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For a great trip while in Quebec City, we recommend this tour to Montmorency Falls and the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre! We share pictures and our experience from a guided tour which highlights beautiful landscapes and sights!
During our short stay in Quebec City to celebrate the New Year, we also wanted to do some sightseeing and venture outside of the city. Although we usually plan our tours in advance, we booked this tour while in Quebec. Fortunately, it turned out to be an excellent experience we now share with you!
This tour can be booked through Viator: “Half-Day Trip to Montmorency Falls & Ste-Anne-de-Beaupre from Quebec City” tour! Read over one thousand positive reviews in the link below!
Of course, the attractions can be visited separately or on your own. However, we found this tour to be great value since it combined interesting places and transportation with a knowledgeable, friendly guide!
Tour to Montmorency Falls & Saint Anne Basilica: Meeting Point
The meeting point of the tour is 10 Rue Sainte-Anne in Old Quebec City by the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac.
Since we stayed at Hotel Le Germain Quebec (4-star hotel), it was only a ten-minute walk. Pick-up was on-time and we had no issues identifying the tour bus.
Tour to Montmorency Falls & Saint Anne Basilica: Highlights
The half-day guided tour included seeing the following places and more:
- local chocolate shop
- Montmorency Falls
- copper art & museum
- Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre
Chocolate Shop
The tour made a short stop at a local chocolate shop, Chocolaterie de l’Ile d’Orléans.
The quaint shop makes chocolates with ingredients imported from Belgium. We bought two pieces of delicious chocolate to try and hot beverages to warm us up!
Website of the chocolate shop: https://chocolaterieorleans.com/
Montmorency Falls
Although we visited in January, visiting the Montmorency Falls was fantastic! In fact, it maybe even more beautiful to see in the winter as the snow really added to the natural beauty of the area!
At the falls, the tour let us explore the area on our own for approximately forty-five minutes. After taking some pictures at the base of the falls, we knew we wanted to journey to the suspension bridge.
There are many great spots for pictures and viewpoints to stop at! It was a scenic walk as we made our way up to the bridge.
Also, there are other activities to do there if you had more time. For example, there is a cable car ride, and in the summer there is zip lining, with extra cost.
Website for Montmorency Falls:
https://www.sepaq.com/destinations/parc-chute-montmorency/
Albert Gilles Copper Art & Museum
Another stop on the tour was at the Albert Gilles Copper Art & Museum.
The traditions and business have been passed down, run by the Gilles family, since the passing of Albert Gilles.
It was interesting to learn about copper and the history of the family business. In fact, their creations include the beautiful copper doors at the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre!
We were also given some time to stroll around and did not feel any pressure to purchase anything. The artwork and collections are displayed beautifully in the museum.
Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre
Lastly, the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre is a grand, beautiful church! It is one of the national shrines of Canada, as officially recognized by the CCCB.
The basilica honours Saint Anne who was the mother of Mary; Mary was the mother of Jesus. The official website of the basilica indicates it is “the oldest pilgrimage site in North America.” Many Roman Catholics and believers go on a pilgrimage to the site as many miracles have been reported curing illnesses and disabilities!
“Frequented for more than 350 years, this pilgrimage site welcomes more than a million pilgrims and visitors annually.”
-Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre official website
Our tour gave us time to walk around the stunning basilica on our own. It was fascinating to explore the architecture and interior of the extraordinary site. My husband and I also ventured to the lower floor to see the beautiful chapel dedicated to Mary, the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception.
Unfortunately, since it was a snowy day in January, we were not able to explore the basilica’s outdoor grounds. In addition, outside, the Stations of the Cross, with scenes and figures in bronzed cast iron, are displayed. I would love to return to the basilica and see these sculptures.
Overall, the magnificent Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre is well worth a visit!
Website for Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre: https://sanctuairesainteanne.org/en
Tour to Montmorency Falls & Saint Anne Basilica: Additional Information
- the length of the tour is approximately four and a half hours
- the order of the places visited on your tour may change at the discretion of the tour company/guide (e.g. depending on the time of the year)
- bring cash/credit for additional items you may want to purchase such as souvenirs and chocolate
- the tour ends back at the meeting point
Tour to Montmorency Falls & Saint Anne Basilica: Conclusion
The “Half-Day Trip to Montmorency Falls & Ste-Anne-de-Beaupre from Quebec City” was a great sightseeing tour and escape from the city! It is an excellent way to see the countryside and we enjoyed the time we spent at each stop.
Nurture Happiness Today TRAVEL recommends this enjoyable tour from Quebec City! Read over one thousand positive reviews in the Viator link below and book this half-day tour!
Enjoy Quebec and happy travels!
For our vacation to Quebec City, my husband and I had a great stay at the Hotel Le Germain Quebec (4-star hotel) – we recommend this hotel and would return! Must try their croissants!
Read our hotel review of Hotel Le Germain Quebec here!
Quebec City: Accommodations
Explore reviews and Quebec City hotels on Booking.com:
Quebec City: Popular Tours
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The Quebec City tour described in this article was self-funded. The views and opinions expressed in this article are from personal experience(s). Our content and this article is informational only, not facts, and cannot be construed as professional advice. We always give our honest opinions on topics, experiences or products, made in good faith. Any product or service claims, made by the product or service, should be verified with the manufacturer or provider in question. There may be potential errors on our website, for example due to changes and unintentional mistakes. Thank you.
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