My husband and I LOVE Europe. The slower pace of life, the culture, the food, the history and the people make it one of the most enjoyable places to visit. Together we’ve gone to France, Greece and Croatia together (the last 2 with kids) and all 3 places have been extraordinary. So when we were planning this trip, we wanted to find a place as close to Europe as possible without taking our 3 kiddos on the plane while the pandemic still rages on, thus bringing us to the beautiful Quebec City. Walking through the streets of Old Town felt like we were walking through the streets of Europe, except this time we also got to enjoy poutine which is always a delicious bonus. What’s also amazing about Quebec City is that it’s a beautiful place to visit with or without children as there is something to do for people of all ages. So without further ado, here was our itinerary for 4 days in Quebec City!

PS at the end I give a bonus piece of information for visiting Quebec City at Christmas Time!

Day 1: Arrive in Quebec City around 3
This gave us enough time to unpack, relax a little bit and then head out for dinner. Our Air BnB was situated in the Vieux- Limoilou neighborhood that had lots of great restaurants for us to enjoy. We went to a little pizza place that wasn’t really worth mentioning but for dessert we had ice cream from La Diperie. It was heavenly and I would suggest trying it if you ever saw it as it’s a chain throughout Quebec. After people watching and enjoying dessert, we head back to get a good night sleep!

Day 2: Explore Quebec City!
To start the day grab a DELICIOUS breakfast from the bakery called Paillard. Do yourself a favor and grab something savory as well as something sweet to get the full experience of this delicious bakery. I’m still dreaming of the almond croissant I had. Afterwards head for the castle! Walking the Boardwalk, overlooking the water and seeing Chateau Frontenac was breathtaking, especially when I could see Z’s excitement at the possibility of seeing a princess at the castle. Did I lie to my 6 year old and tell her a princess lived at the castle? Yes I did, so sue me because it was exciting for her! If you have a stroller be prepared to walk down the roads to the left of the funicular. It’s not so bad going down but going up was a bit of a workout when you have a 20 pound baby strapped to your chest or if you’re pushing a stroller but it’s still doable. Old Town is so cute with lovely shops and restaurants. They have live performers in the streets and great places to enjoy people watching. We had lunch there and it made for a very pleasant afternoon. To end our day we decided to visit the toy store Benjo right outside of the downtown area and oh my gosh it was a dream come true for my kiddos. They were each allowed to buy a toy and we spent nearly an hour there exploring this magical place. I’d highly recommend it to anyone with kids!
FAIR WARNING: Parking in the downtown core is NOT easy for bigger cars. There is a height restriction with a lot of the underground parking and street parking is nearly impossible without a designated parking sticker. We just happed to find a random little parking lot by chance but had we arrived any later in the morning we would have been out of luck.

Day 3: Montmorency Falls and the Aquarium!
To start our day we grabbed a delicious breakfast on the way to the falls as there were lots of options to choose from. It’s a beautiful drive to and from the falls and you get to enjoy different views of Quebec City! Once at the falls you can walk across the bridge, go on a few hikes and even take a zipline across the falls! There’s also apparently an area where you can eat and where the kid’s can play but we didn’t check it out because Z got blisters and wasn’t a fan of walking anymore! Remember – travelling with kids will not go as planned but that’s ok! Thankfully I had bandaids and a different pair of running shoes so she was ok once we got to the car. In all we only spent about an hour at the falls which we still really enjoyed but we definitely could have spent longer had the kids allowed us too! After the falls we drove to the Aquarium and had SO MUCH FUN! There is so much to see and do and the kids had a really great time! They have lots of food options but since we were still full from breakfast we just enjoyed some ice cream and beavertails (vacations aren’t supposed to be healthy). Remember to bring your bathing suits as well because after the kids had spent enough time looking at the animals, we went to the little splash pad that was there and the kids had a great time running through the water! All in all it was truly a great day! By the end of it though the kids were exhausted so we grabbed some famous hotdogs from the La Belle Province and went back to the AirBnB to relax!

Day 4: Valcartier Bora Parc (aka a really awesome waterpark)
Full disclosure we didn’t actually go to this waterpark because we didn’t have enough time but my brother went the week after and he said it was UNBELIEVABLE! He said it was one of the best water parks he’s ever been too and that his 3 kids (ages 14, 13 and 6) had a ball. It looks like a tropical oasis inside with tons of stuff to do. They also have outdoor activities in the winter so you could probably spend 2 days there if you went during the colder season! This is going to be a must see next time we go to Quebec City!

Going to Quebec City at Christmas time!
The first time we went to Quebec City was December 2018 and although it was FREEZING (and I do mean very very cold) it was absolutely gorgeous. The decorations everywhere were stunning, the Christmas markets were magical and I’m pretty sure we saw the real Santa Claus in Old Quebec. You could also check out the famous Ice Palace Hotel but to be honest I don’t think that would quite be for me! Although I preferred Quebec City in the summer, I did really enjoy seeing it in the winter as well!

Well there you have it! 3 wonderful days in Quebec City! Like I said, if you’re looking for a European getaway closer to home, Quebec City is it! We had a wonderful time and think you will too!

xo T