Best Family Activities in Quebec City — Trip Planner

Quebec City with kids, realistically

The Glissade de la Terrasse sends three-person toboggans down a wooden chute beside the Chateau at speed, and it runs all winter. The Aquarium du Quebec keeps walruses and polar bears outdoors year-round. Galeries de la Capitale encloses a full amusement park with a rollercoaster. Old Quebec is cobbled and steep across two levels, so bring a carrier rather than a stroller, or use the funicular constantly.

When the weather turns in Quebec City

Rain in the shoulder seasons and deep cold in January call for the same list. The Musee de la civilisation and the Musee national des beaux-arts each absorb half a day. The Morrin Centre runs guided tours through its cells and book stacks. Galeries de la Capitale puts a skating rink and a rollercoaster under one roof. The Monastere des Augustines offers a quiet restored hospital-convent.

What things cost in Quebec City

The funicular between Upper and Lower Town costs a few dollars each way and saves a punishing climb. A poutine sits around twelve to fifteen, a museum admission in the low twenties, and a single bus fare under four. Winter is high season rather than low, so Carnaval and the Christmas market push hotel rates above July. Montmorency Falls costs nothing if you take the stairs.

What to eat in Quebec City

Poutine is regional here, and Chez Ashton, a local chain, is where residents actually order it. Tourtiere in this city means the deep Lac-Saint-Jean version rather than a thin pie. Cretons, a spiced pork spread, turns up at breakfast. Buffet de l'Antiquaire in Lower Town serves all of it as plain diner food. Come March the sugar shacks open and hot maple taffy is rolled on snow.

Quebec City after dark

Grande Allee's terrace strip is the obvious choice and the most touristed. Rue Saint-Jean does better, and Saint-Roch, downhill and outside the walls, is where the city genuinely drinks: Noctem and La Barberie pour Quebec microbrews to a local crowd. Bars close at three across the province. In winter the real night activity is the toboggan run on Dufferin Terrace, floodlit and alarmingly fast.

When to go to Quebec City

The month to avoid is February — around -4°C (25°F) with roughly 14 rain days. Prices and crowds track the weather here: September is the sweet spot, February the month most people skip.

Pack for peak season: Layers — t-shirts under a light jacket or sweater, A packable rain shell or compact umbrella earns its space, Comfortable walking shoes — every guide on this site assumes you'll use them.

Where to base yourself in Quebec City

• Vieux-Québec — Walled old town — the only fortified city in North America north of Mexico.
• Petit-Champlain — Lower town with the prettiest streets, restaurants, and the Funicular link.
• Saint-Roch — Hip downtown side — indie bars, third-wave coffee, an arts scene.