Walking Routes in Old Quebec City

October 20, 2026

Old Quebec is small enough to cover on foot, but it is built on a cliff, so the routes involve stairs and slopes. Wear shoes with grip, and in winter wear boots, because the Governor’s Promenade and the steps ice over. Prices are in Canadian dollars (CAD). A guide is optional, since the main streets are signed and busy.

Upper Town loop

Start at Place d’Armes in front of the Château Frontenac and walk along Dufferin Terrace, which runs along the cliff top. At the far end the Governor’s Promenade climbs beside the Citadelle up to the Plains of Abraham. From the Plains, return along the city walls to Porte Saint-Louis and Porte Saint-Jean, then head down Rue Saint-Jean for shops and cafés. Walking the walls is free. The Parks Canada guided walk of the Fortifications lasts about 90 minutes, costs about 22.75 CAD for adults on an undated fee page and meets at the Frontenac kiosk on Dufferin Terrace. See the Parks Canada guided tour .

Lower Town

To reach Lower Town you can take the Escalier Casse-Cou, which has 59 steps and is among the city’s oldest stairways. Or you can take the funicular, at 7 CAD one way for adults, with a cash payment at the station and an ATM at both ends. Children under 117 cm ride free, and it is open year-round from 9:00 to 21:00, to 22:00 in summer. The funicular does not take RTC bus fares. Details are on the funicular site . At the bottom, follow Rue du Petit-Champlain to Place Royale, the site of Champlain’s 1608 Habitation. Then visit the Église Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, the Fresque des Québécois mural and the Old Port.

Saint-Roch

Leave through Porte Saint-Jean and go down the Côte d’Abraham to the Saint-Roch quarter. La Barberie at 310 rue Saint-Roch is a worker co-op brewery serving snacks only, and Noctem Artisans Brasseurs is at 438 rue du Parvis. Opening hours were not confirmed, so check before you make the trip. The walk back uphill is steep.

Ghost walks

Les Visites Fantômes de Québec lists nightly evening walks, and a separate company, Les Promenades Fantômes, also operates. Prices and meeting points change, so confirm both when you book. Evening walks are cold in winter and the old lanes can be dark, so bring a light and warm layers.

A park to know

Parc de la Francophonie is a small urban park beside Place George-V across Grande Allée from the Parliament Building. It is a stage site for the summer festival.

Getting around

Quebec City has no metro, so public transit is buses only. The RTC cash fare was 4.00 CAD in exact change from 1 July 2026, and a 1-day pass was 10.50. Children 5 and under ride free. See the RTC fare grid . Guided walking tours are listed on GetYourGuide .