If there may be one place in North America that really seems like slightly slice of Europe, it’s Quebec City. French explorer Samuel De Champlain established the primary European settlement in Old Québec within the seventeenth Century and it has held onto its robust French traditions and heritage making it one of many finest locations to go to in Canada. From experiencing its French tradition to marveling at its historic structure, there are many issues to do in Quebec City to maintain you occupied for days.
Things to do in Québec City, Canada
Be it winter or summer season which are many issues to do in Quebec City to enchant and delight any journey lover. This metropolis is wealthy with historical past and tradition, journey, and enjoyable. We have taken many a visit to Quebec City relationship all the way in which again to our highschool French class journeys to later in life the place we might actually admire exploring the winding cobblestone streets of Old Québec to eating at stylish French cafes with nice wine.
From our previous experiences and assist from our group, we’ve put collectively concepts for one of the best issues to do in Quebec City that can assist you plan your journey.
Get acquainted with Quebec City on this Quebec City Tour. This 2-hour tour. takes you to the Plains of Abraham, ramparts, the Château Frontenac, Place Royale, and far more as you study of the historical past, and tradition of Quebec City. Easy cancellation inside 24 hours upfront of the tour.
1. Walk Around Old Québec
Once the capital of New France, Old Québec has 400 years of historical past sitting inside its metropolis partitions and is a must-see when visiting Quebec City. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Quebec is the one walled metropolis north of Mexico.
From medieval-style partitions that encircle the historic buildings to its charming European vibe, a go to to the primary everlasting French settlement in Canada is sort of a step again in time. Many of the historic points of interest in Quebec City sit inside these two areas and inform a narrative of not simply the town’s historical past but additionally Canadian historical past.
2. le château frontenac
Some say Château Frontenac is essentially the most photographed resort on this planet and for good cause. The big Fairmont Hotel Chateau Frontenac was constructed by the Canadian National Railway in 1893 to encourage luxurious journey on its trains and its design took inspiration from previous French castles. Le Château Frontenac sits contained in the partitions. City and overlooks the Saint Lawrence River.
The Château Frontenac has 18 flooring and 611 rooms in addition to an indoor pool and beautiful terrace. Although it has fashionable conveniences, old-world glamour might be discovered at each flip with interval items towards a mahogany backdrop. If you aren’t staying on the Chateau Frontenac, take a tour to stroll the partitions of Canada’s most historic resort. Learn of the well-known those who have graced its halls and study its historical past. More particulars right here.
4. Notre Dame de Québec basilica
First inbuilt 1647, the Notre Dame de Québec Basilica-Cathedral is considered one of Quebec City’s hottest landmarks. It’s historical past is lengthy and storied with it being destroyed and rebuilt twice within the 1700s and once more in 1922. In 1923 a crypt was added for its bishops, archbishops and cardinals.
This Basilica homes considered one of seven holy doorways in all the world and it’s the solely holy door exterior of Europe. The door was inaugurated on the time of its 350th anniversary. A Holy Door is saved sealed and solely opened throughout holy years. The subsequent opening is about for December 8, 2023.
5. Old City Walls and Fortifications
To get an up-close-and-personal have a look at the Historic buildings, go to the Fortifications de Quebec National Historic Site. The web site is made up of Dufferin Terrace, Dauphine Redoubt, Montmorency Park, and the Governor’s Garden. Vieux-Québec is without doubt one of the most historic locations in North America with a lot of its buildings relationship again to the seventeenth century. The fortifications are 4.6 kilometers (2.8 miles) in size and you may wander on the ramparts themselves.
From right here you get a view of the picturesque decrease city and the busy harbor beneath. The gates of the fortification are situated at St. Louis Gate, Kent Gate, and Saint John Gate. You can e-book a guided tour by Parks Canada that can allow you to enter locations that most people can’t see.
6. Dauphin Redoubt
If you need extra army historical past, head to the Dauphin Redoubt. The guided parks Canada tour stops right here at this heritage constructing for an insider’s have a look at army residing, you possibly can go to It is without doubt one of the oldest army buildings in North America relationship again to 1712. Inside you’ll get an opportunity to see how the troopers lived by touring by the constructing and visiting their quarters, chambers, kitchen, and mess corridor.
7. Notre Dame des Victoires
While strolling round Old Town, be certain to go to Notre-Dame-des-Victoires. This small Roman Catholic stone church was constructed in 1687 on the location of Champlain’s house. It was accomplished in 1723 and is without doubt one of the oldest stone church buildings in North America. It’s very picturesque and price popping into.
8. Plains of Abraham
When you go to Québec City, you need to additionally go to the Plains of Abraham Museum. It is the gateway to the historic vacation spot providing reveals from the Seige of Quebec from 1759-1760. After visiting the museum, go to Battlefields Park to see the Plains of Abraham. Located on the Saint Lawrence River, this space was the place The British Army and Royal Navy fought towards the French Army. The park itself spans 242 acres with strolling trails, monuments, a Martello Tower, and an on web site museum. This is a superb place to walk and study Quebec and Canada’s historical past.
Book this Old City Walking Tour – This two-hour grand strolling tour of Old Town to see all the high points of interest together with Notre Dame de Victoires Church, Place Royale, City Hall, Notre Dame Basilica and far more.
9. Musée nationwide des beaux-arts du Québec
Located within the Plains of Abraham, the Musée nationwide des beaux-arts du Québec is a posh that shows the historical past of Quebec artwork from the seventeenth century to modern-day. There are 4 pavilions to go to housing completely different collections from modern artwork, Inuit Art, design and ornamental arts.
10. Musée de la Civilisation
The Musée de la Civilisation sits within the previous city close to the St. Lawrence. It was established within the Sixties and hosts quite a few exhibitions devoted to the human situation. You can go to exhibitions devoted to the Maya in addition to Canada’s historical fishing heritage. A particular exhibition can be devoted to Canada’s indigenous cultures, which supplies a real glimpse of Canada’s pre-colonial instances. These exhibitions take you on a tour of historical customs and artwork that make up the material of what it means to be Canadian.
11. Observatoire de la Capitale
Are you on the lookout for one of the best view in Québec City? Observatoire de la Capitale is situated on the thirty first flooring of Marie-Guyart constructing. It presents panoramic views of all the metropolis, The St. Lawrence, Ile d’Orleans and the Plains of Abraham. It could solely be 31 tales excessive, however Quebec City is a UNESCO World heritage Site, so there are peak limits for buildings, making this the very best viewpoint within the City.
12. Funiculaire du Vieux-Québec
You can take the funicular system from close to the beautiful little plaza at Place Royale within the Lower Town all the way in which up the highest of Cap Diamant. Alternatively, you possibly can take the steps between the higher and decrease components. Today, Place Royale is a medieval-looking sq. that homes quite a few eating places and cafes. The funicular takes you up and down the cliff at a forty five diploma angle the place you possibly can journey to the higher stage to Dufferin Terrace to go to the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac
13. Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence River is a part of the material of Quebec City and is the gateway for importing and exporting of products into North America. The Saint Lawrence connects Lake Ontario to the Atlantic Ocean so that you’ll see every kind of boat site visitors on it in the course of the hotter months the place you possibly can take a sundown night cruise or hop on the ferry from Old Québec over to Levi.
If you need to go swimming or participate in some water sports activities, you possibly can head to Beauport Bay. The bay is simply minutes by automobile from the previous city. You can paddleboard, windsurf or simply laze round on the river if you would like. There are play areas for youths in addition to a biking path close by. (We’ve even been scuba diving within the St. Lawrence River.)
14. Take a Food Tour
You can’t go to Quebec City with out getting a style of scrumptious French Canadian meals. There is often no higher solution to get to know a metropolis’s tradition than by understanding its meals. If Quebec is thought for one factor, it’s bought to be for poutine. This quintessential Quebec deal with is fabricated from crispy french fries topped with gravy and cheese curds and you’ll find it everywhere in the metropolis. This Old Quebec City Food Tour allows you to pattern native cuisines at 5 completely different venues
Another well-known French Canadian dish is sugar pie. Tarte Au Sucre (Sugar pie) is a pie crust crammed with a mix of maple syrup, butter, and cream. Aux Anciens Canadiens in previous Québec City has a yummy model, however most self-respecting Quebec City variations may have an excellent one too. Head to Quartier Petit Champlain if you wish to style a few of Quebec’s finer fare.
15. Downtown Quebec City
Downtown Québec City is crammed with eating places, museums, markets, and retailers. Although there are not any absolute defining boundaries, you’ll uncover that the downtown of Quebec City sits partly in Old Town inside the partitions and partly exterior of it within the neighborhood of Saint Jean Baptiste.
First off, you’re going to utterly fall in love with the aesthetics because it’s a hilly space crammed with cute little homes in all colours of the rainbow. And proper smack dab in the midst of all of it is Québec City’s foremost buying avenue. Rue Saint-Jean.
16. Rue Saint-Jean
From beautiful sweets to bakeries and recent grocers, the road is crammed with customers all day. When the solar goes down, that is the place to be for dinner and drinks after. The space has high-end eating places the place you may get oysters on ice. Or in the event you’re on the lookout for one thing extra relaxed, you possibly can head to an area microbrewery. And in the event you’re on the lookout for Parisian vibes, you’ll discover many a restaurant for that on this space.
The official language of Quebec City is French, however you don’t want to talk French to go to Quebec City. You will be capable to get by with out it nevertheless, the Quebecois do admire you making an attempt, so not less than attempt to study some fundamentals. Old Quebec is split into The Upper Town and Lower Town (Haute Ville and Basse-Ville)
17. Quartier Petit Champlain
In Quartier Petit Champlain sits Rue Petit Champlain, which is the oldest industrial avenue in North America. On that avenue are a few of the area’s most interesting eating places and cafes. There you’ll be served French specialties like rabbit, duck, and lamb cooked within the conventional French means.
A good way to get an actual taste of French Canadian meals is by taking a strolling tour devoted to meals. These meals excursions will take you to distinct meals areas of Quebec City. Spending a day tasting craft brews, ice wine, fancy cheeses, locally-cured meats is certainly among the best issues to do in Quebec City. Read extra: Best Canadian Food to Try in Canada
18. Montmorency Falls
It’s 30 meters taller than Niagara Falls however will get lower than half the guests, Montmorency Falls is a little bit of an area secret. It sits just some minute’s drive exterior of Quebec City close to Beauport. They are a part of the Montmorency Falls Park system and you may entry them by way of steps from various entrances.
There can be a suspension bridge that will get you very near the falls and allows you to transfer from one facet of the park to the opposite. Although folks suppose it’s one falls, Montmorency Falls is definitely made up of three separate falls.
19. Île D’Orléans
A go to to Île D’Orleans takes you to a few of the most picturesque villages in Quebec. This massive island makes for an important day journey from Québec City the place you possibly can benefit from the rural panorama. Artisans have arrange store right here with loads of issues to see scattered all through the island. Visit a winery or microbrewery and luxuriate in nice French cheese or a cease at a chocolate manufacturing facility. Make positive to cease to soak up the view of the lavender fields of the Grand Jardins.
20. Basílica Sainte Anne de Beaupré
Located 20 minutes exterior the town centre is the historic pilgrimage web site of Basílica Sainte Anne de Beaupré. Millions of holiday makers arrive yearly to go to the shring oof Sainte Anne de Beaupré. Even in the event you aren’t visiting to see the shrine of the Grandmother of Jesus, it’s value visiting to see its stained glass home windows, mosaics and artistic endeavors.
This extremely rated tour takes you to Montmorency Falls, the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, and a tour of the Island of Orleans the place you’ll uncover rural Quebec with an skilled information that additionally contains stops at an artwork studio, chocolate store
Winter Trip to Quebec City
Some of one of the best issues to do in Quebec occur within the winter months. From tobogganing to Carnivale a go to to Quebec City is a visit you’ll always remember. So let’s look into a few of the finest issues to do in Quebec City when visiting in Winter.
21. Tobogganing
Tobogganing in Quebec is without doubt one of the high issues to do within the metropolis in Winter. Now, this isn’t your common tobogganing journey. This is tobogganing down Cap Diamant at as much as 70 kilometers an hour.
The picket toboggan slide was inbuilt 1894 on Dufferin Terrace. There are side-by-side tracks that make for some enjoyable competitors whilst you’re on the market. And you additionally get stunning views of the river.
22. Bonhomme Carnival Winter Carnival
It is the biggest winter carnival on this planet and brings in hundreds of holiday makers from around the globe yearly. That’s as a result of Quebec City is aware of the right way to actually rejoice the existence of ice and snow. There are a ton of issues to see and do on the carnival however among the best methods to begin off is to go to Bonhomme at his ice palace.
Bonhomme is the well-known seven-foot snowman that’s the mascot of the winter carnival and yearly an ice palace is constructed for him. Here you possibly can meet Bonhomme, tour the palace, and marvel on the element of the totally furnished ice construction.
Other issues to do embrace watching the canoe races on the frozen St. Lawrence and trying out the huge snow sculptures that sit across the metropolis. Every night time there’s a parade full with music, lights, floats, and enjoyable characters. The competition takes place in every single place in February.
23. Sample Maple Taffy
You would possibly need to comply with your winter enjoyable up by making your personal maple taffy. All you’ll want is snow and maple syrup to do it.
You can go to any one of many maple sugar shacks that pop up across the metropolis within the winter months to do that exercise. Other actions embrace snow rafting and snowboarding at one of many native ski resort areas just like the well-known Mont-Sainte-Anne. One of the opposite issues you possibly can solely get pleasure from within the winter in Quebec City is the Bonhomme Winter Carnival, which we’ll get into subsequent.
24. Ice Skating
Ice Skating is a ceremony of passage in Canada and everybody (okay I’m generalizing right here) however we wish to suppose that everybody can strap on a pair of skates and get on the ice. There are loads of ice skating rinks in Quebec City however there are some that make skating in Quebec extra enchanting than different locations in Canada.
Place D’Youville skating rink is situated in Old Quebec making you are feeling as if you’re skating in a Norman Rockwell portray with the ramparts of the town wall as its backdrop. The Plains of Abraham Skating rink allows you to skate with views of the St. Lawrence on this National Historic Site. There are loads of ice skating forested trails and indoor skating rinks.
25. Hotel De Glace – Ice Hotel
Most folks anticipate plenty of ice and snow once they go to Canada however they aren’t often anticipating ice resorts. If you go to Quebec City between January and March, you must anticipate to see (and possibly even keep) on the metropolis’s solely ice resort. The resort is fabricated from pure ice and snow and in flip, that implies that your room can be too.
Besides the suites of ice, there may be additionally a chapel of ice and slides fabricated from ice you may get infantile with. For slightly social hour whereas freezing in low temperatures you possibly can go to the Hotel de Glace ice bar and get some tremendous distinctive Canadian cocktails to thaw you out.
You don’t have to remain on the ice resort to expertise it, you should purchase a day move to go to. There are ice skating trails, an ice slide, and even a snow tubing package deal you possibly can add to your day journey.
26. Mont Saint Anne
If you like snowboarding or snowboarding, Mont Saint Anne is lower than an hour from Quebec City. We have snowboarded at Mont Saint Anne and it’s implausible. But be warned, it’s freezing. You’ll need goggles, face masks and good thermal layers to snowboard or ski right here. Located within the coronary heart of the Laurentians, Mont Saint Anne is Quebec City’s out of doors playground. Not solely is it fashionable within the winter, however it’s glorious for downhill mountain biking and mountaineering in the summertime.
27. Scandinavian Spa
You can go to Quebec’s spas any time of yr, however to get the Scandinavian spa expertise, you need to go to in winter. Inside you’ll be handled to eucalyptus-infused steam rooms, sweltering scorching saunas and you then’re anticipated to go exterior and soar into frigid chilly swimming pools. It positively sounds loopy, however you’ll discover spas like this in every single place in nations like Finland and Norway. It is believed they enhance circulation and assist your physique eliminate toxins.
You can e-book your entry ticket upfront to this picturesque spa overlooking the St. Lawrence River. Easy cancellation for full refund if booked inside 24 hours advance of expertise. Also, simple improve to the luxurious premium thermal expertise.
Tips for visiting Quebec in Winter
A winter go to to Quebec City requires some planning. Make positive to decorate in layers and heat boots. Don’t fear about vogue right here, everybody wears snow pants within the winter. And if you pack your boots, be certain to have thick soles to maintain your toes from freezing. We all the time use scorching photographs to maintain our toes and fingers heat as properly.
A parka is a superb thought to put on with a heat thermal layer beneath an insulating mid layer.
Mittens work higher than gloves at protecting your fingers heat and all the time put on a hat. A balaclava will maintain your face protected against the icy chilly. Read our full put up on 5 Winter Layering Tips to Dress for Extreme Cold Weather
Where to Stay in Old Québec
- Fairmont Chateau Frontenac – An iconic Canadian resort that could be a should go to when in Old Quebec. It is essentially the most recognizable metropolis in Quebec and considered one of Canada’s grandest historic resorts.
- Hotel du Vieux – This historic boutique resort is situated within the coronary heart of Old Quebec and is a favorite amongst guests to Quebec City. Check for Prices and Availability
- We have additionally stayed on the Hotel le Concorde overlooking Quebec City, the Plains, and the river. It was an important central location.
How to Get to Quebec City
The airport for Quebec City is the Jean Lesage International Airport situated 16 km from downtown Quebec. Airport Code YQB. There are direct flights from main Canadian and US Cities cities to Quebec.
You can take a taxi or bus to downtown. The Bus is operated by RTC Quebec.
We have taken the practice to Québec City and a good way to journey between Canadian cities. VIA Rail Canada has every day service between Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal, and Québec City.
And these are one of the best issues to do in Quebec City. Have you been to North America’s most European City? What did we miss and what ought to we do the following time we go to?
Read extra about Quebec and Canada Travel