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Travel guide
Quebec City
3 days · 5 things to do
Best time to go: June to October, and February for the Winter Carnival
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Welcome
Quebec City, in a few days
The only walled city in North America north of Mexico, set on a cape above the St Lawrence: the Château Frontenac, Petit-Champlain, the Plains of Abraham and, close by, Montmorency Falls. It has a distinctly European feel.
- Day by day
- D1 Day 1 3 things
- D2 Day 2 1 thing
- D3 Day 3 1 thing
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
The trip
Day by day
Map of the sights (numbers follow the suggested order). It prints with the base map.
D1
Day 1
3 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Old Quebec and the Château Frontenac free · about 1 hThe UNESCO-listed old town, dominated by the turreted Château Frontenac hotel, with the Dufferin Terrace boardwalk looking over the river.
- Afternoon · The Petit-Champlain quarter free · about 1 hAmong the oldest shopping streets in North America, at the foot of the cliff, reached by the Breakneck Stairs or the funicular.
- Late afternoon · The ramparts and the Plains of Abraham free · about 2 hWalk the 4.6 km of walls round the old town, then the Plains of Abraham, the 1759 battlefield now a large city park.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hôtel du Vieux-Québec ↗ · All places to stay by budget →€150 a night
D2
Day 2
1 thing to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Montmorency Falls · about 1 h 30Falls 83 metres high, 30 metres more than Niagara, some 12 km from the centre, with a suspension bridge over the crest.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hôtel du Vieux-Québec ↗€150 a night
D3
Day 3
1 thing to do · at your own pace
- All day · Île d'Orléans free · a full dayA rural island a bridge away from the city, with old farmhouses, orchards, sugar shacks and roadside stalls selling strawberries, cider and maple products.
Before you go
Worth sorting before you go
📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
Some links are partner links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Good to know
Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Poutine: chips with fresh cheese curds and brown gravy, born in rural Quebec in the 1950s.
- Maple syrup: on pancakes and bacon, or poured hot onto snow and rolled into taffy.
- Tourtière: a spiced meat pie, eaten above all at Christmas.
- Montreal bagels: smaller, denser and sweeter than New York's, boiled in honeyed water and baked in a wood oven.
- Smoked meat: spiced, cured brisket piled high on rye bread, the Montreal deli classic.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Prices are shown before tax: federal and Quebec sales taxes add about 15% at the till.
- Tip 15 to 20% in restaurants and bars, worked out on the total before tax.
- French is the official language: greet people in French before switching to English, and expect road signs in French only.
- Distances are long: Quebec City to Tadoussac alone is about three hours' drive.
Getting by
Words that help
English ↔ French
| English | French |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjour |
| Thank you | Merci |
| Please | S'il vous plaît |
| Yes | Oui |
| No | Non |
| Excuse me | Excusez-moi |
| Goodbye | Au revoir |
| Do you speak English? | Parlez-vous anglais ? |
| I don't understand | Je ne comprends pas |
| How much is it? | Combien ça coûte ? |
| Where are the toilets? | Où sont les toilettes ? |
| The bill, please | L'addition, s'il vous plaît |
| Help! | Au secours ! |
| Cheers! | Santé ! |
The essentials
The practical page
CurrencyCanadian dollar (CAD)
BudgetAbout €130 a day, mid-range
Best seasonJune to October, and February for the Winter Carnival
PlugA/B · 120V
Tap waterSafe to drink
Tipping15 to 20%, on the total before tax
Emergency911
EntryUS citizens need only a passport. EU, UK and Australian passports are visa-free for up to six months, but anyone flying in must first get an eTA online (not needed by road or sea; Romanian citizens need an electronic passport). No formalities for Canadians.
HealthNo vaccination required. Keep routine vaccines, tetanus included, up to date. Ticks carrying Lyme disease are present in southern Quebec: check yourself after walks in the woods.
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/quebec-city
Don't forget
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.