quebec city, Ca
Introduction to Québec: City
I think Québec City is the equivalent of a Canadian winter wonderland. This means that it is perfect to visit in the wintertime, so keep that in mind while booking. Québec City is a very popular destination to visit now. It may not be a bucket list destination for some people but it is still a great place to visit for a little while. So as I always say this will be the ultimate guide to enjoying your time in Québec City (FOLLOW it please).
Attractions:
Qubéc City is a very outdoorsy kind of place because (like I said before) it is a winter wonderland. These are some of the best outdoor and indoor attractions that you should try to experience while you are visiting:
Tubing is one of the best attractions that you can go to because of the different hills that you can go down and it is just really fun. I remember when I did this for the first time when I was little and I remember going screaming fast down these really big hills and just enjoying it so much. So if you have a child around the age of 8-10 and you may be concerned about this DON’T BE because my sister (who was 6 years old at the time) did all of the big hills and was fine (I think - she might have trauma from it though, you never know) but enough of the jokes. It is honestly fine for those young ones.
Quartier Petit Champlain is a great little shopping street near the heart of Québec City that offers a variety of different little shops that sell a variety of different merchandise. This street is also just super pretty to walk down because of the cute little shops and the street is relatively small so it feels very cozy. To walk around there for an afternoon would be highly recommended.
You probably have already heard of this famous attraction, the Dufferin Terrace Toboggan Slide. It’s a large antique historical toboggan slide that you pay to slide down a few times. The nice part of this attraction is that it is very close to the heart of the city so the other attractions that you may want to do will be near.
Similar to Toronto, Québec City also has an Old Québec City which is the next attraction I would suggest since it is really pretty but I wouldn't recommend just walking around(because that is boring). For this attraction, I would use it as a spot to shop and eat.
The Aquarium of Québec City is a great attraction because it isn’t boring like some of the other attractions. I would suggest this because it is so pretty and the animals are so fun to look at. It is a nice thing to put in the middle-ish of your day so you can warm up after being outside all day, since that is almost all of what you do in Québec City.
What to eat:
Québec City offers a lot of different food options but some stood out to me because of their menu and of course, ambiance. Just because a restaurant may have a great ambiance doesn’t mean that their food and menu will be great. These are some restaurants that would recommend:
Chez Muffy seems to be a great restaurant with a unique menu and great ambiance (best of both worlds). This restaurant is in old Québec City which also adds to the ambiance. This restaurant is a little more expensive than the typical restaurant in Québec City which is something to keep in mind especially if you’re on a budget.
Clocher Penché is a restaurant I did not go to but I do believe that the ambiance and food will be great if you go. The only downside is that this restaurant is a lot farther away from the heart of Québec City. This restaurant also seems a little expensive but worth it..
Now this is going to sound super bougie and all but I do honestly think that this is a great option which is to go to club level at the hotel Fairmont Le Château Frontenac(bougie right? Haha). But the point is that this restaurant is great for getting a bite to eat in the morning or even if you want to have a meal. But specifically brunch and late nights because the views as well at those hours will be great. They even give you honey from the rooftop hives at breakfast!
Nina Pizza Napolitaine follows a 4000-year-old tradition of using a wood oven stove. This makes this pizzeria special and delicious.. The thing about this place is that it will be cheaper than some of the other options on this list such as Chez Muffy. This is the perfect place if you’re on a budget but still want to have a nice dinner, or if you just want a simple nice meal.
Hotels:
Québec City has some UNIQUE hotel options for sure. Remember when I said that you’re mainly outdoors on this vacation sometimes that may mean for you that you may be staying outdoors (more on that later). This list will give you a good idea of what the prices are for hotels and what some good hotel options are to stay in in Québec City:
Fairmont Le Château Frontenac is a great but more expensive hotel that you can stay in (you have been warned). But this hotel does have great accommodation, service, and location. So at the end of the day, you are paying for the great view but more importantly the good location. If you want to have a fancier hotel stay this would be where you want to stay while visiting.
Hotel Valcartier is a nice hotel and offers tubing onsite which is very fun and is an attraction that I would recommend doing since it is an exhilarating activity. For this hotel, the only downside is that it is farther away from the city, so you have to arrange a driver in advance. It is far to the point that it is technically not in Québec City anymore but for the experience that you get out of it, it is worth it. This will cost you about $130 CAD a night but still depending on what hotel room you reserve.
Hotel de Glace is, you guessed it, an ICE HOTEL!! This hotel is super fun and is right next to the Hotel Valcartier and this hotel is one of the other reasons that you should stay at the other hotel. This hotel is so cool because of the ice art they have and among other things (I don’t want to spoil it). This hotel was one of the best sleeps of my life other than the time I was in Amsterdam for the first time and my first night of sleep was amazing. This night was a nice second. I don’t know how this night of sleep was so good but it just was maybe it was the tiredness from tubing or something but if you are concerned about sleeping there and being too cold or something don’t worry it was really fun. I was comfortable about the whole time other than the first 10 minutes of my sleeping bag warming up. Also, something important to mention is that they give you the gear you need to sleep there so don’t worry about bringing a sleeping bag. If you do get the chance to do it don’t be concerned because it was really fun and a great experience and I have great memories from it.
Why Québec City?:
Québec City is a lovely old and new city that offers great experiences and memories to unlock (wow that was cheesy haha). But it is true. I only have fond memories of visiting there with my family. So if you get the chance to go take it because it is just such a magical experience and a very fun place.. SO GO!
Safety:
Québec City I don’t have anything unsafe to say about it. While I was there I was not concerned about my safety and was able to experience the city without fear of where I was or if someone was going to do something bad to me. But as I always say just because you may feel safe doesn’t mean that you are so be aware of your surroundings and stay safe everyone!
Environment:
In regards to the environment since we only have one, make sure when you're traveling to be conscious about the environment since we still need it to last us many more decades so think green.