Quebec City 5-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival and Upper Town
Check in and spend the afternoon around Place Royale and the Chateau Frontenac, walking a stretch of the ramparts, the only fortified city walls still standing north of Mexico. Dinner in Upper Town runs roughly CAD $50-70 per person once the 14.975% tax and a 15-20% pre-tax tip are added.
Stay in Upper Town for easy access to the walled city for the first two nights.
Tip: if you land in the afternoon, save the Basilica-Cathedral and museums for Day 2, jet lag and a first cobblestone walk are enough for one evening.
Day 2: The Citadelle and Lower Town
Visit the Citadelle, home to the Royal 22e Regiment, and the Plains of Abraham, site of the 1759 battle. In the afternoon, take the Funiculaire down to Petit-Champlain and Place Royale, and spend an hour at the Musee de la civilisation (adult admission roughly CAD $18-24, verify).
Dinner in Lower Town runs the same CAD $50-70 range.
Tip: the changing-of-the-guard at the Citadelle runs roughly 10am in summer, verify current times before planning your morning around it.
Day 3: Montmorency Falls and Ile d’Orleans
Head 15 minutes out to Montmorency Falls, 83 meters and taller than Niagara, then continue to Ile d’Orleans for orchards and cider tastings, roughly CAD $10-20 per person. Return for dinner in the city, budgeting CAD $50-70 per person.
Tip: book the falls’ cable car ticket online in summer to skip the base ticket line.
Day 4: Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre and Canyon Sainte-Anne
Drive further along Route 138 to the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre and the Canyon Sainte-Anne gorge, with its 74-meter waterfall and the 60-meter-high McNicoll suspension bridge (canyon admission roughly CAD $15-20 per adult, verify). Return for a final countryside dinner in the city.
Tip: this is a full car day, confirm your rental or tour booking the night before since both stops sit well outside RTC bus coverage.
Day 5: Wendake and departure
Spend the morning at Wendake, home to Canada’s only recognized Huron-Wendat community, touring the reconstructed longhouse at the Onhoua Chetek8e traditional site. Head back into the city for a last walk through Petit-Champlain and any final souvenir shopping before your departure.
Tip: leave a real buffer before your flight or train, YQB airport sits about 15km and 25 minutes from downtown and Gare du Palais is a bit closer, but Quebec City traffic can surprise you around Carnival or festival weeks.
Read more: see the Quebec City travel guide for background, or check the 4-day Quebec City itinerary if you’re working with a shorter trip.