Weekend in Sherbrooke
Trip Overview
Spend a weekend threading through Sherbrooke's twin downtowns, stitched together by the Rivière Magog. Day one drifts from morning market aromas to riverside art trails. Day two climbs Mont-Bellevue for panoramas then drops into craft-beer cellars. The rhythm stays easy: walkable districts, short cab rides, and long pauses for poutine-laden lunches. Expect autumn maples flickering orange against brick textile mills and the smell of wood-smoked bagels drifting from Rue Wellington.
Pace
Relaxed
Daily Budget
$130-180 CAD per day
Best Seasons
Late May through October, peak foliage mid-September to mid-October
Ideal For
First-time visitors, Couples, Weekend escapees from Montréal, Microbrewery fans
Day-by-Day Itinerary
A complete plan for every day of your trip
1
Old North & Riverside Galleries
Downtown Sherbrooke
Morning riverside market, art-filled afternoon, craft beer by lantern light.
Morning
Marché de la Gare farmers market
Start beside the brick clock tower where local growers fan out honey jars and blueberry cider under white canvas peaks. Taste warm apple doughnuts, watch potters spin maple-leaf bowls, then follow the painted bike path along the Magog to the Musée des beaux-arts.
Lunch
Siboire DéPôt on Rue Wellington
Afternoon
Murales & Musée des beaux-arts
Trace 18 colossal frescoes on brick warehouses: jazz musicians frozen mid-riff, log drivers riding river foam. Inside the museum, Quebec landscapes glow cobalt and rust. From the rooftop terrace, church spires pierce the treeline while the river glints silver below.
Check current exhibitions online. Museum entry is timed in summer
Evening
Dinner & microbrew crawl on Rue Wellington
Start at Boefish for steak frites, finish at Siboire's basement bar sampling barrel-aged stout.
Where to Stay Tonight
Old North (between Rue Wellington and the river) (Hôtel Le Président or boutique Gîte du Parc)
Five-minute walk to evening bars and tomorrow's departure point
See all Sherbrooke accommodation options →Grab a free bike for the riverside path from the bright red station beside Marché de la Gare. First 30 minutes are no charge.
Day 1 Budget: $150
2
Mont-Bellevue Summit & South-End Breweries
Université de Sherbrooke campus & Faubourg des Rivières
Forest hike at dawn, campus art, and a slow afternoon hopping south-end breweries.
Morning
Mont-Bellevue trail loop
Catch the 7 a.m. shuttle from downtown to the Université stop, then duck under pine scent into Parc du Mont-Bellevue. The 4 km loop climbs softly past birch groves to a granite lookout where Sherbrooke's orange rooftops spill between two curling rivers. Morning mist lifts off the water like steam from espresso.
Lunch
Café Aragon inside the university arts pavilion
Afternoon
Brewery circuit in Faubourg des Rivières
Walk 15 minutes south to the brick-and-steel warehouses of the old industrial park. Start at Siboire Brasserie with its copper kettles glinting through glass, try the maple saison. Cross the rail line to Lagabière for grapefruit IPA, then end at Korrigane for a cranberry sour beside a crackling outdoor fireplace.
Saturday 2 p.m. brewery tours fill up. Arrive before 1 p.m.
Evening
Sunset picnic on Promenade du Saint-François
Grab cheese curds and cider at Marché public before it closes at 5 p.m., then watch the river catch gold under the steel railway bridge.
Where to Stay Tonight
Return to Old North or stay near Gare du Palais for early train departures (Same hotel or Auberge Marquis de Montcalm)
Quick cab ride from brewery district and easy Sunday morning checkout
See all Sherbrooke accommodation options →Ask the bartender at Korrigane for the secret back-door path that shortcuts to the river path in five minutes flat.
Day 2 Budget: $140
Practical Information
Everything you need to know before you go
Getting Around
Sherbrooke's compact core is best on foot; a single STM day-pass ($10) covers city buses and the Mont-Bellevue shuttle. Taxis from the brewery district back to Old North run under $12 and are plentiful after 9 p.m.m.
Book Ahead
Reserve hotel rooms during late September leaf season and book brewery tours online if visiting on a Saturday. Museum tickets can be bought same-day except for special exhibitions.
Packing Essentials
Layered clothing for mountain breeze and riverside humidity, reusable water bottle for the market, small backpack for beer-flight tokens, and a windbreaker for open-air brewery patios.
Total Budget
$280-320
Customize Your Trip
Adapt this itinerary to your travel style
Budget Version
Stay at Auberge de la Paix hostel ($40), picnic on baguette and fromage from Marché de la Gare, ride city buses instead of taxis, and choose pints over flights at breweries.
Luxury Upgrade
Check into Hôtel Manoir des Sables overlooking Lac Magog, reserve a chef's table at Auguste for foie-gras-topped poutine, and book a private guide for the Mont-Bellevue trail with gourmet summit brunch.
Family-Friendly
Swap breweries for the Sherbrooke Nature & Science Museum's interactive river exhibit, ride the Little Lake cycling loop (rental bikes have child seats), and finish with gelato at Tutto Gelato near the marina playground.
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