe Beef.
• Day 10 : Drop off vehicle and fly out of YUL.
My Questions:
- Is Charlevoix truly worth the detour and the 5-hour drive back to Montreal at the end? Some of us are debating if we should swap it for something else, but I've heard the whale watching is incredible.
- Are we missing out by skipping Toronto/Niagara Falls or Banff? We figured the cross-country flying or extra 5+ hour drives would be too exhausting for a 10-day trip, but I don't want to regret my graduation route.
- Are there better options or alternatives for the hotels or places we’ve chosen? Any suggestions for activities or places we should visit in each stop that would enhance our trip?
Thanks in advance for the advice!
EDIT: Thanks everyone for the incredibly helpful replies! It seems like our schedule is already packed and worthwhile as is, and I admit I was definitely a bit overzealous hoping to squeeze Banff into this trip lol.
The main critique I’ve seen is that we aren't spending enough time in Montreal, so we took your advice and decided to add an extra day between Day 9 and Day 10, giving us one full day dedicated just to exploring Montreal! The rest of the itinerary seems to be well-received so that's reassuring.
Also, I can finally show this thread to the family members who were asking why Niagara Falls isn't on the list to prove that it's just not worth the massive detour lol.
Again, thank you all for the fantastic advice! I will definitely be back to do a proper Banff trip in the future.