Québec
Whales, Fjords and French Canada: Saguenay and the St. Lawrence
Program No. 12684RJ
Enjoy expert presentations and thrilling excursions as you learn about whales, fjords, historical architecture and Québecois culture on this journey to the heart of French Canada.
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Participant Reviews
Based on 38 Reviews
SHOWING
This was a good programme. Our time in Montreal was good apart from trying to do a walking tour in the pouring rain where we got extremely wet. The trip from Montreal to Tadoussac was good. Beautiful scenery. The hotel in Tadoussac was really beautiful and we enjoyed the whale watching and the tours we did from there. The presenters were very professional being national parks people. Our tour leader was very good and assisted us when we needed help.
— Review left September 17, 2024
Loved this trip!! Both informative and entertaining! Our group leader, Don, was superb and we had an excellent travel group. Loved Quebec City and feel richer just experiencing Tadoussac. Some favs - whale watching on the Zodiac boat and the cheese fondue at the microbrewery. Started a biography of Champlain which is all the more interesting having visited the area. Champlain was unique in that his goal was not to 'conquer' but to learn and partner. Refreshing especially in the 1600s.
— Review left September 13, 2024
This was my first trip with Road Scholar. I could not be more pleased. I LOVED IT! The activity level was good, enough group time and enough time on your own. The activities, themselves, were unique and engaging. Moreover, there is much to be said for traveling with others with common interests.
— Review left September 10, 2024
The Fjords, Whales and French Quebec program was fun and so interesting. I had not been to Quebec before and was so taken with it's people and natural beauty.
— Review left September 9, 2024
If you get Conny as a guide, you’re in luck. Great trip with excellent whale watching and greatly enhancing that with what you learn in the museum. And of course, Quebec City, great food, and Canada’s magnificent natural splendor.
— Review left September 3, 2024
This was the best opportunity for abundant whale watching that I've ever had--belugas, humpbacks and minkes! Also seals and porpoises. Field trips to Canadian National Parks and museums were excellent.
— Review left August 27, 2024
This program was amazing. A great mix of whale watching two days during program and instructors passionate about Québec/New France and whales. It was educational plus active as well. I really enjoyed the entire experience.
— Review left August 25, 2024
This was a terrific trip in a beautiful location. I had the opportunity to learn more about the variety of whales, to visit a gorgeous fjord and to meet a variety of people. Having experienced whale watching in the past, I was well aware that I was unlikely to see whales breaching but rather to experience them, and the seals, in their nature environment, exhibiting natural behavior.
— Review left August 25, 2024
The whale watching trip in Tadoussac was very enjoyable. We were so fortunate that the two things we could not control worked out so well; the weather was good and the whales showed up! Road Scholar took very good care of all of the other things in their control. If you take this trip and you get Conny as your group leader you will be most fortunate!
— Review left August 18, 2024
Loved my first trip with Roads Scholar. They handled all of the details and I was able to concentrate on having a fun vacation! Loved Quebec and the north country. Beautiful. And I will certainly look at other trips to take!
— Review left July 25, 2024
This was my first experience with road scholars, and it will not be the last. I saw things that I would not have seen on my own, the group experience was really welcoming, and the group leader really went out of his way to make sure that we all had positive experiences. And I saw whales!!!
— Review left July 9, 2024
Whales and nostalgia!
Explore a road-less-travelled by, spotting whales and residing in a 1940's hotel by the sea reminiscent of old Atlantic City charm! Come to Quebec and glimpse a fading history and sadly disappearing wildlife.
— Review left July 9, 2024
A trip that expands your knowledge of the Natural World plus the rich history and cultural of French Canada. Quebec City was like being in Europe. The experiences in the different museums plus the whale watching was very educational.
— Review left October 1, 2023
The Road Scholar experience was fantastic! It did not disappoint.
— Review left September 26, 2023
Tadoussac-a surprising gem.
— Review left September 25, 2023
This program is a must for outdoor lovers, forest bathers, whale/water enthusiasts, and the hustle, bustle and quaintness of Quebec city. Some of the architecture dates back to the 1700s; some of it is more modern.
— Review left September 18, 2023
The Whales, Fjords and French Canada trip was everything I could have hoped for and more. The village of Tadoussac was charming, accomodations were excellent and Bennie, our guide was absolutely outstanding!
— Review left September 17, 2023
Just an extraordinary experience in this most beautiful area. Tadoussac is now a place we'll come back to in the summertime to vacation and really absorb the warmth of the people and the history of the whales. Our new favorite is the Beluga whale, which I discovered on this trip. Great value for the money. Inspirational guide in author Bennie Beattie
— Review left September 16, 2023
Great mix of whale-watching and French Canadian culture and history. Steeve was a wonderful group leader and we had a great group of fellow travelers who augmented the trip experience. Recommend this highly to anyone wishing to see an off-the-beaten part of the St. Lawrence River and Quebec Province.
— Review left September 14, 2023
What a beautiful trip! After the overview of Quebec City, we spent the rest of the week in Tadoussac - a quaint, non-commercial, beautiful area surrounded by hills and water (St Lawrence and Saguenay Rivers). Our group leader Steeve was wonderful and went out of his way to help all of us, nurse us through our sicknesses, plan each day thoroughly, and assure that our departure was smooth. His information and stories of the area were important to our overall understanding of the French Canadian lifestyle. Even though I was one of the sick ones, I have so many good memories of the trip, thanks to Steeve’s kindness and attention.
— Review left September 4, 2023
This is a great trip. The whale watching is awesome, and the natural beauty is amazing. I loved the HoelTadoussac it is beautiful and relaxing.
— Review left September 1, 2023
I enjoyed this program very much. It was a great introduction to Québec, about which I had known very little. Everyone I encountered was friendly, the air around Tadoussac was amazingly fresh and clean, and we did see and learn about whales. The group was full of bright, kind, engaged, and interesting people I’m glad to have had a chance to get to know. Accommodations were better than comfortable and food was generally excellent.
The only really subpar element was the naturalist on our first whale watching boat, who spent about three quarters of the time speaking in French, even though the boat seemed to be filled with mostly English-speaking travelers. Not that we were necessarily missing great information, some of us decided, as much of what we could understand in either language seemed to be about the wonderful whales she’d seen before and that we probably wouldn’t (and in fact did not) see that day! This was not, of course, someone directly engaged by Road Scholar, but RS does a lot of business with her company.
On a much more positive note, I’d like to highlight the really wonderful job our guide, Conny Fricke, did. She was attuned, well-organized, and completely professional without being the least bit stuffy. She was so helpful to me and my travel companion, especially. It became clear, early in the week, that his chronic medical condition had changed enough recently that some of the activities were not going to be safe for him to do. Conny was fantastic about letting us know what to expect of the terrain ahead for the day so that we could adjust as needed, helping us get to buses rather than walking some of the routes, and running interference in a variety of other ways that allowed us to participate in as much as possible while avoiding dangers and not holding up the rest of the group. I’m so appreciative.
— Review left July 29, 2023
This was our best program ever!
Chantal was an excellent guide. Her enthusiasm and energy set the tone for the entire program. There was never a dull moment as we explored and discovered the beauty of northeastern Quebec. Watching for whales along the shore line was actually the most fun. Throughout the tour we visited numerous museums and sites of great interest. The shipyard and paper mill were especially interesting and the whale museum in Tadussac was outstanding. Meals and lodgings exceeded our expectations.
Thank you for a wonderful week in Kebek!!!
— Review left September 26, 2022
EXCELLENT PROGRAM MANY ACTIVITIES INTERESTING PEOPLE ALOT TO DO GREAT SCENERY
YOU WILL LEARN ALOT
— Review left September 25, 2022
A visit to the whale research/museum in Tadoussac was worth the whole trip, as well as experiencing the vastness of the St. Lawrence and Saguanay fiord there. One gets a real feel for French Canada on this trip.
— Review left September 20, 2022
The website still needs work, it is very slow to load and in moving from one area to the next
— Review left September 19, 2022
It was wonderful to have viewed these magnificent whales; we saw a humpback, many balugas and their babies plus minke whales and of course, grey seals and porpoises. The group leader Connie was wonderful as were the participants!! It was a great trip! Am interested in going to Nova Scotia, Labrador and the other surrounding areas.
— Review left August 31, 2022
This trip is wonderful with its whale viewings, lodgings, meals, and small museums. Our guide Steeve practiced all best practices for group engagement and cohesion. I will return to Quebec City and Tadoussac. I am committed to continuing to only travel with Road Scholar.
— Review left August 22, 2022
Educational, comfortable, friendly and delightful are four words that describe my week with whales and other Road Scholars in Quebec. This program takes you to the old city and the coastal villages along the St Lawrence River.
— Review left August 21, 2022
This was a fascinating trip, well worth the time and expense. The experiences were wonderful, the group leader Conny was fantastic, and the group members were fun and interesting.
— Review left August 8, 2022
A highly enjoyable trip with a wonderful tour guide - Connie.
Tadoussac and the six types of whales, and the Hotel, and countryside, and related museums, and great food and wonderful traveling companions, were all worth it. I wish there was more walking, but the tour description indicated that it would be limited.
For us the Quebec Province visit was a very pleasant eye opener. This tour was very nice……
— Review left August 5, 2022
"Whales, Fjords and French Canada" was delightful in every way. If you cannot get to actual France, this could be the next best thing!
— Review left July 7, 2022
My husband and I loved Whales, Fjords, and French Canada, RS program #12684. We had expert guided walking tour of Quebec City. The boat rides up the St. Lawrence River to watch the whales were fantastic. The visit to the Whale Museum is a must, as you actually get to see real skeletons of these giants and can relate to their size. Guide Benny was a superb leader, very personable, friendly, knowledgeable and funny. He made us all feel very comfortable. If you love learning new things about different places and animals, this is just the trip for you.
— Review left June 30, 2022
Bennie Beattie was a magnificent leader. Try to get him of you are doing the whale watching trip.
— Review left June 19, 2022
This is a wonderful trip to the Canadian side of the St Lawrence River. The area is beautiful and you have the opportunity of being on the water with Beluga, Minke, Fin, Humpback and Blue whales. I imagined I knew what whale were like until a Humpback whale swam around our boat, apparently as curious about us as we were about him. Amazing!
— Review left September 9, 2019
There were LOTS of whales, and the flowers in profusion everywhere are sooooooooo gorgeous!
— Review left September 9, 2019
I am glad we had two boat tours to see the whales; we saw a lot of Finn whales on the second trip.
It was a great program. The group got along very well. If you like whales I would recommend this trip.
— Review left July 12, 2019
If you are interested in marine mammals this is the trip for you
— Review left July 8, 2019