Quebec City 6-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival and Upper Town
Check in and start with the Chateau Frontenac and Dufferin Terrace, then walk part of the ramparts, the only fortified city walls still standing north of Mexico. Dinner in Upper Town runs roughly CAD $50-70 per person after tax and tip.
Tip: pick up an RTC bus schedule or app on arrival, useful even if you plan to walk most days, since a couple of the day trips ahead pair well with a bus leg on either end.
Day 2: The Citadelle and Plains of Abraham
Visit the Citadelle, home to the Royal 22e Regiment, catching the summer changing-of-the-guard if timing allows, then spend the afternoon on the Plains of Abraham, site of the 1759 battle, and the Musee national des beaux-arts du Quebec (adult admission roughly CAD $15-25, verify).
Tip: the Plains of Abraham is a genuine park as much as a historic site, bring a picnic if the weather’s good rather than rushing back for lunch.
Day 3: Lower Town and the Musee de la civilisation
Take the Funiculaire down to Petit-Champlain and Place Royale, the site of Champlain’s 1608 settlement, and spend an hour or two at the Musee de la civilisation (adult admission roughly CAD $18-24, verify). Dinner in Lower Town runs the same CAD $50-70 range; Aux Anciens Canadiens, in a house built in 1675-76, is worth booking ahead if you want a traditional meal in genuinely historic surroundings.
Tip: book Aux Anciens Canadiens a few days out if you want a specific time slot, it’s popular enough to fill up on short notice in peak season.
Day 4: Montmorency Falls and Ile d’Orleans
Head 15 minutes out to Montmorency Falls, 83 meters and taller than Niagara, then on to Ile d’Orleans for orchards and cider tastings (roughly CAD $10-20 per person, verify). Return for dinner in the city.
Tip: this is a full car day, book a rental or a guided tour ahead of time since public transit doesn’t reach the island in any practical way.
Day 5: Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre and Canyon Sainte-Anne
Continue 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.
Tip: the canyon site runs seasonally, roughly May through October, so confirm it’s open if you’re traveling in shoulder season.
Day 6: 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. Use the afternoon for a last walk through Petit-Champlain or Rue Saint-Jean before heading to the airport or Gare du Palais.
Tip: if you have any flexibility, Montreal is only about 3 hours away by VIA Rail and pairs naturally with a Quebec City trip, worth considering for a future visit if you’re not extending this one.
Read more: see the Quebec City travel guide for background, or check the 7-day Quebec City itinerary if you want to add one more day.