First-time visitor · Québec City

First time in Québec City — what locals actually recommend

If it's your first weekend in Québec City, this is the locals' shortlist — the sights worth the queue, the food you can't skip, and the neighbourhood walks that show you the place.

Popular local pick

Top spots in Québec City

  • Hôtel de Glace

    Culture

    Valcartier

    Sleep in a hotel built entirely of ice.

  • Old Québec

    Culture

    Vieux-Québec

    UNESCO walls, ramparts and Château Frontenac.

  • Île d'Orléans

    Outdoors

    Island

    Cider, strawberries, tiny villages.

  • Petit-Champlain

    Food & Drink

    Lower Town

    Boutiques and bistros on the prettiest street in N.A.

  • Plains of Abraham

    Outdoors

    Battlefields

    Riverside park — picnics by day, mega-concerts by night.

Where to eat

  • Buvette Scott

    $$

    Wine bar · Saint-Jean-Baptiste

    Natural wine + perfect small plates.

  • Chez Boulay

    $$$

    Nordic-Québécois · Old Québec

    Wild game, sea buckthorn, hospitality 101.

  • Le Continental

    $$$

    Classic French · Old Québec

    Tableside flambé since 1956.

  • Légende

    $$$$

    Boreal tasting · Lower Town

    Foraged Québec, the city's chef-driven flagship.

Frequently asked

  • Standouts right now: Old Québec, Plains of Abraham, Petit-Champlain. The shortlist is curated by people who live in Québec City and refreshed regularly so it reflects what's actually open and worth your time.

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