Quebec City, Canada: Self-Guided Walking Tour

Quebec City blends French heritage, Canadian history and striking riverside scenery atop the narrowest point of the Saint Lawrence River. Its fortified Old Quebec, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offers cobbled streets, stone houses and landmarks such as the Château Frontenac and Dufferin Terrace. Neywo has a free audio guide for Quebec City with 108 narrated places.

Just a short drive from Montreal and not far from the historic town of Knowlton, Quebec City lies in the province of Quebec within Canada.

Explore Quebec City’s Highlights

Citadelle of Quebec

The Citadelle is an active military installation on Cap Diamant, beside the Plains of Abraham. Built between 1820 and 1850, it forms part of the city’s historic fortifications and is one of only two fortified cities in North America. It continues to house the Canadian Armed Forces and serves as an official residence for the monarch and the governor general when they are in Quebec.

Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec

Located in National Battlefields Park, this art museum focuses on Quebec art from historic works to contemporary creations. Its permanent collection exceeds 40,000 pieces, including paintings, sculptures, drawings and decorative art dating back to the 17th century. The complex includes the Gérard‑Morisset Pavilion, the Pierre‑Lassonde Pavilion (opened 2016) and the Charles‑Baillairgé Pavilion, which began as a prison.

Chateau St. Louis

Beneath Dufferin Terrace lie the archaeological remains of Château Saint‑Louis. The site preserves traces of forts and châteaux built between 1620 and 1834, showing how the location evolved from a French governor’s residence to a British colonial seat. Visitors can see foundations, courtyards and drainage systems that reveal the layered history of the terrace.

Musée de la civilisation

Situated in Lower Town, this public museum explores Quebec and world civilizations through art, society, ethnography and the humanities. Designed by Moshe Safdie, it incorporates historic buildings such as the former Banque de Paris and Maison Estèbe. A Discovery Zone called Quartier des découvertes offers interactive exhibits for children.

Cartier‑Brébeuf National Historic Site

At the confluence of the Saint‑Charles and Lairet rivers, this urban park commemorates Jacques Cartier’s 1535‑1536 wintering and the first Jesuit mission in Quebec (1625‑1626). The 6.8‑hectare site features an interpretation centre, a cycleway and remnants of later industrial uses such as a tannery, shipyard and sawmill.

Espace Quatre Cents

Facing Louise Basin in the Old Port, Espace Quatre Cents is an exhibition venue created as a lasting legacy of Quebec City’s 400th‑anniversary celebrations. It provides a cultural stop along the waterfront with rotating shows and events.

Théâtre Capitole

This Beaux‑Arts theatre on Place D’Youville opened in 1903 as the Auditorium, operated as the cinema Le Capitol until 1983, and reopened in 1992 after major renovations. Recognized as a National Historic Site since 1986, its rounded façade remains a distinctive feature of Old Quebec.

Maison Jean‑Baptiste‑Chevalier

A short walk from Place Royale, this historic complex joins three buildings on Rue du Marché‑Champlain. From 1965 to 2015 it housed a museum presenting domestic life from the 18th and 19th centuries. It was part of the Les Musées de la civilisation network.

Musée de la place Royale

Formerly an interpretation centre on Place Royale, this museum traced the origins of Quebec back to the early 1600s. Although it closed in 2017, its collections were transferred to the Musées de la civilisation. Place Royale itself is recognized as the founding site of Quebec, with national heritage status and 1970s excavations that informed the reconstruction of its stone houses.

Plains of Abraham Museum

Linked to Battlefields Park, this museum tells the story of the 1759 Battle of the Plains of Abraham. The historic site was established in 1908 and today the park draws about four million visitors each year for sports, concerts and leisure activities.

Musée des Ursulines

Located on Donnacona Street, this museum is dedicated to the cultural legacy of the Ursulines of Quebec. It adopted its current name in 2018 when the Pôle culturel was launched, continuing to preserve the religious order’s artistic and educational heritage.

Musée naval de Québec

In the Old Port at 170 Dalhousie Street, this museum focuses on the naval history of the Saint Lawrence River and the Canadian Naval Reserve. Opened in 1995, it preserves and shares this story through research, education and public exhibitions.

pavillon Charles‑Baillairgé

Part of the fine arts museum, this building began as Quebec City’s prison (1861‑1867). After serving as a detention centre, it was converted into museum space between 1989 and 1991 and designated a heritage building in 1997. The pavilion has been temporarily closed to visitors since April 4 2022.

pavillon Pierre‑Lassonde

Opened on June 24 2016, this contemporary entrance to the fine arts museum added 14,900 m² of space and seven galleries, increasing the exhibition area by 90 %. It now serves as the main gateway for visitors exploring the museum complex.

Cathedral of the Holy Trinity

Standing on the west side of Place d’Armes, this Anglican cathedral was built between 1800 and 1804 in a Palladian style inspired by St Martin in the Fields in London. Consecrated in 1804, it was the first Anglican cathedral erected outside the British Isles and has been a National Historic Site since 1989.

Explore with Neywo

Neywo provides five walking tours in Quebec City ranging from 1.96 km to 3.6 km (54 to 105 minutes) with 5 to 12 stops, one bus route of 4.9 km (21 minutes, 5 stops) and one bike route of 1.7 km (8 minutes, 3 stops). Each tour includes narrated stories that play automatically as you reach each location, allowing you to go at your own pace with no group and no schedule. Narration is available in 11 languages. Download the free Neywo app and let the city’s history, art and architecture unfold step by step.