The Ultimate 2D Quebec City (Canada) Itinerary for First-Timers

This is our Quebec City two-day itinerary! This beautiful capital city of Quebec is located by the Saint Lawrence River and consists mainly of French-speaking citizens (though many of them can speak English too). With a history that dates back to 1608, it is a city with rich culture and heritage.

Walking along the streets, it felt like we were in a charming European town with gorgeous architecture and quaint cobblestone streets. Our favourite attraction here was the world-famous Château Frontenac, a luxury hotel built in the French Renaissance Château Style. This majestic building looked just like a magical castle from a fairy tale!

We were lucky enough to visit during Christmas, when the city turns into a magical wonderland. We were entranced by the glittering lights and festive decorations everywhere. Strolling around the romantic city in the falling snow, we wished the moment could last forever.

And of course, there were plenty of good food spots here too. You can check out our article on the best places to eat in Quebec City. You can also check out our list of 15 fun things to do in Quebec City.

We have outlined our two-day Quebec City itinerary below. It should be helpful if you are visiting the city for the first time. Enjoy!

Day 1 Map (click to enlarge)

Day 1 Morning

Le Saint Pierre Auberge Distinctive

We arrived in Quebec City in the early afternoon by flight from Boston. After two fun days in Boston, we were excited to start exploring this beautiful Canadian city! From the airport, we took a taxi to our hotel, the charming Le Saint Pierre Auberge Distinctive. This quaint hotel has lovely rooms and offers delicious breakfast daily. The price is quite affordable too. We enjoyed our two nights’ stay here very much. Read our full review of Le Saint Pierre Auberge Distinctive.

Le Saint Pierre Auberge Distinctive
Address: 79 Rue Saint-Pierre, Québec, QC G1K 4A3, Canada
Website: https://auberge.qc.ca/en
Phone: +1 418 694 7981

Day 1 Noon

BeaverTails

After washing up quickly, we made our way to BeaverTails (Queues de Castor), a pastry chain famous for its delicious fried dough pastry. We ordered the Chocolate Hazelnut ($5.44) and Apple Cinnamon ($6.09) flavours and they tasted wonderful! The pastry was prepared on the spot and served to us piping-hot.

BeaverTails Old Quebec (Queues de Castor Vieux Québec)
Address: 28 Boulevard Champlain, Québec, QC G1K 4H5, Canada
Opening Hours: | Mon to Thurs: 11.30am – 7pm | Fri to Sun: 11.30am – 9.30pm |
Website: https://beavertails.com

Quartier Petit Champlain

After that, we explored the surrounding Quartier Petit Champlain district. This picture-perfect neighbourhood is lined with gorgeous European architecture and quaint cobblestone pavements. We saw plenty of fashion boutiques, artisan shops, and bistros.

We were lucky enough to visit during Christmas and the whole area felt magical with its gorgeous lights and beautiful festive decorations. We took a walk up the famous Breakneck Steps (L’Escalier Casse-Cou), which was built in 1635 and is the oldest stairway in Quebec City. We also saw the The Old Quebec Funicular (Funiculaire du Vieux-Québec), a short funicular (cable-operated) railway that carries visitors from the lower part of Quebec City to the upper part for just $3 CAD.

Notre Dame de Québec Basilica Cathedral

After exploring Quartier Petit Champlain, we made our way to the Notre Dame de Québec Basilica Cathedral (Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Quebec), a historic cathedral that was built in 1647. It is also a National Historic Site of Canada. As we walked into the cathedral, we were in awe of its glittering interior and beautiful art pieces.

Notre Dame de Québec Basilica Cathedral
Address: 16 Rue De Buade, Québec, QC G1R 4A1, Canada
Opening Hours: | Mon to Fri: 7am – 4pm | Sat: 7am – 6pm | Sun: 8am – 5pm |

Fairmont Le Château Frontenac

Next, we walked to the Chateau Frontenac (also known as The Fairmont Le Château Frontenac), a majestic luxury hotel in Quebec City. After seeing all its beautiful pictures online, we were very much looking forward to seeing it in real life. And it did not disappoint us. This world-famous attraction is a splendid example of the French Renaissance Château Style with its classic mansard roofs and stately spires. It was like a magical castle from a fairy tale!

Fairmont Le Château Frontenac
Address: 1 Rue des Carrières, Québec, QC G1R 4P5, Canada
Website: www.fairmont.com/frontenac-quebec

Day 1 Evening

Le Chic Shack

We were famished after a whole day of exploring Quebec City and decided to go for dinner at Le Chic Shack, a family-friendly restaurant that serves burgers, poutines and salads. For drinks, it offers a variety of drinks such as milkshakes, house-made sodas, wine, and craft beer. Vegan and gluten-free options are available too. We enjoyed our La Chic Poulette ($11) burger, La Classique ($7) poutine, and Salted Maple Caramel Milkshake ($5) very much.

Le Chic Shack
Address: 15 Fort St, Quebec City, QC G1R 3Z8, Canada
Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 10pm
Menu: http://lechicshack.ca/en/menu-chic-shack

Terrasse Dufferin (Dufferin Terrace)

After dinner, we went for a nice stroll along Terrasse Dufferin (Dufferin Terrace). This is a beautiful terrace below the Chateau Frontenac. The wooden walkway starts from Chateau Frontenac and extends all the way to the Citadelle of Quebec. We enjoyed slowly walking down the terrace while admiring the scenic St. Lawrence River.

La Terrasse Saint Denis (The Saint Denis Terrace)


From Terrasse Dufferin, we walked uphill to the La Terrasse Saint Denis (The Saint Denis Terrace), a beautiful small terrace located about 10 minutes away. Since it’s located uphill, the terrace offers breathtaking views of the Saint Lawrence River and Chateau Frontenac. The views are spectacular during both day and night. (This is a special place to us because it is where I proposed to Raevian!)

Day 2 Map

Day 2 Morning

La Maison Smith Cafe

Next morning, we woke up excited to continue exploring Quebec City. After having our hotel breakfast, we went for a second round of breakfast at the La Maison Smith Cafe in Place Royale. This cafe chain is known for its fine chocolates and specialty coffees. It also serves a variety of delicious pastries, desserts and sandwiches. We sat at a table by the window to watch the falling snow while enjoying our macarons ($1.70) and hot cup of chocolate ($4).

La Maison Smith Cafe
Address: 23 Rue Notre Dame, Québec, QC G1K 4E9, Canada
Opening Hours: Daily 7am to 9pm
Other Branches: https://lamaisonsmith.com/en

Place Royale

After breakfast, we took some time to walk around Place Royale. This is the site where the first French settlement was established in 1608. It is lined with historic buildings dating back to the 17th century. The oldest stone church in North America (built in 1688), Notre Dame des Victoires Church (Our Lady of Victories Church) is located here.

Morrin Centre

From Place Royale, we took a taxi to the Morrin Centre. This is an English-language cultural centre that aims to educate the public on English heritage, history, and the arts. The library here is designed in the classic English style and was beautiful.

Morrin Centre
Address: 44 Chaussée des Écossais, Québec, QC G1R 4H3, Canada
Website: www.morrin.org
Opening Hours: | Mon: CLOSED | Tue: 12pm – 8pm | Wed to Fri: 12pm – 4pm | Sat: 10am – 4pm | Sun: 12pm – 4pm |

Day 2 Noon

Chez Aston

From Morrin Centre, we took another taxi ride to the Chez Ashton branch at Grande Allée for lunch. This popular Canadian fast food chain is famous for its delicious poutine. “Poutine” is a type of food that originated from Quebec, consisting of french fries, white cheese curds, and savoury brown gravy. We had a poutine with sausage and a Ashton hotdog.

Chez Ashton
Address: 640 Grande Allée E, Québec, QC G1R 2K5, Canada
Opening Hours: Daily 10.30am to 10pm
Other Branches: http://chezashton.ca

Grande Allée

After lunch, we strolled along Grande Allée, a hip and bustling thoroughfare with bistros, cafes and classic architecture. At night, the place turns into a vibrant nightspot with night clubs, bars and live performances.

The Battlefields Park

Next, we explored the nearby Battlefields Park, a beautiful national urban park built in 1908. It consists of the Plains of Abraham and Des Braves Park. It is famous for being the site of the 1759 “Battle of the Plains of Abraham”, where the British forces defeated the French forces. If you are interested, you can check out the Plains of Abraham Museum. We also saw the iconic Martello towers, which are small defensive forts built by the British Empire during the 19th century.

La Citadelle de Quebec

From the park, we walked to La Citadelle de Quebec (The Citadel of Quebec), a military base located on the top of Cap Diamant (Cape Diamond). The citadel was built by British forces in the early 19th century to defend against American troops. Today, it is the headquarters of the Royal 22e Régiment of the Canadian Armed Forces.

Although we knew the citadel was big, we only really got a sense of its size when we walked along the parameter of the fortified walls.

There is a museum in the citadel. Museum visitors can get to see the Changing of the Guard and Beating of the Retreat ceremonies. Guided tours are available too. You can click to see the La Citadelle de Quebec museum opening hours and ticket prices.

Day 2 Evening

Parliament Building

After exploring the Citadelle, we walked out to the Parliament Building, which houses the Parliament of Quebec. We saw the Fontaine de Tourny in front of the building, which has 43 water jets and beautiful sculpted figures. As it was winter, the fountain was covered with pretty Christmas decorations.

Place d’Youville (Youville Square)


From the Parliament Building, we walked for about 10 minutes to Place d’Youville (Youville Square). You can also take a taxi if you wish. This was one of our favourite places in Quebec City! Located in rue Saint-Jean, this public square houses an ice skating rink and is surrounded by charming buildings like the Palais Montcalm and the Théâtre Capitole de Québec. The Porte Saint Jean, a fortified city gate, serves as a stately backdrop.

We visited at night during the Christmas period, and the place was magical. It was really nice to see the locals enjoying themselves on the skating rink. The Théâtre Capitole de Québec was decorated with glittering lights, further adding to the festive vibe of Place d’Youville. You can click here to see the Place d’Youville skating rink opening hours. There is no admission fee.

il Matto

Finally it was time for dinner! We took a taxi back to a restaurant near our hotel, il Matto. This is an upscale Italian restaurant. The atmosphere was classy without being pretentious, and service was pretty good too. We ordered the Fried Calamari ($10) and Linguine with Seafood ($25). Both dishes were delicious and we enjoyed our last meal in Quebec City very much. Check out our full review of il Matto. And that was the end of our two fun days! Quebec City is a gorgeous place and we will definitely be coming back again in the future. The next morning, we woke up early to catch the train to our next stop: Montreal.

il Matto
Address: 71 Rue Saint-Pierre, Québec, QC G1K 4A5, Canada
Opening Hours: Daily 11.30am to 2pm, 5.30pm to 10.30pm
Website:  http://ilmatto.ca
(you can use your browser to translate the menu items to English)

This article is part of our completely free and fantastic Quebec City Travel Guide. Why spend days researching when all your holiday information is simply a click away?

Itinerary Summary

Time	Day 1	Day 2
Morning		La Maison Smith Cafe
Morning		Place Royale
Morning	Airport to Hotel	Morrin Centre
Afternoon	BeaverTails	Chez Aston
Afternoon	Quartier Petit Champlain	Grande Allée
Afternoon	Basilica Cathedral	The Battlefields Park
Afternoon	Chateau Frontenac	La Citadelle de Quebec
Evening	Le Chic Shack	Parliament Building
Evening	Terrasse Dufferin	Place d’Youville
Evening	La Terrasse Saint Denis	il Matto