The best way to see a city up-close is on foot, and this walking tour provides an excellent opportunity to experience the very heart of Quebec City's 400-year-old Old Town, an esteemed World Heritage Site and the only walled city in North America.
Your walking tour begins right at the pier, led by a guide who knows the history of Quebec City in depth and will elaborate on all of its significant events. Making your way to the Place-Royale, a square that became the heart of the original settlement, you'll see Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, the continent's oldest Catholic church. Right around the corner is the pedestrian-only, boutique-lined Petit-Champlain Street. This delightful street with its cafés and specialty shops also features colorful street performers such as jugglers and strolling musicians.
Next, you'll ride the funicular to the Upper Town and walk past many of its landmarks. There's Dufferin Terrace, where Samuel de Champlain built his fort in 1620, historic Ursuline Convent, and Place d'Armes, Upper Town's bustling main square. By now, you should be ready for tea and pastries, and Château Frontenac makes a classic setting for your snack. Sitting on a bluff above the St. Lawrence River, the castle-like hotel has been an icon of Quebec City since opening in 1893. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Mackenzie King, the Prime Minister of Canada during World War II, met here to discuss wartime strategy, and today the hotel still attracts heads of state, dignitaries and celebrities.
Following your refreshing tea break, you will return to the pier where your tour concludes.
Please note: This tour includes approximately 2-hours of moderate walking that covers approximately 1.5 miles. There are various gradients and surfaces to negotiate including cobblestone. The tour is not available to wheelchair guests or those with mobility concerns. Participants should be in good physical condition. A light sweater or jacket; umbrella; and flat, comfortable walking shoes are suggested. The sequence of the tour may vary.