Top Oz Tours offers a great range of Quebec City tours and experiences. You can browse the options here.
Standing under the imposing portico of our hotel, the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City, you could well be forgiven for thinking you’d just stepped back in time to 17th century Europe.
The turrets and spires of the old city cast long shadows onto the lamp-lit cobbled streets. The wheels of a horse-drawn carriage rattle in the distance, and the silhouette of the chateau roofline looms large in the cloudy night sky.
Welcome to North America’s only walled city, well on par with the fortified medieval metropolises of Europe including York, Rothenberg, Dubrovnik, and Bruges. This is the very heartland of French-Canada. Quebec City is a perfectly preserved Francophile stronghold, where the oldest buildings date back to the 1600s and French is the fiercely protected first language.
Here’s a checklist of our top ten things to do in Quebec City on a first visit.
Watch our video of ten top things to do in Eastern Canada:
10 Great Things to Do on an EASTERN CANADA ROAD TRIP | Toronto to Quebec (with Niagara Falls)
Welcome to Top Oz Tours’ YouTube Channel! In this episode of our online travel series, we bring you ten amazing things to do on a road trip through Eastern Canada from Toronto in Ontario to Quebec City in the province of Quebec.
1. Explore Old Quebec
UNESCO World Heritage-listed old Quebec City is an utterly enchanting place. One of the best ways to explore is just to wander the labyrinth of winding streets and narrow laneways within the old city walls, stretching from the upper old town down to the bustling Old Port along the Saint Lawrence River. There are quaint bistros and cafes, artists’ garrets, postcard-perfect churchyards, and eclectic museums to enjoy.
Highlights within the old city include the promenade behind Le Chateau Frontenac, which offers stunning views across the Saint Lawrence River to the Île d’Orléans (it’s also here that you can take a short ride on the fabulous Old Quebec Funicular down to the Old Port), Rue du Trésor (also known as Artists Alley) — festooned with watercolours and sketches by local artists, the imposing Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec with its renowned Holy Door, and Fabric Hill — home to shopping boutiques and La Maison Simons — the department store that first opened here in 1870.
Down in the Old Port you’ll find another world of historic delights to enjoy. Place Royale is the birthplace of Quebec. Most of the buildings here are reconstructions, but they certainly look the part. The Old Port is also home to the excellent and extremely popular Musée de la Civilisation, which focusses on the Quebec region’s rich cultural and historic legacy.
2. See amazing art
Many visitors to Quebec City never venture outside the old city walls, which means that if you do you’ll instantly escape the crowds and find a piece of the city just for you. Exit the old city through the city wall gate on Rue Saint-Jean and continue up this strip on foot as it makes its way through the bohemian suburb of Saint-Jean-Baptiste. Voila! No crowds!
At the top of Rue Saint-Jean, turn right onto Grand Allee and head for the wonderful Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec. The fine arts museum has three buildings (one of which is an old prison), which house a fabulous collection of Quebecois art. The museum’s Pavilion Pierre Lassonde — built in 2016 — is architecturally stunning. Head up the spiral staircase to the upper floors and the terrace that offers views across the two additional pavilions and the Plaines d’Abraham parklands.
3. Tour Quebec Parliament
Once you’re done at the museum, turn right onto Grand Allee and continue straight on all the way back to the old city. You’ll come to the gorgeous Fontaine de Tourny and uber grand Hôtel du Parlement (Quebec Parliament). It was constructed in the late 1800s in the distinctive Second Empire architectural style. Book a free 60-minute guided tour through the National Assembly of Quebec website.
4. Feast on traditional Quebecois fare
With temperatures plummeting to minus 20 degrees in winter, traditional Quebecois fare is understandably hearty and definitely designed to warm the cockles. There are hundreds of restaurants in the old city to try, but one not to miss is Aux Anciennes Canadiens. Housed in the city’s oldest surviving residential building (dating back to 1675!), the restaurant is packed with memorabilia and continues to serve a traditional menu. The floors creak and the ceiling is low, but that’s part of the fun. Try the amazing game meat pie.
5. Dine with spectacular views
Celebrating something special during your visit? You can’t go wrong at the Ciel Bistro-Bar, which is located on the 28th floor of Hôtel le Concorde. This distinctive revolving restaurant is visible from all over the city, and offers stunning 360-degree views. It takes one and a half hours to go full circle, which is perfect timing as you sup on modern French-Canadian dishes prepared by a team of chefs working in the open kitchen. Leave room for the desserts; they are out of this world!
6. Do an Island of Orleans food tour
To experience where much of Quebec City’s fabulous cuisine originates, a day trip to the picturesque Île d’Orléans is a delicious experience. The island is located about five kilometres east of the city, and offers access to a plethora of gourmet food and wine producers. It’s essentially one giant market garden. The best way to see it is to book a tour or hire a car and set off to explore at your own pace.
A couple of the must-tries are Cassis Monna and Filles for black currants (make the in-house restaurant La Monaguette your lunch stop), and gorgeous vineyard Vignoble Sainte-Pétronille, which practices organic farming and performs most operations around the vineyard by hand. Les Fromages de l’isle d’Orléans at the eastern end of the island has revived the region’s traditional style of cheese making.
7. Shop at a market
Quebec City’s markets are superb at any time of the year, but its winter markets are absolutely enthralling. Mulled wine and roasted chestnuts are the order of the day as the snowflakes gently fall. You get the idea. There are generally two or three Christmas markets staged in and around Quebec City, including the German Market (held in the square in front of City Hall) and the Jacques Cartier regional Christmas market (which is situated within easy reach of the city).
To sample a fabulous range of locally produced foodstuffs (including, reputedly, some of the best poutine in town), head for Le Grand Marché de Québec in the city’s north-west. It operates year round, seven days a week.
For bargain hunters, Quebec’s largest flea market, Marché aux Puces Jean-Talon, is also an easy trip from the old city. It’s held indoors and operates seven days a week.
While not strictly speaking a market, Rue du Petit-Champlain is home to a number of small boutiques selling Quebecois handmade products. You’ll find it right at the bottom of the Funicular in the Old Port.
8. Try poutine
As food experiences go, one of the less auspicious ones you’re likely to come across in your travels through Canada is poutine: chips, gravy and cheese curd all mixed together in one gooey lump of goodness. However, as the country’s unofficial national dish (and one that originated in French-speaking Canada), it would be remiss to come all this way and not give it a try. Le Chic Shack in the Old Town is renowned for its poutine, along with artisanal burgers and sensational shakes.
9. Marvel at Montmorency Falls
When setting off to the Île d’Orléans, make a stop at spectacular Montmorency Falls en route. The drop is 30 metres higher than that of Niagara Falls down south. Take a gondola from the visitor’s centre up to the top of the falls, where you’ll find a reconstruction of the original Manoir Montmorency — a popular summer holiday spot for Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (father of Queen Victoria).
Further on is the church of Saint Anne de Beaupré, which has played host to a number of miraculous occurrences over the years. Whatever your beliefs, this neo-Roman style cathedral is spectacular and worth a visit.
10. Stay at the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac
Visible from all over Quebec City, and billed as the most photographed hotel in the world, the historic Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac dominates the old city skyline. At just over a century old, the hotel owes its heritage to the Canadian Pacific Railway, which built a string of these luxury properties across the country at the turn of the 20th century to promote domestic train travel and accommodate their passengers. The Chateau is named after the flamboyant French Governor, the Comte de Frontenac, who ruled New France (now modern-day Canada) from 1672 to 1698.
Step inside and you step back in time to a bygone era of charm and graceful elegance. The hotel has recently undergone a multimillion dollar restoration, which blends heritage touches with all the mod cons discerning travellers expect. There are 611 guest rooms and suites, many offering amazing views of the old city and Saint Lawrence River. The Junior Suites and Frontenac Suites offer plenty of extra space at 45sqm and 62sqm respectively.
The hotel has four in-house eateries. While the setting screams old world charm, Champlain Restaurant is very much about the present and offers a menu of nouveau Quebecois cuisine. After a full day of sightseeing the 1608 Wine and Cheese Bar is a superb spot to unwind over a cheeseboard and a selection from the mind-blowing wine list.
The writer travelled as a guest of Destination Canada.
For more travel inspiration, visit www.quebec-cite.com.
Browse our range of Canada tours and experiences here.
Do you have any suggestions to add to our list of the top things to do in Quebec City on a first visit? We would love to hear from you. Join the conversation on our Facebook page.
Additional images: Bigstock
About the writer
Adam Ford is editor of Top Oz Tours and Travel Ideas, and a travel TV presenter, writer, blogger, and photographer. He has travelled extensively through Europe, Asia, North America, Africa, and the Middle East. Adam worked as a travel consultant for a number of years with Flight Centre before taking up the opportunity to travel the world himself as host of the TV series Tour the World on Network Ten. He loves to experience everything a new destination has to offer and is equally at home in a five-star Palazzo in Pisa or a home-stay in Hanoi.
Travel essentials
You can book many aspects of your holiday on the Top Oz Tours & Travel Ideas website, including flights, hotels, car hire, travel insurance, and more. When you purchase a product or service using the following links from our partners, we receive a small commission. It does not affect the price you pay, and it enables us to continue to provide readers with amazing travel inspiration.
Flights
Compare airlines, flights, and fares in one place with Booking.com. They don’t charge any credit card fees and you can always see exactly what you’re paying for in the price breakdown. You can book one-way, round-trip, and multi-city flights, and change your travel dates with ease when you opt for a flexible ticket option (an additional cost applies). It all adds up to a great flight! Search for flights with Booking.com
Hotels
If you’re looking for a great deal on your next hotel or homestay, look no further than Booking.com. Their mission is to make travel affordable and accessible to more people, and to deliver seamless accommodation experiences that complement your holiday. Search for hotels and homestays with Booking.com
Car hire
Discover Cars is an award-winning (World Travel Awards) car rental comparison website, which helps customers find, compare, and hire cars at the most competitive prices globally. Search for hire cars with Discover Cars
Day tours & experiences
Search and book day tours, guided experiences, and attraction tickets and passes worldwide with Top Oz Tours and Viator. There are no booking or credit card fees when you book through us, and you’ll have access to the widest choice of activities and most competitive prices. Browse day tours and experiences
Multi-day tours & trips
Top Oz Tours has joined forced with Tour Radar to bring you a fabulous range of multi-day tours and trips from the world’s leading operators. Travel with like minded people and get the best possible price on the holiday of your dreams. Browse multi-day tours and trips
Travel insurance
World Nomads aims to be a part of every traveller’s journey by providing a reassuring range of travel insurance services. Benefits include coverage for emergency medical and evacuation or repatriation, lost baggage, trip cancellation, and more than 150 adventure activities. Get an insurance costing
