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Dip Your Toes Into Quebec with a Gatineau Day Trip

Date February 12, 2025

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Take a break from the thrill of exploring a former 19th-century jail at Saintlo Ottawa Jail and dip your toes into la Belle Provence with a Gatineau day trip. Sitting on the northern banks of the Ottawa River, near the foothills of the Laurentian Mountains, a day trip to Gatineau includes fascinating museums, outdoor adventures, and an electric winter music festival. Old Hull/Gatineau is filled with restaurants, and bars; and stopping for chocolat chaud in a local café is always a delicious idea.

There’s a lot to do and experience on a Gatineau day trip, let’s chat about some of our favourites!

Explore Gatineau Park

Gatineau Park is a 361-square-kilometer conservation park. In winter, outdoor activities include hiking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snow biking. Visit Meech Lake and check out the Carbide Willson Ruins or wander around the Mackenzie King Estate (Canada’s 10th Prime Minister). If you’re looking for a moderate snowshoe trail, try Sentier des Loups, a 9.3 km-loop with views of the Gatineau Hills and Ottawa River Valley. It’s one of the best destinations for a Gatineau day trip, no matter the time of year.

Download the winter trail map and plan out a day of adventures with new hostel buddies. A day pass is required to visit the park (23 CAD), and equipment rental is available at Relais Plein Air.

Escape at Maître du Jeu

Gather a few hostel friends together and spend a couple of hours at Maître du Jeu for an afternoon of axe throwing, virtual reality, and escape rooms. Most of the escape rooms require a minimum of 4 people and take an hour to complete, and there is an impressive collection of VR experiences to try. Escape rooms and axe throwing start at 32 CAD, and 15 minutes of virtual reality is 16 CAD.

Learn About Indigenous History and Culture at Canadian Museum of History

The First Peoples Hall at the Canadian Museum of History features over 2,000 objects chronicling the history and culture of Canada’s First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples. Admire The Indian in Transition mural by Daphne Odjig, learn about traditional hunting and cooking methods, and admire traditional handicrafts.

In the Grand Hall, the art of the Northwest Indigenous peoples is on display, including sculptures by Bill Reid, Robert Davidson, and Beau Dick. Admission to the museum is 23 CAD; and free every Thursday from 5 pm to 7 pm.

Behind the museum, winding along the banks of the river is the Rte Verte 1, a peaceful walking trail with postcard views of Ottawa – including the popular Le Pic park.

Go Ice Skating at Brewery Creek

In winter, Gatineau’s Brewery Creek (Patinoire du ruisseau de la Brasserie) is transformed into a community skating rink – a fun alternative to Ottawa’s Rideau Canal Skateway. Soak up the atmosphere of Vieux Hull (downtown Gatineau), and work up an appetite. There are several skating rinks to enjoy during a Gatineau day trip, but this one is close to some of the city’s best restaurants and bars; ideal for when you’re ready to warm up before your next activity. Access for Brewery Creek is at 185, sentier du ruisseau-de-la-Brasserie.

Karaoke Thursdays at Minotaure

Minotaure on rue Kent is one of the best bars in Gatineau, with 21 beers on taps, themed nights, an impressive cocktail menu, and FREE arcade games! Karaoke night is always fun, and so are DJ Fridays and Quiz Tuesdays. They also have live music events. Pints start at 7.75 CAD, and cocktails are under 17 CAD. There’s no food menu here, but Rosalita around the corner is open until 9 pm and serves delicious Mexican eats.

Party at Igloofest Gatineau

Montreal’s coolest outdoor winter music festival is now in Gatineau! The first edition of Igloofest Gatineau is going to be electrifying, with 3 nights of heart pounding fun. This year’s artist line-up includes Dillon Francis, Khaøs, Seven Lions, Simbasōl, and Michael Sparks. Check out the Igloo Village, hit the bars, grab snacks at the food trucks, and dance until you can’t feel your feet. It is a truly epic festival experience.

Saintlo Ottawa Jail is one of the festival partners, and offers a special package for festival-goers which includes a discount on your room rate, and festival ticket! The hostel will be organizing three outings for the festival; perfect for meeting new hostel friends to dance and party with during the festival’s events. A perfect excuse to get social

Woman with a yellow t-shirt in a red brick corridor of the Saintlo Ottawa Jail Hostel.

Double bed in a cell in the Saintlo Ottawa Jail hostel.

Getting to Gatineau: It’s a 2 km walk from Saintlo Ottawa Jail to Gatineau. To get there, walk down to Sussex Drive, turn left onto Murray Drive, and walk across the Alexandra Bridge. Or head to the Rideau Center and take STO bus #67 to Gatineau; a day pass with STO is 8.50 CAD.

A Gatineau day trip is full of promise year round. Spend an afternoon or an entire day visiting the museum, boutiques and local restaurants. Or bundle up and enjoy the trails and ruins at Gatineau Park. Hit up the city’s nightlife (the drinking age in Quebec is 18), and practice your French with new friends made along the way.