For couples · Quebec City · Canada
Romantic things to do in Quebec City
Ideas for a couples' trip, from small moments to a special day out.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Quebec City is one of North America's most romantic small cities: lantern-lit stone streets, river views from the clifftop and candlelit bistros in 18th-century buildings. Winter, when snow covers the old town, is as atmospheric as summer. Couples tend to stay in Old Québec – Upper Town.
Key facts
- Romantic ideas
- 6
- Couple-friendly sights
- 3
- Area for couples
- Old Québec – Upper Town
- Best months
- October
Romantic ideas
1.Evening on Dufferin Terrace
Walk the boardwalk at dusk as the lights come on across the river in Lévis and the Château Frontenac glows behind you.
2.Dinner in the Lower Town
Book a table in one of the stone-walled bistros around Rue du Petit-Champlain or Rue Saint-Paul.
3.Sunset ferry to Lévis
Cross the river at sunset and look back at the old town from the deck and the Lévis riverside path.
4.Île d'Orléans by car
Spend a day circling the island, tasting cider and ice cider and stopping at viewpoints over the river.
5.A night at the Ice Hotel
In winter, the Hôtel de Glace north of the city offers overnight stays in rooms carved from ice and snow.
6.Montmorency Falls suspension bridge
Stand above the falls on the bridge and take the cable car down for dinner at the Manoir Montmorency.
Sights couples love
Viewpoint · Old Québec – Upper Town
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.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Couples
- Kids
- After dark
- Iconic
Street · Old Québec – Lower Town and Old Port
Quartier Petit-Champlain
Visit early in the morning or after dinner, when the cruise and tour crowds have gone and the street lights come on.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Shopping
- Couples
- Photo spot
- Iconic
Experience · Old Québec – Lower Town and Old Port
Québec–Lévis ferry
Cross just before sunset and walk the Lévis riverside for the view of the old town lit up.
- Time needed
- 1 hour return
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Kids
- Couples
- Photo spot
Where couples should stay
$$$ · Best for first-timers, couples, culture and families
Old Québec – Upper Town
The Haute-Ville is the walled core on top of Cap Diamant, with Dufferin Terrace, the Basilica-Cathedral, the Séminaire and dense streets of 18th- and 19th-century houses converted into inns and restaurants. Rue Saint-Jean and Rue Saint-Louis are the main spines, and almost every historic sight is within a ten-minute walk.
- Good
- Walk to almost every sight; Historic inns full of character; Lively evenings on Rue Saint-Jean
- Watch out
- Rooms can be small and older; Parking is scarce and costly; Busy with tour groups in summer
- Nearby
- Château Frontenac, Dufferin Terrace, Citadelle, Notre-Dame de Québec
Romantic day trips
- Île d'Orléans (About 20 minutes by car) — A rural island in the St.
- Baie-Saint-Paul and Charlevoix (About 1 hour 15 minutes by car) — Charlevoix is a hilly region of farms and villages overlooking the St.
- Tadoussac (About 3 hours by car) — Where the Saguenay Fjord meets the St.
For dinner
Share local specialities such as Poutine, Tourtière and Pea soup. Book dinner ahead during Carnaval, the Festival d'été and the autumn foliage season.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Quebec City romantic?
Quebec City is one of North America's most romantic small cities: lantern-lit stone streets, river views from the clifftop and candlelit bistros in 18th-century buildings. Winter, when snow covers the old town, is as atmospheric as summer.
+What is the most romantic thing to do in Quebec City?
Evening on Dufferin Terrace: Walk the boardwalk at dusk as the lights come on across the river in Lévis and the Château Frontenac glows behind you.
+Where should couples stay in Quebec City?
Old Québec – Upper Town: Inside the walls on the clifftop: Château Frontenac, Rue Saint-Louis and Rue Saint-Jean.