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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Val-d'Or
Give Val-d'Or 1–2 nights: one for Cité de l'Or and the Bourlamaque mining village, a second only if you add La Vérendrye or a Foreurs game.
Val-d'Or is a 32,000-person gold-rush town on Route 117 in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, about 1.5 h by bus from Rouyn-Noranda and 6.5–7.25 h from Montréal. The reason to stop is industrial history: the decommissioned Lamaque mine and the Bourlamaque village, both a national historic site. Everything else — the wildlife reserve, the gardens, the hockey — is a half-day add-on. Two nights covers it without rushing.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- Jun–Sep for the mine tour and gardens; Feb–Mar for snowmobile trails
- Avoid
- Nov–Apr unless you want deep cold: January averages −17 °C (1 °F) and snow cover runs November to AprilNov–Apr unless you want deep cold: January averages 1 °F (−17 °C) and snow cover runs November to April
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CAD
- Money
- Currency is the Canadian dollar (CAD, $). Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere.
- Daily spend
- Budget C$90–140 excl. bed · Mid C$150–230 excl. bed · High C$250+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Rogers, Bell and Telus plus cheaper brands (Fido, Koodo, Public Mobile); prepaid SIMs in malls and stores. Canadian data is expensive — an eSIM is often cheaper.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Taxi 24 +1 819-874-2424 · Taxibus Val-d'Or +1 819-824-7777
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Same as the US.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 15–20% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: CAD 1–2 per drink.; Taxi: 10–15%.; Housekeeping: CAD 3–5 a night.; Guide: 10–20% of the tour price.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable; treat water from lakes and streams (giardia).
- Toilets
- Free in malls, Tim Hortons, stations and park visitor centres.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Breakfast and brunch plate | C$13–16 |
| Thai or pub main | C$14–29 |
| Craft beer at the microbrewery | C$8–10 |
| Foreurs hockey ticket | C$17.50 adult / C$11.50 student / C$5.75 child |
| Museum entry | C$9 adult, C$23 family |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | C$20–40 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YVO · Aéroport régional de Val-d'Or
- Small regional strip; Air Creebec and Pascan Aviation, including flights from Montréal of about 1 h 15 min
Typical fares
- Autobus Maheux Val-d'Or → Rouyn-Noranda
- about 1.5 h (check the fare)
- Autobus Maheux Montréal → Val-d'Or
- 6.5–7.25 h, daily (check the fare)
- Taxi across town
- metered; ask the driver for an estimate (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The city is spread out and buses are thin: plan on a car, or use Taxi 24 and Taxibus Val-d'Or for short hops. Cité de l'Or and Bourlamaque are a few minutes east of downtown by car; the gardens at Lake Blouin are about 5 km (3.1 mi) out. Route 117 is the main spine and Route 113 comes in from Senneterre and Chibougamau.The city is spread out and buses are thin: plan on a car, or use Taxi 24 and Taxibus Val-d'Or for short hops. Cité de l'Or and Bourlamaque are a few minutes east of downtown by car; the gardens at Lake Blouin are about 3.1 mi (5 km) out. Route 117 is the main spine and Route 113 comes in from Senneterre and Chibougamau.
See and do
Known for
- Cité de l'Or and the Lamaque mine
- Bourlamaque mining village
- Réserve faunique La Vérendrye
- Val-d'Or Foreurs hockey
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Malartic (Mineralogical Museum and Canadian Malartic mine) | Drive Route 117 west about 25 km (16 mi) to 650 rue de la PaixDrive Route 117 west about 16 mi (25 km) to 650 rue de la Paix | About 30 min each way |
| Réserve faunique La Vérendrye | Drive Route 117 south toward Grand-Remous; most services at Le Domaine | 1–2 h to the useful parts |
| Rouyn-Noranda | Autobus Maheux from Val-d'Or, about 1.5 h; or drive Route 117 | About 1.5–2 h |
| Senneterre | Route 113 northeast, or Autobus Maheux on its two-days-a-week run, about 1 h | About 1 h |
Sleep
- 3e Avenue (downtown)
- Restaurants, the microbrewery and the Continental are all on this strip; walkable, and the mine site is a short drive east.
- Route 117 east / Chemin Sullivan
- Motels with parking and kitchenettes; only worth it if you arrive by car and leave early.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Mercimair-SEE |
| How much is it? | Combien ça coûte ?kom-BYEN sa KOOT |
| I would like a ticket | Je voudrais un billetzhuh voo-DREH un bee-YEH |
| Where is the mine tour? | Où est la visite de la mine ?oo eh la vee-ZEET duh la MEEN |
| Can I pay by card? | Puis-je payer par carte ?pweezh pay-YAY par KART |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; 'Bonjour' first in Québec; avoid: Assuming everyone speaks English
- Queues: Line up and wait your turn; avoid: Pushing in
- Apologising: 'Sorry' is politeness, not admission of fault; avoid: Loud confrontation
- Canada vs US: Treat Canada as its own country; avoid: Calling Canadians American
- Indigenous culture: Buy from Indigenous-owned businesses and ask before photos at ceremonies; avoid: Wearing headdresses as costume
Scams and watch-outs
- Winter is the real hazard: January mean −17 °C, about 18 days below −30 °C, and wind chill can push past −40 °C. Rent a car with a block heater and keep a blanket.
- Mine and museum tours run on set departures and can sell out in summer: reserve ahead, and 24 h ahead for winter weekends at the Malartic museum.
- Distances between towns here are long and cell coverage thins on Route 117: fill the tank before leaving.
Val-d'Or is a small regional city and street crime is low. The genuine risks are winter cold and driving: Route 117 is two-lane with long gaps between services, moose are on the road at dusk, and −30 °C (−22 °F) weather is not a walking day.Val-d'Or is a small regional city and street crime is low. The genuine risks are winter cold and driving: Route 117 is two-lane with long gaps between services, moose are on the road at dusk, and −22 °F (−30 °C) weather is not a walking day.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Val-d'Or yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Cité de l'Or and the Lamaque mine
- Bourlamaque mining village
- Réserve faunique La Vérendrye
- Val-d'Or Foreurs hockey
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Ville de Val-d'Or: www.ville.valdor.qc.ca/
- Val-d'Or tourism: tourismevaldor.com
- Autobus Maheux: autobusmaheux.com/
- Wikivoyage: Val-d'Or, revision 5328952 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5328952
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Val-d'Or
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Taxi 24+1 819-874-2424
- Taxibus Val-d'Or+1 819-824-7777
No embassies here; the US consulate general is in Montréal, and most countries keep embassies in Ottawa.
French is the everyday language; a bonjour before a question goes a long way.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/val-dor). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.