Montreal to La Malbaie: The Perfect Weekend Getaway

La Malbaie is a quintessential small town in the Charlevoix region of Québec along the north shore of the St. Lawrence river.

Charlevoix an unbeatable place for a weekend getaway from Montreal. In La Malbaie Québec you can relax, indulge in fine dining experiences, and reconnect with nature.

Here’s the the ultimate guide to planning a weekend getaway from Montreal to La Malbaie. I’ll go over everything from the drive and where to stop on the way, and what to do once your arrive. I’ve also included some Malbaie hotel and restaurant recommendations.

Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!

Where Is La Malbaie Quebec?

La Malbaie Québec is in the Charlevoix region of the province. It’s it’s just under a 5 hour drive from Montreal, about 2 hours past Québec City.

Montreal To La Malbaie Travel Tips: Brush Up On Your French

If you’re coming from Montreal (where it’s quite bilingual), you’re in for a shock driving 5 hours north to La Malbaie. It’s a good time to familiarize yourself with some French before making the trip there! 

People will most likely still understand you if you don’t know French, but it will be much harder. I wouldn’t recommend straying too far off the tourist path if you don’t know any French at all.

For example, go to larger restaurants, stay at the larger hotels (I recommend the Fairmont le Manoir Richelieu, continue reading to find out why!) where they’ll be more likely to understand English. 

How To Get To La Malbaie

The easiest and most flexible way to get to La Malbaie from Montreal is with a car. If you don’t have a car, you can rent one in Montreal. The easiest is to choose a rental company close to you in the city. I often like renting from Enterprise – see their Montreal locations here.

Alternatively, if you’re traveling during high season you can opt to take the Charlevoix Train that leaves from Montmorency Falls just outside Quebec City. You’ll have to first train from Montreal to Quebec City (see Via Rail tickets here). Of course, you’ll be more limited in your activities once you arrive in La Malbaie. I highly recommend having a car.

Driving From Montreal To La Malbaie: Stops Along The Way

Driving for 5 hours straight is never fun, and there also isn’t much of a rush to get to La Malbaie right away – let me remind you – it’s a very small town. So, there are a few places where you can stop along the way to break up the drive.

You’ll drive by or through a lot of prominent towns and cities like Trois-Rivières, Québec City, and Baie-Saint-Paul. These are all perfect spots for lunch, to walk around the town for a bit, or even to stop for the night.

Stop At Les Chutes Montmorency

One of the easiest places to make a pit stop is Les Chute Montmorency. It’s right off the highway (just past Québec City), and the falls are the largest in Quebec! Plus, there’s a restaurant at the top where you can get some food with a view.

Depending on how much time you have, you can opt to hike to the top or take the gondola. From the top, you’ll be able to see Québec City in the distance!

Baie-Saint-Paul For Coffee, Beach, & Shopping

A beautiful town to drive through, and potentially stop at is Baie-Saint-Paul. There are several restaurants for lunch here and art galleries to explore in the town. We stopped for a delicious cold brew at Cafe Charlevoix (highly recommend).

Baie Saint Paul is well known for the artists that lived there, so if you have time, head to the Baie-Saint-Paul Museum of Contemporary Art. You can also walk along Rue St. Jean Baptiste for smaller art galleries and local shops!

If the weather is nice, drive down to the Plage de Baie-Saint-Paul and take a dip in the St. Lawerence River, or go for a stroll along the beach.

Scenic Viewpoint To Stop At!

A must-see is the viewpoint just past the town off the highway, Belvédère Baie-St-Paul. It comes up fast, so be sure not to miss it. The landscape is unreal! You’ll have a view of the mountains and the river leading into the valley.

Explore Isle-Aux-Coudres

Probably the most unique place to stop while driving from Montreal to La Malbaie is L’Isle-aux-Coudres. It’s a small island (I mean really small, only 23 km long!) in the Charlevoix Region in the middle of the Saint Lawrence River. 

It’s about 6 km from the mainland, and there’s no bridge, so you’ll have to take a ferry there. Make sure to check the schedule for times of the ferry, you don’t want to waste time waiting for it.

You don’t really have to do anything else on Isle-aux-Coudres but drive around the island for scenic views. It will take less than 40 minutes. But, the island is actually known for its windmills and cider.

So if you have time, stop at Cidrerie Vergers Pedneault for some cider tasting and to buy local cider for the weekend. The flour mill also offer tours, showcasing the process and even giving a live demonstration.

L’Isle-aux-Coudres is another spot where you can stop for lunch. We ate at Auberge La Fascine, but honestly, we were not impressed. I would try La Fabrique de L’Isle instead (they also have some beautiful local products for sale!).

If you’re interested, this is also a beautiful island to bike around. See a map of the island here. 

It’s also only a bit over an hour  to drive from La Malbaie, so you can always come back here during your weekend away if you missed anything!

Need A Place To Stay In La Malbaie Québec

Malbaie is actually most known for being the home of the famous Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu. This is a historical building that is now a hotel that you can stay at (for a hefty price tag!) and has hosts important events over the years.

I stayed at the Fairmont le Manoir Richelieu in Malbaie and would highly recommend it, but as it is on the pricier side of hotels, jump ahead to some other La Malbaie hotels here.

The Place To Stay: Fairmont le Manoir Richelieu

The Fairmont Le Manoir Le Richelieu is THE place to stay in La Malbaie. If there’s a downside it’s the price and that’s it’s not in the actual town. We always had to drive in for food or any activities we wanted to do. But, if you don’t want to leave the hotel, you also don’t really have to…

You have everything you need all in one place! There are 3 restaurants, beautiful views of the St. Lawrence, and activities galore. There’s a pool, golf course (and mini putt course!), spa, and a games room! They even offer a free tour of the hotel which tells you all about the history of this magnificent building, and shows you some rooms that you wouldn’t have access to otherwise. 

It’s also attached to the casino… which is great because that means you have access to free coffee and tea at all times of the day! 

If it’s nice out, I can’t recommend enough going to the golf course for breakfast. They’ll give you a golf cart to get there, because it’s even higher up the hill. There’s an outdoor terrace that you can sit on and watch the golfers with a beautiful view of the mountaintops. 

Stay At The Fairmont? That’s Pretty Expensive…

I’m not going to sugar coat this, the Fairmont le Manoir Richelieu is EXPENSIVE, but it’s also really worth the cost. Like I said, there are so many amenities included in your stay.

They have a games room with pool and ping pong – perfect for a night time activity. There’s a beautiful pool, a golf course, and even a tennis course. You can even rent tennis rackets and bikes that are all included in your resort fee. 

Because of the high room rate, we save staying at the Fairmont for special occasions, like birthdays and anniversaries. We also try to choose our dates wisely. We look at the calendar to see if there are cheaper dates – there usually are, especially if you’re willing to stay during the week. You can save a lot!

If you become a member they also have deals sometimes, for example, free in-room wifi, and last time we got a 5% discount on our room (every little bit counts right!). And yes, I feel out of place every time I stay there, but being pampered is always worth feeling a little awkward!

More La Malbaie Hotels To Stay At

As I said, we stayed at the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu while in La Malbaie, but here are some other hotel recommendations.

You can’t get a bad room at Chez Truchon Bistro-Auberge, opt for either a garden, river, or mountain view! I would definitely stay here if we ever go back. See room rates and availability.

Traveling with the whole family? Book Le Black Bear- Les Chalets Spa Canada, it can sleep 10 guests (8 adults!). This immense chalet is homy, private, and rustic. Oh and did I mention it’s and at the top of the mountain which offers breathtaking views. See room rates and availability.

Just outside the town of La Malbaie (on the other side of Malbaie River) in Cap-à-l’Aigle is the bed and breakfast Auberge des Eaux Vives. You can’t get a closer to the St. Lawerence river than by staying here and waking up to those views every morning! See room rates and availability.

For more accommodation options in La Malbaie, click here.

Things To Do In La Malbaie

There really isn’t too much to do in the city itself, as it’s quite small. It’s nice to walk through the quaint streets, or even along the St. Lawrence River down to Port de Pointe-au-Pic onto the pier!

One of the main highlights in Malbaie Quebec is to visit the P’tit Bonheur Art Gallery. This family run business has been promoting Canadian art for over 30 years now. It’s definitely worth stopping by.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Charlevoix region, visit the Musée de Charlevoix. Along with the history, they also have art exhibits.

On top of the hill (past the Fairmont) there’s the Geoparc de Charlevoix. They delve into how a meteor hit and created what we know today as the Charlevoix region. They offer a tour in English.

There’s also the Casino de Charlevoix that you can check out next to the Fairmont le Manoir Richelieu. 

Charlevoix Region Things To Do

You’ll need a car to get to these attractions near a Malbaie in the Charlevoix region, but it’ll be worth it. As I said, if you didn’t have a chance to visit L’Isle-aux-Coudres, that’s definitely worth checking out. It’s just over an hour from La Malbaie (and don’t forget to check the times for the ferry!).

The Closest Activities To La Malbaie

If you’re looking for some activities a bit closer, you can visit the Jardins de Quatre-Vents. It’s a peaceful botanical garden to walk through that is quite photogenic!

You can also visit a working mushroom farm and pick up some local produce! Or if you’re looking for a bit of history head to the old woodworking factory.

National Parks Near La Malbaie

The Charlevoix region is known for its incredible nature and mountains to explore. There are actually three SEPAQ Quebec National Parkes near La Malbaie.

We weren’t the hikers we are today so have so many regrets and have to make our way back to La Malbaie STAT just to see some of these.

Probably the most well known is National Park Des Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie, about a 40 minute drive away (2022 Update: We finally made it back to visit this incredible National Park!).

But there’s also Grands-Jardins National Park that’s also a 40-minute drive from La Malbaie town. The third National Park is Fjord-du-Saguenay, it’s the furthest, about an hour and 40 minute drive (to the visitors centre).

There are tons of activities to explore in each of these incredible national parks during both the summer and winter months. Honestly, you could go back to each one day after day if you wanted to, there’s just so much to see and do.

Tadoussac & Whale Watching From La Malbaie

Another popular activity to do in La Malbaie, Québec is to go whale watching. I mean, you’re on the edge of the St. Lawerence River here. There are some tours from La Malbaie, but a popular destination to go to is Tadoussac Québec for whale watching excursions.

Tadoussac is a small Québec village about a 40 minute drive from La Malbaie and it’s all about whale watching here. There are two main companies that offer cruises:  Croisières AML and Tadoussac autrement. Each offers different options to choose from based on the experience you want (i.e. the type of boat, the length of the cruise ..etc.).

Remember though, you’re never guaranteed to see any whales.

Where To Eat in La Malbaie Québec

We actually found that La Malbaie was on the expensive side when it came to restaurants. It’s all about enjoying local produce and fine dining experiences. That’s great, but that also means that it’s going to be on the pricier side when it comes to eating out… but hey, you’re on vacation, right!?

We wanted casual restaurants, and in the end found a few options. Our first night there, we ate at the Resto-Pub Belles et Bum, a casual American style restaurant with burgers and beer! The following night, we also went for burgers, but we scaled it up a notch with at Bistro Local 245.

For brunch we went to Café Chez Nous. We were lucky and grabbed a seat on the front porch where we could see a glimpse of the St. Lawrence. We also ate the the Fairmont Manoir Richelieu just out of pure laziness!

You can also head to Pains D’exclamation! They have breakfast and lunch, plus delicious pastries and coffee! If you there in the afternoon, they have a self serve wine tasting bar!

What’s The Weather Like In La Malbaie In The Summer

La Malbaie is right off the St. Lawrence River which brings in a very cold wind. Whatever the temperature says it’s going to be, expect it to feel a lot cooler.

We visited in July, expecting it to be just a tad cooler than the humidity we were getting in Montreal. We were there for 3 days, and the temperature averaged about 18 degrees the whole time, with that nice brisk wind.

I packed shorts but wore my 3/4 length pants most of the time, and wished I had packed longer pants, especially for the evenings. I was happy to have packed a sherpa lined sweater as well for the night and could have even used a tuque!

Only on the last day we were there it was finally nice enough to wear shorts and to sit by the pool.

What To Pack For A Trip To La Malbaie

If you’re visiting La Malbaie in the winter, just pack your warmest clothes! I’m talking layers upon layers, upon layers! Read what to pack for a trip to Montreal in the winter as a guide.

If you’re visiting La Malbaie in the summer, as I said, pack warmer clothes than what you would think you’ll need. Especially if you’re planning on going whale watching, it’s even colder when you’re on the water.

I would make sure to pack a pair of pants, a jacket, and a warm and cozy sweater. If you’re planning on going hiking, don’t forget your hiking shoes, walking sticks, and hiking clothes!

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Last update on 2024-05-09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API