Quebec City Travel Guide
Stay
Hotel 71 – a stunning modern hotel right next to Chateau Frontenac
Le Saint Pierre Auberge Distinctive – a more traditional hotel also right next to Chateau Frontenac for people looking for a more old-world European feel to their hotel.
See & Do
Le Chateau Frontenac & Old Quebec – explore the beautiful old Quebec and Chateau Frontenac which is the most photographed hotel in the world.
Funiculaire du Vieux-Quebec – this glass railway ride that travels on a 45-degree angle, and is a quick way to go up the hill to see Le Chateau Frontenac and gives you a great view of the Saint Lawerence River.
Plains Of Abraham – this massive park was the site of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham between the French and British Empires, and is Canada’s first national historic park. It is a great spot to go for snow showing in the winter, or to explore the view in the summer while taking a nice long stroll through the park.
Musee de la Civilisation – the most visited museum in Quebec City, and if you stay at either Hotel 71 or Le Saint Pierre it is across the street.
Parliament Building – the Parliament building and fountain in front of the building are gorgeous and worth visiting
Notre-Dame-des Victoires – the former site of Samuel de Champlain’s habitation, which was the grouping of building when Quebec was founded as a colony of France. The church construction started in 1687 and happened to be featured in the movie Catch Me If You Can with Leonardo Di Caprio and Tom Hanks.
Quebec City Food Tours – explore part of the city and learn about the history of the area while sampling food at some of the amazing restaurants in the area. You can read my experience about the tour here.
Montmorency Falls – the waterfall is taller than Niagra Falls and you can climb next to the falls or travel overtop via zip line.
Taking the train from Ottawa I arrived in Quebec City, ready to explore the city with my sister, aunt, mother, and grandmother. This was my first time visiting Quebec City, so I was thrilled to explore.
I stayed at both Hotel 71 and Hotel St Pierre for my trip and enjoyed how close the hotel was to everything as it was located in Old Quebec.
The view of the Chateau Frontenac a short walk from my hotel
A few minutes walk from the hotel is the Quartier Petit Champlain and Place Royale where the charming church Notre-Dame-des Victoires is located.
Next to the church, you can find La Maison Smith, a great cafe that I went in to pick up some macarons to snack at later at the hotel. If you do go, I strongly recommend getting the basil and lime macaron which was amazing.
Some of the many gift shops in the old district
Buildings directly below the Chateau Frontenac
The Quebec flag with French fleurs-de-lis
After exploring the various shops it was time to ride the funiculaire to see Chateau Frontenac.
The trip itself is short, only a few minutes but is a fun way to see the city, and saves you walking up the hill.
At the top of the funicular is the Chateau Frontenac, and you can also get a lovely view of the city too.
After exploring the interior of the Chateau Frontenac I made my way to Le Sam, one of the restaurants inside of Chateau Frontenac for a wonderful lunch where you can get a splendid view of the St. Lawerence River.
The amazing refreshing gazpacho I had for lunch
The creamy and rich chocolate cake
My sister and I with our matching hats at Le Same
My entire family (mom, aunt, grandmother, sister and myself) all loved our time at Le Sam, from the delicious food, tremendous service and outstanding view of the city, I highly recommend stopping by when you visit Quebec City.
Just outside of the Chateau Frontenac, there are plenty of restaurants and shops to explore as well. In the summer months, there is also an artist alley where you can go to buy artworks by local artists.
A short 10 minute walk from the Chateau Frontenac towards the Plains of Abraham, and past the walls of Old Quebec you will come across the Parliament Buildings.
Unfortunately, when I was visiting the building was under major renovations, but if you are to visit when the construction is complete you would be able to see a variety of statues on the front that depict the significant people in the history of Quebec.
Joan of Arc statue in the Plains of Abraham
Matto
One amazing thing about Quebec City is the vast number of amazing restaurants. In addition to the amazing Quebec City food tour I did where I explored the St. Boch area of Quebec City, I also had the joy of some great meals such as Le Sam which I mentioned above, Matto, and Panache.
Panache
Panache offered my favourite food while in Quebec City, and the lunch menu offers a wonderful deal that makes this high-end restaurant very affordable.
My happy family after our meal at Le Panache
The view from my window from Hotel St. Pierre
As my hotel room looked directly at The Museum of Civilization, I figured it would be a good idea to check out the museum which I was informed is the most visited museum in Quebec City.
A beautiful and powerful cultural art installation
My family checking out a piece of armor
Battle of The Plains Of Abraham
My favorite moment at the museum happened to be randomly finding Iron Man
Moving past the fortifications of Quebec, I moved outside of the main tourist area to visit the Montmorency Falls.
The falls are taller than Niagara Falls and well worth a visit
Climbing up the boardwalk I was able to get right next to the falls for a spectacular view from the top of the falls down.
I adored visiting Quebec City, the old buildings, and rich history make it a great city to visit and I’m eager to return to see the city in the winter which is said to be an especially romantic time to visit when the city is light up with lights and Christmas trees.
Are you planning on visiting Quebec City? If so you might want to check out my review of Hotel 71, Hotel St. Pierre, or Quebec City Food Tours too.