Three Day Quebec City Itinerary
- Sarah Brooks
- May 11, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Oct 3
Old Quebec is a quaint city full of cobblestone streets, adorable cafes, incredible restaurants and fun boutiques.
With its European charm, you’ll feel like you’ve landed in the middle of France - without the expensive plane ticket and trans-Atlantic flight!
It's hard not to fall head-over-heels with this Quebec City! It's is a perfect romantic getaway and a perfect long-weekend destination. You can see all the highlights in two days, so we ended up adding on a quick day trip to our visit.
We visited in May, which was wonderful - the weather was just starting to warm up and the tourist crowds hadn't yet descended on the city.
Here's my free three day itinerary - plus a bonus fourth day if you want to add on a short a day trip!
Day One: Stroll through Quebec City's cobblestone streets
The best way to get to know Quebec City is to just hit the cobblestones! Take a stroll through Old Québec’s charming streets and soak in the city’s incredible history and European vibes.
We stayed near Place Royale, so we started our adventures there!
You can visit the oldest stone church in North America and explore the very site where Quebec was founded.
We stopped into Café La Maison Smith Notre-Dame for breakfast and enjoyed a croissant and café au lait in the square.
From there, take a leisurely stroll down Rue du Petit Champlain to explore the unique boutiques and art galleries.
You’ll feel like you’re walking in a postcard!
Stop along the way for lunch or dinner in one of the many restaurants along the way.
We had lunch at Le Lapin Sauté, which is a local favorite.
Try the famous cassoulet or the
rabbit poutine. We had both! My favorite was the poutine. It was the best
I had in Quebec - and believe me when I say I ate a lot of poutine!
After lunch, we continued our explorations on foot. Quebec City is incredibly walkable, but there are a lot of hills and the cobblestone streets are very uneven. We definitely worked off our the huge meal!
We stopped and picked up some fresh cheese curds to keep us fueled for the rest of our day (there's no such thing as too many cheese curds!) We visited Parliament and the St. Louis gate.
Day 2: Explore Quebec's unique history
Quebec City has an incredible history and unique that dates back to July 3, 1608, when French explorer Samuel de Champlain laid its foundations as the first permanent European settlement in Canada. Over time, it grew into a strategic fortified fur-trading post along the St. Lawrence River and became the capital of New France, playing a key role in shaping the region’s colonial past. started day two with climb up the (steep!) Escalier Casse-Cou. This is a staircase dates back to the 1600s and a great spot for photos and views of the old city.
You’ll be rewarded for your climb with an amazing view of the famous Chateau Frontenac and the Citadelle of Québec. (Tip: there's also a funicular up to the Chateau if your feet are tired - which by now they might be!)
We spent some time exploring both the hotel and the Citadel!
The historic Chateau Frontenac is open to the public and you can visit even if you're not staying there. It's worth taking a wander through the building or taking a guided tour to learn more about the hotel's history.
The grounds are beautiful and it's a great spot to relax and soak in the views.
The Citadel is located right next to the hotel. (For reasons unknown, I don't have any pictures from our visit.) You can stroll around the outside of the fort or take a guided tour of the inside.
We timed our day so we were on Dufferin Terrace near Chateau Frontenac for sunset.
It is a lively place with street performers, musicians, and artists entertaining visitors, especially in the warmer months.
The terrace offers spectacular panoramic views of the St. Lawrence River and the Chateau Frontenac is just stunning at sunset.
For dinner, we hopped around to a different little bistros eating allll the French food we could find!
Day 3: Waterfall and wine tasting
We initially planned to spend three full days in Old Quebec, but we realized we had seen most of the city in the first 48 hours.
We decided to rent a car to give us the freedom to explore outside the historic city center.
Parc de la Chute-Montmorency is only a few miles outside the city and very easy to reach. You don't actually need a car for this part. If you want to add this to your trip, it's easily accessible via taxi or Uber. This massive waterfall is even taller than Niagara Falls!
There are several different ways to explore the falls. We opted to take the cable car to the top of the, walk across the bridge that spans the falls and then we hiked back down the other side.
The views from the bridge looking directly over the falls are incredible—you can feel the
mist on your face and hear the roar of the water beneath your feet. It’s a dramatic perspective you just can’t get from the base.
If you're the adventurous type, there's also a zip-line across as well as the Via Ferrata, where you're attached to a cable and you scale metal rungs on the waterfall's cliff face.
I would have loved to ride the zip-line, but sadly we were there too early in the season and both attractions were closed. Still, it’s an unforgettable spot that’s worth visiting no matter the time of year.
Next we headed across the bridge to the Île d'Orléans for some wine tasting! The island is a charming blend of rustic countryside and historic villages. I would love to come back in the fall - I can only imagine how beautiful the leaves would be!
We stopped into two wineries to sample some vino. Vignoble Isle de Bacchus and Vignoble Ste-Pétronille are two great spots to sip wine and soak in the beautiful views.
Before you leave, you’ll need to stop for road-side poutine at Chez Mag, a no-frills roadside spot with first-class food!
Bonus Day 4: Day trip to Baie-Saint-Paul
If you have the extra time, make the hour drive (or take the train) through beautiful mountains to the tiny artisan town of Baie-Saint-Paul. The drive itself was absolutely stunning, winding through rolling hills and dense forests of the Charlevoix region with breathtaking views of the St. Lawrence River.
The little village is located in a valley right along the St. Lawrence river. Take some time to visit the many galleries, art shops and boutiques. We wandered the streets and stopped into some cute shops.
And of course, we had to have some more poutine!
If you’re looking to get more off the beaten path, take a side trip to Pont Couvert de Saint Placide on your way! It’s a gorgeous covered bridge about five miles off the main road. This hidden gem is well worth the detour. The drive takes you through peaceful farmland and rolling green hills The bridge itself, painted a rich red and framed by lush trees. It's the kind of quiet, picturesque stop that makes road trips so special.
