Quebec · best-of list
18 Top Things to Do in Quebec
All 18 things to do our route editors picked in Quebec, across 4 destinations, gathered in one list. Expect sights and experiences, with Québec City contributing the most (8).
Our curated picks
18 things to do in Quebec, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Québec City 8 picks
Château Frontenac & Dufferin Terrace
Québec City · On our Montréal, Québec City & Charlevoix route
Landmark hotel above a boardwalk with sweeping views of the St. Lawrence.
Tip: Walk the Governors' Promenade stairs to the Plains from the terrace's end.
Photo: Fairmont Le Château Frontenac · Google
Glissades de la Terrasse
Québec City · On our Quebec City & Mont-Tremblant route
Wooden toboggan run on the Terrasse Dufferin, open in winter since 1884, beside the Chateau Frontenac.
Tip: Buy tickets at the hut at the top; the run is best at dusk when the terrace lamps come on.
Photo: Wilfredor · CC BY-SA 4.0
Hotel de Glace
Québec City · On our Quebec City & Mont-Tremblant route
Ice hotel rebuilt each winter from snow and ice at Valcartier, with sculpted rooms, an ice bar and a chapel.
Tip: Open from early January to late March; day visits are possible without staying the night.
Photo: Matias Garabedian · CC BY-SA 2.0
Île d'Orléans
Québec City · On our Montréal, Québec City & Charlevoix route
Farm island with cider houses, strawberry stands, chocolatiers and vineyards on a 67 km loop.
Tip: Drive the loop clockwise and stop at Cassis Monna & Filles.
Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.0
La Citadelle de Québec
Québec City · On our Montréal, Québec City & Charlevoix route
Star-shaped fortress still home to the Royal 22e Régiment, with guided tours and summer guard changes.
Tip: Changing of the guard runs mornings in summer.
Photo: Pavel · Google
Musée de la civilisation
Québec City · On our Montréal, Québec City & Charlevoix route
Hands-on museum on Québec history and Indigenous nations in the lower town.
Photo: Claude Gagnon · CC BY-SA 3.0
Place D'Youville rink
Québec City · On our Quebec City & Mont-Tremblant route
Free outdoor skating rink just outside the Saint-Jean Gate, with skate rentals and music in the evenings.
Tip: Skate rental is available at the rink chalet.
Photo: Wilfredor · CC0
Place Royale
Québec City · On our Quebec City & Mont-Tremblant route
Cobbled square where Champlain founded the city in 1608, framed by stone houses and the Notre-Dame-des-Victoires church.
Photo: Wilfredor · CC0
Charlevoix 4 picks
Baie-Saint-Paul
Charlevoix · On our Montréal, Québec City & Charlevoix route
Artist village with galleries and cafés along Rue Saint-Jean-Baptiste.
Photo: Paul Paradis · CC BY-SA 3.0
Isle-aux-Coudres
Charlevoix · On our Montréal, Québec City & Charlevoix route
Short free ferry ride to a flat island loop for cycling past windmills and river views.
Tip: Rent bikes near the ferry landing.
Photo: John Loach from Toronto, Canada · CC BY-SA 2.0
Le Massif de Charlevoix
Charlevoix · On our Montréal, Québec City & Charlevoix route
Ski hill dropping straight toward the St. Lawrence, with summer hiking and the river views year-round.
Photo: Suzette Subance · Google
Train de Charlevoix
Charlevoix · On our Montréal, Québec City & Charlevoix route
Seasonal riverside rail line between Baie-Saint-Paul and La Malbaie, hugging the St. Lawrence shore.
Tip: Runs roughly June to early November; book fall dates early.
Photo: Train de Charlevoix · Google
Mont-Tremblant 3 picks
Chapelle Saint-Bernard
Mont-Tremblant · On our Quebec City & Mont-Tremblant route
Small white wooden chapel from 1942 at the foot of the village, decorated for Christmas services.
Photo: Artur Staszewski · CC BY-SA 2.0
Mont Tremblant ski area
Mont-Tremblant · On our Quebec City & Mont-Tremblant route
The highest skiable peak in the Laurentians, with over 100 runs on four sides and a gondola from the village.
Tip: Ski the North Side (Versant Nord) in the morning, when it gets the sun.
Photo: Meg.jenk · CC BY-SA 4.0Scandinave Spa Mont-Tremblant
Mont-Tremblant · On our Quebec City & Mont-Tremblant route
Outdoor Nordic baths, saunas and steam rooms in the forest beside the Diable River, open year-round.
Tip: The spa is a silent zone; go after skiing in late afternoon.
Montréal 3 picks
Montréal Museum of Fine Arts
Montréal · On our Montréal, Québec City & Charlevoix route
Five pavilions spanning Québec and Indigenous art to European masters on Sherbrooke Street.
Photo: Thomas Ledl · CC BY-SA 4.0
Notre-Dame Basilica
Montréal · On our Montréal, Québec City & Charlevoix route
Gothic Revival basilica with a deep-blue, gold-starred interior and carved wood altarpiece.
Tip: Book the AURA light show for evenings.
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0
Old Montréal
Montréal · On our Montréal, Québec City & Charlevoix route
Cobbled lanes, 18th-century stone buildings and the Old Port waterfront along the St. Lawrence.
Tip: Walk rue Saint-Paul early before tour groups arrive.
Photo: User Gjm130 on en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the things to do in Quebec?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 18 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of Quebec has the most things to do on this list?
Québec City has the most (8 of 18), followed by Charlevoix (4) and Mont-Tremblant (3).
Are any of these free?
6 picks on this list are marked free in our route notes: Château Frontenac & Dufferin Terrace, Old Montréal, Place D'Youville rink, Baie-Saint-Paul, Chapelle Saint-Bernard, and more. Check ahead, since parking or special exhibits can cost extra.
More lists for Quebec
Top things to do nearby
Destinations on this list
- Québec City 8 on this list
- Charlevoix 4 on this list
- Mont-Tremblant 3 on this list
- Montréal 3 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.