Montmorency Falls and Orleans Island Half-Day Tour Quebec City

Montmorency Falls Park

Montmorency Falls plunges about 83 metres into the St. Lawrence estuary, roughly 30 metres higher than Niagara Falls, and is the main natural attraction near Quebec City. A suspension bridge crosses the top of the falls, and stairways and viewpoints let you look at the water from above, from the side and from below.

Guests searching for a Montmorency Falls tour from Quebec City will find that the park gives you about 45 minutes here, enough for the viewpoints and a walk. Park entrance is included in this option, while the cable car is optional and paid separately. Montmorency Falls opening hours change by season, and the falls are also spectacular when frozen in winter.

Île d'Orléans

Île d'Orléans lies in the St. Lawrence just downstream of Quebec City, and it is one of the places where French settlers first farmed the land in the seventeenth century. Roads pass old stone and wooden houses, orchards, fields and small villages, and the island's rural mood is very different from the city.

Our short visit gives you the flavour of the island rather than a full day, with scenic driving, commentary from your guide and a stop at a chocolate shop for a treat before heading back. If you love the island, it is worth returning for a longer visit, as the best time to visit Île d'Orléans is summer and early autumn.

Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré Basilica

The Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré is one of the best-known pilgrimage sites in North America. The present church was built in the twentieth century after a fire destroyed the earlier one, and its towering interior is covered in mosaics, stained glass and carvings.

You have about 45 minutes here to walk through the nave and the side chapels, and the entrance fee is included. The basilica is a place of worship, so quiet voices and modest dress are appreciated. Its calm, echoing interior is a pleasant contrast to the noise of the falls, and it is easy to see why so many travellers ask whether a Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré Basilica visit is worth adding to a Quebec City itinerary.

The Côte-de-Beaupré and the Copper Studio

The tour follows the historic royal road along the Côte-de-Beaupré, a narrow strip of villages between the river and the hills. The guide points out old farms, chapels and stories from the early days of New France as the bus travels.

A short stop at the boutique of the copper artist Albert Gilles is a chance to see decorative metalwork made by a local craftsman. The whole route takes about 5.25 hours, so this Quebec City half-day tour is a good choice when you do not have a full day.