Season guide · Quebec City · Canada
Quebec City in spring
March–May: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Sonia Piché (contact via User:Sébastien Savard ), CC BY-SA 2.5
Quick answer
Sugar-shack season in March and April, then a slushy thaw before trees leaf out in May; quiet and inexpensive but weather is mixed. Expect highs up to 17°C (63°F) and lows around -9°C (16°F), with about 38 rainy days across March–May.
Key facts
- Months
- March–May
- Temperatures
- -9°C (16°F) to 17°C (63°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 38
- Crowds
- Quiet
- Hotel prices
- Low
Weather in spring
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | 0°C (32°F) | -9°C (16°F) | 13 | 11.8 h | 2/5 |
| April | 8°C (46°F) | -1°C (30°F) | 12 | 13.5 h | 2/5 |
| May | 17°C (63°F) | 5°C (41°F) | 13 | 15 h | 3/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 8°C (46°F) against a yearly 9°C (48°F), and 38 of the year's roughly 167 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 2/5 and hotel prices 2/5 on average.
What's on in spring
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- March: Sugar-shack season (usually March to April)
- April: Sugar-shack season continues (usually until mid/late April)
Good choices for spring
Museum · Montcalm and Grande Allée
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec
Quebec's national fine-arts museum spreads across four linked buildings on the Plains of Abraham, including a former prison and the glass Pierre Lassonde Pavilion.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Museum · Old Québec – Lower Town and Old Port
Musée de la civilisation
A good first stop on a rainy day; the permanent exhibitions give useful context before you walk the old town.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Religious site · Old Québec – Upper Town
Notre-Dame de Québec Basilica-Cathedral
The seat of the oldest Catholic diocese north of Mexico has a gilded baldachin over the altar and holds the tomb of Saint François de Laval, the first bishop.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Architecture · Montcalm and Grande Allée
Parliament Building
Tours require security screening, so allow extra time and carry photo ID.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Market · Limoilou
Grand Marché de Québec
The city's main public market at ExpoCité brings together farmers, cheesemakers, butchers, maple producers and bakers from the Quebec City region under one roof, with prepared-food counters for lunch.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- Free
- Rainy day
- Shopping
Day trips in spring
- Île d'Orléans (About 20 minutes by car) — A rural island in the St.
- Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré and Canyon Sainte-Anne (About 35–45 minutes by car) — The Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré is one of the main Catholic pilgrimage sites in North America, with large mosaics and votive offerings.
What to pack
- Layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings
- Shoes with good grip for icy pavements
- A compact umbrella and waterproof shoes — rain is frequent
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is spring a good time to visit Quebec City?
It is a trade-off: Sugar-shack season in March and April, then a slushy thaw before trees leaf out in May; quiet and inexpensive but weather is mixed. The best months overall are June–October.
+What is the weather like in Quebec City in spring?
Highs of up to 17°C (63°F) and lows around -9°C (16°F), with about 38 rainy days over the season.