In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Magog
Give Magog 2 nights: one full day on the lake and downtown, one for Mont-Orford or a vineyard loop. Skip it as a day trip from Montréal (1.5 h each way).
Magog sits at the north end of Lake Memphremagog, 1.5 h by car or bus from Montréal and about 35-45 min from Sherbrooke. It is a small lakeside resort town: a walkable main street, a wharf and beaches, Mont-Orford 15 min away, and vineyards along the Rivière aux Cerises. Two nights covers it; three if you ski or hike.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- Jun-Sep for the lake; late Sep-early Oct for fall colours; Jan-Mar for skiing
- Avoid
- Nov (grey, between seasons, some places closed); mid-Oct to Nov for lake activities
- Stay
- 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 · Info-Santé (24 h) 811
- 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 |
|---|---|
| Coffee | C$3-5 |
| Poutine | C$12-18 |
| Restaurant main course | C$22-35 |
| Craft beer at a brewpub | C$7-10 |
| Jet-ski rental, per hour | C$95 |
| Tourist train to Sherbrooke | C$75-125 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | C$15-30 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YUL · Montréal-Trudeau
- About 1 h 30 min by car via Autoroute 10; Limocar bus from Montréal stops in Magog (check current schedule).
- YSC · Sherbrooke (regional)
- Small field; most travellers use YUL or drive from Vermont.
Typical fares
- Limocar Montréal → Magog
- about C$35 one way, 1 h 30 min-1 h 45 min (check)
- Taxi downtown → Mont-Orford
- C$25-35 (check)
- Parking at the wharf
- free or low hourly rate in summer (check)
Get around
Downtown is walkable in 15-20 min end to end. For Mont-Orford, the beaches, the marsh and the vineyards you need a car or a taxi: there is no local bus network worth planning around. Cycling works on the Route Verte and the Chemin des Cantons scenic drive is the classic loop.
See and do
Known for
- Lake Memphremagog and the MacPherson wharf
- Mont-Orford national park and ski area
- Vineyards and cider along the Rivière aux Cerises
- Marais de la Rivière aux Cerises boardwalk
- Memphré, the lake's legendary creature
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sherbrooke | Autoroute 10 east, about 35-45 min by car; Limocar bus from Magog | About 45 min-1 h |
| Mont-Orford National Park | Chemin du Parc from exit 118, about 15 min by car | About 20-30 min |
| Granby and its zoo | Autoroute 10 west, about 45-55 min by car | About 1 h |
| Sutton | Route 112 east then north, about 40 min by car | About 45 min |
| Abbaye Saint-Benoît-du-Lac | Route 112 west, about 20 min by car | About 30 min |
| Lac-Mégantic | Route 112 east via Sherbrooke, about 1 h 45 min by car | About 2 h |
Sleep
- Downtown / rue Principale
- Walk to restaurants, the wharf and the lake path; best without a car.
- Merry Sud and Merry Nord
- Quiet streets of B&Bs and small inns, 5-10 min walk from the main street.
- Orford (chemin du Parc)
- Resorts and spas near Mont-Orford, 10-15 min drive from downtown; needs a car.
- Chemin de la Rivière aux Cerises
- Motels and country tables toward the marsh and vineyards; car needed.
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 table for two | Une table pour deux, s'il vous plaîtewn TABL poor DUH seel voo PLEH |
| Can I pay by card? | Puis-je payer par carte ?pweezh pay-YAY par KART |
| Where is the toilet? | Où sont les toilettes ?oo son lay twa-LET |
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
- Lake water is cold even in August; the supervised beaches are the safe option.
- Black flies and mosquitoes near the marsh in June and early July.
- Many kitchens close by 21:00 outside summer weekends.
- Winter driving on Route 112 and chemin du Parc: snow tires are required in Québec in winter.
- Prices rise sharply on summer weekends and during fall-colour weeks: book ahead.
Magog is a low-crime resort town; the real risks are cold lake water, unlit rural roads at night and winter driving. 911 for anything urgent.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Magog yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Lake Memphremagog and the MacPherson wharf
- Mont-Orford national park and ski area
- Vineyards and cider along the Rivière aux Cerises
- Marais de la Rivière aux Cerises boardwalk
- Memphré, the lake's legendary creature
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 Magog (official): www.ville.magog.qc.ca/
- Tourisme Eastern Townships: www.easterntownships.org/
- Parc national du Mont-Orford (Sépaq): www.sepaq.com/pq/mor/en/
- Limocar: limocar.ca/
- Wikivoyage: Magog, revision 5249684 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5249684
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Magog
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Magog; the US consulate general and most others are in Montréal. Canadian visitors: 911 and 811.
French is the everyday language; a bonjour before you ask anything goes a long way.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/magog). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.