5 Reasons to Visit® · Canada
5 Reasons to Visit Québec City, Canada, Where Old Europe Meets North America
Stone walls, cobblestone lanes and a castle-like hotel above the St. Lawrence River make Québec City feel like a corner of Europe, with a food scene and festival calendar all its own.
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Québec City, founded by Samuel de Champlain in 1608, is one of the oldest cities in North America and the only one north of Mexico that still has its fortified walls. Its historic heart, Old Québec, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of cobblestone streets, stone houses and church spires, crowned by Fairmont Le Château Frontenac high above the St. Lawrence River. Add chef-driven restaurants, Montmorency Falls and Île d’Orléans just outside town, and a festival calendar that runs from summer music to one of the world’s great winter carnivals, and Québec City rewards a visit in any season. Here are five reasons to go.
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1Things to See & Do
Things to Do in Québec City: Old Québec and Fairmont Le Château Frontenac
Old Québec, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a charming blend of European architecture and North American history. Its icon is Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, built in 1893 to designs by American architect Bruce Price for the Canadian Pacific Railway and named for Louis de Buade, Count of Frontenac, a governor of New France. Over the years, Fairmont Le Château Frontenac has welcomed royalty, heads of state and celebrities, and its terrace, the Dufferin Terrace boardwalk, offers sweeping views over the St. Lawrence River.
Below the cliffs, the Petit-Champlain district, one of the oldest commercial districts in North America, is lined with boutiques, galleries and cafés, and Place Royale marks the spot where Champlain founded the city in 1608, beside the 17th-century church of Notre-Dame-des-Victoires. Up on Cap Diamant, the star-shaped Citadelle of Québec offers guided tours of its military history and panoramic views of the city.
2Dining Scene
Where to Eat and Drink in Québec City: Chef-Driven Restaurants and Cocktail Lounges
Dining at Québec City’s top tables blends French tradition with Nordic and local ingredients. Begin at Tanière³, a member of Relais & Châteaux, where the drinks include the Little Beaver, an upside-down Manhattan-inspired mocktail made with Lyre’s American Malt, No Vermouth, Eau de Castor and bitter des forêts, alongside dishes such as poached lobster claw with tomato butter lobster sauce, confit tomato and geranium petals. At Légende, in the Old Port, sip the Balsma Myrica, with fresh basil, Green Chartreuse and Québec génépi, with Québec venison seasoned with sweetgrass.
Tucked between Place de Paris and Place Royale, Bistro L’Orygine is a CAA/AAA Four Diamond restaurant with a patio overlooking the St. Lawrence River; try the Helicopter, with gin, haskap berry liqueur, Luxardo Maraschino, verjuice and lavender, with duck and kimchi. Finish at Vieux Carré, a speakeasy-style lounge with one of the city’s loveliest summer terraces, for Phil’s Vieux Carré, with Blanton’s bourbon, 1994 Laubade Armagnac, Carpano Antica Formula, Bénédictine and a Peychaud-marigold mist. Don’t leave without trying poutine and tourtière.
Few cities in North America feel this old, this French or this festive, in summer and in the depths of winter alike.
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3Recreation
Outdoor Québec City: Montmorency Falls, Île d’Orléans and Winter Adventures
Just outside town, Montmorency Falls plunges about 83 meters (272 feet), roughly 30 meters higher than Niagara Falls. Parc de la Chute-Montmorency offers hiking trails, a suspension bridge, a cable car and ziplines over the gorge. Across the river, Île d’Orléans is a rural island of villages, farm stands, cideries and wineries, perfect for a day of cycling and tasting berries, chocolates and crêpes, or kayaking with views back to the city skyline.
In winter, Québec City becomes a snow-covered playground for dog sledding, ice fishing, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, and the Hôtel de Glace, sculpted each year from ice and snow just outside the city, offers a truly unforgettable overnight stay.
4Shopping
Shopping in Québec City: Petit-Champlain Boutiques and the Old Port Market
The pedestrian streets of the Petit-Champlain district are filled with boutiques selling Québec-made fashion, jewelry, art and crafts, and Rue Saint-Jean and Rue Saint-Paul add independent shops, galleries and antique dealers.
The Marché du Vieux-Port, by the Old Port, gathers regional farmers and producers selling maple products, cheeses, cider and ice wine, the perfect edible souvenirs. In late November and December, the German Christmas Market brings holiday stalls to the heart of Old Québec.
5Art & Culture
Québec City’s Art and Culture: The Winter Carnival, Summer Festivals and Museums
The Québec Winter Carnival, first held in 1894 and one of the largest winter carnivals in the world, fills late January and February with ice sculptures, night parades and outdoor activities, led by its snowman mascot, Bonhomme. In summer, the Festival d’été de Québec brings major concerts to the Plains of Abraham, the New France Festival in August celebrates the city’s French heritage with period costumes, music and food, and Les Grands Feux Loto-Québec lights up the sky over Montmorency Falls with international fireworks shows.
Year-round, the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, on the Plains of Abraham, showcases Québec art from the 17th century to today, and the Musée de la civilisation in the Old Port explores the history and cultures of Québec. Street performers, galleries and murals keep the cultural scene lively on every corner of Old Québec.
Plan Your Québec City Trip
Québec City shines in every season, from summer terraces and festivals to fall color and the magic of the Winter Carnival. For a stay at the heart of it all, Fairmont Le Château Frontenac combines historic charm with modern luxury, with fine dining, a spa and views over the St. Lawrence River, steps from the Citadelle, Place Royale and the Petit-Champlain district. Give Québec City three days: one for Old Québec, the Citadelle and Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, one for Montmorency Falls and Île d’Orléans, and one for museums, markets and a long dinner at one of the city’s top tables.
Check availability at Fairmont Le Château Frontenac →
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Québec City, Canada: FAQ
Is Québec City worth visiting?
Yes. Québec City offers Old Québec, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the only fortified city north of Mexico with its walls still standing, Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, chef-driven restaurants, Montmorency Falls, Île d’Orléans and festivals including the Québec Winter Carnival.
What are the best things to do in Québec City?
Top things to do in Québec City include exploring Old Québec, visiting Fairmont Le Château Frontenac and the Dufferin Terrace, wandering the Petit-Champlain district and Place Royale, touring the Citadelle, seeing Montmorency Falls, cycling Île d’Orléans and attending the Québec Winter Carnival.
Where should I stay in Québec City?
Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, built in 1893 in the heart of Old Québec, offers historic charm, fine dining, a spa and views over the St. Lawrence River, within walking distance of the Citadelle, Place Royale and the Petit-Champlain district.
When is the Québec Winter Carnival?
The Québec Winter Carnival is held each year from late January into February, with ice sculptures, night parades and outdoor activities. It was first held in 1894.
Is Montmorency Falls higher than Niagara Falls?
Yes. Montmorency Falls drops about 83 meters (272 feet), roughly 30 meters higher than Niagara Falls. It is about 15 minutes from Old Québec by car.
Do you need to speak French in Québec City?
French is the main language in Québec City, but English is widely spoken in hotels, restaurants and shops in Old Québec, and visitors can easily get by in English.
When is the best time to visit Québec City?
June to October is ideal for terraces, festivals and fall color, while late January and February bring the Winter Carnival and winter activities. Both seasons offer a very different side of the city.
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