Quebec City: 7-Day Itinerary
Quebec City in 7 Days
Seven days is a full week for a compact walking city, which means an unhurried pace, every major day trip, and a spare day for whichever neighborhood grabbed you most by day six.
Day 1: Arrival and Upper Town
Arrive at Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB), about 25 minutes from downtown. Walk Place d’Armes, the Chateau Frontenac, and the Dufferin Terrace boardwalk. Dinner at Aux Anciens Canadiens, in a house dating to 1675, runs roughly CAD $40-60 per person plus the 14.975% tax. Tip: reserve that dinner before you land, it books out fast in high season.
Day 2: The Citadelle and Plains of Abraham
Tour the Citadelle for the Royal 22e Regiment’s daily summer changing of the guard, then walk the Plains of Abraham, where Wolfe defeated Montcalm in 1759. Visit the Musee national des beaux-arts du Quebec on the park’s edge and the Parliament Building nearby. Tip: the changing-of-the-guard ceremony runs roughly 10am, arrive a little early for a clear view.
Day 3: Lower Town and Petit-Champlain
Take the funicular or Breakneck Stairs down to Petit-Champlain and Place Royale, where Champlain founded the city in 1608. Spend the afternoon at the Musee de la civilisation (around CAD $22, verify) and the Marche du Vieux-Port. Tip: arrive at Petit-Champlain before 9am to beat the cruise-ship crowds.
Day 4: Montmorency Falls
Drive 15 minutes to Montmorency Falls, 83 meters and taller than Niagara. The free boardwalk and 487-step staircase cover the main view; the cable car adds around CAD $15. Tip: go early, the lot fills by mid-morning in summer.
Day 5: Ile d’Orleans
Cross the bridge for the 67-kilometer loop road’s orchards, cider producers, and berry farms, including Cassis Monna & Filles near Saint-Pierre. Tip: see Quebec City’s Best Day Trips for which producers are worth a stop versus a drive-by.
Day 6: Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre and Canyon Sainte-Anne
Visit the Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre Basilica, a pilgrimage site dating to 1658, then continue to Canyon Sainte-Anne, a 74-meter waterfall crossed by three suspension footbridges including the 60-meter McNicoll Bridge. Tip: the canyon’s trails are open only seasonally, roughly May through October, so verify before you plan the day around it.
Day 7: Saint-Roch and departure
Spend the morning in Saint-Roch, the city’s newer dining and arts quarter, then shop for maple products and souvenirs in Old Quebec before departing from YQB. Tip: Saint-Roch’s Michelin-recognized tables run CAD $25-35 per main, noticeably less than an Old Quebec address.