Day 1: Arrival & First Steps into History
Your journey begins as you board a luxury motorcoach, bound for the cobblestone streets and towering fortresses of Québec City, the only walled city north of Mexico. As you travel, anticipation builds—soon, you’ll be immersed in a world where French echoes through 400-year-old alleyways and history lives around every corner.
3:30 PM – Bienvenue à Québec!
You arrive at Place Montcalm, where the Grande Allée stretches before you, lined with cafés and historic buildings. Your Visit Canada guide greets you, setting the stage for the adventure ahead. After checking into the Loews Le Concorde Hotel (or Hôtel Delta Québec), you’ll have just enough time to take in the view before heading out to explore.
4:30 PM – A Walk Through Time
Your first steps into the city feel like stepping into a European postcard. The Assemblée Nationale, Québec’s parliament, stands grand and imposing. As you wander through the Latin Quarter, your guide points out hidden courtyards and whispers stories of 17th-century scholars who once studied at Le Petit Séminaire. The air is thick with history—you can almost hear the rustle of priests’ robes and the debates of early settlers.
Dinner in a 300-Year-Old Building
As evening falls, you pass through Porte St-Louis, one of the city’s original gates, and step into Restaurant Le Rivoli, where exposed stone walls and hand-hewn beams tell tales of centuries past. The scent of French-Canadian cuisine fills the air—perhaps you’ll try tourtière (meat pie) or maple-glazed salmon.
8:00 PM – Secrets of the Plains of Abraham
With full stomachs, you walk to the Plains of Abraham, where the fate of North America was decided in 1759. Here, a Martello Tower looms—a silent sentinel that once guarded against American invasion. Inside, an interactive lesson brings the past to life. You touch the cold stone walls and imagine soldiers huddled inside during freezing winters, watching for enemy ships on the St. Lawrence.
10:00 PM – Return to the Hotel
As you walk back under the glow of old-fashioned streetlamps, the city feels alive with ghosts of the past. You’ll sleep well tonight, knowing tomorrow holds even more discoveries.
Day 2: Treasures, Waterfalls & a Sugar Shack Feast
7:45 AM – Petit Déjeuner in Petit Champlain
Morning light spills over Quartier Petit Champlain, the oldest neighborhood in North America. At Le Cochon Dingue (“The Crazy Pig”), you sip hot chocolate and bite into flaky croissants, surrounded by 17th-century buildings. The chatter is in French—you’re not just visiting Québec; you’re living it.
9:15 AM – A Photo at the World’s Most Famous Hotel
You stroll up to the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, its turrets piercing the sky like a castle from a fairy tale. On the Promenade des Gouverneurs, you snap a group photo with the mighty St. Lawrence River as your backdrop.
9:45 AM – The Great Treasure Hunt
Now, it’s time to put your French skills to the test! Armed with clues, you race through Place Royale, where Samuel de Champlain founded Québec in 1608. You decipher inscriptions, solve riddles, and piece together the story of New France. The hunt ends at the Assemblée Nationale, where you feel like true explorers who’ve unlocked the city’s secrets.
1:45 PM – A Cathedral of Light
Next, you board the bus and travel to the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, a Gothic masterpiece where sunlight streams through stained glass, painting the floors in kaleidoscope colors. Some say miracles happen here—you can’t help but feel the awe.
3:00 PM – The Thundering Montmorency Falls
A short ride brings you to Montmorency Falls, higher than Niagara. You cross a suspension bridge directly over the roaring cascade, feeling the mist on your face as you descend the 250-foot staircase beside the plunging water. It’s a moment of pure exhilaration—nature’s power on full display.
5:00 PM – A Night at the Sugar Shack
As dusk settles, you journey into the countryside, where rolling hills and red barns dot the landscape. At an authentic cabane à sucre, the scent of maple syrup and woodsmoke welcomes you. Dinner is a feast: pea soup, ham glazed in maple, buttery tourtière, and golden sugar pie. After eating, you learn folk dances to the sound of fiddles, then step outside for the grand finale—tire sur la neige (maple taffy on snow), a sweet, sticky Québec tradition.
9:00 PM – Return Under the Stars
The bus ride back is filled with laughter and songs. You’ve tasted, touched, and lived Québec today—tomorrow, one last adventure awaits.
Day 3: A Farewell to New France
8:00 AM – Breakfast in a Heritage House
Your final morning begins at La Vieille Maison, a charming 19th-century house where you enjoy one last French-style breakfast. The walls here have stories—maybe of merchants, poets, or revolutionaries who once dined in these very rooms.
9:45 AM – Inside the Château Frontenac
Back at the Château Frontenac, a costumed guide from the 1800s leads you through grand halls and secret corridors. You learn of famous guests—Queens, spies, even Alfred Hitchcock! The hotel isn’t just a landmark—it’s a living museum.
11:00 AM – A Last Stroll Through Petit Champlain
You wander Quartier Petit Champlain one last time, its cobblestone lanes and flower boxes straight out of a storybook. Maybe you pick up a souvenir—a maple candy, a wool toque, or a hand-painted keepsake.
12:45 PM – The Ferry to Lévis
Your final act is a scenic ferry ride across the St. Lawrence, where Québec’s skyline rises like a fortress from the cliffs. The wind in your hair, the churn of the water beneath you—it’s the perfect farewell.
1:15 PM – Homeward Bound
As the bus rolls back toward school, you flip through photos and share favorite moments. Three days ago, Québec was a place in a textbook. Now? It’s a place in your heart.
À bientôt, Québec! Until next time.
Why This Trip?
This isn’t just a tour—it’s a time machine, a language lab, and a cultural feast. By the end, you won’t just have seen Québec… you’ll have lived it.
