Quebec City has a remarkable old city, majestic castle walls, and a whole lot of funness. I even found a place where the bartender customizes drinks for you. For a milestone birthday, I selected Quebec City as the place to go. Among the dozens of activities my family did, I narrowed my list to these 8 Great Things to Do in Quebec City Canada.

Please also see our Luxury Lodging in Victoria Canada article.

8 Great Things to Do in Quebec City

Cirque du Soleil

After choosing Quebec City, I checked the calendar of events. When I discovered that Cirque du Soleil had a performance on my birthday, I asked my family for tickets. I mean what can be more iconic than seeing Cirque du Soleil in the place where it was born? It was fascinating seeing the show in a French setting—all dialogue was in French and it seemed we were the only people not fully aware of what was being said. We loved it, though!

Quebec Castle

Kids of all ages, even my advanced age, love seeing the massive castle walls and city-surrounding fortress of Old Quebec City (Vieux-Québec).

Unlike most North American attractions, not every single square inch of the castle is blocked off to public access. During our visit, an international BMX bicycle competition occurred within the main square.

People, including my family, climbed the walls looking for great viewing locations.

Le Château Frontenac

If there is a single “must see” in Quebec City, it is the Chateau! The iconic property is now a Fairmont hotel, so, yes, you can drop a small fortune to stay here. We stayed in a nearby Airbnb rental but did visit the Chateau a few times.

One local expert suggested I try the make your own drink at the Bistro Le Sam bar. We dropped another small fortune on the unique experience but, hey, it was my birthday and it was one of the best things to do in Quebec City.

Scenic Quebec City Streets and Cafes

I love this picture but it is by no means the only quaint street in Quebec. There are dozens of these scenes and that is why Quebec City is just so darn attractive and popular.

Montmonercy Falls

A few minutes outside Old Quebec City is this magnificent waterfall. It was roaring during the first week of August. You can walk up from a parking lot off the highway or drive up to the park entrance. If you do the latter, as we did, you will cross a walkway over the top of the waterfall.

Then you will walk around the north end of the canyon, with more remarkable Montmorency views. By the way, Montmorency Falls is taller than Niagara Falls. Cool!

A highlight is climbing all the way down the staircase (you will be tempted not to because you have to go back up or, tip, have someone drive down to get you) and getting wet. Yes, you will get soaked if you go to this viewing spot. In August, that is a great thing. In October, probably not.

Île d’Orléans

A perfect thing to do after visiting Montmorency Falls is to explore the island in the St. Lawrence River called Île d’Orléans. The island is the original French settlement in the area and now produces agriculture all year round. There are several farm stands, local artisan shops, and other attractions worth visiting.

Local Quebec Maple Syrup (Sirop)

The first morning, I went into town and bought this loaf of fresh French bread from a small bakery. Mmm, mmm, great.

A gift from our apartment host was a can of local maple syrup. Amazing maple syrup. Being the stickler I am about traveling with only carryon bags, I knew I would not bring the can of syrup home. Problem solved: we will devour the whole thing. P.S. it was a sweet visit.

Well, dang, the combination created just about the most perfect breakfast I have ever had. Is my tummy rumbling right now? You bet it is!

Quebec’s Quirky Art Scene

By now, you know my penchant for finding quirky sights. Right?

Can you believe that zebra is painted on a garage door? I want to do that to my garage door but the homeowner’s association would have a conniption.

I think this flower bed design is a bicycle rider. If not, what do you think it is?

Exploring those quaint scenic streets I mentioned earlier, you might just stumble into public art such as this. So, yes, it is a bunch of plastic items. Your interpretation is as good as mine, probably better.

Believe me, it is a great thing that these pigeons are not real.

One of my favorite warning signs. I found this sign on the ferry, which, by the way, provides amazing views of the Chateau (like above). Does the sign portray a warning against disco dancing? No speed skating? What do you think it means?

Well, these pictures and brief descriptions represent some of the fun my family had last summer. Although I only selected 8 things to do in Quebec City, there are hundreds of other activities, attractions, and more.

Have you visited Quebec?

Sharing is caring!