A Landsby Spotlight On Québec City
Photo by Jean-François Frenette
With a city centre that feels like you’ve stepped into a European fairy tale, Québec City charms visitors all year long. Located along the shores of the St. Lawrence River, this provincial capital has a delicious farm-to-table food scene, attractions for all types of visitors — from families to couples seeking a romantic escape — and plenty of history. Visit once and you’ll be dreaming of returning in every season.
See Landsby’s Québec Experience for trips to this beautiful province.
Photo by Jean-François Hamelin
What to see and do in Québec City
Explore Old Québec
The beating heart of Québec City is the Old Town, the 400-year-old city centre and UNESCO World Heritage Site. The best way to experience the Old Town is to walk its cobblestone streets. You can sightsee on your own or take a guided walking tour where a local guide will make the history come to life. You’ll see the famous Château Frontenac towering over the skyline, stroll on the scenic Dufferin Terrace, walk along the fortifications (Québec City is the only walled city in North America, north of Mexico), and visit Petit-Champlain, one of the oldest shopping streets on the continent.
You’ll want to visit the Place Royale, the spot where Québec City was founded and the location of the Notre-Dame des Victoires Church, one of the oldest stone churches in North America. Be sure to save time for a stop at the Old Port, visit the Legislative Building and take a walk to the Plains of Abraham.
Get out on the water
There are two things you really should do in Québec City if time allows: explore the Old Town in the evening and see the city from the water. There are a few options for the later. You can take a sightseeing cruise along the St. Lawrence, hop aboard a brunch or dinner cruise or take the ferry (available year round) between Québec City and Levis on the opposite side of the river. Either option will give you unforgettable views of the Québec City skyline from the water.
Ice Hotel. Photo by Jean-François Hamelin
Go beyond the Old Town
Although most first-time visitors to Québec City will want to spend a majority of their time exploring the Old Town, there is so much more to the city than the historic centre. If time allows, explore some of the city’s other interesting neighbourhoods, such as Saint-Sauveur or Saint-Roch.
To experience a different side of Québec City, take a trip to Île d’Orléans. The island is located just 15 minutes from downtown and the picturesque countryside is full of boutiques, farms and artisans. Also worth a stop is Montmorency Falls. Just a few minutes out of downtown, this waterfall is higher than Niagara Falls and has many different activity options — from scenic strolling to heart-pumping zip-lining.
About 20 minutes north of the city, you’ll find the Village Vacaces Valcartier, which has the incredible Ice Hotel in the winter and family fun all year long — including an outdoor waterpark in summer months.
Our weekly 2022 Summer Spotlight series has short introductions to Canada’s 14 capital cities (10 provincial, 3 territorial and 1 national) and was created to inspire us Canadians to explore more of our own country. For more details on each province or territory, visit our Experiences page or search our Journal by location. Better yet, reach out to us! We’d love to tell you more about these great places and create travel itineraries for you to explore them.
