Walking Quebec City from Upper to Lower Town

October 20, 2026

Quebec City rewards walkers, and most of the old town can be seen in a day without a guide. Four stages follow, from the top of the cliff to the Saint-Roch district. Money amounts are in Canadian dollars (CAD). In winter, treat every slope and stair as icy, and use boots with a good tread.

Stage 1: the walls and the Plains

The city walls are a Parks Canada site, and you can walk along them for free. Gates on the route include Porte Saint-Louis and Porte Saint-Jean. From the Citadelle side, the Governor’s Promenade is a long, multi-level staircase leading up to the Plains of Abraham. It gets icy in winter, and wind makes it feel colder. The Plains are a battlefield park, so keep the mood quiet at the monuments.

If you prefer a guide, the Parks Canada tour of the Fortifications lasts about 90 minutes and starts at the Frontenac kiosk. The undated fee page lists about 22.75 CAD for adults, 21.25 for seniors and 12.75 for youth. English tours were at 10:00 and 14:00 daily until 30 August in 2026, then Wednesday to Sunday at 10:00, until 25 October. See the Parks Canada tour listing .

Stage 2: Upper Town streets

Dufferin Terrace is a boardwalk on the cliff in front of the Château Frontenac, about 430 m long after an extension in 1879. Walk it end to end and then loop back through Place d’Armes and along Rue Saint-Jean, which has shops and cafés running towards Porte Saint-Jean.

Stage 3: down to Lower Town

Two routes lead down. The Escalier Casse-Cou has 59 steps and is among the city’s oldest stairways. The funicular costs 7 CAD one way for adults, with payment on site by cash and ATMs at both stations, and children under 117 cm are free. It runs from 9:00 to 21:00 and later in summer. See the funicular website . At the bottom you reach Rue du Petit-Champlain, then Place Royale, where Champlain built his Habitation in 1608. The Église Notre-Dame-des-Victoires and the Fresque des Québécois mural are close by, and the Old Port is a short stroll away.

Stage 4: Saint-Roch

Go out through Porte Saint-Jean and follow the Côte d’Abraham downhill into the Saint-Roch quarter. Two breweries to know are La Barberie at 310 rue Saint-Roch, a worker co-op that serves snacks only, and Noctem Artisans Brasseurs at 438 rue du Parvis. Current hours are not confirmed, so check first. The climb back is steep.

Evening walks

Les Visites Fantômes de Québec advertises evening ghost walks, and Les Promenades Fantômes is a separate company with its own tours. Confirm prices and meeting points when you reserve. Parc de la Francophonie, a small park by Place George-V across Grande Allée, is a stage site for the summer festival.

Getting back

There is no metro, only RTC buses. A cash fare is 4.00 CAD in exact change, and a 1-day pass is 10.50. You can compare guided options on Viator .