Quebec City, Canada

Things to Do in Quebec City: 24 Ideas

Quebec City at a glance

Things to do in this guide: 24
Areas and themes covered: 8
TRIPLR journeys including Quebec City: 2
TRIPLR suggested stay: 2 days

Things to do in Quebec City

Photo by Surinder Singh on Unsplash
Paillard
A busy Québec City bakery-café known for croissants, baguette sandwiches, pastries, coffee, and casual counter service. It works well as a breakfast, lunch, or afternoon pastry stop in the middle of Old Québec exploring.
- Theme: Food & Culinary Quebec
- Mid-range
Photo by Patrice Samuel on Unsplash
Promenade Samuel-De Champlain
A long, landscaped riverside park tracing the St. Lawrence with boardwalks, lawns, public art, gardens, and wide cycling paths. It works well for a relaxed walk, a bike segment, or a quiet river-view pause away from the tight streets of Old Québec.
- Theme: St Lawrence Waterfront
- Free
Photo by DroneflyerNick on Unsplash
Complexe Capitale Hélicoptère Quebec City Scenic Flight
Take off from Québec City’s aviation district for a premium helicopter flight over the old town, the St. Lawrence River, bridges, and surrounding escarpments. The on-site complex also includes aviation exhibits, making the stop feel substantial even before boarding.
- Theme: Premium Quebec
- Splurge
Photo by Surinder Singh on Unsplash
Faubourg Saint-Jean-Baptiste on Rue Saint-Jean
Walk Rue Saint-Jean beyond the old city gates through Faubourg Saint-Jean-Baptiste, where 19th-century row houses, steep side streets, bakeries, and independent shops show Québec City's lived-in historic core outside the walls.
- Theme: Historic Neighbourhoods
- Free
Photo by Timothée Geenens on Unsplash
Terrasse Dufferin
Stroll the landmark boardwalk above the St. Lawrence River, with open views of the Lower Town rooftops, Lévis ferry, and the cliffside profile of Old Québec.
- Theme: Quebec City Essentials
- Free
Photo by Tejash Shah on Unsplash
Saint-Louis Forts and Châteaux National Historic Site
Explore the archaeological remains beneath Terrasse Dufferin where French and British governors once lived, administered the colony, and managed Quebec’s defenses. The underground route reveals foundations, artifacts, and the strategic role of this clifftop command post.
- Theme: Fortifications & Military Heritage
- Budget-friendly
Photo by Matt Pictures on Unsplash
Morrin Centre
Tour a 19th-century former prison that later became Quebec City’s English-language literary society, with preserved cells, a Victorian library, and guided interpretation on the city’s anglophone history.
- Theme: Old Quebec UNESCO Core
- Mid-range
Photo by Rodrigo Kammer on Unsplash
ARVI
A celebrated Limoilou restaurant where cooks serve directly in an open-kitchen format, creating a close, chef-driven tasting experience built around seasonal products.
- Theme: Premium Quebec
- Splurge
Photo by P C on Unsplash
La Citadelle de Québec
Tour the star-shaped fortress still used by the Royal 22e Régiment, with guided access to ramparts, military history exhibits, and commanding views over the city and river.
- Theme: Quebec City Essentials
- Mid-range
Photo by Surinder Singh on Unsplash
Aux Anciens Canadiens
A heritage restaurant in a 17th-century house serving Quebec classics such as tourtière, meat pie, pea soup, maple desserts, and game dishes in period-style dining rooms.
- Theme: Old Quebec UNESCO Core
- Mid-range
Photo by Nicholas Laurenzio on Unsplash
Grand Théâtre de Québec
Québec City’s major performing arts venue, hosting symphony concerts, opera, dance, theatre, and touring productions in a landmark modernist complex.
- Theme: Premium Quebec
- Splurge
Photo by zahra ahmadi on Unsplash
Plains of Abraham Museum
A focused museum on the 1759 and 1760 battles that reshaped Québec, with maps, uniforms, archaeological finds, and multimedia exhibits that make the battlefield easier to understand before or after walking the park.
- Theme: Fortifications & Military Heritage
- Mid-range
Photo by Mathis Mauprivez on Unsplash
Parliament Building of Québec
Tour or view the Second Empire-style seat of Québec’s National Assembly, set just outside the city walls. Its façade, gardens, statues, and formal interiors add a political and architectural layer to the Old Québec experience.
- Theme: Quebec City Essentials
- Free
Photo by Monica Leonardi on Unsplash
Croisières AML Québec City Sightseeing Cruise from Quai Chouinard
A narrated St. Lawrence cruise departing from the Old Port, offering water-level perspectives on Québec City’s cliffs, fortifications, port activity, and the river corridor.
- Theme: St Lawrence Waterfront
- Mid-range
Photo by Mike Bryant on Unsplash
Chez Muffy
A refined farm-to-table restaurant inside Auberge Saint-Antoine, serving seasonal Québec cuisine in a former maritime warehouse with stone walls, timber beams, and a polished Old Port atmosphere.
- Theme: Food & Culinary Quebec
- Splurge
Photo by Pascal Bernardon on Unsplash
Rue Saint-Joseph Est in Saint-Roch
Follow the main commercial spine of Saint-Roch, a former working-class district transformed through restored brick buildings, design shops, cafés, theatres, murals, and small public spaces beneath the upper town escarpment.
- Theme: Historic Neighbourhoods
- Free
Photo by Surinder Singh on Unsplash
Musée de la civilisation
Spend time in Québec City's major culture museum, where rotating exhibitions and permanent displays connect local identity, global themes, and Indigenous perspectives.
- Theme: Quebec City Essentials
- Mid-range
Photo by Michael Loftus on Unsplash
Tanière³
A theatrical fine-dining experience in vaulted historic cellars near Place Royale, with a tasting menu built around Québec ingredients, table-side storytelling, and precise wine pairings.
- Theme: Food & Culinary Quebec
- Splurge
Photo by Alan Ko on Unsplash
Jardin botanique Roger-Van den Hende
A carefully designed university botanical garden with themed plant collections, flowering borders, mature trees, and quiet paths that change dramatically from spring bloom to autumn color.
- Theme: Seasonal Beauty & Photography
- Free
Photo by Sepehr Sajjadieh on Unsplash
Fortifications of Québec National Historic Site
Walk along the preserved city walls, gates, and defensive works that enclose Old Québec. This is one of the clearest ways to understand the city’s military geography and its rare walled-city status in North America.
- Theme: Quebec City Essentials
- Free
Photo by Zahraa Hassan on Unsplash
Aquarium du Québec and Festi Lumière
A family-friendly aquarium with indoor exhibits, outdoor animal habitats, river views, and a winter light festival that transforms the grounds after dark.
- Theme: Seasonal Beauty & Photography
- Mid-range
Photo by Daniel Salcius on Unsplash
Restaurant Le Clan
Book a tasting-menu meal at Le Clan, a Québec City fine-dining restaurant focused on local producers, boreal ingredients, and contemporary technique. The experience is intimate, seasonal, and well suited to travellers seeking a culinary anchor beyond classic Old Québec fare.
- Theme: Premium Quebec
- Splurge
Photo by Rich Martello on Unsplash
Monastère des Augustines
Visit the restored Augustinian monastery complex, where exhibits, cloisters, archival objects, and quiet public spaces trace centuries of hospital care and religious life in Quebec City.
- Theme: Old Quebec UNESCO Core
- Mid-range
Photo by Nathalia Segato on Unsplash
Le Saint-Amour
A long-running gastronomic address known for French technique, Québec products, an elegant dining room, and a glass-roofed interior garden that suits a leisurely celebratory meal.
- Theme: Food & Culinary Quebec
- Splurge