| country: | Canada |
| location: | Quebec |
| departures: | 2009: 4 Jan, 11 Jan, 18 Jan, 25 Jan, 1 Feb, 8 Feb, 15 Feb, 22 Feb, 1 Mar, 8 Mar |
| price: | From £1545 - £1645 (8 days) including flights from the UK, transfers, activities, guides, equipment, 7 breakfasts & 10 other meals. Single supplement £295. This trip can also be booked without flights |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Quebec Province is less than seven hours flying time from London but a world away in time and space. Compare the sophistication of Montreal and the charm of Quebec City to the awesome tracts of uninhabited winter wilderness just an hour from either city.
The contrast is almost bewildering as you leave the urban areas and enter the wilds of Mauricie and the Laurentian Mountains. Frozen lakes, vast rivers and snowy forests provide a stunning backdrop for some spectacular winter activities.
Accommodation
Mauricie: The Auberge le Montagnard is the base for our holidays in Mauricie. The Auberge is a beautifully constructed wooden lodge built in traditional Quebecoise style. With log fires, loads of old world character and excellent evening menus, this is the place to wind down after a day in the snowy wilderness. You can’t help but feel at home here at Auberge le Montagnard.
On our overnight and longer safaris we use a variety of accommodation ranging from log cabins with only basic facilities, to rustic camps, small lodges and hotels. It is important to note that the adventurous nature of these safaris means that your route may change in response to local conditions and, subject to your Wilderness Guides’ discretion, we may use alternatives to those originally planned.
Montreal: On the majority of our Quebec holidays, you will have some free time to explore Montreal before flying home. Montreal is truly an experience combining French joie de vivre and a modern style all its own. With superb restaurants, miles and miles of shops and boutiques and a diverse nightlife you will probably want to stay longer.
The Gouverneur Hotel is the base for all our holidays in Montreal. Located in the heart of the Latin Quarter and just a few blocks from the old town, the Gouveurneur is one of the city’s best 4-star hotels. We use the spacious standard rooms all of which are en-suite and boast a host of facilities. Additional amenities at the hotel include an indoor pool, a sauna, a fitness room, a restaurant and a bistro bar serving international cuisine.
Please note that you must be at least 21 years old and possess a full driving licence to drive a snowmobile in Quebec Province. If you do not meet these criteria you can ride as a pillion passenger with a friend or guide.
The contrast is almost bewildering as you leave the urban areas and enter the wilds of Mauricie and the Laurentian Mountains. Frozen lakes, vast rivers and snowy forests provide a stunning backdrop for some spectacular winter activities.
Accommodation
Mauricie: The Auberge le Montagnard is the base for our holidays in Mauricie. The Auberge is a beautifully constructed wooden lodge built in traditional Quebecoise style. With log fires, loads of old world character and excellent evening menus, this is the place to wind down after a day in the snowy wilderness. You can’t help but feel at home here at Auberge le Montagnard.
On our overnight and longer safaris we use a variety of accommodation ranging from log cabins with only basic facilities, to rustic camps, small lodges and hotels. It is important to note that the adventurous nature of these safaris means that your route may change in response to local conditions and, subject to your Wilderness Guides’ discretion, we may use alternatives to those originally planned.
Montreal: On the majority of our Quebec holidays, you will have some free time to explore Montreal before flying home. Montreal is truly an experience combining French joie de vivre and a modern style all its own. With superb restaurants, miles and miles of shops and boutiques and a diverse nightlife you will probably want to stay longer.
The Gouverneur Hotel is the base for all our holidays in Montreal. Located in the heart of the Latin Quarter and just a few blocks from the old town, the Gouveurneur is one of the city’s best 4-star hotels. We use the spacious standard rooms all of which are en-suite and boast a host of facilities. Additional amenities at the hotel include an indoor pool, a sauna, a fitness room, a restaurant and a bistro bar serving international cuisine.
Please note that you must be at least 21 years old and possess a full driving licence to drive a snowmobile in Quebec Province. If you do not meet these criteria you can ride as a pillion passenger with a friend or guide.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Flights, arrival and transfers. After your direct 6.5 hour flight from London Heathrow, you will be met at Montreal Airport and transferred to Mauricie. A warm welcome and dinner await at the lovely log built Auberge le Montagnard. |
| Day 2: | Snowshoes & wilderness survival. Your snowshoe trek takes you to a remote Voyager camp deep in the forest where you will be introduced to various wilderness skills such as constructing a native shelter and traditional trapping techniques. After lunch cooked over a camp fire you will have the opportunity to try cross-country skiing, ice skating and tube sliding. |
| Day 3: | Snowmobile safari (140km). Your snowmobile safari takes you across the majestic Saint-Maurice River and to a forest shelter where you stop for lunch on the banks of the Mattawin River. Your guide will tell stories about the raftsmen and lumberjacks who used to work this stretch of river. After lunch you go 'off-trail' before returning to the lodge for an evening of campfire story telling. (2 people per snowmobile) |
| Day 4: | Free day or optional activities. You may want to simply relax but there’s plenty to do at the nearby adventure centre including: cross-country skiing, ice skating, snowshoeing and tube sliding. |
| Day 5: | Husky safari. After initial instruction your team will pull you and your sled partner along the snowy trails of the Saint-Maurice Valley. Only the panting of the dogs and the swish of the sled’s runners will break the almost perfect silence. Lunch is a wild game feast served in a rustic shelter deep in the heart of the forest. Your half day adventure culminates with the opportunity to try an authentic native sauna and take part in a traditional purification session. |
| Day 6: | Ice fishing and trapper skills. You start the day as a passenger on a 12 seat Bombadier Snowmobile exploring the back country. En-route you can try your hand at ice fishing. After lunch, you put on your snowshoes and join an authentic trapper who will show you some of the original trapping techniques. After a farewell dinner at the lodge it is time to head back to your Montreal accommodation. |
| Day 7: | Montreal. Visit the Old Town, dive into the huge shopping malls and try some exquisite dining, there is simply loads to see and do in vibrant Montreal. |
| Day 8: | Airport transfers and flights. |
Small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.how this holiday makes a difference
|
Tourism in Quebec has become a main source of employment and income, replacing employment in traditional industries such as forestry. Working within this growth industry in rural and remote areas means that we must take a great deal of responsibility; socially, environmentally and economically. We fully appreciate the impact of tourist visits on local communities and their residents and strive to ensure that we are having a positive effect.
We always encourage all of our clients to respect and embrace the lives and culture of local inhabitants by learning a few important words: hello, goodbye, please, thank you etc. Our itineraries do have a focus on traditional activities such as snowshoeing and trapping skills. In addition, we always encourage our clients to get involved in local events and activities which help to sustain traditional values and customs. In all of our destinations we ensure that we use local suppliers, enabling locally owned businesses and the economies in which they work to benefit directly. Our suppliers in Quebec provide a vital source of employment throughout the whole region and importantly throughout the summer months as well. Restaurants and meals during activities combine as much local produce as possible. Through the tourism multiplier effect, this all helps to generate incomes and employment where the drift might otherwise be towards larger employment areas such as towns and cities. In small and remote areas the effects of such a drift could be devastating. ![]() The use of smaller businesses means that the tourism income, generated by our presence, stays where it should, in the local economy. We firmly believe in paying a fair price for all the services provided by our suppliers regardless of where they are in the world. Our holidays rely on visiting beautiful and un-spoilt areas, and they don’t come more un-spoilt than Quebec. Naturally we wish to maintain the natural settings in which we work, not just for the future of our company, but also for future generations. We always insist that our local providers are equally conscious of this need. The wooden cabins that we use as accommodation are built using sustainable timbers and are well insulated to ensure maximum efficiency. We do appreciate that some may feel that snowmobiles should not be included in such itineraries however in areas such as Quebec they are a way of life. They can be the only means of keeping in contact with remote communities. All trails are well managed. The alternatives to snowmobiles would in most cases be large, gas-guzzling off road vehicles. All snowmobiles are regularly serviced and kept as fuel efficient as possible. Our suppliers also utilise new 4-stroke engines that are less polluting. The snowmobile service industry is also another vital source of employment in these remote areas. We always ensure that all litter is removed from any of our activity sites, we strongly encourage group transfers to reduce traffic volumes and we make our clients aware of their obligation to the environment. We always offset our air travel emissions and would encourage you to do the same. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |












