One day in Quebec City

Day by day

1. Day 1: Château Frontenac and Dufferin Terrace and Governors' Promenade

   Château Frontenac, Dufferin Terrace and Governors' Promenade, La Citadelle de Québec and Fortifications of Québec, then Rue Saint-Jean in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Château Frontenac

      For the classic photo of the hotel, walk down to the lower end of Rue du Petit-Champlain or take the ferry and look back from mid-river. Allow 30 minutes–1 hour.

   2. Late morning

      Dufferin Terrace and Governors' Promenade

      In winter a wooden toboggan slide is set up at the terrace's end; the run is short, fast and popular with children and adults alike. Allow 45 minutes.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Poutine

      Casse-croûtes and late-night counters in Saint-Roch and Saint-Jean-Baptiste; many pubs on Rue Saint-Jean serve it too.

   4. Afternoon

      La Citadelle de Québec

      Check the summer schedule for the changing of the guard and arrive early for a spot along the parade square. Allow 1.5–2 hours.

   5. Late afternoon

      Fortifications of Québec

      Start at Porte Saint-Jean and follow the wall walk clockwise towards the Artillery Park for the best views of the old roofs. Allow 1–2 hours.

   6. Evening

      Rue Saint-Jean

      Walk it from end to end: the stretch beyond Porte Saint-Jean is where locals eat and drink.

If it rains

• Swap in Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (Montcalm and Grande Allée): Don't miss the Riopelle wing and the cells preserved in the old prison building.
• Swap in Musée de la civilisation (Old Québec – Lower Town and Old Port): A good first stop on a rainy day; the permanent exhibitions give useful context before you walk the old town.
• Swap in Notre-Dame de Québec Basilica-Cathedral (Old Québec – Upper Town): Visit quietly outside service times and look for the crypt tours, which run at certain periods of the year.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 5–8 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 8.6 hours in December to 15.8 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Walking. Almost every sight in Old Québec, the Plains of Abraham and Saint-Roch is within a 20-minute walk, though the cliff makes some routes steep.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Quebec City
• 3 days in Quebec City

Questions travellers ask