48 Hours in Quebec City

Since I moved to Canada, I have been reading about the beauty of this picturesque town. I don’t think you will find such European charm anywhere else is North America from storied past, narrow alleys, and magnificent architecture. Plus, if you are brave enough to venture out in a bit of cold (I mean very cold ~-30°C), you will find this place turns literally into a fairy tale castle during Christmas that you may have only seen in Disney movies.

How to reach

You can fly to Jean Lesage International Airport, which is approximately 30 minutes away from Old Quebec City.

The other option is to drive from Montreal, which is approximately 3 hours away.

We drove to Quebec City from Toronto, which is approximately 8 hours. We didn’t want to rush, so we decided to split the drive over two days. We left Toronto in evening, stayed overnight in Gananoque (3 hrs. drive), before heading to Quebec City the day after.

Where to Stay

Truly speaking, you don’t need a car to explore the old town. Though, if you plan not to drive its better to stay in the old town. If you are driving you can stay outside as it will save you some greens. We didn’t find parking to be an issue in / around the old down (between $10 - $15 / day).

Day 1

We reached around 2 pm to our Airbnb (20 mins drive from the old town), and after a bit of rest, it was time to head to the old town.

Levis Ferry

By the time we reached the old town, the Sun was about to set. And what could have been more beautiful than watching the sunset over the old town? So, we decided to take the ferry across the river to enjoy the moment. Since the sun was behind us, it was not the perfect time for photography, but it was still beautiful to watch.

(View of Skyline from the ferry)

As the sun went down, the Quebec skyline was lit up with lights, and you will definitely remember seeing Frontenac in all its glory. Alas, it only lasted a moment (precisely 12 minutes) before we were asked to disembark on the other side. After disembarking, we took a walk along the river with gorgeous views of the city. The area also has some water fountains and a small garden to sit by and enjoy.

If you are a photo buff, I will recommend taking the ferry early in the morning to capture the beautiful town.

Note: Ferry leaves from Traversier Québec–Lévis. The ferry departs every 20 minutes, but after 6 pm the frequency goes down to 60 minutes. I would recommend to check out the schedule of the ferry beforehand to avoid any surprises. (https://www.traversiers.com/en/our-ferries/quebec-city-levis-ferry/schedule/) The fare is $3.65 per person one way.

Late Evening Stroll

Before heading for the stroll, we really wanted to grab some good food. Finding vegetarian food is always a challenge ☹ All vegetarians out there can totally understand the pain…

So, the safest choice was Italian, so we ended in a place called Sapristi. We loved both the ambience and the food as they had some great vegetarian options.

(What do you think about this Patio? )

(Loved the ambiance and the food)

Now it was the time to stroll in the beautiful lanes of the town. Very soon, we reached Terrasse Dufferin (near Fairmont Le Château Frontenac), which was buzzing with music and crowd. Well I didn’t read about this is any blogs, but there are some incredible live performances on this square every night, and indeed, it was a great way to spend the evening.

(Loved this Umbrella Street, it was picturesque )

(I think this picture can speak for itself)

What a perfect way to end our day. Btw, this is the perfect town to get lost, so ditch your gps.

Day 2

Well, you can never predict rain gods, so here we were. As we got up in the morning all set to hit the town, what we saw was heavy rains. Definitely a bummer. So, we decided to have a big breakfast and having an Airbnb with kitchen didn’t hurt. As we slowly got ready, rain gods also showed some mercy on us, so it was time to step out.

Montmorency Falls

It's approximately 15 minutes drive from Old Quebec City. The area has two parking lots - Manoir Montmorency & Montmorency Falls Parking Lot.

(View of Montmorency Falls)

I know it is a bit confusing so were we. We took the advice of GPS and parked at Manoir Montmorency. There were multiple things to do here:

There is a beautiful trail that wraps around the fall
Take Cable Car ride (Round-trip tickets are around C$13 for adults, C$7 for kids 6–17) down to falls.
Enjoy Zip Line.

Lets look the at the view from the Parking Area through my lens.

We decided to explore the area on foot and headed for the trail (well-paved). It doesn’t look much as the start, but after walking for a few minutes, we were able to get a gorgeous glimpse of the falls from the top. It took us approximately 10 minutes to reach the first viewing deck. And we couldn’t help but notice the zipline crossing the falls.

(Let's begin our walk towards the fall)

My husband could not resist himself from having some adventure.

So he immediately ran towards the start of the zipline, which is from the other end of the falls. You need to cross the suspension bridge and walk for another 10-15 mins to reach there. I would definitely recommend doing this and its not super expensive either (~$30). To top it off, they give a complimentary video capturing your experience, which you can’t do on your own.

After the zipline, we noticed the area opens up to a huge park with apple trees. This park sports a great kid-playing area and a perfect spot for some beautiful clicks with baby apples covering the ground.

(Do you also felling excited to be at this apple park)

On your right, you will see the second viewing platform, which gives a spectacular view of the falls and is a bit less crowded compared to the first one. Adjoining the platform is the super famous 487 stairs, which will take you down close to the rushing water from the falls.

(Can you identify the Stairs leading you down to the Falls)

So, are you planning to take the stairs to go all the way down? Btw, if you plan, one of your group members can drive the car to the other parking lot, and then you won’t have to climb back.

Well we were short of time and breath to experience the stairs. So, I went down a few, clicked some pictures, and headed back.

Btw, this place definitely exceeded my expectations and one can spend an entire day in the area.

Old Quebec City

I would not suggest taking any walking path but follow your heart. As we had already explored the area in the night, we decided to begin with Plains of Abraham and hit some random streets reaching Fairmont. As I was exploring the area, I was falling in love with the charismatic city.

Oh, wait wait wait

I should not tell you the path to take, follow your heart. Do explore the area around the Basilica, try some local cafeterias on the street, click some pictures on the Umbrella alley, pick a souvenir, don't forget to enjoy the Patios.

Here are some images of the beautiful lanes in the city: