A Perfect 24 Hours in Quebec City

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Greetings, Internet Stranger, and welcome to a perfect 24 hours in Quebec City. On this blog, I often like to recommend cities that are off the beaten track. Perhaps these places aren’t so beautiful or glamorous at first glance, but I want people to know that they can be just as fun and lovable.

However, Quebec City is not one of those places. No, Quebec is a city that seduces pretty much everyone at first glance with its charming architecture and its warm, Canadian cuisine. However, just because everyone loves Quebec City doesn’t mean you won’t need a little help finding the best things to do.

And during this 24 hours in Quebec City, we’re going to find all the most beautiful spots in town and more! Let’s not waste any more time.

24 Hours in Quebec City

Where to Stay?

Quebec City is a fairly small and historic city. I had pretty much no trouble walking everywhere, except to the airport. However, you’ll still want to pick a central location in a safe and convenient neighborhood within walking distance of the main attractions.

That’s why I recommend the Hotel Relais Charles Alexandre. It has a perfectly convenient location within walking distance of many Quebec City attractions. My room was clean, cozy, and comfortable. There was also a good breakfast every morning and an extremely helpful staff.

If you’re looking for a great deal for this amazing hotel, click here. And if you’d rather save money on tons of other hotels in Quebec City, click here. This search engine will help you find the perfect place to stay during your plans for your 24 hours in Quebec City. With plenty of options to choose from, I’m sure you’ll find something for your schedule and budget.

24 Hours in Quebec City

Morning: Walking Tour of Quebec City

Quebec is such a beautiful city, so the very first thing you’re going to want to do during your 24 hours in Quebec City is go exploring. And I always say that the best way to introduce yourself to a place is through a guided walking tour with a local.

That’s why I recommend this excellent walking tour of Quebec City. It’s very affordable and tons of fun. My group had everyone from me, a young single woman, to a family with two middle-school aged kids, to some retirees, and we all had a blast.

You can go ahead and book this tour by clicking here.

Then get ready for…

Approximately Top 5: 24 Hours in Quebec City

1) St Lawrence River

Nowadays Montreal is by far the biggest city in Quebec. However, did you know that in the colonial days, Quebec City was by far the major city in New France? And a good reason for that is the beautiful St. Lawrence River, which you can see in my photo above. Of course, just about every major city needs a river, especially back in the 17th and 18th centuries, when there were no cars or airplanes.

Nowadays, the St Lawrence River is a great place to explore. Our guide, whom I shall call Jacques, said that there are many quaint towns along the St Lawrence River where you can go explore and get away from city life. All you need is a bicycle and a little knowledge of French!

I personally don’t know how to ride a bike, although I do speak French. However, if you are able to bike to these villages, please let me know all about them!

2) Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac

This building you can see in my photo above, the one that looks like a castle, is actually one of the most famous hotels in Canada. It looks like it’s as old as the city, but in fact, it was only built at the end of the 19th century. However, it’s still old enough to officially be a National Canadian Historic Site.

One of the reasons that this hotel is so special is that it was part of Quebec City’s renewal. Quebec had one been a strong and beautiful city, but it had fallen on harder times in the 19th century. That’s why the governor of Canada wanted to create building projects like the Chateau Frontenac that would remind people of the glories of old Quebec. And of course, a grand hotel like this would attract tourists to the city.

Tourists remain extremely important to Quebec City to this day. Unfortunately, a tourist like me can’t quite afford a room at the Chateau Frontenac. Hopefully some day!

3) Wolfe-Montcalm Monument

Have you ever heard of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham? Well, get used to it because you’re going to hear that phrase a lot during your 24 hours in Quebec City. It was during this battle that the French lost Quebec City to the British.

You see, Quebec City used to be part of the French colony, New France. As we’ll see as we stroll around town, the city was protected with thick walls, and the French thought it would be safe from attack. However, thanks to a British sneak attack, they were able to take one of the garrisons, which enabled them to eventually overcome the French.

But that’s not what’s unique about this monument. No, what’s unique about the monument is that it is dedicated to Montcalm, a French officer who was killed in the battle, and Wolfe, a British officer who was killed in the battle. It is one of a very few monuments in the world that is dedicated to both a winner and a loser of a battle.

4) Chapelle des Ursulines

Quebec City (and Quebec Province in general) used to be an extremely religious Catholic place. That’s one reason that French Canadian families were famously so large. You might know that the legendary Canadian singer Celine Dion is one of fourteen children, for example.

According to Jacques, ever since the 1960s, Catholic religious practice has been severely on the decline in Quebec. Churches that used to be full are now being decommissioned because no one goes there. However, many of the churches are still preserved because they are so beautiful, and one of the most lovely is the Chapelle des Ursulines.

See how gilded and dainty it is on the inside? Don’t miss this chance to visit!

5) The History Mural

The end of the tour will take us to this striking mural depicting notable people throughout the history of Quebec City. The mural looked familiar to me because it reminded me of one I had seen in Lyon. It turns out it was painted by the same people! That made me feel like quite the artiste!

You can see some very famous early figures for Quebec City, like the French explorers Jacques Cartier and Samuel de Champlain. I also appreciated that some artists like the singer Felix Leclerc are included in the mural.

However, do you know who isn’t included? Celine Dion. I hope her fans don’t find out about this because they’re going to get angry and protest outside the mural.

24 Hour Tip

Those are all the secrets of the tour that I can share with you for now. You will have to take the tour yourself to find the rest.

Check tour rates and availability by going here!

24 Hours in Quebec City

Afternoon: Museum of Civilization

We spent all morning of our 24 hours in Quebec City wandering around and learning about the city’s charming history. Now we’re going to head indoors and learn all about civilization itself at the Museum of Civilization.

This museum has plenty of artifacts from the history of Quebec, but it also has a range of exhibits on so many subjects from the Roman empire to the history of poop. (Yes, seriously) I saw tons of people there, from children to adults, and they all appeared to be having a blast.

We’ll have just as much fun there ourselves. But first–lunch!

24 Hour Treat: Lunch at Bistro Sous le Fort

By the time the tour ends, you’ll be hungry for lunch. Lots of restaurants in Old Quebec are touristic, but if you want to go to a place that serves delicious food, stop at Bistro Sous le Fort. Almost everyone eating here was speaking French and loving the food just like I was.

I selected the elk burger with Brie, and I’m not sure I can think of a more French-Canadian combination than elk + Brie. It more than filled me up with satisfaction for the rest of the afternoon.

If you have a head for a drink as well, try the classic Canadian cocktail, the Bloody Caesar. It’s just like a Bloody Mary, only it’s made with Clamato juice.

Now that we’re good and fed, we’ll be ready to hit the museum and learn even more than…

Three Fascinating Facts: Civilization

1) What’s this about Rome?

Well, Rome is an ancient civilization, and it’s always interesting to see what we can learn about modern civilizations by exploring ancient ones. Plus, French is the majority language in Quebec City, and French is related to Latin, so there’s a historical connection there as well.

The exhibit on Rome was filled with many interesting items, but my favorite was this jar. Why? Because it was the “home” of the dormouse, which was a delicacy in Roman cuisine. According to the museum, the Romans would keep the dormice trapped in jars like this and fatten them up for seven months.

Then…well, you know the story of Hansel and Gretel. This is a bit like that, if the witch was a Roman emperor, and the children were dormice. (Dormouses? No, that can’t be right.)

1) Are there any objects about Canadian civilization?

But of course! And since we are in Quebec, the objects are focused on the history of the Quebec province. There were many treasures from over the course of Quebecois history, but I’m happy to share a couple of favorites, like this beautiful stained glass window above. Apparently it came from one of the homes on Montreal’s Golden Square Mile.

According to the museum, from 1840 to 1930, the Golden Square Mile was full of mansions with fancy windows like these. But what happened in 1930? Was it related to the Great Depression? Did all the millionaires have to melt their mansions down and sell them and then go live in Hoovervilles? (What’s Canadian for Hoovervilles anyway?)

Another interesting object from Quebec history is this little bust of the former premier of Quebec, Maurice Duplessis. Apparently he was opposed to social services in Canada, so his opponents called the time when was in charge a “period of great darkness”.

As an American, it’s nice to know that Canadians have bad politicians too, sometimes. It makes things feel just a teeny bit more equal.

3) What was this about poop?

Oh man, the whole poop exhibit was a real trip. This display that you can see above shows how poop is considered cute in many countries. (I don’t mean that people think that all poop is cute, just that some people like making cute poop dolls and things like the poop emoji.)

But there was so much more to the poop exhibit than the poop emoji. You could see 11th century drawings of pooping, poop games, replicas of Roman toilets, gold-plated toilets that are supposedly a commentary on consumerism, and so much more.

This seemed like the most popular exhibit in the entire museum to me. People really are very strange.

24 Hours in Quebec City

Evening: Dinner at Legende

Now that we’ve learned all about Quebec City, let’s head to an extremely Quebec focused restaurant this evening. Legende is a wonderful place that only serves ingredients from Quebec. The meat, the vegetables, the fruit, it’s all local.

I found this to be an exciting experience for two reasons. First, it’s much more sustainable to only serve ingredients that come from nearby. Second, it helped me, a tourist to Quebec, understand much more easily the wide variety of flora and fauna that you can find in the region.

The meal started with a couple of amuse bouche: fried pasta with eggplant and a mushroom with herring and egg. I honestly would never have thought of eggplants growing in Quebec, but our journey of culinary discovery is only just beginning.

The first appetizer was gravlax with cucumber, tomato water, and seaweed. It tasted exactly like taking a refreshing bath in the ocean. A Canadian ocean.

The next course was another glorious display of Quebec’s seafood bounty. We have lobster, walleye, and shrimp from Quebec’s Gaspesie region. It was almost like a Canadian answer to bouillabaise. I would never have thought you could make bouillabaise in a place that gets as cold as Quebec, so we are just learning new things all the time.

After two fish courses, we get a vegetarian break with this burrata topped with broccolini. The ingredients may all be from Quebec, but the techniques don’t seem to be, since I’m pretty sure burrata is Italy’s gift to the world.

Focaccia with tarragon honey butter, anyone?

Are you ready for two meat courses? Of course you are because we’re in Canada! The first is venison carpaccio with hazelnuts and goat cheese. OK, if there’s one thing I was expecting to find on a Canadian tasting menu, it’s venison. I mean, the woods are full of deer, here.

Are you ready for the final savory course? It’s a mouthful. OK, we’ve got herb crusted lamb with chanterelles, morels, bok choy, and a buttermilk vinaigrette. Now, I’m pretty sure that all kinds of mushrooms have been found in Canada for centuries, but I highly doubt that bok choy are indigenous to Canada.

However, Canada has a diverse population and tons of Asian restaurants, so I’m guessing that there’s a big market for bok choy in Canada.

This is almost too gorgeous to eat, but I did dive right into this strawberry and lemon balm jam cake served with waffles. A perfectly cozy end to a perfectly Canadian day!

24 Hours in Quebec City

What to Pack?

• A cell charger so you can keep your cell phone charged for the 24 hours in Quebec City
• My favorite guide book to Canada, including Quebec City
• The most reliable travel umbrella that is small enough to fit in my purse, but strong enough to stand up to powerful winds during our 24 hours in Quebec City
• These great TSA approved clear toiletries bags, so I can always keep spare toothpaste and travel sized toiletries in any carry-on.
• My book Get Lost, that I wrote myself with all my best travel tips. This book will show you how travel can take you on a journey of self-discovery.

24 Hours in Quebec City

How To Get There

Now, I wish I knew where you lived, Internet Stranger, because I could send you a bottle of Quebec’s best maple syrup. But sadly, I do not, and so I can’t tell you exactly how to get from your home to your 24 hours in Quebec City

But I can tell you that you can use a lovely airplane to get from many cities to the Quebec City airport, and I recommend Expedia for the best way to find the cheapest flight to Quebec City at the best time of day.

Just click here to start looking for the best possible deals on your flight, so you can head out to your 24 hours in Quebec City ASAP.

That’s a Perfect 24 Hours in Quebec City

What would you do during 24 hours in Quebec City? Are you ready to start booking your hotel in Quebec City? Please email me at stellajane@aroundtheworldin24hours.com and let me know!

Note: If you want to know how I put my travel itineraries together, just click here. Keep in mind that while each article is about how to spend 24 hours in a place, that doesn’t mean you should spend 24 hours in Quebec City.

Add another 24 hours in Montreal. Experience a one day in Montreal itinerary. You can also try a day of the best Canada Montreal things to do. You can also do a one day in Quebec City itinerary.