Canada
Quebec City
North America's only walled city north of Mexico: French-speaking, four centuries old, and crowned by the Chateau Frontenac on its cliff above the St. Lawrence.
Quebec City is the only walled city north of Mexico, founded by Samuel de Champlain in 1608 on a cliff above a narrowing of the St. Lawrence. Its old town, a World Heritage site, splits into an Upper Town of ramparts, convents and the turreted Chateau Frontenac, and a Lower Town of stone houses along the river. French is the language of the street, the food runs from tourtiere to maple taffy on snow, and winters are long, cold and celebrated rather than endured.
Suggested stay
2–4 days
Language
English, French
Currency
CAD
Timezone
UTC-4
Why you'll love Quebec City
The walls Nearly five kilometres of ramparts and gates still ring the Upper Town, and you can walk much of the circuit on top of them
Upper and Lower Town Stairways and a funicular drop from the Chateau Frontenac and Dufferin Terrace to the narrow stone lanes of Petit-Champlain by the river
French North America The oldest French-speaking city on the continent, where the language, the churches and the cooking all run back to New France
Winter done properly Snow on the ramparts, skating, toboggan runs and a famous Winter Carnival make the cold season a reason to come, not a reason to stay away
Best time to visit
May
17-17° days
46.814° N, 71.208° W
UTC-4 · America/Toronto
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Weather & when to go to Quebec City
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best May
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Quebec City
November to March is properly cold, with deep snow and bitter wind off the river, and November and early spring are grey, slushy and short on reasons to come. Late winter is still when the Winter Carnival fills the old town, so dress for it and go anyway. Summer weekends crowd the old town, and autumn colour peaks around late September and early October.
Top things to do in Quebec City
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Chateau Frontenac and Dufferin Terrace - the city's signature view
history scenic 👍 PopularThe copper-roofed railway hotel, opened in 1893, towers over the cliff edge and is said to be the most photographed hotel in the world. The boardwalk of Dufferin Terrace runs along its foot, high above the river, with views across to Levis and down to the Lower Town. In winter a steep toboggan run slides down the terrace.
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Petit-Champlain and Place Royale - the Lower Town
history culture arts 👍 PopularTake the Breakneck Stairs or the funicular down to the Lower Town, where Champlain first built. Petit-Champlain is a narrow lane of craft shops and bistros under the cliff, and Place Royale, a small square of steep-roofed stone houses, is framed by Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, one of the oldest stone churches in North America.
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La Citadelle - the star fort on Cap Diamant
history ⭐ Highly recommendedThe star-shaped fortress on the highest point of the cliff was built by the British in the early 19th century and is still an active base, home of the Royal 22nd Regiment. Guided tours cover the ramparts and the regimental museum, and in summer the changing of the guard is held in full ceremonial dress.
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The fortifications - walk the city walls
history scenic ⭐ Highly recommendedQuebec's ramparts, with gates such as Porte Saint-Louis and Porte Saint-Jean, circle the Upper Town. Much of the circuit can be walked along the top of the walls, a free and easy way to see the old town, its convents and the river from above.
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Plains of Abraham - the battlefield park
history nature wildlife 👍 PopularWhere British and French armies met in 1759 in a battle that decided the fate of New France is now Battlefields Park, a huge green space above the river used for picnics and concerts in summer and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in winter. An interpretation centre tells the story of the battle.
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Musee de la civilisation - Quebec's story
culture arts historyIn the Lower Town near the Old Port, this modern museum built around older stone houses covers the history and society of Quebec and the First Nations of the province, with changing exhibitions that make it a strong rainy-day choice.
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Musee national des beaux-arts du Quebec - art on the Plains
culture artsSet in Battlefields Park, the national fine arts museum holds the major collection of Quebec art, from church silverwork and early painting to Jean-Paul Riopelle, with a striking glass pavilion and part of the collection housed in a former prison.
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Tourtiere, poutine and maple - eating in Quebec City
foodQuebecois food is hearty cold-country cooking: tourtiere meat pie, pea soup, baked beans and pouding chomeur, alongside poutine and plenty of maple syrup. In winter and at the sugar shacks in spring, hot syrup is poured onto snow and rolled onto a stick as maple taffy. French-style bistros fill the Upper Town and Saint-Roch.
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Winter Carnival - the old town in the cold season
culture artsThe Carnaval de Quebec, one of the largest winter festivals in the world, takes over the city in late winter with an ice palace, night parades, snow sculptures and a canoe race across the icy St. Lawrence, all presided over by Bonhomme, the carnival's snowman mascot.
Best areas to stay in Quebec City
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
Upper Town (Old Quebec)
First-time visitors $$$Walled old town of convents and ramparts
Explore hotels in Upper Town (Old Quebec) →
Lower Town and Old Port
Couples $$$Stone lanes and boutique hotels by the river
Explore hotels in Lower Town and Old Port →
Saint-Jean-Baptiste
Local feel $$Hilly residential streets of cafes and bars
Explore hotels in Saint-Jean-Baptiste →
Saint-Roch
Food and nightlife $$Revived lower district of restaurants and bars
Explore hotels in Saint-Roch →
Montcalm and Grande Allee
Families $$Leafy avenues beside the Plains
Explore hotels in Montcalm and Grande Allee →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Quebec City
Getting to & around Quebec City
Getting there
Fly into Quebec City Jean Lesage International (YQB) west of the city, or take the train or coach from Montreal to the Gare du Palais
Flight
Quebec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB)
The airport lies west of the city in Sainte-Foy, around 20-30 minutes by taxi or ride-hailing to the old town, or longer by city bus. Many international travellers connect through Montreal or Toronto.
Train
Gare du Palais
VIA Rail trains from Montreal take around 3-3.5 hours to the grand chateau-style station at the foot of the old town
Coach
Gare du Palais bus terminal
Frequent intercity coaches run from Montreal and other Quebec towns to the terminal beside the train station
Cruise
Old Port
St. Lawrence cruise ships dock at the Old Port, mostly in summer and autumn, right below the old town
Getting around
Walking
The old town is compact and best on foot, but steep: stairways link the Upper and Lower Towns, and winter pavements get icy
Free
Funicular
A short cliffside ride between Dufferin Terrace and the Petit-Champlain quarter, saving the climb
TBC
Bus
The RTC network, including frequent Metrobus lines, links the old town with Saint-Roch, Sainte-Foy and the suburbs
TBC
Ferry
The short Quebec-Levis ferry crosses the St. Lawrence year-round and gives the best view of the old town from the water
TBC
Car
Not needed in town, but the easiest way to reach Ile d'Orleans, Charlevoix and the parks
TBC
Day trips from Quebec City
Montmorency Falls
Half dayCliff waterfall
The Montmorency River drops 83 metres into the St. Lawrence, higher than Niagara. A cable car, a suspension bridge over the brink and a long stairway down the cliff give different angles, and in winter the spray builds a huge cone of ice at the base.
Getting there
car | bus
About 15-20 minutes by car or city bus east along the river
Ile d'Orleans
Half dayFarm island
A rural island in the river just downstream of the city, ringed by old parishes, stone churches and farms selling strawberries, apple cider, cheese and maple products. Drive or cycle the loop road, best from summer into the autumn harvest.
Getting there
car | tour
About 20 minutes by car over the bridge, then a loop road around the island
Charlevoix
1-2 daysRiver hills and villages
Rolling hills fall to the St. Lawrence in a UNESCO biosphere region of art galleries, local cheese and farm produce. Baie-Saint-Paul is the arty base, and the Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Riviere-Malbaie park beyond has some of the most dramatic valley scenery in the province.
Getting there
car | tour
About 1-1.5 hours by car east along the north shore to Baie-Saint-Paul
Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre and Canyon Sainte-Anne
Full dayBasilica and gorge
The vast basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre has drawn pilgrims for centuries. Further on, Canyon Sainte-Anne is a deep gorge and waterfall crossed by suspension bridges, and Mont-Sainte-Anne, the region's main ski hill, sits nearby.
Getting there
car | tour
About 30-45 minutes by car east along the Cote-de-Beaupre
Jacques-Cartier National Park
Full dayGlacial river valley
A deep glacial valley of boreal forest north of the city, with hiking trails up to lookouts over the Jacques-Cartier River, canoeing on its calm stretches and, in autumn, some of the best colour close to Quebec City.
Getting there
car
About 45 minutes by car north of the city
A little history of Quebec City
Samuel de Champlain founded a trading post at the foot of Cap Diamant in 1608, at the point where the St. Lawrence narrows, and it grew into the capital of New France. The Upper Town filled with convents, seminaries and churches, and the city held off an English attack in 1690. In 1759 a British army under James Wolfe climbed the cliffs and defeated Montcalm's French on the Plains of Abraham; both generals died, and in 1763 New France passed to Britain.
The British held the city against an American assault in 1775 and built the Citadelle to guard it. Quebec prospered on timber and shipbuilding in the 19th century, hosted the 1864 conference that led to Canadian Confederation, and became capital of the new province of Quebec in 1867. The walled old town was listed as a World Heritage site in 1985.
Samuel de Champlain founds a trading post below Cap Diamant
Governor Frontenac repels an English fleet sent from New England
British forces defeat the French on the Plains of Abraham; Wolfe and Montcalm are both killed
The Treaty of Paris cedes New France to Britain
An American assault on the city fails on the last night of the year
The Quebec Conference lays the groundwork for Canadian Confederation
The Chateau Frontenac hotel opens on the cliff above the river
Churchill and Roosevelt meet at the Citadelle and the Chateau Frontenac to plan the Allied invasion of Europe
Historic Old Quebec is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site
Know before you go
Payment
Cards everywhere
English
Everywhere
Wifi
Reliable
Power
Type A / B
120 V, 60 Hz
Dialing
+1
The months our climate read flags to avoid: the wettest, lowest-rated weather of the year.
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FAQs about Quebec City
▸ When is the best time to visit Quebec City?
May is the pick for weather: mild, green and not yet crowded. Summer is warm and busy with festivals, and late September into October brings autumn colour to the region. November to March is bitterly cold and snowy, though late winter is when the Winter Carnival runs, and many people come for exactly that.
▸ Do I need to speak French in Quebec City?
French is the language of daily life and the city is far more French-speaking than Montreal, but staff in hotels, restaurants and sights in the old town almost always speak English too. Opening with bonjour is appreciated, and a little French goes a long way beyond the tourist core.
▸ How many days do you need in Quebec City?
Two days covers the Upper and Lower Towns, the walls, the Citadelle and the Plains of Abraham. Add a day or two for Montmorency Falls and Ile d'Orleans, or longer to head out to Charlevoix.
▸ Is Quebec City worth visiting in winter?
Yes, if you dress for real cold. The old town under snow is at its most atmospheric, there is skating, tobogganing on Dufferin Terrace, an ice hotel outside the city and the Winter Carnival in late winter. Pack proper boots, as stairways and pavements get icy.
▸ Is Quebec City good for families?
Very. It is safe, compact and full of things children enjoy: cannons and ramparts, the changing of the guard, the funicular, Montmorency Falls and, in winter, sledding and snow play. The steep stairways are the main challenge with a stroller.
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