A plan for Québec

Quebec City is referred to as the "national capital in the province". Much of the business here is of the administrative and bureaucratic nature, which would normally make a city quite dull. Fortunately, the city has a remarkable history, as the fortress capital of New France since the 16th century. Although the town's day-to-day life leaves things a little yawny at times, the vibrant historical centre makes for an incredible visit.

Quebec was first settled by Europeans in 1608 in an "Habitation" led by Samuel de Champlain, and celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2008. The generally accepted dates of Champlain's arrival in the city, July 3rd and 4th, were marked with major celebrations. The area was also inhabited by Native peoples for many centuries before the arrival of the Europeans, and their ongoing presence has been notable since then.

When it was founded by the French to make a claim in the New World, the name Quebec referred to just the city. It is an Aboriginal word for "where the river narrows" as the St. Lawrence River dramatically closes in just east of the city. It rests on 65-m-high (200-foot) cliffs with stunning views of the surrounding Laurentian Mountains and the St. Lawrence River. Under French rule from 1608 to 1759, the major industries were the fur and lumber trades. The French lost the city and the whole colony of New France to the British in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759. Much of the French nobility returned to France, and the British assumed rule over the remaining French population. The rulers of the colony allowed the French to retain their language and religion, leaving much of the culture intact. In the 1840s, there was an influx of Irish immigrants during the Potato Famine. Due to cholera and typhus outbreaks, ships were quarantined at Grosse Isle to the east of the city past l'Île d'Orléans. The bodies of those who perished on the journey and while in quarantine are buried there.

Quebec City's main sight is the Old Town, the upper part of which is surrounded by a stone wall built by both French and British armies. It is now a tourist district with many small boutiques and hundreds of historical and photographic points of interest. Some of the buildings are original structures, while others are built in the same style and architecture as former buildings.

Fortifications

Quebec is one of two cities in North America with a completely preserved fortification system. (The other is Campeche, Mexico.) The system of fortifications was built by the French and British between 1608 and 1871. It has a length of 4.6 km, four gates, a citadel and three Martello towers and almost entirely surrounds Haute-Ville.

1 The Citadel (La Citadelle). 10:00-17:30. This fortification at the juncture of the Old City wall and Grande Allée is still used as an active military base by the Royal 22e Régiment of the Canadian Army, which has long been known for the irony of being exclusively French-speaking despite having ceremonial uniforms that are clearly British in origin. Also serves as the official residence of King Charles III and the Governor-General of Canada when they visit Quebec City. $22 adult, $20 concession, $8 youth, children free. (updated May 2026)

2 Porte Saint Louis (Rue St. Louis at Côte de la Citadelle). The oldest of the gates to the city, standing at the western end of the street with the same name. It was first built in 1693, then left to ruin, but was restored and strengthened after the War of 1812. It got its current outlook in 1880. (updated Sep 2018)

3 Porte Saint-Jean, rue Dauphine. Leading to the west, also this gate to the city has been rebuilt several times, the current version is from 1939-40. (updated Sep 2018)

Horse-drawn carriages. A one-hour tour of the Old City.

Quebec-Lévis ferry. From Basse-Ville (Rue des Traversiers), you can take this car ferry to Lévis and enjoy the great view of Old Quebec and Chateau Frontenac en route. The crossing takes 15 minutes and there are departures up to every 20 minutes. As of 2019, pedestrians pay $3.65, with discounts for children and seniors; cars with driver pay $8.65. In Lévis, close to the harbor on Rue Saint-Laurent there are some cafés and restaurants, and Avenue Bégin (a 10 minutes uphill walk away) is the gastronomical main street of the town. Closer by, on Rue William Trembley, there's the Terrasse de Lévis which offers a gorgeous view of the river.

AML Cruises on the St-Lawrence river. Offers three-hour cruises leaving from the docks nearby the ferry. One of the cruises leaves as the sun is setting and comes back when the sun is down for a stunning view of Quebec city by night.

Québec is a great city for going out to dance traditional and nuevo-Argentinian Tango. You can find out about classes, practicas, milongas and events at the local association Tango Quebec or at L'Avenue Tango.

Train de Charlevoix, ☏ +1 418-240-4124, info@reseaucharlevoix.com. Tourist train offering service to La Malbaie and Baie-Saint-Paul. (updated Nov 2023)

Sports and walks

1 Promenade des Gouverneurs. Scenic walk starting at the top of the Funiculare, continuing along the wall over looking the old city. The many staircases lead to overlooks offering scenic views of the St. Lawrence. The walk ends at the gazebo on the Plains of Abraham. At the southern end there's free parking with space for 50 cars.

2 Dufferin Terrace (Terrasse Dufferin). Boardwalk along (east of) the Chateau Frontenac. Offers a grand view of the St. Lawrence River, running from the statue of Champlain/the top of the Funiculare to the bottom steps of the Governors' Walk, with covered gazebos protruding out for even better views of Lower Town along the way.

Winter activities

Ice slide at Terrasse Dufferin. During the winter you can slide down an ice slide on a toboggan, quite fast and great view. Buy the tickets from the café at the end of the slide. $2.50 per person.

All restaurants in the Old City post menus out front in French and English. Look for the table d'hote specials for a full-course fixed price meal. On the cheaper (but very satisfying) side, have a traditional tourtière québecoise (meat pie), or a poutine (fries, gravy, and cheese curds).

The café culture is very much a part of Quebec City as in most of Europe. It should be very easy to find a quaint cafe around Marché Champlain, and around the Chateau Frontenac. Food is fairly expensive in Quebec, and even a simpler café or bar may be costly.

Most Quebec City delicatessens and markets offer a large variety of Quebec cheese from farms in the surrounding countryside. Specialties of the region include brie or camembert style cheeses made with raw milk (lait cru), which endows the cheese with superior flavours and textures not usually found in North American cheeses of the same type.

Budget

Multiple locations

Chez Ashton. Local fast-food chain with about 20 restaurants in and around the city. Loved by the locals for their cheap but delicious poutines. They also have burgers, hot dogs and assiettes (plates) with burgers, roastbeef and salad. (updated Jun 2022)

Old Quebec

1 Casse-Crêpe Breton, 1136 rue Saint-Jean, ☏ +1 418-692-0438. 08:00-18:00. Inexpensive crepes, starting at about $5 (Dec 2018). There is usually a long line to enter because the restaurant is rather small. Come early. (updated Jun 2022)

2 Cafe-Boulangerie Paillard, 1097 rue Saint-Jean, ☏ +1 418-692-1221. 07:30-19:00. Good selection of Viennese pastries and gelato. Locals line up to buy inexpensive soups, sandwiches, and pizza. (updated Jun 2022)

3 Carthage Express, 20 Côte du Palais. Amazing, fresh authentic food from Northern Africa (Maghreb region). The owner has such great hospitality and makes you feel right at home. Their potatoes are top notch and seasoned just right, and their falafel pitas are delicious. Amazing shish taouk. (updated Jun 2022)

4 L'Antiquaire Buffet, 95 Rue Saint-Paul. Small neighbourhood style restaurant delicious and well representative of the Canadian culture. It is a beautiful place and the terrace is charming. Well-chosen place, beautiful decoration. (updated Jun 2022)

There is a place for nearly every visitor, from the wild nightlife to the cozy corner. Drinking age is 18 though enforcement is hazy.

Quality wine and liquor can only be purchased at SAQ shops, most of which are open Su-W until 18:00, and F Sa 08:00-21:00 on weekends; the smaller SAQ Express outlets are open daily from 11:00 to 22:00, but the selection is restricted to the SAQ's most popular items. Beer and a small selection of lower-quality wine are also sold at convenience stores (dépanneurs) and grocery stores (not what you would usually bring to a dinner party but sometimes drinkable-—it has been imported in bulk and bottled and sometimes blended in Quebec and known as "piquette" by the locals). All retail alcohol sales stop at 23:00 and bars and clubs stop serving at 03:00.

There is only one SAQ within the walls of the old city, a SAQ "Sélection" inside the Château Frontenac. It has high-end wines and liquors, a small selection of other liquors and no beer. A SAQ "Classique" with better (though still small) selection is just outside of the walls on Rue St-Jean on the south side of the street.

During the frigid Carnaval, a local specialty known as caribou is available to warm you up (did you know that those canes they sell are hollow?). Though the mixture varies with what is available, it tends to be port or red wine with a hodge-podge of liquors, normally vodka, brandy and perhaps even some sherry.

The Grande Allée has most of the city's clubs & youth-oriented bars and spots:

1 Le Dagobert, 600 Grande-Alle Est, ☏ +1 418-522-0393. One of Québec's biggest clubs and over 25 years old, with shows by local and international musicians. With its heart-stopping techno and enormous outdoor disco ball, you cannot miss it. Crowd tends to be young. One of the few venues that consistently asks for identification for age verification. Free admission.

2 L'Ozone, 570 Grande-Allée Est, ☏ +1 418-529-7932, info@pubozone.com. Offers great music and atmosphere. ~$5/pint.

3 Les Voutes de Napoléon, 680 Grande Allée Est, ☏ +1 418-640-9388. Great chansonnier bar in the vaults of a restaurant. Live music everyday. Gets packed on weekend especially Saturday night. Festive atmosphere.

On foot

Walking is a great way to get around the Old Town, as the compact layout makes distances short. You will see beautiful old buildings and little vistas around every corner. You will get exercise. Do be careful of uneven cobblestones and narrow streets, though.

Côte de la Montagne is a steep, winding street that connects Upper Town and Lower Town. If you get tired, use the Funiculaire to go between the upper and lower parts of the Old Town. $5 per person (Apr 2024) will get you from near the base of the Breakneck Stairs (l'Escalier Casse-Cou) back up to the front of the Chateau Frontenac. It is well worth it if you have small children or large packages.

Many intersections are set up with separate traffic signals and cycles for cars and for pedestrians. At one point in the cycle, all traffic lights turn red and all pedestrian signals turn white, meaning that you can cross the intersection in any direction. Yet when the traffic light is green and the pedestrian signal is red, you may find cars turning in front of you. Some intersections have a pedestrian button to activate the signals, and you will never get a pedestrian cycle unless you push that button.

By bike

The bicycle network of Quebec City has been growing slowly but steadily for the last decade. Although small compared to the extensive utilitarian network of Montreal, it now offers a few recreational bike paths called Corridors with complete bidirectional and segregated bike lanes beginning downtown and ending in the countryside, generally giving splendid views of the area on the way. Most of them are part of the Route Verte system of provincial bike paths.

Corridor des Cheminots is a peaceful trail that runs from the Old Port to Val-Bélair, which continues on to the Jacques-Cartier park area. It can be a challenge because of its long uphill slope, and is a breeze on the way back.

The eastern section of Corridor du Littoral leads to Chutes Montmorency. This one-hour route (2 hours both ways) runs along the St. Lawrence River, hidden by the Dufferin Expressway. By crossing under the expressway, you can make brief stops at the Baie de Beauport recreational park and the Battures de Beauport vista point for restrooms and views on the river. Keep some of your strength for the stairs up at Chutes Montmorency: the view is well worth it.

As with the rest of Canada, the emergency number in Quebec City is 9-1-1.

Although crime in Quebec City is rare, it is always best to take the usual precautions, including safeguarding your possessions. Traveling in the city during the day is safe, but be more cautious at night, as there may be drunk bar patrons and those who prey on people unfamiliar with where they are.