Self-Guided Walks Around Old Quebec
These self-guided walks are sorted by how long you have. Old Quebec is hilly, so a short route can feel long. Costs are in Canadian dollars (CAD), and the 14.975% sales tax is added to purchases.
One hour: the Château Frontenac loop
Start on Place d’Armes and look at the Château Frontenac, a hotel that opened in 1893. Walk onto Dufferin Terrace, follow it to the Governors’ Promenade, and return along rue Saint-Louis. This costs nothing. If you want to go inside the Citadelle, which is a guided tour of 60 minutes at 22 for adults, add at least an hour and a half.
Two hours: the ramparts
Walk the free fortification wall between Porte Saint-Louis and Porte Saint-Jean, then continue to the Parc Montmorency and the Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec on rue De Buade. The ramparts total about 4.6 km, and Parks Canada names the Porte Saint-Jean and Porte Kent among the gates. The cathedral is an active church, so keep your voice low inside. A paid guided walk with Parks Canada runs for 90 minutes and costs about 22.75 for adults, from 19 June to 25 October in 2026.
Three hours: the Lower Town
Take the funicular down, at 7 one way for adults, cash only, or the Escalier Casse-Cou with its 59 steps. Walk rue du Petit-Champlain, then Place Royale, the Église Notre-Dame-des-Victoires and the Fresque des Québécois on rue Notre-Dame. Continue to the Old Port and back up by the funicular. Wheelchair access to the funicular closes in winter when there is snow.
Half a day: the Plains of Abraham
Walk the Governors’ Promenade from Dufferin Terrace, cross the Battlefields Park past the Jardin Jeanne-d’Arc, and end at the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec. The park covers 103 hectares and is the site of the 1759 battle, so treat it as a place of memory. Stick to walking and running. Winter brings 13.9 km of free cross-country ski tracks.
Half a day: Saint-Roch and Saint-Jean-Baptiste
Leave through Porte Saint-Jean and walk down rue Saint-Jean, then descend the Côte d’Abraham or the Escalier du Faubourg, which has 99 steps. In Saint-Roch you will find the brewery La Barberie at 310 rue Saint-Roch and Noctem Artisans Brasseurs at 438 rue du Parvis. Hours change, so look before you set out.
Evening ghost walks
Les Visites Fantômes de Québec lists evening tours on its own website. Look there for current times, since fares and meeting points are not given here.
Winter walking
Frost makes the Governors’ Promenade, the stone steps and the slopes slick. Choose boots with a deep tread and keep your hands out of your pockets. The river wind is strong at the terrace, so a windproof layer helps.
Free versus paid
Walking the walls, Dufferin Terrace, the Plains and the old lanes is free. Paid options are the Citadelle tour, the Parks Canada guided walk, the funicular, the museums and any ghost walk.
For official walk and tour details see Parks Canada’s Fortifications page and the funicular’s site . Guided walking tours can be searched on GetYourGuide .
Read more: sightseeing in Quebec City and solo activities .