Quebec City: 4-Day Itinerary
Quebec City in 4 Days
Four days adds a proper second day trip beyond Montmorency and Ile d’Orleans, which is where this itinerary earns its extra night over the 3-day version.
Day 1: Arrival and Upper Town
Arrive at Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB), about 25 minutes from downtown by taxi (roughly CAD $41, verify) or the RTC bus. Check in, then walk Old Quebec’s Upper Town: Place d’Armes, the Chateau Frontenac (a working Fairmont hotel, not a museum), and the Dufferin Terrace boardwalk. Old Quebec was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, and it’s the only fortified city north of Mexico with its walls still standing. Dinner at Aux Anciens Canadiens runs roughly CAD $40-60 per person plus the 14.975% tax. Tip: confirm your hotel’s view category if you’re paying for the Fairmont, rooms without a river view cost nearly as much as ones with it.
Day 2: Lower Town and the museums
Take the funicular or the Breakneck Stairs down to Petit-Champlain, then Place Royale, where Champlain founded the city in 1608. Spend the afternoon at the Musee de la civilisation (around CAD $22, verify), which covers 400 years of Quebec history. Dinner in Saint-Roch instead of the tourist strip stretches the budget further. Tip: arrive at Petit-Champlain before 9am if you want photos without cruise-ship crowds.
Day 3: Montmorency Falls and Ile d’Orleans
Drive 15 minutes to Montmorency Falls (83 meters, taller than Niagara); the free boardwalk and 487-step staircase cover the view, or pay around CAD $15 for the cable car. Cross to Ile d’Orleans for the afternoon for orchards, cider, and berry farms along the 67-kilometer loop road. Tip: this pairs into one long day rather than two half-days, budget for it.
Day 4: Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre and Canyon Sainte-Anne
Continue about 15 minutes past Montmorency to the Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre Basilica, a major pilgrimage site dating to 1658, then another short drive to Canyon Sainte-Anne, a 74-meter waterfall crossed by three suspension footbridges. Head back for a final dinner before departing from YQB. Tip: see Quebec City’s Best Day Trips for exact drive times between these stops.