Forty-eight hours in Old Quebec: that's the time needed to grasp the essence of this unique city, without rushing everywhere and without missing the essentials. This guide is for you if you're visiting for the first time, or if you're coming back to find what you haven't seen yet. Two days, one pace, a city that lets itself be tamed through its alleys.

Day 1 - Morning: start at Petit Champlain

Your first hour in Old Quebec should be spent in Petit Champlain. No rush: arrive around 9 a.m., before the crowd, and treat yourself to a coffee at Carrera Café. Our morning espresso, carefully pulled from our specialty beans, is the best starting point you can imagine for this day.

From our terrace or dining room, watch the street come to life. Shopkeepers opening their stores, the first tourists photographing the facades, the funicular starting its trips between Lower Town and Upper Town. It's already a show in itself.

Day 1 - Mid-morning: Place Royale and the shores

A two-minute walk away, Place Royale is the cradle of French civilization in America. The Notre-Dame-des-Victoires church, founded in 1688, dominates the square with its two bell towers. The Place Royale museum tells four centuries of history through images.

From there, head down to the shores of the Saint Lawrence. Quebec's Old Port offers a unique view of the river and the South Shore mountains. In summer, kayaking and cruises depart from here. In winter, the shores transform into a striking Arctic landscape.

Day 1 - Afternoon: the Upper Town and Château Frontenac

Take the funicular or climb the Casse-Cou stairs on foot to reach the Upper Town. Terrasse Dufferin welcomes you with a breathtaking view of the Saint Lawrence. The Château Frontenac, inaugurated in 1893, dominates the city with its green copper towers: it is the most photographed hotel in the world.

Explore rue Saint-Louis, lined with Victorian houses and restaurants. Visit the Citadel, a fortress built by the British to defend the city from the Americans, an irony of history. The view from its ramparts embraces the whole city and the river to the horizon.

Day 2 - Morning: coffee and lesser-known neighborhoods

Start again at Carrera Café — same time, same espresso, same view of Petit Champlain. Then explore the less frequented alleys: rue du Trésor, where artists display their works outside, rue Sainte-Anne with its galleries, Place d'Armes in front of the Château.

Day 2 - Afternoon: the Plains of Abraham

Fifteen minutes on foot from Old Quebec, the Plains of Abraham are the site of the decisive 1759 battle that changed the course of Canadian history. Today, it is a vast park where Quebecers jog, cross-country ski, and skate. The Plains museum tells the story of the battle with modern and captivating museography.

In the evening, return to Old Quebec for the sunset from the Terrasse Dufferin. The golden light on the river and the roofs of the Lower Town: this is a moment worth traveling for.

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