Quebec City Panoramic Bus Tour with Local Guide

The Château Frontenac and the Upper Town

The Château Frontenac is the symbol of Quebec City: a vast railway hotel opened in 1893, with green copper roofs, turrets and red-brick walls crowning the cliff of Cap Diamant above the St Lawrence River. Around it lies the Upper Town, or Haute-Ville, the walled heart of Old Quebec that has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1985, with its narrow streets, stone houses and church spires.

On this Quebec City sightseeing tour the coach passes the château and the Upper Town while your guide explains how the city grew from a French trading post into a colonial capital. You see the boardwalk of Dufferin Terrace and the steep streets that make the old city so atmospheric. Many visitors ask whether Old Quebec is worth visiting; after this drive you will know which corners to return to on foot.

The ramparts and the Citadelle of Quebec

Quebec City is the only city in North America north of Mexico that still keeps its original fortified walls. The ramparts run for several kilometres around the Upper Town, pierced by stone gates such as Porte Saint-Louis and Porte Saint-Jean, and were built and strengthened by the French and then the British over two centuries of conflict.

At the highest point stands the Citadelle, a star-shaped fortress built by the British in the first half of the nineteenth century that is still an active military base today. The tour passes the walls and the fortress while your guide explains their defensive design and the sieges the city faced. If you want to see inside, the Citadelle entry ticket with guided tour is a perfect next step after this overview of the fortifications of Quebec.

Plains of Abraham: photo stop above the St Lawrence

The Plains of Abraham are the most famous battlefield in Canada. In 1759 British and French troops fought here in a short battle that changed the future of North America, and in 1908 the site became Battlefields Park, a huge green space of lawns, trees and viewpoints high above the St Lawrence River.

This is the main stop of the tour: about 15 minutes to step off the coach, take photos and enjoy the wide river views while your guide tells the story of the battle. The park is loved by locals for walking, picnics and festivals in summer and for cross-country skiing in winter. The best time to visit the Plains of Abraham is autumn, when the maple trees turn red and gold, but the view is striking in every season.

Grande Allée, the Fine Arts Museum and the National Assembly

From the Plains the coach follows Grande Allée, the elegant avenue of Victorian houses that is now lined with restaurant terraces and lively in the evenings. Nearby stands the National Museum of Fine Arts of Quebec, set in the park, whose pavilions hold the largest collection of Quebec art, from early religious works to contemporary pieces.

At the edge of the old city rises Parliament Hill and the Parliament Building of the National Assembly of Quebec, completed in the 1880s in the Second Empire style. Its facade is decorated with bronze statues of figures from the province's history, and the gardens in front are bright with flowers in summer. Your guide explains how Quebec is governed and why the motto "Je me souviens" appears on buildings and licence plates across the province.

Place Royale, the Basilica-Cathedral and the Lower Town

The tour also passes the great religious and civic buildings of the old city, including the Notre-Dame de Québec Basilica-Cathedral, seat of the oldest parish in North America north of Mexico, and the City Hall with its gardens. Down by the water lies the Lower Town and Place Royale, the small cobbled square where the French settlement began in 1608, framed by restored stone houses and the little church of Notre-Dame-des-Victoires.

Close by are the modern Museum of Civilization and the old port on the St Lawrence River, where the city meets the water. This part of the drive shows how Quebec City spreads over two levels linked by steep stairs and a funicular. When the tour returns to Parliament Hill you will have a clear map of Quebec City in your head, ready for exploring on foot.