Located 3 hours northeast of Montreal along the Saint Lawrence River, the capital of Québec, Québec City is a quaint town with a distinctly old-world European feel. Easily accessible via air from the US or via car, train, or bus from Montreal, it is an ideal size for a weekend trip. If you have a few extra days, many sights in the region can be explored using Québec City as a home base.
Even though it is the center of French-speaking Canada, English is spoken everywhere. The cobblestone streets and historic architecture are reminiscent of Europe, however, most residents of the area consider themselves “Québecois” rather than French, with ties to French ancestors but with a distinctly local twist. I was reminded of this when staying in the Chateaux Frontenac, the centerpiece old-town hotel. I asked the concierge for a recommendation for dinner at a “French” restaurant, in perfect French. I was very proud of myself. I was quickly and sternly corrected. I was informed they did not have French restaurants in Québec City and was helped to a reservation at the lovely and historic Québecois Aux Anciens Canadiens instead.
It was the oldest restaurant in town, built in 1675, it featured low ceilings and carved wooden panels all over the walls. And the concierge was right, though delicious, the food was not remotely French. The number of tourists eating there can be off-putting, but I definitely recommend trying it. Try the maple pie, it is sticky and sweet like a pecan pie without pecans but with a lot of maple syrup. If you are interested in another Quebecois dish, try a tourtière, a traditional Canadian meat pie. I had one at La Buche and it was excellent.
Our First Visit in Winter
Québec City is a special place for my wife and I. It was one of the first places we visited after we got married and we have been back a few times since. We had time over her school’s Christmas break and decided to drive there from our home in New Jersey. It was, a long time ago. This is when the fearlessness and impetuousness of youth took over. We decided, to maximize our time there, and leave at midnight and arrive in the morning, rather than to get a good night’s sleep and waste a day driving. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
It was very soon apparent that this was a bad idea. We spent hours driving slowly through Vermont in the dark in a howling blizzard, unable to see anything past the reflected snow in the headlights. Mercifully, the storm passed at sunrise and we found a little place to get breakfast. I can’t remember exactly where it was, or the name, but I remember eating buckwheat pancakes with maple syrup and the quiet that only happens after a snowstorm.
Visiting Québec City in the middle of winter was challenging. It was very, very cold. The wind was howling and it forced us into a shop or restaurant every few minutes to escape it. The sidewalks and boardwalk were clear of snow, but all around was an accumulation of a few feet. The St. Lawrence was frozen. We woke up the first morning and noticed ice had formed on the inside of the windows of our hotel room. This first trip occurred nearly 35 years ago. A warming climate may have made Québec City’s winter more manageable, but all of our trips since have occurred in summer.
Old Town
Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Old Town is the city’s heart. Since the 1600s, with its strategic view above the river, the city has been the focus of battles for control between the French and English. Many 400-year-old city walls, fortifications, and buildings remain intact today. It is small enough to be explored on foot in a day.
The Old Town neighborhood is within the historic old city walls. The gates at Porte Saint-Louis and Porte Saint-Jean are among the best-preserved parts and can be walked on. This area contains many restaurants and shops and is the most crowded with tourists. It is roughly divided into two parts, Upper and Lower. Taken together, they are the primary tourist destination of the city. The upper town is relatively newer, with most buildings from the 19th century, and a few examples from the 18th and 17th. It is where the historic forts were located, and contains many present-day shops and restaurants.
Though it will be crowded, especially during summer, it is well worth a walk through the streets of the upper town. Take turns down quiet-looking side streets and you will find the old homes with flower boxes.
The Lower, more historic, charming part of town is known as Petit-Champlain. It is connected to the upper town by a funicular and a set of staircases called “The breakneck steps”. Either way, the journey is short. This section of town dates back to the city’s 17th-century beginnings. This is the part of town that reminds people of old European villages, with narrow cobbled streets. In summer there is abundant outdoor seating at restaurants. It was an ideal spot for dinner and watching people walk by. The main (pedestrian) street is Petit-Champlain Street which runs through the center and is old and pretty. Petit-Champlain is the street in all the Québec city pictures, and for good reason. There is also the obligatory church, Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church, which is worth a look inside, as well as Place Royal.
Château Frontenac
The most prominent architectural feature in town, it is impossible to miss. If you are not staying there but want some of the experience, book a reservation at one of the hotel’s restaurants, or even better go for a drink at Bar 1608 and enjoy the view.
Dufferin Terrace
High above the water, in front of the Chateau Frontenac is the Dufferin Terrace. It is a wide promenade that runs along the river and affords views of Île d’Orléans in the distance. It is a focal point of the city and in summer is busy with street performers who attract large crowds. It is a great place for a walk, especially at sunset. Underneath the terrace, the Saint-Louis Forts and Châteaux National Historic Site contains the remains of the old fort and chateau and can be visited from May through October.
At the far end, away from town, past the toboggan slide, we walked further along the Promenade des Gouverneurs. There is a great photo opportunity and view of the city and chateau along the way at Pierre-Dugua-De Mons Terrace. From there, we continued to the Citadelle.
The Citadelle
The Citadelle is a large, star-shaped stone fort that occupies high ground above the St. Lawrence and is adjacent to Old Town. The area has long housed a fort, but the current version was built between 1820 and 1850. It remains an active military installation today. The guided tour was the only way to enter the Citadelle and we enjoyed it thoroughly. There was an interesting military museum and the views from the walls, of the city and across the river were worth the price of admission. After the Citadelle, we continued to The Plains of Abraham.
The Plains of Abraham
A national historic park, the site of a battle between the French and British, the Plains of Abraham is a large city park that runs along the river. It is a good place to get away if you need a break from the crowds in Old Town. Be sure to see the flowers in the adjacent Joan of Arc Garden. There are two nearby museums, The Plains of Abraham Museum which contains much of the military history of the area, and is probably overkill if you have already toured the Citadelle, and the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec. The Musée National is the largest art museum in Quebec City, featuring many collections of Canadian and other artists.
The Grand Allée to the Parliament Building
After the park, we walked back to town on the Grand Allée. This is outside the old walls and a more recent, modern part of the city. Closer to the old town there were many outdoor restaurants and we enjoyed dinner and a beer or two in one of them after our long walk. Continuing on we passed the Parliament Building. Home to the provincial government, it is a large stately building, there is a free guided tour if you want to go inside. We stayed outdoors and walked the grounds, which featured a large working vegetable garden used by the building’s restaurant.
Where We Stayed
For a central location in Old Town, the Château Frontenac is ideal. The hotel was opened in 1893, which makes it considerably younger than many of the buildings around it. It is the most identifiable landmark in the city and it occupies a towering view over the old town and the river below. There are also many smaller hotels within the walls of the old city. We stayed in one on our first visit and it was convenient to everything.
There are many neighborhoods in Québec City, we stayed in a very pleasant Airbnb in the Saint Roch neighborhood that was close enough to reach Old Town in a short walk. The neighborhood itself was more residential and had less of a tourist feel. It is home to Épicerie J.A. Moisan, a food market that has been open since 1871 and is worth checking out for its wide selection of local food products. Also nearby was the excellent bakery Le Croquembouche.
Even if you are staying outside the city proper, driving and parking near Old Town is not challenging, owing to the modest size of the city. On a recent trip, we stayed in the nearby suburb of Sainte Foy which features a nice public market from May through October. On our way out of town to the Gaspé peninsula, we stopped to buy food for a roadside picnic later in the day.
Beyond The City: Day Trips
I think two days at most are needed to see Quebec City. If you have longer, there are a variety of places and sights to see within a reasonable day trip distance.
Île d’Orléans
Île d’Orléans is an island in the St. Lawrence River located within sight of Old Town and is reachable via a short drive, and a car is needed to get around it. It is known as the bread basket of Québec City, comprised largely of farms and vineyards and produces much of the food consumed in the city.
We spent a great day trip there stopping at the many farm stands, bakeries, and vineyards and sampling their goods.
We started in the morning and drove the perimeter of the island, stopping spontaneously and often. Highlights were Vignoble Ste Pétronille, the Horatio Walker Promenade, the Saint Laurent Maritime Museum, poutine for lunch at Resto de la Plage, and a bakery stop at La Midinette. We also stopped at a few farm stands for fresh strawberries. Les Fromages de l’isle d’Orléans for cheese, another vineyard stop at Le Vignoble du Mitan, then finally the last stop on our counter-clockwise loop, and easily the best, Cassis Monna et Filles for cassis ice cream and wine, port and cassis tasting. Bring a bottle or two home, they do not ship.
Chute Montmorency
On the way back to Quebec City after Île d’Orléans, we stopped at Chute Montmorency waterfall but the cable car to the top was closed due to the late hour, though one could still take the staircase to the top of the falls. If seeing the Chute is important I suggest purchasing a pass in advance, as it is a Sepaq park and they sell out during busy times of year.
Whale Watching
Within a short car or bus ride from the city, whale-watching excursions depart from the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park. We opted for a tour that included bus transportation, but in hindsight, it would have been more enjoyable to drive. This would have allowed flexibility to stop at our leisure at the many villages and viewpoints along the river. We chose the large boat over the smaller zodiac, and within only a few minutes of heading out into the wide river, we had stopped among a large group of whales. While none were too close to the boat, they were so numerous that after about an hour, the sight had normalized for most such that their attention was back on their phones.
The Gaspé Peninsula: Not a Day Trip, But a Trip of Its Own
The region to the northeast of the city, south of the St. Lawrence, is the Gaspé Peninsula. This is a large and sparsely populated part of Québec relative to Montreal and Québec City, its coast is lined with small villages. Large national parks occupy much of its interior. The Gaspé Peninsula is a destination we visited a few years ago, and we loved the combination of nature and small towns. For all the details of our Gaspé road trip, have a look at my itinerary.
I hope that my insights and experiences help guide and inform your own trip to Quebec City!