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Quebec City packs four centuries of history into a walkable UNESCO-listed old town. Most top sights sit inside or just beyond the 4.6 km of fortification walls. Prices below are in Canadian dollars for the 2026 season.
Things to Do in Quebec City: Old Quebec Landmarks
Chateau Frontenac and Terrasse Dufferin
The Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac towers over the St. Lawrence at 1 Rue des Carrieres. The lobby and ground-floor shops are open to non-guests, and the hotel runs a 75-minute guided tour for about CA$20 covering the 1943 and 1944 Quebec Conferences. The wooden Terrasse Dufferin boardwalk in front is free and gives the best river view in the city. See the Quebec City weather by month guide for more detail.
Citadelle de Quebec
This star-shaped fortress at the top of Cap Diamant is still an active base for the Royal 22e Regiment. Entry with a guided tour costs about CA$18 for adults. In summer you can watch the changing of the guard at 10 a.m. and the noon cannon firing, a daily ritual since 1871. See the best time to visit guide for more detail.
Plains of Abraham (Battlefields Park)
The 98-hectare park where British forces defeated the French in 1759 is free to enter. It is the city’s main green space, with 14 km of trails, cross-country ski tracks in winter, and two Martello towers you can tour for about CA$4. The park hosts the summer Festival d’ete main stage. See the events and festivals guide for more detail.
Things to Do in Quebec City: Lower Town and Riverfront
Quartier Petit Champlain
This narrow, cobbled street below the cliff is one of North America’s oldest shopping districts. Reach it by the Funiculaire du Vieux-Quebec, which runs from Terrasse Dufferin down to the base for CA$5 a ride (CA$3.75 for children), or by the steep Escalier Casse-Cou staircase for free. Boutiques, the Mur des Fresques mural, and the 1688 Eglise Notre-Dame-des-Victoires anchor the area. See the Quebec City neighborhoods guide for more detail.
Place Royale
Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec here in 1608, and the square’s stone houses date to the 1600s and 1700s. The Centre d’interpretation de Place-Royale (about CA$9) reconstructs the first settlement, while the square itself is free to wander year-round. See the where to stay in Quebec City guide for more detail.
Things to Do in Quebec City: Museums and Views
Musee de la civilisation
At 85 Rue Dalhousie in the Old Port, this museum runs rotating exhibitions on Quebec society and history. Adult admission is about CA$25, open Tuesday to Sunday. The permanent ‘People of Quebec, Then and Now’ gallery is the best one-hour primer on the province.
Musee national des beaux-arts du Quebec
On the Plains of Abraham at 179 Grande Allee Ouest, the MNBAQ holds more than 40,000 works with a focus on Quebec art. Adult tickets are about CA$25, free on the first Sunday of each month. The four pavilions range from a former prison to a 2016 glass wing.
Observatoire de la Capitale
On the 31st floor of the Marie-Guyart building at 1037 Rue de la Chevrotiere, this deck gives a 360-degree view from 221 metres up. Tickets are about CA$14.75 for adults, CA$6.25 for children 6 to 12, open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Things to Do in Quebec City: Outside the Walls
Montmorency Falls
At 83 metres, this waterfall is 30 metres higher than Niagara and sits 12 km east of downtown in Parc de la Chute-Montmorency. Park admission is CA$9.46 for adults in low season and CA$12.60 in summer, free for ages 17 and under; the cable car to the top adds about CA$15. A suspension bridge crosses the crest, and a 487-step staircase climbs the cliff face.
Ile d’Orleans
This 34 km long island in the St. Lawrence, 15 minutes from downtown, is Quebec’s farm country: cideries, wineries, berry stands, and cheese shops. Cross the Pont de l’Ile bridge and drive the 67 km Chemin Royal loop, stopping at Cassis Monna et Filles for blackcurrant products. Best May through October.
Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre
Thirty-five kilometres east of the city, this basilica draws pilgrims for its reported healing miracles and mosaic-covered interior. Entry is free; the attached museum charges a small fee. It is open daily year-round. For transport details, see the Quebec City travel tips guide.
