As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Quebec City has a reputation as the most European-like city in North America. From the French explorers who settled it to the Bonjour, Hello greetings to the food, Quebec and Québécois love to share their picturesque city. Spend a few days and explore the Old Quebec City from Le Chateau Frontenac to the St. Lawrence River. Here are the best things to do in Quebec City.
17 Best Things to Do in Quebec City
Walk through Le Château Frontenac
Visit the Saint Louis Forts and Chateaux
Stroll Dufferin Terrace
Tour the Citadelle of Quebec
See Plaines d’Abraham
Visit the Musée des Ursulines
Walk to the Ramparts of Quebec City
Browse the Artists Alley
Visit the Notre Dame Basilica Cathedral
See Le Musee du Fort
Take Old Quebec Funicular
Climb Breakneck Stairs
Stroll the Rue du Petit Champlain
Walk Through the Place Royale
Tour the Musée de la Civilisation
See the Royal Battery
Take a Riverboat Cruise
Is Quebec City Worth Visiting
Old Quebec is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it was founded by the French explorer Samuel Champlain in 1608. He explored the St. Lawrence River and continued to the Great Lakes region. Champlain governed New France (the Quebec province) until his death and was considered the Father of this area.
With its French history, culture and language, traveling to Quebec City feels like a European getaway. Old Quebec City is very pedestrian-friendly and offers lots of cafes for a quick bite. It is also a four-season destination, popular in the summer, fall, winter and spring.
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Walk Through Le Chateau Frontenac
Opening in 1893, La Chateau Frontenac was built by the Canadian Pacific Railroad to lure tourists to travel across Canada. Today, it’s managed by Fairmont Hotels and is a National Historic Site of Canada.
If you are planning a special getaway, stay at Le Château Frontenac, one of the most photographed hotels in the world. Perched on top of the hill in Old Quebec, it’s also a landmark that helps you orient yourself when walking around Old Town.
If staying elsewhere, at least walk through the lobby or take a daily guided tour. Le Château Frontenac features a gift shop selling logo items along with its signature tea and china.
As a treat, enjoy Saturday afternoon tea at the Château Frontenac. Served in the Champlain Restaurant, reservations are recommended.
Located t 1 Rue des Carrières.
Visit Saint-Louis Forts and Chateaux
I recommend you visit the Saint-Louis Forts and Chateaux National Historic Site to learn more about the early history of Quebec and Samuel Champlain. He established the fort and the Ramparts of Quebec starting in 1620.
Walk the remains of Château Saint Louis, including the lower court, the outbuildings and the culinary complex. The tour starts under Dufferin Terrace and follows the French colony fortifications and residences until it was conquered by the British in 1759.
Open seasonally from mid-May until mid-October from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Adult admission is $12 CAN and free for youth 17 and younger.
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Stroll Along Dufferin Terrace
Right outside le Chateau Frontenac, find the Dufferin Terrace, a wood terrace built in 1879. Lined with benches and gazebos, it starts at the Château and continues to the Citadel of Quebec, an active military installation.
You will see the statue of Samuel Champlain on the Dufferin Terrace. On busy days, find street performers in the shadow of the statue.
Enjoy Dufferin Terrace during the day with an ice cream cone for views of the St. Lawrence. Or stroll along at night to see the city lights reflect off the river.
To mark Quebec City’s UNESCO World Heritage designation, the UNESCO World Heritage Monument is located next to the statue of Champlain.
The Funicular station is on the Dufferin Terrace as During the winter, ride a toboggan run on the Dufferin Terrace for the Quebec Winter Carnival.
Tour The Citadelle of Quebec
The Citadel of Quebec is an active military installation and the official residence of the Canadian Monarch and the Governor General of Canada. Construction started in 1673, and it forms part of the Ramparts of Quebec City, adjacent to the Plaines d’Abraham.
The only Changing of the Guard ceremony in Quebec is at the Citadelle, a National Historic Site of Canada. At 10 a.m. every day during the summer, soldiers continue the tradition started in 1928.
Located at 1 Côte de la Citadelle. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Adult admission is $22 CAN, $11.00 CAN for kids 11 to 17 and kids 10 and under are free.
See the Plaines d’Abraham
As the site of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759, it was part of the French and Indian War. You can visit the museum or walk through the green space where Quebec plays, summer or winter.
Located at 835 Wilfred-Laurier Avenue, next to the Citadelle. Free to visit the green space. The museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Adult admission is $13.25 CAN, youth (13 to 17) are $11 and $5.50 for those 5 to 12.
Visit the Musée des Ursulines
Since 1639, the Ursuline nuns have educated the girls of Canada. The museum is filled with 30,000 artifacts from its 350-year history, including some fine examples of embroidery.
Located at 12 Donncona St. Open from Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from early September to mid-June Jund, then open day during the summer. Adult admission is $12 CAN, youth (13 to 17 ) are $10, with kids 12 and younger entering for free.
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Walk to the Ramparts of Quebec City
Quebec City is one of two remaining fortified walls in North America, and it surrounds Old Quebec. The other one is Mexico City.
The Ramparts of Quebec City features one of four surviving gates. The easier one to visit is the St. Louis Gate, originally built in 1694
Located at Rue Saint-Louis.
Browse Artists Alley
Walk down Rue du Trésor, or Artists Alley, to see local artists’ work along a pedestrian path. You will find traditional watercolors, photos and modern interpretations of local Quebec sites.
Located across from Place d’Armes. Open seasonal and every day during daylight hours. Free to browse.
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Visit the Notre Dame Basilica Cathedral
A walk through the Notre Dame Basilica Cathedral is a must for any trip. Since 1664, a Roman Catholic basilica has stood on this site.
This is the oldest parish outside of Mexico in North America. The cathedral has been destroyed by fire twice. In 2014, to celebrate its 350th year, Notre Dame installed and opened a Holy Door.
Notre Dame’s Holy Door is the first one outside of Europe, but it closed in December 2014 and will remain closed until 2025. Notre Dame is a National Historic Site of Canada.
Located at 16 Rue de Buade, it’s free and open from Monday to Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Explore Le Musee du Fort
The Musee du Fort offers a sound and light show depicting the battles of Quebec City. Visitors will find detailed dioramas with painted soldiers and ships along the St. Lawrence River.
Located at 10 Rue de Sainte-Anne. Closed in 2024 for renovation.
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Take the Old Quebec Funicular
Take a cable railway that links the Upper Town to the Lower Town. Opening in 1879, it offers an alternative to the Breakneck Stairs to Le Petit Champlain.
Open every day from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and admission is $5.00 CAN per person, one way.
Climb Breakneck Stairs
Walk down the L’Escalier du Casse Cou, or Breakneck Stairs, from the Upper Town of Old Quebec. At the bottom of the stairs is the next point of interest.
The Fresque du Petit-Champlain mural is near the Breakneck Stairs. It depicts life in the working-class waterfront neighborhood years ago. During our stay, we took the stairs down and the cable car back up.
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Stroll the Rue du Petit Champlain
As a pedestrian walkway, it’s the main thoroughfare in Old Quebec’s Lower Town. With quaint shops on both sides, a whole afternoon could be spent on Rue du Petit Champlain.
This area has coffee shops and souvenir shops. As a bonus, it’s picturesque during the seasons from spring to fall to winter.
Walk Through the Place Royale
Another picturesque area in Lower Town, the Place Royale, was the original marketplace when it was a colony of New France. Samuel Champlain founded the settlement there in 1608.
Across the square is the oldest stone church in North America, Notre Dame des Victoires Church, built in 1688. Walk down Place Royale’s Côte de la Montagne to see the Fresque des Québécois mural with 15 historic figures and close to a dozen of Quebec’s writers and artists.
Located at 2-4 Rue des Pains Bénits, Ville de Québec,
Tour the Musée de la Civilisation
Along the Saint Lawrence River., the Musee de la Civilisation is the place to learn about New France and the French Colony of the 1600s. It preserves the artifacts discovered in three archeological digs
Located at 85 Rue Dalhousie, Québec. Open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays to Sundays. Adult admission (35 to 64) is $26 CAN, $21 CAN for young adults (18 to 34), youth (12 to 17) are %9 CAN, kids (6 to 12) are $5.50 CAN and free for kids under 12.
See the Royal Battery
Located on the waterfront, I recommend you walk by the Royal Battery. It was a coastal battery that housed 10 cannons from 1691 until the British overtook it in 1759. Some of the cannons are still there.
Located 2 Rue Dalhousie. Open 24 hours a day. Free to enter
Take a Riverboat Cruise
Looking for a unique way to explore Old Quebec, then board AML Louis-Jolliet for a riverboat tour and buffet. The riverboat departs from the Chouinard Pier and cruises north on the St. Lawrence River.
Float past Montmorency Falls to the L’Ile d’Orleans Bridge before heading back. The St. Lawrence River is a major commercial shipping route for eastern Canada, though it is scenic enough for cruise ships as well.
Departs from the Chouinard Pier at 10 Dalhousie Street, Québec. Several departures a daily and brunch and dinner cruises. Adult pieces start at$49 CAN and reservations are recommended.
Foodie Must Haves in Quebec City
Take the opportunity to sample some local Canadian delicacies.
Beavertails–First served in Ottawa in 1978, sample fried dough pastry with a choice of toppings, like whipped cream, bananas or chocolate hazelnut.
Poutine–The national dish of Canada that originates from the 1950s. Starts with a dish of French fries covered in brown gravy and topped with cheese curds. It’s really a stick-to-your-bones winter dish.
Sugar Shack—Visit a cabane à sucre during the late winter or early spring for an authentic experience. Since 72% of the world’s maple syrup is made in Quebec, it’s a must. Sample maple taffy, pea soup, ham and pancakes, all covered in maple syrup.
Tim Horton’s–Canada’s version of Dunkin’ Donuts. I stop and grab a cup every single trip to Canada.
For more foodie must-haves, head just 30 minutes east of Quebec City to L’Ile d’Orleans.
Parle un peu de Français?
More so than modern Montreal, the Québécois speak French. You will hear Bonjour, Hello! to say hello and to determine your language of choice. But unlike the French, the Québécoislove to share their language, so if you speak a little bit of French, use it.
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