8 Best Things to Do in (or around) Quebec City, Canada

Mar 8, 2024

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Quebec City is the capital of the province of Quebec. It is a French speaking city with a lot of culture and history. If you ever visit the province of Quebec, I highly recommend for you to come a spend a day or two in Quebec City. There are various attractions and restaurants for you to enjoy. Having been to Quebec City various times, I have made a list of the top 8 things to do in Quebec City. Some of these activities are also available year-round, while others are more specific to the winter season.

This is the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, located in Quebec City.

1. Visit Fairmont Le Château Frontenac

The Fairmont Le Château Frontenac is a UNESCO Heritage site. It is now a luxurious hotel and Quebec City’s most famous site. However, most people do not stay at this hotel due to its expensive prices and instead, visit this site during the day. In the past, this building was where military meetings were held, among other important events.

I stayed at this hotel for one night and it really was an amazing experience. If you would also like to book your stay at the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, click here.

This is the Montmorency Falls, a few minutes outside of Quebec City.

2. Visit the Montmorency Falls

The Montmorency Falls is a big waterfall just 10 minutes outside of Quebec City. It is over 80 meters tall. To get to Montmorency Falls, you can either rent a car, take public transit or go with a tour. When I went, I drove from Montreal all the way to Quebec City so I had a car, but public transit (bus 800) and tours are also great options (and maybe even better).

You can view the Montmorency Falls from below or from above. If you would like to see it from above, there is a suspension bridge that you can reach that brings you right near the edge of the waterfall. You can also take a cable car that brings you across the Montmorency Falls.

The entry fee at the moment for one adult is 7.57 CAD per person for visitors outside of Quebec. If you decide to drive there, you will also need to pay for parking, which costs 3.78 CAD per vehicle. If you would also like to take the cable car, it is an additional 14.95 CAD per adult for a roundtrip. For tickets, click here.

3. Walk Around Old Quebec City

In the Old Quebec City, there are so many restaurants, cafés and shops. The streets are also very beautiful. You will feel like you arrived in an European town. I recommend taking your time to walk around and sit down at a café. One café that I’ve tried and that I’ve loved is La Maison Smith at Place Royale. Their lattes are amazing.

Another food that you can try is BeverTails, also called Queues de Castor in French. They specialize in a desert called bevertails, fried dough pastries that have many added toppings such as chocolate, powdered sugar, strawberries, bananas, etc.

This is the Hôtel de Glace, located a few minutes outside of Quebec City.

4. Visit the Ice Hotel (Hôtel de Glace)

The Ice Hotel can only be visited during winter. It is the only Ice Hotel in North America! Most people do a day visit, while others actually stay here for the night. The Ice Hotel is described in its name: it is a hotel made out of ice, from the beds, the seats, the tables, the bar, etc. The design of the hotel is also super fascinating: it isn’t simply just an ice hotel, but it is a hotel where the art also happens. In every room that you visit, you will also see the name of the artist that designed it.

If you would just like a day visit, the entrance fee is around 40 CAD. If you would like to stay for the night, prices range from approximately 300 to 700 CAD per night. To book your visit, click here.

5. Go Dog Sledding

Dog Sledding is such a fun winter activity to do, and I highly recommend it. There are many places around Quebec City where you can go dog sledding. The one I went to was called Secrets Nordiques.

Located near Beaupré, it is a 40 minute drive out of Quebec City but super worth it! I highly recommend getting a car to reach there since there are no public transits.

Click here to book a dog sledding activity with Secrets Nordiques. We did the Dog Sledding in DUO option. It includes 30 minutes of preparation, 60 minutes on the trail with the dogs and 30 minutes of a guided tour of the Canine Village.

This is what the Tobbogan Slide Au 1884 looks like.

6. Slide Down the Dufferin Terrace Toboggan Slide

The Toboggan Slide in Dufferin Terrace is a popular winter activity in Quebec City. For only a few dollars, you can go on trill of adrenaline and slide down with a toboggan next to the famous Fairmont le Château Frontenac.

The tickets can be bought once on site. Click here to see the prices. They are between 4 to 12 CAD per person, depending on the number of rides you chose.

This is the panoramic view of Quebec City from Ciel! Bistro-bar.

7. Get Panoramic Views of the City at Ciel! Bistro-bar

The Ciel! Bistro-bar is a restaurant in Quebec City. Located at the top floor, it offers panoramic views of the city. What’s really fascinating about this restaurant is that the seating area rotates very slowly. Therefore, you will be able to see the 360 view of Quebec City in one sitting. Don’t worry! If you have motion sickness, the floor moves very slowly. This is the perfect place to go after a long day to see the sunset.

This is located in the Plains of Abraham.

8. Visit the Plains of Abraham (Plaine’s d’Abraham)

The Plains of Abraham is an area within the Battlefields Park. The Plains of Abraham is where many wars took place. Today, many activities are held there. In the winter, it is covered in snow. During the summer, it is an area where people gather for picnics, relaxing, watching the flowers bloom, and festivals. The popular festivals at the Plains of Abraham are the National Day of Quebec, the Quebec Carnival and the Quebec Summer Festival. The park is free to visit.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to let me know below!