With kids · Quebec City · Canada
Quebec City with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Sonia Piché (contact via User:Sébastien Savard ), CC BY-SA 2.5
Quick answer
Quebec City is compact and easy with children: the walls and Citadelle feel like a real fort, the funicular and ferry are short rides, and Montmorency Falls and the aquarium make good half-days. Winter adds tobogganing, skating and the Carnaval's snow slides. Top picks: La Citadelle de Québec, Dufferin Terrace and Governors' Promenade and Plains of Abraham (Battlefields Park). Families usually base themselves in Montcalm and Grande Allée.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 8
- Best area for families
- Montcalm and Grande Allée
- Rainy-day options
- 1
- Busiest months
- July–August
Best things to do with kids
Historic site · Old Québec – Upper Town
1.La Citadelle de Québec
The star-shaped fortress on Cap Diamant, built by the British in the 19th century, is still an active military installation and home of the Royal 22e Régiment. Guided tours cover the ramparts, the regimental museum and the Governor General's residence. In summer the changing of the guard takes place in bearskin hats and red tunics.
Check the summer schedule for the changing of the guard and arrive early for a spot along the parade square.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Kids
- Views
- Iconic
Viewpoint · Old Québec – Upper Town
2.Dufferin Terrace and Governors' Promenade
This wide boardwalk runs along the cliff edge beside the Château Frontenac, with views over the St. Lawrence to Lévis and Île d'Orléans. Underneath it, the Saint-Louis Forts and Châteaux site shows excavated remains of the former governors' residence. The Governors' Promenade continues along the cliff up towards the Citadelle and the Plains of Abraham.
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
Park · Montcalm and Grande Allée
3.Plains of Abraham (Battlefields Park)
The battlefield where British and French forces fought in 1759 is now a large park along the cliffs, with Martello towers, lawns and river lookouts. Locals jog and picnic here in summer and cross-country ski and snowshoe in winter. Summer concerts during the Festival d'été use its main stage.
Walk from Dufferin Terrace along the Governors' Promenade stairs to reach the park without retracing your steps.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Kids
- History
- Views
Nature · Beauport
4.Montmorency Falls
About 12 km east of the old town, the Montmorency River drops 83 metres into the St. Lawrence — about 30 metres higher than Niagara. A suspension bridge crosses the top, a long staircase descends the cliff, and a cable car links the base with the Manoir Montmorency. In winter, spray builds a cone of ice at the foot of the falls.
Take the cable car up and the panoramic staircase down to see the falls from every angle.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Kids
- Views
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Aquarium · Sainte-Foy
5.Aquarium du Québec
On a wooded clifftop near the Pierre-Laporte and Quebec bridges, the aquarium has walrus, seals and polar bears in outdoor habitats as well as indoor tanks of St. Lawrence and tropical species. It is one of the city's main days out for families.
Time your visit around the feeding sessions posted at the entrance.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
Museum · Old Québec – Lower Town and Old Port
6.Musée de la civilisation
Designed by Moshe Safdie around older stone buildings, this museum covers Quebec history and society, with a long-term exhibition on the province's story and another on First Nations and Inuit. Temporary exhibitions are often hands-on and child-friendly.
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
Experience · Old Québec – Lower Town and Old Port
7.Old Québec Funicular
The funicular has linked Dufferin Terrace with the Petit-Champlain quarter since 1879, climbing the cliff in a ride of about a minute. It saves the climb up the Breakneck Stairs and gives a quick view over the Lower Town roofs.
Ride up rather than down; descending on foot via the Breakneck Stairs is easy and free.
- Time needed
- 10 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Views
Experience · Old Québec – Lower Town and Old Port
8.Québec–Lévis ferry
The commuter ferry crosses the St. Lawrence to Lévis in about 12 minutes and is an inexpensive way to see the city's skyline from the water. In winter the boats push through ice floes. On the Lévis side, a riverside path and terraces look straight back at the Château Frontenac.
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
Rainy-day ideas
- Musée de la civilisation — A good first stop on a rainy day; the permanent exhibitions give useful context before you walk the old town.
Where families should stay
$$$ · Best for nightlife, families, food lovers and culture
Montcalm and Grande Allée
Just outside Porte Saint-Louis, Grande Allée Est is lined with patios, bars and the Parliament Building, while the Montcalm district beyond is residential and leafy. Avenue Cartier has bakeries, cheese shops and cafés, and the Musée national des beaux-arts sits on the edge of the Plains of Abraham. It suits visitors who want space, green walks and nightlife within reach.
- Good
- Ten to fifteen minutes' walk to the old town; Park space for children; Good food shops on Avenue Cartier
- Watch out
- Grande Allée is noisy late on weekends; Fewer historic hotels
- Nearby
- Plains of Abraham, Parliament Building, Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, Avenue Cartier
Family travel tips
- Strollers struggle on Old Québec's stairways; a baby carrier is easier, or use the funicular between Upper and Lower Town.
- Village Vacances Valcartier, about 30 minutes north, is a large water park in summer and a snow-slide park in winter.
- The Musée de la civilisation usually has a hands-on exhibition designed for children.
- In winter, plan indoor breaks every hour or two; small children chill quickly in the wind on Dufferin Terrace.
- Montcalm suits families: quieter streets, the Plains of Abraham next door and the old town a short walk away.
Day trips for families
- 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.
- Wendake (About 20–25 minutes by car or bus) — The Huron-Wendat Nation's community on the city's northern edge has the Huron-Wendat Museum, a reconstructed longhouse, the Kabir Kouba waterfall and a hotel and restaurant that showcase First Nations cooking.
- Jacques-Cartier National Park (About 45 minutes by car) — A glacial valley with steep forested walls and a river used for canoeing, rafting and fishing.
- Tadoussac (About 3 hours by car) — Where the Saguenay Fjord meets the St.
When to go with children
The best months overall are June–October. July–August are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Quebec City good for kids?
Quebec City is compact and easy with children: the walls and Citadelle feel like a real fort, the funicular and ferry are short rides, and Montmorency Falls and the aquarium make good half-days. Winter adds tobogganing, skating and the Carnaval's snow slides.
+What can kids do in Quebec City?
La Citadelle de Québec, Dufferin Terrace and Governors' Promenade, Plains of Abraham (Battlefields Park), Montmorency Falls and Aquarium du Québec.
+Where should families stay in Quebec City?
Montcalm and Grande Allée: Terraced bar strip, Avenue Cartier delis and the Plains of Abraham next door.