Walking Old Quebec Street by Street
Old Quebec is small enough to cover on foot, but the cliff between the Upper Town and the Lower Town turns every route into a mix of flat streets and stairs. These four routes use only the verified stops below, and all costs are in Canadian dollars (CAD).
Route 1: The walls and the Upper Town
Start at Porte Saint-Louis and follow the ramparts along rue des Remparts, then pass Parc Montmorency and the Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec on rue De Buade. Finish at Place d’Armes and the Château Frontenac. Walking the walls is free and needs no guide. The full wall is about 4.6 km, but most of the Upper Town loop is shorter. Parks Canada also offers a 90-minute guided walk, priced at about 22.75 CAD for adults, with the 2026 season running from 19 June to 25 October.
Route 2: Lower Town and the Old Port
Begin on Dufferin Terrace, then go down the Escalier Casse-Cou, a flight of 59 steps. If you prefer not to climb, the funicular costs 7 CAD one way for adults and takes cash only. At the bottom, walk rue du Petit-Champlain, then Place Royale, the Église Notre-Dame-des-Victoires and the Fresque des Québécois at 29 rue Notre-Dame, before reaching the Old Port. The Musée de la civilisation at 85 rue Dalhousie is nearby if you want an indoor stop.
Route 3: Governors’ Promenade and the Plains of Abraham
From Dufferin Terrace, climb the Governors’ Promenade, the wooden staircase beside the Citadelle. Continue into Battlefields Park, passing the Jardin Jeanne-d’Arc, and end at the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec at 179 Grande Allée Ouest. Use the park for walking and jogging. In winter it has free cross-country ski tracks of about 13.9 km. This is a solemn place, since it is the site of the 1759 battle.
Route 4: Saint-Roch and Saint-Jean-Baptiste
Leave the walls at Porte Saint-Jean and follow rue Saint-Jean outside the ramparts. Go down the Côte d’Abraham, or take the Escalier du Faubourg, a stair of 99 steps, into Saint-Roch. The district has the brewery La Barberie at 310 rue Saint-Roch, a co-operative that serves snacks only, and Noctem Artisans Brasseurs at 438 rue du Parvis. Opening hours change, so check them on the day.
Evening walks
Les Visites Fantômes de Québec lists evening walking tours at fantomesdequebec.com. Choose the tour by reading its own page, since prices and meeting points are not fixed here.
Winter footing and safety
The steps, the Governors’ Promenade and the hills ice over in winter, so wear boots with deep tread. Petty theft is the main concern for visitors in busy areas, so keep bags closed.
For the walls and tours see the Parks Canada Fortifications page , and for the Plains see the Battlefields Park site . Guided walks can be searched on GetYourGuide .
Read more: sightseeing inside the walls and attraction visits .