Quebec City, the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec, is a great destination for families to explore. Due to its rich French history and influence, a visit to Quebec City is as close to visiting Europe that you’ll get without leaving North America. In fact, French is the official language spoken here. A few days is a great way to explore this beautiful city and surrounding area. So how should you spend a weekend in Quebec City? Check out our recommended itinerary below!
DAY 1: EXPLORE THE OLD CITY
Old Quebec City is undoubtedly the main attraction for most visitors, and for good reason. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is the birthplace of French North America and is actually the most intact fortified town north of Mexico. It was founded in the early 17th century and you can still experience the historic architecture today. Here are a few recommendations for your day exploring the Old City:
Petit-Champlain: Walking through this historic district feels like going back in time in France. There are many picturesque streets here with cobblestone roads, unique shops, and delicious restaurants. The namesake street is one of the oldest commercial roads in North America, and is a festive sight especially during the holidays.
Rue du Cul de Sac: Speaking of streets to visit, Rue du Cul de Sac, which is right off of Petit-Champlain, is a must-do. This Instagrammable spot is known as “Umbrella Street” for the colorful umbrellas strung up above the curving road. It’s a very popular spot for photos, so you may want to head there early in the day if you want to avoid the crowds!
Fairmont Le Château Frontenac: A trip to Quebec City wouldn’t be complete without seeing the most photographed hotel in the world! While staying overnight here isn’t in everyone’s budget, it’s still worth a visit to take in the amazing architectural designs. If you want a more in-depth look, consider a guided tour.
Dufferin Terrace: This boardwalk wraps around the Fairmont hotel and provides scenic views of the St. Lawrence River. We got to enjoy watching the Canada Day festivities here, complete with marching bands and flag ceremonies. Throughout the summer, this is a great place to watch local performers. But in the winter, it is turned into a massive toboggan run!
Saint-Louis Forts and Châteaux National Historic Site: Underneath Dufferin Terrace lies the only archeological crypt in North America. This is an immersive way to experience French and British history by walking through the remains of the forts and governor residences. The best part? This Parks Canada attraction is free to those under 18 years of age.
Old City Walls: Did you know you can walk on the stone wall fortifications around Old Quebec City? These are the only intact walls of its kind north of Mexico. To get a better understanding of how these walls played a part in British and French history, you can join a guided tour.
Citadelle de Québec: History and military buffs should add the Citadel to their itinerary. This star-shaped facility is the oldest military building in Canada. The guided tours and museum provide plenty of historical information, while the building’s hilltop location provides fantastic views of the rest of the city.
St. Lawrence River Ferry: A popular transportation route for locals is the ferry across the St. Lawrence River between Quebec City and Lévis. But for visitors, this is also a great way to get views of the city while enjoying a leisurely ferry ride. It’s a fun way to get a break from walking around the city, especially for kids! The journey takes just 12 minutes one way.
Restaurant La Bûche: Old Quebec City has a plethora of dining options covering all sorts of cuisines, from Japanese to Italian to French. But if you want some tasty local Quebec Canadian cuisine, we recommend Restaurant La Bûche. We really enjoyed the crepes and the unique decor here! It is also reasonably priced which is always a plus.
DAY 2: OTHER QUEBEC CITY ATTRACTIONS
Quebec City has other amazing family-friendly attractions outside the Old City. Here are our two recommendations for the second day of your weekend trip:
Aquarium du Québec: Spend half your day at the local aquarium and zoo. This attraction is home to over 10,000 marine animals and 300 species. We had a great time checking out all the different exhibits. Highlights for us included the underwater tunnel, the touch tanks, and the jellyfish building. You can also see animals such as polar bears and seals. There’s a great play structure outside for kids to climb around on as well.
Overall, while it’s not the best aquarium we’ve been to, we believe it’s still worth a stop, especially if your family enjoys learning about animals.
Montmorency Falls: Did you know Quebec City is home to a waterfall that’s 30 meters (nearly 100 feet) taller than Niagara Falls? Parc de la Chute‑Montmorency is a great way to spend the other half of your day with a variety of activities available. Our family enjoyed taking a round trip on the cable car from the top of the falls to the bottom, getting great views of the waterfall during the ride.
There are plenty of different scenic spots available, including the boardwalk at the bottom of the falls and the nearly 500-step staircase that zig-zags down the cliff. For those that want bigger thrills, you can walk across the bridge that spans the top of the falls to look straight down the 83 meter (272 feet) waterfall drop. True daredevils can also try the zipline and climbing experiences. The surrounding park also offer a playground for the little ones.
ADDITIONAL NEARBY ATTRACTIONS
If the attractions above aren’t super appealing to your family or you have some extra days, here are a few other options near Quebec City that we also recommend. However, each of these would take up a full day of exploring:
Parc national de la Jacques‑Cartier: It’s hard to believe such a beautiful national park exists just a half hour away from a major urban area like Quebec City. This park features an incredible glacial valley with stunning river and mountain views. It is an outdoor lovers’ paradise with plenty of activities like hiking and canoeing. Jacques-Cartier is also kid-friendly and offers free carrier backpack and stroller rentals.
Some hikes we recommend are:
- Les Cascades: an easy 4 km loop following a cascading brook with some elevation gain.
- La Rivière-Sautauriski: a 4.8 km stroller and bike-friendly loop that goes along the river.
- Les Loups: a difficult but rewarding hike with 447 meters of elevation gain and views of the valley from above. There is a turnaround point after the first viewpoint (5 km round trip). The full hike is 11 km round trip.
Île d’Orléans: This island is located 5 km from downtown Quebec City and is one of the first parts of Quebec that the French colonzied. The island is divided into 6 villages that each have their own unique feel. It is an easy destination to explore since there is a road that encircles the entire island.
There is a variety of activities and attractions on the island. Some of the popular options include visiting the numerous cheese and chocolate shops, strawberry farms, historic churches, wineries and the observation tower. Our favorite spots included lunch and beers at the microbrewery and getting dipped ice cream cones at Chocolaterie de l’île d’Orléans.
HOTELS
We stayed in two different hotels during our Quebec City trip. While it would have been amazing to stay in the iconic Fairmont, we opted for something more wallet-friendly. We also tend to choose brands within the Hilton portfolio to maintain our status with their Hilton Honors loyalty program.
DoubleTree by Hilton Quebec Resort: This hotel is located about 20 minutes away from Old Quebec City. It’s in a quiet area off the highway next to a golf course. We liked being away from the hustle and bustle of downtown. We stayed in a modern and clean one-bedroom suite. As Hilton Honors Gold members, we enjoyed the continental breakfast for free each morning and also took advantage of room service for one dinner. Of course, you’ll receive a delicious DoubleTree cookie when checking in. Our favorite feature however was the outdoor heated thermal pool, which was a great way to relax after a long day of sightseeing!
Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Quebec City / Saint-Romuald: We also stayed at this hotel a few nights which is located in Lévis on the other side of the St. Lawrence River from Quebec City. It was definitely one of the better Hampton Inns that we’ve stayed at. The rooms were again modern and clean, as was the indoor pool. The free breakfast was pretty standard, but the hotel is also conveniently connected to a Cochon Dingue restaurant.
ALLONS À QUÉBEC CITY!
As you can see, Quebec City and the surrounding area is a fantastic vacation destination for families. It was a great way for us to feel like we’re visiting France without flying across the Atlantic. And while English is spoken in touristy areas, you may want to learn a few basic phrases beforehand. So dust off your English-French dictionary, pack your bags, and go spend a weekend (or longer) in Quebec City!
If you have any questions, let us know in the comments below. As always, thanks for reading and be sure to check out our other Trips and Tips!