Day One
Plan to be in the Outaouais during one of the artists’ studio tours—either the Pontiac Studio Tour in June, or the Chelsea, Wakefield Artists in their Environment or Créateurs de la Petite-Nation in September, all of which offer visitors a chance to meet with local artists in their studios and to see their latest creations.
Stop for lunch in Chelsea and tour through the charming shops and galleries that line Scott and Old Chelsea Roads.
Drive from Chelsea to the Mackenzie King Estate (10 minutes by car, 40 minutes by bike) to see the country home of Canada’s longest-serving, and perhaps most eccentric, prime minister. The historic ruins collected by the imaginative William Lyon Mackenzie King create a garden and grounds like no other. Share some scones, sandwiches and tea in the Moorside Tea Room, and take a stroll down by the lake.

Take the Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield Sunset Dinner Train—dinner is catered by the acclaimed Café Henry Burger, one of the region’s finest restaurants—and enjoy live fiddle music, courtesy of the on-board entertainers.

Day Two
Spend the morning surrounded by art at the National Gallery of Canada, designed by Canadian architect Moshe Safdie. With a permanent collection of Canadian and international art, an Inuit and Aboriginal Arts Gallery, and touring art shows all open simultaneously, a whole day can easily be spent immersed in visual culture. Have lunch at the Gallery’s cafeteria.

After lunch, browse the shops and art galleries in the historic Byward Market.

Reserve theatre tickets for an evening performance at Théâtre de l’Île (which presents French-language plays, many by playwrights from Québec), the National Arts Centre (which often has last-minute tickets at the box office), or La Maison de la Culture de Gatineau. These theatres are known for their high-calibre productions presented by both local and nationally-touring companies.

Day Three
Experience a wealth of history at the Canadian Museum of Civilization’s Canada Hall, which occupies 3,000 square metres and features life-size recreations of urban and rural life dating back as far as 1,000AD. Many of the displays are furnished with artifacts that reveal how people lived in times past, from the era of the Vikings who landed in Newfoundland hundreds of years ago to the founding of the fur trade to the establishment of bustling towns and cities.
Have lunch on an open-air terrace at one of Hull’s many outdoor cafés. In winter, cozy up in a bistro for an informal meal, or indulge in an upscale experience at one of many restaurants that feature cuisine made from local specialties such as venison, bison, and wild fowl.

Spend the afternoon with lady luck at the slots or the gaming tables at the Casino du Lac-Leamy, then spend the evening immersed in glamour and glitz at Le Théâtre du Casino, which offers live performances by artists from across Québec and beyond. Stop to admire the Casino’s bamboo garden and waterfall, then see what’s on at La promenade du roi, an exhibition space that features works by local artists. In late July and early August, the annual Casino du Lac Leamy Sound of Light international fireworks competition that fills the night sky with brilliant colour.