Are you looking for a guide to the best things to see and do on Île d’Orléans? I’ve put together the perfect one-day itinerary for a summer visit.
Île d’Orléans is an agricultural island located in the middle of the St. Lawrence River. It’s full of farms, wineries, cideries and art galleries. Since it’s a short drive from downtown, it’s perfect for Quebec City day trips. The island has a website, but it isn’t updated regularly so it’s hard to know when shops are open.
I spent a ton of time building the perfect one-day Île d’Orléans itinerary for a summer visit. Now, I’m sharing my Île d’Orléans route with you, so you don’t have to start from scratch. Click to go right to the Île d’Orléans one-day itinerary, or keep reading to discover the best time of year to go, why visit Île d’Orléans and the types of activities you can do on this Québec city day trip.
When to Visit Île d’Orléans?
The best time to visit Île d’Orléans is during summer when farm fresh produce is at its height. It’s the peak season, and businesses have longer hours.
Many of the farms and shops on Île d’Orléans keep seasonal hours. While you can visit outside of the summer season, there may be less to see and do.
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How to Get to Île d’Orléans
Île d’Orléans is roughly 15 minutes from downtown Quebec City on Route 440 East.
The bridge to Île d’Orléans is opposite Montmorency Falls, one of the most popular Quebec City day trips. Stop off at the falls on your way to Île d’Orléans and cross two Quebec City day trips off your list in one go!
We spent around 60-90 minutes exploring Montmorency Falls before crossing the bridge to spend the rest of the day driving around Île d’Orléans. We were back in Quebec City in time to cook dinner with the fresh veggies and cheese we bought on the island.
Renting a car is the easiest way to explore Île d’Orléans. Check prices and book your rental car in advance.
If you don’t have a rental car, you can take a bus or hire a taxi. Cycling is another popular way to visit Île d’Orléans from Quebec.
Île d’Orléans In One Day: Activities
The most popular things to do in Île d’Orléans are:
- Biking – Don’t have your own bike? Quebec Adventure Tours offers bike rental, scooter rental, and electric bike rental on Île d’Orléans. The most popular bike tour circumnavigates the island and runs 67 kilometers, but there are many ways to cut this down if you’re short on time.
- Kayaking – Rent a sea kayak to see the island by boat. Quebec Adventure Tours offers guided kayaking tours that include a waterproof bag for your phone.
- Camping – Île d’Orléans has a couple of campgrounds if you’d like to stay overnight. Camping De La Pointe D’Argentenay offers super-cute A-frame mini cabin rentals that come with everything you need, like a camp stove, cookware, and LED lights. Dogs are welcome. We were tempted to book a cabin and stay overnight – maybe next time!
- Hiking – Île d’Orléans has a few hiking trails, which double as snowshoe trails in the winter. We didn’t get out on foot, as we spent all of our time driving around visiting farms, ciders, wineries and cheese makers.
- Agritourism – Most people come to Île d’Orléans to visit farms and farm stands, enjoy pick your own experience, and taste the local products.
Île d’Orléans Best Spots to Visit
I’m sharing my itinerary so you don’t have to do the research yourself. It’s arranged in a loop around the island with one exception. I loved ending the day at Ste-Pétronille – Winery & Cidery, savoring a glass of wine at a patio table with beautiful views over Quebec. To me, their wine and pizza make a perfect ending to an amazing day. So while there is a bit of backtracking to end at Ste-Pétronille, it’s worth it!
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Confiturerie Tigidou Jam Factory, 7007 chemin Royal – This cute jam shop by the water sells a variety of jams, jellies, shrubs and syrups that would be amazing in mocktails. Choose from flavors like strawberry basil jelly, apple and sea buckthorn jelly, cream of pear, apple espresso cream. They also sell honey and maple products.
Du Capitaine Farm and Boutique, 4734 chemin Royal – Du Capitaine Farm makes their own vinegar using local products, such as black currant, a popular fruit grown on the island. Taste vinegars and black currant wine at the farm shop, which also sells groceries. Our favorite vinegars were the spruce infused one and the melilot, which is a type of wildflower. The jam makers at Tigidou (hands-down my favorite stop) translated this for us as clover, but it’s not the red or white kind you find growing in the lawn. Stock up on picnic supplies and, if they have them, take a bag of the handmade potato chips with you!
La Midinette, 4624 chemin Royal – Run by the same family as Cassis Monna & Filles, this bakery sells bread and pastries, coffee drinks, wine by the glass, and sandwiches/salads. It’s located in the town of Saint-Jean-de-l’Île-d’Orléans, one of the island’s main communities. If you’ve taken your time visiting farm stands and art galleries and admiring the views, you’ll probably be ready for a lunch break or pastry pit stop by the time you make it here. We took a cannelle to go, and it met my ridiculously high standards for the fussy pastry.
La Seigneurie Île d’Orléans lavender farm and botanic garden, 3658 chemin Royal – This is a lavender farm with a shop boutique that sells bath and body products made with lavender. It’s possible to tour the lavender gardens for $22. The lavender wasn’t in bloom when we visited, in August, so we skipped the tour.
Ferme Audet, 3501 chemin Royal- We stopped at Ferme Audet to sample three types of goat cheese and pet the goats they keep in the backyard. The cheese was fresh and creamy, including a feta with oregano and a firm cheese. The real star of the show (sorry goats) was the homemade soft-serve goat milk ice cream they offer onsite. Chocolate or vanilla with the option of a salted caramel or chocolate dip…not to be missed!
They have a second shop kitty corner to the first which sells handmade soap, if you’re shopping for gifts for friends and family!
Les Fromages de l’Isle d’Orléans, 2950 chemin Royal – A line out the door suggested how popular this cheesemonger was. Watch through a window in the production shop as cheese is made. While they don’t offer samples, you can buy cheese to go and a local cheese plate to enjoy at the picnic tables onsite.
Cassis Monna & Filles, 1225 chemin Royal – We did a tasting tour at this second-generation black currant farm, which makes a full range of products.
Cassis Monna & Filles makes a range of black currant wines and creme de cassis, the staple ingredient of kir Royale. They also offer blackcurrant-infused products, like a jammy onion confit with black currants, black currant jams and jellies, black currant vinegars, and a sweet-spicy black currant mustard. The place has a fun vibe, great views and it’s right near the bridge. It was a popular pick for families visiting; the kids could play while adults sipped sangria cocktails.
Ste-Pétronille – Winery & Cidery, 8705 chemin Royal – The winery offers tasting by the glass, bottle service and wood-fired pizza that looked and smelled divine. We were almost sorry we had purchased fresh beans and summer squash to cook for dinner!
We prefer dry white wines. We sampled wine at a couple other wineries on the island and found it too sweet for our tastes. Ste-Pétronille had the driest wines we tasted, thus it was our favorite! Plus, check out these views of the vineyard and farm estate set against the St. Lawrence River.
Perhaps you noticed there are no farms on this list?
Quite honestly, there are so many farms and farm stands that it would be impossible (and unfair) to choose!
We stopped at several to check out the fresh section of berries, summer vegetables and maple syrup, buying something here and something else there. Everything looked amazing, and if I could do it again I would probably buy more veggies to enjoy for the rest of my vacation.
Is Île d’Orléans LGBTQ Friendly?
Yes!
All of Quebec including Île d’Orléans welcomes LGBTQ travelers. A majority of Quebecois support LGBTQ equality issues. To learn more about the province’s LGBTQ stance, check out our LGBTQ guide to Quebec.
Not only is Quebec a welcoming destination, Canada is one of the safest destinations for gay and lesbian travelers in the world! Feel free to relax and enjoy your one-day Île d’Orléans without worries.
See More Quebec City Day Trips
Île d’Orléans was one of several Quebec City day trips we took. While we enjoyed the atmosphere and ambiance of Quebec, those Quebec City day trips ended up being our favorite part of the trip!
This post is a detailed guide to all our Quebec City day trips including Jacques Cartier National Park.
If you’re planning lots of Quebec day trips, don’t forget to rent a car!
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BEAUTIFULLY DONE, Thanks for the many ideas picked up here…
This is a perfect one-day itinerary for Île d’Orléans during the summer. You put a lot of thought and planning into this charming day trip from Quebec. Looks so charming!
What a delightful location to explore and more so enjoy some many options of local handmade treats, taste sensations and other locally made products.
I love the idea of a quiet agricultural island close to Quebec. Those blackberries look yummy! View from Ste-Petronille is awesome – so green and unpolluted. Marking this place in my bucket list. 🙂
Love ending the day with wine and cider, great guide!
This sounds like a perfect way to spend a summer day! I love that this Île d’Orléans itinerary is well thought out and detailed!
Hi Lindsey! Thanks for the guide! Where can I find the best viewpoints or scenic spots on the island? Do you recommend to self-drive? Thanks again and looking forward to more tips!
This looks great for a weekend. I would love to go camping here and visit Ste-Pétronille Winery 🙂
I had no idea that the island of Île d’Orléans had so many different activities. I would love to visit it especially for the agritourism, but would never miss Ferme Audet in order to try their goat milk ice cream! Thanks for the inspiration!
Hello Lindsey:
I am planning a trip to Quebec City this fall, and would love to visit the island. However, I will not have access to a car, so am looking for a tour of the island by small bus or mini van. Would you happen to know of such a tour? I am primarily interested in the architecture and scenery. Thanks. Donna