Quebec City 7-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival and Upper Town
Check in and spend the afternoon at the Chateau Frontenac and Dufferin Terrace, then walk 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 after tax and tip.
Tip: if you’re arriving via YQB, budget the full 25 minutes into town, traffic on the airport road can run heavier than the distance suggests.
Day 2: The Citadelle and Plains of Abraham
Visit the Citadelle, home to the Royal 22e Regiment, and the Plains of Abraham, site of the 1759 battle that ended New France, along with the Musee national des beaux-arts du Quebec (adult admission roughly CAD $15-25, verify).
Tip: check the Citadelle’s guided tour schedule ahead of time, English-language tour times can be limited outside peak summer months.
Day 3: Lower Town and the Musee de la civilisation
Take the Funiculaire down to Petit-Champlain and Place Royale, then spend a couple of hours 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 Fresque des Quebecois mural, a few steps off Place Royale, is free to view and worth five minutes even if museums aren’t your thing today.
Day 4: 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, verify). Return for dinner in the city.
Tip: pack a light jacket even in summer, the mist off the falls carries further than it looks from the viewing platforms.
Day 5: Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre and Canyon Sainte-Anne
Continue along Route 138 to the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre, one of the busiest active pilgrimage sites in North America, 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).
Tip: this is a long day out and back, start early if you also want unhurried time at both stops.
Day 6: Wendake and the quiet side of the city
Spend the morning at Wendake, home to Canada’s only recognized Huron-Wendat community, touring the Onhoua Chetek8e traditional site. In the afternoon, walk or bike the Parc lineaire de la Riviere-Saint-Charles, a flat, paved stretch away from the tourist crowds, or spend an hour at Bois-de-Coulonge Park if you’d rather stay closer to Upper Town.
Tip: this is a good day to slow the pace deliberately, six days of walking Old Quebec’s hills adds up, and both afternoon options are genuinely low-effort.
Day 7: Shopping and departure
Spend the morning around Rue Saint-Jean and Quartier Petit-Champlain for last souvenirs, including maple products from the Marche du Vieux-Port, then head to the airport or Gare du Palais.
Tip: pack any glass maple syrup bottles in checked luggage, not carry-on, if you’re flying out.
Read more: see the Quebec City travel guide for background, or check the 6-day Quebec City itinerary if you’re trimming a day.