Side Trips from Quebec City
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Side Trips from Quebec City - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Basilique Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré
Named for Québec's patron saint (the mother of the Virgin Mary), this small town is on Route 138, east of Québec City. It attracts more than a million pilgrims each year who come to visit the region's most famous religious site. The French brought their devotion to St. Anne (also the patron saint of shipwrecked sailors) when they sailed across the Atlantic to New France. According to local legend, St. Anne was responsible for saving voyagers from shipwrecks in the harsh waters of the St. Lawrence. In 1650, Breton sailors caught in a storm vowed to erect a chapel in honor of this patron saint at the exact spot where they landed. The present neo-Roman basilica, constructed in 1923, is the fifth to be built on the site where the sailors first touched ground. The original 17th-century wood chapel was built too close to the St. Lawrence and was swept away by river flooding. The gigantic structure is in the shape of a Latin cross and has two imposing granite steeples. The interior has 22 chapels and 18 altars, as well as rounded arches and numerous ornaments in the Romanesque style. The 214 stained-glass windows, completed in 1949, are by Frenchmen Auguste Labouret and Pierre Chaudière. Tributes to St. Anne can be seen in the shrine's mosaics, murals, altars, and ceilings. A bas-relief at the entrance depicts St. Anne welcoming her pilgrims, and ceiling mosaics represent her life. Numerous crutches and braces posted on the back pillars have been left by those who have felt the saint's healing powers.
10018 av. Royale, Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré, Québec, G0A 3C0, Canada418-827–3781Sight Details
Rate Includes: C$3 suggested donation -
2. Réserve Faunique du Cap Tourmente
Recognized as a Wetland of International Significance, this nature reserve protects a vital habitat for migrating greater snow geese, and sees more than a million fly through every October and May, with tens of thousands of birds present every day. The park harbors hundreds of other kinds of birds and mammals, and more than 700 plant species. This enclave also has 18 km (11 miles) of hiking trails; naturalists give guided tours. It's on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River, about 8 km (5 miles) east of Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré.
570 chemin du Cap Tourmente, St-Joachim, Québec, G0A 3X0, Canada418-827–4591Sight Details
Rate Includes: C$6 summer. C$4 Winter -
3. Atelier Paré (Economuseum of Wood Sculpture)
Two centuries of wood sculpture tradition are showcased at this "economuseum," a combination workshop and store. Visitors can watch artisans at work, tour an outdoor museum, see a 13-minute video presentation (in English and French), and learn about key characters in Québec's history and culture through the Legend Theatre Workshop.
9269 av. Royale, Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré, Québec, G0A 3C0, Canada418-827–3992Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free; guided tour C$5, Closed Mon. and Tues. Oct.–May. -
4. Casino de Charlevoix
Pointe-au-PicThe casino is one of four gaming halls in Québec (the others are in Montréal, Gatineau, and Mont-Tremblant) owned and operated by Loto-Québec. Charlevoix's, the smallest of the lot, still draws around 800,000 visitors a year—some of whom stay at the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu, which is connected to the casino by a tunnel. Largely renovated in 2016, it offers 21 gaming tables and more than 800 slot machines. The minimum gambling age is 18, and a photo ID is required to enter the casino.
183 rue Richelieu, La Malbaie, Québec, G5A 1X8, Canada418-665–5300 -
5. Cassis Monna et filles
This family farm has won international awards for its crème de cassis, a liqueur made from black currants. In its vast and attractive tasting room and shop, you can taste free samples of the strong, sweet cassis or black currant wines; the tour explains how they are made. In summer, you can sample foods made with cassis at La Monnaguette, the house bistro featuring a terrace overlooking the river.
726 chemin Royal, St-Pierre-de-l'Île-d'Orléans, Québec, G0A 4E0, Canada418-828–1057Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free; guided tours (upon reservation) for groups only, No reservations for La Monnaguette restaurant -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. Centre d'Interprétation des Mammifères Marins
You can learn more about the whales and their habitat at this interpretation center run by a locally based research team. They're only too glad to answer questions. In addition, explanatory videos and exhibits (including a collection of whale skeletons) serve as a good introduction to the mighty, but endangered cetaceans.
108 rue de la Cale-Sèche, Tadoussac, Québec, G0Z 2A0, Canada418-235–4701Sight Details
Rate Includes: C$15 -
7. Chapelle Commémorative
Across from Basilique Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré, this chapel was designed by Claude Bailiff and built in 1878. It was constructed on the transept of a church built in 1676, and Bailiff made use of the old stones and foundation. Among the remnants is a white-and-gold-trimmed pulpit designed by François Baillargé in 1807 and adorned with a sculpture depicting Moses and the Ten Commandments. Scala Santa, a smaller chapel next to this one, resembles a wedding cake. On bended knees, pilgrims climb its replica of the Holy Stairs, representing the steps Jesus climbed to meet Pontius Pilate.
10018 av. Royale, Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré, Québec, G0A 3C0, Canada418-827–3781 -
8. Chute Montmorency
The river cascading over a cliff into the St. Lawrence is one of the most beautiful sights in the province—and at 27 stories high, the falls are almost double the height of Niagara's. The Montmorency River was named for Charles de Montmorency, viceroy of New France in the 1620s and explorer Samuel de Champlain's immediate commander. A cable car runs to the top of the falls in Parc de la Chute-Montmorency (Montmorency Falls Park) from late April to late October. During very cold weather the falls' heavy spray freezes and forms a giant loaf-shaped ice cone known to the Québécois as the Pain du Sucre (Sugarloaf); this phenomenon attracts sledders and sliders from Québec City. Summer activities include three via ferrata trails built onto the cliff, as well as a zipline that shoots across the canyon, in front of the falls. The park also has a history. The British General James Wolfe, on his way to conquer New France, camped here in 1759. In 1780, Sir Frederick Haldimand, then the governor of Canada, built a summer home atop the cliff. The structure burned down in 1993, however, and what stands today, Manoir Montmorency, is a re-creation. Offering a stunning view of the falls and river below, it's open year-round, with a restaurant and terrace open in summertime.
View Tours and Activities2490 av. Royale, Beauport, Québec, G1C 1S1, Canada418-663–3330Sight Details
Rate Includes: C$5.22 parking for non-resident; Cable car C$14.57. -
9. Église St-François
Built in 1734, St-François is one of eight extant churches in Québec dating from the French regime. At the time the English seized Québec City in 1759, General James Wolfe knew St-François to be a strategic point along the St. Lawrence. Consequently, he stationed British troops here and used the church as a military hospital. In 1988, a car crash set the church on fire, and most of the interior treasures were lost. A separate children's cemetery stands as a silent witness to the difficult life of early residents.
341 chemin Royal, St-François, Québec, G0A 3S0, Canada418-828–2551Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
10. Église St-Jean
At the eastern end of the village sits a massive granite structure built in 1749, with large red doors and a towering steeple. The church resembles a ship; it's big, round, and appears to be sitting right on the river. Paintings of the patron saints of seamen line the interior walls. The church's cemetery is also intriguing, especially if you can read French. Back in the 1700s, piloting the St. Lawrence was a dangerous profession; the cemetery tombstones recall the many lives lost in these harsh waters.
2001 chemin Royal, St-Jean, Québec, G0A 3W0, Canada418-828–2551Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
11. Église St-Laurent
The tall, inspiring church that stands next to the village marina on chemin Royal was built in 1860 on the site of an 18th-century church that had to be torn down. One of the church's procession chapels is a miniature stone reproduction of the original.
1532 chemin Royal, St-Laurent, Québec, G0A 3Z0, Canada418-828–2551Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
12. Église St-Pierre
The oldest church on the island dates from 1717. It's no longer used for worship, but it was restored during the 1960s and is open to visitors. Many original components are still intact, such as benches with compartments below where hot bricks and stones were placed to keep people warm in winter. Félix Leclerc, the first Québécois singer-songwriter to make a mark in Europe, is buried in the cemetery nearby.
1249 chemin Royal, St-Pierre-de-l'Île-d'Orléans, Québec, G0A 3E0, Canada418-828–9824Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
13. Église Ste-Famille
This impressive church, constructed in 1749, is the only one in Québec to have three bell towers at its front. The ceiling was redone in the mid-19th century with elaborate designs in wood and gold. The church also holds a famous painting, L'Enfant Jésus Voyant la Croix (Baby Jesus Looking at the Cross); it was done in 1670 by Frère Luc (Brother Luc), who had been sent from France to decorate churches in the area.
3915 chemin Royal, Ste-Famille, Québec, G0A 3P0, Canada418-828–2656Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
14. Île-aux-Coudres
A free, government-run ferry from the wharf in St-Joseph-de-la-Rive takes you on the 15-minute trip to the island where Jacques Cartier's men gathered coudres (hazelnuts) in 1535. Since then, the island has produced many a goélette (a type of sailing ship), and the families of former captains now run several small inns. You can bike around the island and see windmills and water mills, or stop at the stores selling paintings and crafts, such as traditional handwoven household linens.
St-Joseph-de-la-Rive, Québec, Canada877-787–7483-ferry schedules -
15. La Forge à Pique-Assaut
This working forge belongs to the talented local artisan Guy Bel, who has done ironwork restoration for Québec City. He was born in Lyon, France, and studied there at the École des Beaux-Arts. You can watch him and his team at work; his stylish candlesticks, chandeliers, fireplace tools, and other ironwork are for sale.
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16. La Halte Miel
Things are buzzing at this workshop and store devoted to bees and honey. An exhibit explains every aspect of honey production, and you can taste honey and honey ice creams, chocolates, and snacks made by bees that have fed on different kinds of flowers, including clover and blueberry. It's a 10-minute drive east of Montmorency Falls.
8862 boul. Ste-Anne, Château-Richer, Québec, G0A 1N0, Canada418-824–4411Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
17. Maison d'affinage Maurice Dufour
The Dufour family produces some of the best cheese in the region, made from the milk of the herds of sheep and cows that can be seen grazing around the property in the summer. A modern and elegant tasting room allows visitors to discover the various cheeses and find out more about production, and taste the fresh and fun wines that they make from local vines. They've even started distilling vodka and spirits from whey, a fun way to produce something delicious from cheese-making by-products. A restaurant called Les Faux Bergers, featuring lots of wood-fired dishes, is also on the premises.
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18. Maison Gourdeau de Beaulieu
The island's first home was built in 1648 for Jacques Gourdeau de Beaulieu, who was the first seigneur (a landholder who distributed lots to tenant farmers) of Ste-Pétronille. Remodeled over the years, this white house with blue shutters now incorporates both French and Québec styles. Its thick walls and dormer windows are characteristic of Breton architecture, but its sloping, bell-shaped roof, designed to protect buildings from large amounts of snow, is typical Québec style. The house is not open to the public.
137 chemin du Bout de l'Île, Ste-Pétronille, Québec, G0A 4C0, Canada -
19. Maison René Richard
Many of Québec's greatest landscape artists, including Jean-Paul Lemieux and Clarence Gagnon, have depicted the area, and a selection of these works is on show here (some are also for sale). The gallery was Gagnon's former studio and also the home of painter René Richard for the last 43 years of his life. Guided tours of the studio are available for groups.
58 rue St-Jean-Baptiste, Baie-St-Paul, Québec, G3Z 1L9, Canada418-435–5571Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free; call for group tour rates -
20. Manoir Mauvide-Genest
St-Jean's beautiful Normandy-style manor was built in 1734 for Jean Mauvide, the surgeon to Louis XV, and his wife, Marie-Anne Genest. The most notable thing about this house, which still has its original thick walls, ceiling beams, and fireplaces, is the degree to which it has held up over the years. The house serves as an interpretation center of New France's seigneurial regime, with 18th-century furniture, a historic vegetable garden, a multimedia presentation, and tours with guides dressed in 18th-century costumes.
1451 chemin Royal, St-Jean, Québec, G0A 3W0, Canada418-829–2630Sight Details
Rate Includes: C$10 with guided tour. Groups of 20 or more only.
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