Tadoussac

How To Reach

Tadoussac is one of the most popular whale-watching destinations of Canada. It’s a small town located on the coast of St Lawrence. The Saguenay River flows into the St Lawrence making it a perfect feeding zone for whales. You can spot multiple species of whales round the year.

We left early morning from Quebec City for Tadoussac. It’s a scenic drive of 3 hours north-east of Quebec. I highly recommend taking a stop for breakfast in one of the small towns on the way; Baie-Saint-Paul is a very good option. It’s a small beautiful town situated on the shore of Saint Lawrence River. There are plenty other quick pullovers which give great views of mountains, river and towns. Unfortunately, we didn’t leave as planned, so we could not savor either the views or the breakfast on the way.

Note: You will need to take a short ferry (~15 mins) on the way, right before reaching the Tadoussac town (from Baie-Sainte-Catherine). Ferries are 24x7 and leave frequently (every 15-30 mins), but please check the website in advance to ensure there are no interruptions.

Whale Watching

We had booked my tickets in advance to avoid disappointment. There are plenty of companies to choose from, we ended up booking from AML Cruises, as it was one of the largest one. There are typically two types of boat - Zodiac and House Boat. Zodiac is the smaller one with lower height and fewer passengers, giving you much closer view of the whales as you are almost at the same height. Think of House Boats as big and stable, and are generally recommended for people with young kids (typically less than 6 years). The approximate cost of whale watching is $100 CAD per person and tours generally range between 2 to 3 hours.

We chose a 2.30 hours zodiac tour. After reaching the cruise meeting point and making sure everything is in-line, we decided to pick up a quick lunch.

There are a few boutique restaurants on Rue du Bord de l'Eau; we quickly picked a vegan roll from Le Gibard. It’s a decent place for quick pickup. As we rushed for the cruise, I could see a long line-up with every one dressed in orange safety suites mandatory to go on the zodiac tours. After getting dressed, we were already bursting with excitement, as the whale watching was one of the biggest highlights of the whole trip.

It was a beautiful sunny afternoon to begin the journey. As the boat slowly entered the sea and started gaining speed, my excitement was off the charts. For next 15 minutes, we headed deep in the sea. I got puzzled, when I noticed boat slowing down, while I could not see anything of interest.

Am I going to see any whales today?

Why this place is highly rated for whales?

And boom you go, there was a whale jumping right in front of my eyes.  A sigh of relief. Next 10 mins was spent clicking some shots. And the boat started gaining some speed. I realized this was just the trailer, as the captain brought us to the area brimming with whales.

For the next 30 minutes, the humpbacks put up an incredible show in all directions. Without any effort we witnessed 15 to 20 Humpbacks.  I don’t think I have seen anything like this ever. For a moment I almost forget we are in the open sea and not in an Aquarium with trained whales performing act.

In all this, we forgot that the clock was ticking, and the captain decided to turn the boat. I wish I could spend the whole evening right here enjoying this unbelievable show.

On the way back, the captain took us closer to the beautiful views of Fjord before bringing us to the dock.

The experience of whale watching was out of the world and can’t be described in words. Though the tour was not as informative as I expected but in the end, what mattered was seeing some whales. And boy, that didn’t disappoint.

Tadoussac Town

The town has two main roads to walk on.

Road 1 (Rue du Bord de l'Eau) – Road to the docks with boutique restaurant and views of the sea

Road 2 (Rue des Pionniers) – Local artisans, grocery and cafe

Do not end your day without enjoying a meal at Café Boheme. It is one of the best restaurants of the town, and even people from the nearby towns come here on special occasions. Plus even being a Vegetarian I loved their dishes and especially the desserts. It was a perfect way to end our day.

Note: There is a free parking available for four hours at Rue Morin Street. Though, it could be a bit far from the docks.

Where to Stay

Since Tadoussac is a small town with limited options to stay, we decided to stay in Sacre Coeur which is approximately 20 minutes drive from Tadoussac. We stayed in Au Sommet du Fjord which was one of the best stay of the tour. It was a comfortable stay in between the lush greens. the area also has some hikes which gives you a lovely view of Fjord.

(A stay in the woods)

(View of the Fjord in evening)

My husband loves hiking. When he came to know about a small hike of approximately 15 minutes which takes you up with a view a view of fjords, he couldn’t stop himself, even though it was late in the evening. When we reached the top, I was a bit disappointed as trees obstructed the view, but more than that, I was scared as it was quite late and dark and there was no one else. I rushed back immediately as I am not adventurous enough to do a dark and scary trail late in the night. 

What a perfect day it was in Tadoussac making it memorable for lifetime.