Québec City 3 Day Winter Itinerary
Is it crazy to visit Canada in the Winter considering how cold it can be? No, it’s actually the perfect time to experience all it has to offer! Québec City has one of the best Christmas Markets in the ENTIRE WORLD. That’s right! QC’s Christmas Market consistently makes the ‘best of’ list by major travel publications. It’s easy to get to from the U.S. and steeped in European heritage which makes Quebec City a no-brainer. Convinced? Keep reading for a detailed Québec City 3 Day Winter Itinerary for your first-time visit.
Before we jump in, let’s review some of the things Québec is known for since they will be sprinkled throughout. If you go somewhere and they are known for something, you should have that thing. I learned this lesson hard way when I went to a gelato place in Venice and had the worst sandwich of my life, but that’s a story for a different day.
- Poutine – French Fries, Cheese Curds (fresh, not fried), and Gravy. Those three components are standard in this famous Canadian dish, but many variations exist.
- Maple Syrup – Canada produces 85% of the world’s maple syrup. You can’t get much more known for something than that.
- Beer – According to Wikipedia, “Beer was first introduced to Canada by European settlers in the seventeenth century, as Canada had an ideal climate for making beer before refrigeration was introduced.” So there you have it.
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Table of Contents
Where is Québec City?
Québec City is located in the French-speaking Canadian province of Québec. Technically Québec City is just “Quebec” but since the province has the same name, most refer to it as Quebec City to distinguish the city from the province. Confused?
The nearest major city is Montreal, which is about 160 miles away. Montreal is major in that 1.8 million people live there, but Québec City isn’t a small town by any means. Québec City’s population is around 500,000, but don’t let that cloud the storybook visions in your head. We will focus most of our time on the itinerary in Old Québec, a historic UNESCO World Heritage Site made of pubs, shops, and cobblestone streets along the Saint Lawrence river.
Can’t Miss Things To Do (aka Very Obsessed!)
Top three things from this Winter Itinerary:
- Québec City German Christmas Market
- La Souche Microbrasserie
- Pub L’Oncle Antoine
Itinerary Overview
Day One
- Breakfast at Maison Smith
- Explore Petit Champlain
- Lunch at Pub Borgia
- Christmas Market
- Dinner at Le Chic Shack
Day Two
- Brunch at Projet Microbrasserie
- Explore Rue Saint-Jean
- Noctem Brewery
- La Souche Microbrassrrie – Limoilou
- Cocktails at 1608 Bar
Day Three
- Brunch at Cochon Dingue
- Museum of Civilization
- Pub L’Oncle Antoine
- Ice Skating
- Christmas Market
- Dinner at Maison Livernois
Where to Stay
When I started planning my Québec City trip there was only one place I had in mind to stay, and that’s the world-renowned Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac. As the only 5-star hotel in Old Québec, this is the place to stay if you like luxury and want to be in the center of it all. Dufferin Terrace, the wooden boardwalk that borders the Saint Lawrence River (and also has Tobogganing starting mid-December) runs along the hotel. Allegedly the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac is the most photographed hotel in the world, and it’s easy to see why. The hotel looks like something straight out of a movie, high on a hill in the style of a french castle.
If you visit during Christmas the hotel has common areas decorated beautifully with Christmas trees. and lights, and we even had a Poinsettia in our room. Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac has everything you would expect from a 5 star hotel (outlets near the bed, full-length mirror, plenty of room to sit and for the luggage to be off the floor), and the Le Labo toiletries are divine! Plus they offer lots of other complimentary perks that we didn’t take advantage of, but there is room in the itinerary so you can (like wine tasting, a tour of the hotel, etc.)
I have friends who have stayed in an Airbnb in Quebec City previously and they agreed that it was great to be in the middle of the magic. My advice is to book the hotel early before everyone starts thinking about Christmas in QC and the prices go up. I booked the hotel in July and the trip wasn’t until December. The prices were much more affordable than I typically expect from a 5-star hotel.
Day One | Today is all about Old Québec
Day
When I visit a new city I love to try out their local coffee, so a stop at Café La Maison Smith is in order! Their pastries are solid (Pain au Chocolate was my favorite that I tried) but their coffee is very good. They brew it themselves and even ship it to the U.S. if you are so inclined. They have a few locations; Des Jardins is closest to the hotel and has a bit more seating, and Notre Dame is the original location and is located near Place Royale, a historic cobblestoned square (we’ll be visiting on day three).
Next, we’ll roam around the city, on the picturesque Quartier Petit Champlain. No chains here! This street is like walking the old roads of a storybook European town, with local shops and restaurants. This is where we’ll stop for some lunch and beverages (I highly recommend the Caribou) at Pub Borgia. When you walk in you are faced with the aromatic scent of caramelized onion and this allegedly has the best French Onion soup in the city. If you want to stay a while feel free and play one of the many board games that are offered.
Old Québec is split into Upper and Lower and while you can walk the many steps connecting the two, you may want to try the Funiculaire. This railway (but more like a tram) is under $3 CAD and can take you up or down the 59 meters.
Night
The Québec City Christmas Market is split into 5 different locations, which really helps with traffic control and doesn’t seem overwhelming at all. I would, however, suggest not trying to visit all locations in one day. Today visit the closest sites to Old Québec, and we’ll visit Place D’Youville at the far end of day three. Note, the Christmas Market is free to visit, and most booths accept credit cards.
Dinner is at Le Chic Shack, a fast-casual restaurant near the hotel that specializes in burgers, poutine, and boozy shakes.
Day Two | Get into the Neighborhoods on a Brewery Crawl
Day
Free time before making our way to the Saint-Jean-Baptiste neighborhood. Le Projet Microbrasserie is a gastropub that offers a full menu and over 30 beers from various breweries around the city. Once you’ve had a pint (or two or three) take some time to explore Rue Saint-Jean, a bustling street full of eclectic shops.
Next, we are on our way to one of my favorite breweries, Noctem, and it’s not just because it’s black cat themed (although that’s a fun bonus). It’s a 12-minute walk or a 5-minute drive from Saint-Jean-Baptiste so very walkable if not too cold. Noctem is popular so you may want to try to make a reservation. We wandered in and they were very accommodating, but let us know upfront the table was reserved in 2 hours, which was more than enough time to try a flight.
Night
We’ll now make our way to the Limoilou neighborhood for a cozy spot to grab dinner. Limoilou is about a 25-minute walk from Noctem, or a 5-minute drive so I would take an Uber here. La Souche has a variety of beers but their food menu is great. While I’m not a poutine fan (no squeaky curds for me) everyone I was with agreed they have the best poutine in all of Québec City! They offer a few variations and the beer is exceptional!
It’s been a long (boozy) day of exploring so it’s back to the hotel for a nightcap. 1608 Bar is a vibey cocktail lounge in the Frontenac that has theatric drinks and serves complimentary snacks. It’s not inexpensive, but it’s a delightful way to end the evening.
Day Three | A Little Culture in Old Québec
Day
Start the day off with brunch at Cochon Dingue. With multiple locations, the closest spot to the hotel will be a 7-minute walk to the Champlain location. Get your belly full because it’s time to explore the Museum of Civilization. Don’t let what it looks like from the outside deceive you, it’s much larger than you think! Not only is there a great exhibit on the history of Quebec City, but they also have rotating eclectic exhibits as well.
Remember when I said we would visit the Place Royale? Now is the time! After the museum walk back towards the hotel and you’ll run into the historic cobblestoned square with a beautiful oversized Christmas tree right in the center. Pop into Pub L’Oncle Antoine and warm yourself with mulled wine in this 17th-century brick cellar-turned-pub.
Night
Quebec City is the only fortified city north of Mexico, and walking the ramparts is like taking a step back in time. There are four main gates, and we’ll start our evening at the Christmas Market near Saint-Jean Gate. Sitting right outside of the gate is the furthest Christmas market and an ice skating rink at Place D’Youville. There is no admission fee to skate and they rent skates so it makes for a fun winter activity! When we are done skating we make our way to dinner at Maison Livernois while visiting the Christmas Market booths along the way. Although Maison Livernois is a vibey little spot, it’s totally acceptable to wear jeans. They have great apps and cocktails (known for their gin) and will be an 8-minute walk back to the hotel to get a good night’s sleep before flying out tomorrow!
Transportation
How to Get There
Plane, train, or automobile, that is always the question, isn’t it? Unless you are close or have a ton of time, flying to Québec is going to be your best bet. Most major cities have direct flights to Montreal, which means you can have that be your final destination and drive or take a train to Quebec City. Since Quebec City has a decent-sized airport I chose to fly Air Canada (part of Star Alliance) into Québec City with a layover in Montreal. The drive is a little under 3 hours and the flight from Montreal to Québec City is a little over an hour. Totally your call!
How to Get Around
Québec City is very much a walking city, although it is Hilly with a capital H. To go from Old Quebec to the neighborhoods it’s better off driving, but because there are pubs and breweries on the itinerary, I highly suggest taking an Uber or Taxi.
One thing to note, Uber’s are not nearly as available in Québec City as they are in the US, and based on the vehicle we received from the airport to the hotel, I don’t believe they have the same standard of XL either. It is not uncommon to wait 20 minutes for an Uber while you are in Old Québec or a neighborhood, so just plan that in advance if you have to be somewhere (dinner reservations).
What to Pack
Like any cold climate city, the weather can be unpredictable. When I was there in December the temperatures ranged from mid 30’s Fahrenheit to single digits, without wind chill. As someone who HATES the cold (I know, I know, Canada in Winter) I highly suggest bringing layers. Also a high-quality winter coat (mine has to have a hood), gloves, a hat, and a scarf.
Québec City is a walking city, as mentioned earlier, but it’s very hilly, so bring shoes you can walk a lot in, that are comfortable, and that have good tread (hills can get slippery in the snow). I wore lug sole boots most of the time because they are warm, comfortable, and waterproof. I just also made sure to wear them on the plane so they didn’t take up a lot of room in my luggage.
Quebec City is a casual city, so you’ll be fine wearing jeans pretty much everywhere. My go-to is black since it’s a little more elevated than blue, but still warm when that wind is whipping.
Tips for Visiting
- French is the official language, but most people speak English as well. Only some websites will be available in English, which goes for the QR menu. If you are using an iPhone hit the translate button in the URL and the menu will be translated into English.
- The Canadian Dollar, CAD, is the national currency but I found everywhere to accept credit cards. In my International Travel Tips Guide I reiterate, if the credit card slip asks if you want it in USD or CAD, always choose the native currency.
- Because Canada isn’t part of the US, they are on the Celsius scale. I could tell you how to convert, but it’s easier to use your phone. Just know that 0 degrees Celsius is freezing (32 degrees Fahrenheit) so there’s a big difference.
- Since Canada is in North America luckily the voltage is the same which means your blow dryer, flat iron, and Air Wrap will all work without converting!
- Depending on your cell phone provider, you may or may not automatically have service. As part of my plan, I have service automatically in Mexico and Canada, so my phone worked immediately after departing the plane at no extra charge. Just note, I was on 3G for a lot of the trip so it’s not as fast as we may be used to.
- My friend’s plan didn’t automatically have international service but almost everywhere offers free Wi-Fi so it was no problem. If no one you are traveling with will have service, and you want to call an Uber on the side of the road it could present a problem. In this instance, I recommend contacting your service provider and adding Canada.
Book a Trip to Québec City!
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