How to give your customers the best experiences in and around Quebec City
French-speaking Quebec City is one of North America’s oldest cities, while outdoor adventures are easy to source away from its picturesque cobbled streets and fortified walls. Use our See, Stay, Experience guide to plan the perfect itinerary.
SEE
MONASTERE DES AUGUSTINS
With just five sisters left of this ancient order, the Monastere des Augustins, located in the heart of the walled Old Quebec City, is living history. Keen to keep its 381-year social mission going long into the future, the 17th century monastery has been gifted to a non-profit trust that operates the property as a museum and retreat, while also continuing its charitable works. Guests can stay in the nuns’ former cells or opt for a more contemporary room, take part in silent yoga retreats, meditate, enjoy a massage, and dine at on-site restaurant Le Vivoir, which uses seasonal produce sourced from a local co-operative.
Book it: A day pass, which includes access to the museum, a walking tour, a wellness activity, access to the choir, and a meal at Le Vivoir is around 33; monastere.ca
PARC DE LA CHUTE-MONTMORENCY
Cascading a colossal 83-metres (30 metres higher than Niagara Falls), the impressive Montmorency Falls appear shrouded in a haze of spray and wind-carried mist as they plunge down a fracture in the earth’s crust. Located just 15-minutes outside Old Quebec, you can walk over them on a suspension bridge or climb alongside them using the via ferrata. Soon you’ll be able to get to the bottom of them too. A new project, the Waterfall
Experience, is underway to build a first-of-its kind floating walkway beneath the falls. Opening in summer 2024, raincoats will be essential!
Book it: Access to the falls from around £4.50pp. Experiences such as the cable car and via ferrata are extra; sepaq.com/destinations/parc-chute-montmorency
ILE D’ORLEANS
Foodies rejoice! This quaint island, 15 minutes from the city, has long been Quebec’s larder. Dotted with 17th-century front-gabled farmhouses and some of Quebec’s oldest churches, alongside countless artisan farmers, the island is looped by a single 47-mile-long road. Stop at vineyards, cider makers and pick-your-own fields, and stumble across makers of vinegars, jams, sauces and more. Fromagerie Ferme Audet creates not just cheese but decadent ice cream from goat’s milk. Du Capitaine Ferme Vinaigrerie Distillerie makes long-aged balsamic alongside creme de cassis, while the potato doughnuts from Les Saveurs de l’Isle d’Orleans are surprisingly moreish; tourisme.iledorleans.com/en
STAY
HILTON QUEBEC
This 569-room giant sits just outside the walled Old City, offering sublime views – and feels fresh after a swanky makeover was completed in 2021. The brass, marble and jewel-toned lobby has been decorated with local art to represent the mighty St Lawrence river. The guest rooms are more pared back – monochrome illustrations of the city let the view do the talking. Select an Old Quebec River view city, the instantly recognisable Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac and surrounding mountains. Executive rooms on the upper floors include access to the 23rd floor lounge.
Book it: Rooms from around £145 per night; hilton.com/en/hotels/yqbhihh-hilton-quebec
HOTEL NOMAD
Another newly renovated property, the Hotel Nomad – previously the Le Chateau Fleur de Lys – became a carbon-neutral certified hotel in 2021. In fact, it’s the first hotel in Quebec to obtain Biosphere certification, meaning the property has committed to long-term sustainability goals. Located in a historic property in the heart of the city, close to Chateau Frontenac, there are just 16 rooms and suites individually decorated with funky touches, from neon chairs to oversized chandeliers and marble bathrooms.
Book it: From around £70 per night; hotelnomad.ca/en
EXPERIENCE
TRAIN DE CHARLEVOIX
Picturesque – and good for the planet – Quebec’s only tourist train cruises by rivers, waterfalls and mountains on its way towards the coast. An easy way for visitors to explore car-free, the 125km journey between Parc de la Chute-Montmorency and the town of Baie-Saint-Paul takes 90 minutes, though guests can (and should) stop to explore artsy small towns along the way. A new hydrogen-powered engine was introduced this summer, making it the first zero-emission passenger train in North America.
Book it: Prices for a round trip on the Coradia iLint from Quebec City to Baie-Saint-Paul start at around £61; traindecharlevoix.com
CANYON SAINTE-ANNE
A new AirCanyon ride provides a thrilling way to enjoy a 1.2-billion-year-old canyon. Sainte-Anne’s towering and tumbling 74-metre-high waterfall looks a little different seen from a cable car ride, which glides visitors over the pine forest canopy at speeds of over 50kmh. Or you can walk the 2.2km trail through the forest, traversing the roaring Sainte-Anne River across three no-less nerve-racking suspension bridges.
Book it: Open from May to October. General admission from around £6.50 for adults, £5.25 for children. Aircanon rides are £6.45 extra; canyonsa.qc.ca/en
Recommended For You
Most read features
Competitions
Upcoming events
Place of registration: England and Wales.
Company number 08723341.
Registered address: 6th Floor, 2 London Wall Place, London EC2Y 5AU
