72 hours in Quebéc City — The Road Liz Traveled

In celebrating their 35th anniversary, my parents jetted off to Québec City for a long weekend and I tagged along- how romantic!! Albeit it quick, our trip proved that Québec City is a definite easy long weekend getaway, and a MUST see.

getting there

Getting to Québec City is fairly easy- from Chicago you can fly an hour to Toronto or 2 and a half to Montreal, transfer and fly to Québec for around $400 roundtrip. If you're coming from somewhere further west, the trip can be a bit longer, and often the flights out of LAX are overnight. But consider this: roundtrip airfare from LAX to Québec would cost you around $550 whereas flying over to Europe would cost you somewhere in the neighborhood of $1,000+. Cost-wise, you're already ahead of the game.

It really is amazing how such an easy flight can get you to an absolutely beautiful and remote city that makes you feel like you're in a tiny town in the south of France. The city center is about 25 minutes from the airport, and your cabbie will spend that time telling you about the city, its history, and how he has loved it so much he has no desire to see the rest of Canada. And then you'll pull into the old part of the city and fall head over heels in love.

There is an upper and lower part of the old city, both of which have stunning views of the St. Lawrence River, and from the upper town you can see for miles.

where to stay

The most famous place to stay in the old city is called the Fairmont Le Châteaux Frontenac. It truly is a magnificent place to stay- with some of the best views, prime location, and lavish rooms, you cannot go wrong. The sheer size of the hotel is massive, but it is one of the most beautiful buildings you'll see. It dominates the old city skyline with it's green roof and bright brick exterior. At a lofty $250/night on the low end, it can be out of many budgets unless you find a package deal (which is rare but definitely doable- check Expedia!). In my opinion, if you're planning a trip to Québec, cut Starbucks out for a few weeks, don't go out to dinner as much, and put that cash toward staying at the Frontenac, it is absolutely worth it.

where to eat

As an amateur foodie myself, I am always looking to find and go to the coolest, most off-the-beaten-path restaurants when I travel. On my check-list for finding a restaurant are: local cuisine (I absolutely can't stand when people go to amazing cities and then look for a pizza place, unless you're in Italy of course), moderately priced, and location (charming ambiance and an easily accessible location is a necessity! A good view is definitely appreciated but not a deal-breaker).

I have to say, I was VERY pleasantly surprised with Chez Jules- a little French brasserie tucked down a very unassuming street. The food is simple, classic French food done perfectly. Some of the stand-out dishes we had were the warm goat cheese salad, rabbit spread paté, roasted salmon, and seared veal liver. Nothing was fancy, there weren't too many sauces or additions to each plate, it wasn't overpriced, and we were stuffed upon leaving. It was an absolutely perfect place to enjoy dinner, get to know Québec, and was definitely close enough to walk to.

A great option for lunch is La Buche. It's not fancy or the cutest place, but they serve delicious homemade food, not overly expensive, and is very well located. For lunch, my dad and I had the tourtière- a meat pie full of stewed game meats (venison, bison, rabbit, and beef), topped with a beautifully flaky crust.

what to do

I highly recommend taking at least a day to walk all over the old city. It's not very big so it can definitely be covered in a day, but two would be ideal. Both the upper and lower town are full of the cutest and coolest shops- everything from hand carved wooden board games, to outdoorsy gear, to home decor, fur stores, and local artisan crafts (like maple candy!). You'll want to buy everything! Just think of it as shopping with a permanent discount since the US dollar is really strong against the Canadian dollar right now.

In addition to shopping, explore the Museum of Civilization in the lower town. It isn't huge so you won't need all day, but it is definitely worth a look! Also, take a tour of the Morrin Centre. From 1813-1868, the Morrin Centre was the Quebéc City jail. Since then, it has become the home of the literary and historical society of Québec. The building has stayed mostly in tact since its days as a jail, and now the rooms of books and artifacts are housed in the old jail cells.

It is also definitely worth it to book a day trip outside of the city. We went to Montmorency park to see the falls, which are almost twice the height of Niagra Falls, just not nearly as wide. Then to Isle d'Orleans, which is a sleepy island in the middle of the St. Lawrence River. The majority of the island is covered in forest, but the tiny town on the southern tip called Sainte-Pétronille is so cozy and inviting. Our last stop of the day was to the Basilica of St. Anne de Beaupré which is even bigger and more grand than the pictures make it look. Each year, 500,000 catholics make the pilgrimage to the basilica to pay their respects and pray for the sick and disabled (St. Anne was known for her miraculous curing of diseases and disabilities).

So there you have it! Québec City is a charming, cozy, exciting place to see full of good eats, plenty of shopping, history, and beauty!