Explore Old Quebec City – a kid-friendly walking tour (winter edition)
Old Quebec City is an extremely kid-friendly destination. It’s very walkable, filled with charm, history, and effortlessly instagrammable spots. Kids will love that it is not *only* walking and looking at things – there is plenty to do along the way, and tasty treats to be had. The tour can easily be done in one day, with generous time to linger and for some quintessential winter fun. We recommend an earlier start (9am), particularly if you plan to ride the famous Dufferin Terrace toboggan, as we’ll get to below.
This walking tour can be done in the warmer months, too – but there are many unique features if you visit in winter, as you’ll see below. We have yet to encounter another North American city that embraces winter like Quebec City!
Good to know before you go
Parking
Parking in Old Quebec City can be challenging, as the streets are narrow and space is limited. If possible, we recommend parking your car near the Chateau Frontenac for its central location.
Another perk of arriving early is the possibility of finding street parking. Designated street parking is metered, and can be paid by credit card or cash. We found an ideal parking spot along Cote de la Montagne, at the perfect junction between Upper Town and Lower Town.
Parking garages and parking lots in the vicinity include:
- Les Maisons De Beaucours Parking (the closest option, along Rue Saint-Louis)
- Parking D’Youville (near Ponte Saint-Louis, a little further away from Chateau Frontenac but close to the Plains of Abraham entrance)
- Place des Canotiers (along the St Lawrence River, right near Lower Town)
Dress warmly
We cannot stress this enough. Quebec City in the winter is cold, and snowy. Make sure to wear base layers, a fleece mid layer, and a winter jacket. Kids should wear snow pants (lots of winter fun to be had along the tour, but Quebec City is so hilly kids can find spots to climb and slide almost everywhere). Warm boots are a must, with ski socks, and ideally with good traction against ice. Don’t forget gloves and hats.
Do you need to speak French?
Quebec is a French speaking province in Canada. The street signs will be French, and all the locals speak French. But everyone in the tourism industry can speak English, and tourism information is bilingual.
It is always appreciated to know a few words, including hello (bonjour), please (s’il vous plait), and thank you (merci).
If you are visiting outside the downtown core, you may encounter people who do not speak English. We ate at an Ashtons (a fast food poutine diner) just north of the city, and the staff spoke only French. (We managed pretty well, except accidentally ordering 1 poutine instead of 2. :P)
(A) Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac
An imposing castle hotel overlooking the St Lawrence River, Chateau Frontenac is the main landmark for Old Quebec City. Constructed in the 1890s, it has been designated a National Historic Site. Chateau Frontenac is widely considered Canada’s most iconic building, and apparently, the most photographed building in the world.
In front of Chateau Frontenac is a statue of Samuel de Champlain. Samuel de Champlain was the first European explorer to sail up the St. Lawrence River, the founder of Quebec City and “New France”.
Fun facts for kids: 1) there are no portraits in existence of Samuel de Champlain, so nobody actually knows what he really looks like! 2) The artist of the monument, Paul Chevre, is a survivor of the Titanic.
(B) Dufferin Terrace and Au 1884 Toboggan
Dufferin Terrace is a long boardwalk that extends from Chateau Frontenac to the base of the Citadel. It offers the best views of the St. Lawrence River, and Big S and Lil S loved watching ships and ice breakers making their way up and down the river. On the other side, you can admire the many facets of the Chateau Frontenac, and is a great spot for photos. *Underneath* the Terrace is the ruins of St Louis Fort, the initial structure Champlain erected at this spot. You can see artifacts through viewing windows along the Terrace.
Fun facts for kids: At certain times of the day, the St. Lawrence River flows in *opposite directions*, due to changes in the ocean tides. This phenomenon can really only be appreciated in the winter. We only realized this because we noticed the ice in the river was flowing the “wrong way”, and thought our minds were playing tricks on us!
In the winter, you must take a ride on the Au 1884 Toboggan. Built in 1884, it is the oldest working toboggan in the world, and a huge hit for kids and adults. You can purchase tickets online ($3.91 CAD) or in person from the kiosk on Dufferin Terrace ($5 CAD). We recommend getting there right at opening (9:30AM for the 10AM opening), or else waiting in line can easily cost 1-2 hours of your day.
(C) Funiculaire de Vieux-Quebec
Make your way from “Upper Town” old Quebec City (haute-ville) to Lower Town (base-ville). Because the distance is not very far (85 meters in height), taking the funicular is fairly unnecessary but completely exciting for the kids, which makes it worth considering. 😛 (You can also take the funicular *up*, which probably makes more sense, but you do need to backtrack a bit, as we’ll show you below.)
Tickets are $6 CAD per person, and children < 117cm are free.
(D) Rue de Petit Champlain
This is a picturesque pedestrian street in the heart of the Lower Town. It feels like stepping into a Christmas card. The street is lined with quaint shops and cafes. In the winter, there is a small niche that transforms into an “ice rink” where kids can play mini-stick hockey.
For kids, the undeniable favourite is la Petite Cabane a Sucre de Quebec – the sugar shack, located at the end of the street. The shop sells delectable maple treats, and outside the storefront you will find the infamous maple taffy treats made over snow. You can watch the employee making fresh maple taffy, and the kids loved this so much they went back twice!
At the other end of Rue de Petit Champlain are the Breakneck Stairs, Quebec City’s oldest and steepest stairs, first built during Samuel de Champlain’s time. If you did not take the Funicular down to Lower Town, you can take these stairs from Cote de la Montagne (pictured on the map connecting B –> C). This is a popular photo-op stop, as it offers picture-perfect views of Rue de Champlain.
(E) Place Royale and Notre-Dame-des-Victoires church
From Rue de Petit Champlain, turn down Rue Sous-le-Fort for 1 block, and head left on Rue Notre Dame. This street opens up to Place Royale square.
Place Royale is the spot where Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec City in 1608, and the first French settlement in North America. If your kids are anything like mine, they love superlatives and being a part of the “first” of anything. It is a charming spot to linger, with traditional French-style houses (which are all restaurants and shops, now). At the centre of the square you will find a statue of Louis XIV, who was the King of France when New France was founded.
Place Royale also has a very clean public bathroom, if you need to make a pit stop!
Fun facts for kids: In 1682, a fire ravaged most of buildings, which were made of wood. They were rebuilt with stone, with the walls higher than the roofs, as a fire prevention measure. (You can still see this feature on the houses today.)
Notre-Dame-des-Victoires church was built in 1688 (on top of the site of Samuel de Champlain’s house!), and is the oldest stone church in North America.
(F) Quebec City Mural
Continuing along Rue Notre Dame you will come across the Quebec City Mural, or Mural of Quebecers. This giant painting depicts a larger-than-life scene of old Quebec City, dotted with Quebec’s famous historical figures. (The entire thing is reminiscent of Raphael’s School of Athens.) Have fun picking out early explores like Jacques Cartier and Samuel de Champlain, to more modern figures like Alphonse Desjardins (founder of the credit union which later became the largest federation of credit unions in North America). Not to worry, there is a plaque that labels everyone!
(G) Restaurant Aux Anciens Canadiens (Maison Jacquet)
This is a 15 minute walk back up from Lower Town, along Cote de la Montagne and up to Fort St (back up to the Chateau Frontenac). If you’d like to take the Funicular up, you can backtrack the way you came back to Rue de Petit Champlain, or turn down the Breakneck Stairs from Cote de la Montagne.
Back at the Chateau Frontenac, head down Rue Saint-Louis. This is one of Upper Town’s main streets. It is lined with restaurants, souvenir shops, and boutique hotels.
One of the highlights along Rue Saint-Louis is Maison Jacquet. This is the oldest building in Quebec City, built in 1675. It is currently home to the Restaurant Aux Ancient Canadiens (named after Les Anciens Canadiens, a historical novel written by Philippe Aubert de Gaspé, who lived in the home).
Fun facts for kids: the steep gabled roof was excellent at preventing snow build up in winters, and the small glass panes ensured they could be shipped from France without breaking!
We were concerned about taking our kids into what is literally a museum – the restaurant houses numerous vintage artifacts and dining ware. But the staff were fantastic, and the kids had the best poutine they’d ever had. The restaurant serves traditional Quebec fare, including meat pies and game meat, and an incredible maple pie dessert using a local recipe from the 1600s. The restaurant is a little pricier than the ones we usually take our kids to, but they serve an excellent value price-fixe meal for $39 CAD from noon-5pm. The meal includes a beer or house wine, an appetizer, and a main course.
(H) The Plains of Abraham
Continue up Rue Saint-Louis until you pass Porte Saint-Louis, a picturesque stone gate along the fortified wall of Old Town Quebec City. To the left side, you will see the entrance to the Plains of Abraham. This is the site of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759, a pivotal battle between the French and the British for control over what would eventually become Canada. (The British won.) Now, it is a large urban park extending all the way to the edge of the St. Lawrence River.
If you want to learn more about the battles, you can visit the Plains of Abraham Museum.
This is an amazing spot to enjoy some wintery activities. You can rent snow carpets from the Plains of Abraham Museum, to toboggan down the gentle hills in the park. If skating is more your thing, you will find an outdoor skating track, and you can rent skates from the Skater’s Chalet. For a unique winter trek through the park, you can also rent cross-country skis or snow shoes from the Chalet.
(G) The Citadel of Quebec
If you stroll along the path at the Plains of Abraham toward the river, you will reach the Citadel. This fortress sits at the highest point of the city, overlooking the river and Dufferin Terrace. It was built by the British in the early 1800s, and is still an active military base. It is also the official home of the Monarchy of Canada in Quebec.
Tickets are $22 CAD for adults and $8 CAD for 11-17, and include a 1 hour guided tour. Children under 10 are free. We did not do this tour, but took a walk around the outside.
In the summer, there is a path and stairs that lead back down to Dufferin Terrace, but this is closed in the winter.
*Modifications for a slightly slower walking tour
For families who want a bit of a later start to the morning, or want to move at a slower pace, we recommend stopping for lunch at Le Cochon Dingue, along Rue de Petit Champlain. This is a family-friendly spot serving casual French fare. You might even catch a meet and greet with their famous pig mascot!
If you want, you can still catch dinner after exploring the rest of the city at Restaurant Aux Anciens Canadiens (make this your last stop).
