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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 and snow cover runs November to AprilNov–Apr unless you want deep cold: January averages 1 °F 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)
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 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 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 to 650 rue de la PaixDrive Route 117 west about 16 mi 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 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 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.