We are taking my mother (78) up to QC in mid may for about 4 nites and planning on staying at a vacation rental apt in the old city. Can I get some suggestions on activities? It looks like many of the river cruises are not active until late May but there may be a whale watching trip that we can go on.

The whale watching would be in the Tadoussac area , approx. 2.5 -3 hours east .....

Take a look at the Biodôme. Very interesting for ALL ages! http://www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/biodome/bdm.htm

The Biodome is 3 hours from Quebec City . It is cool though !!

You could do the Gondola at Montmorency Falls ..... Also the Gondola at Mont St.Anne . ( 10 and 20 minutes respectively from Quebec City ). Horse and Carriage through the plains of Abraham . Cross over on the local ferry to Levis , have a coffee and croissant looking across to Chateau Frontenac . I believe the Frontenac has high tea as well . Wander around Place Royale , look into galleries and shops .... Explore Rue St.Paul and all the antique shops . The city itself is the main draw , extremely charming .

Sorry! hahaha I thought you were coming to Montreal... Biodôme IS a bit out of your way if you're in Québec! ;-)

This may be a stupid question but is Quebec really hilly? My mom can do ok walking on mostly flat surfaces but has problems with hills.

4 nights in QC is more than enough time to see the entire old section. I believe there is a changing of the guard ceremony at the fort just outside the walls. Also, there is a tall office building a few blocks outside the city that has an observatoy and some historical exhibits. If you have a car, try and do a drive around Ile d'Orleans - it's like driving thru the 19th century French countryside.
One thing to consider - Quebec City is physically much like an old French city, with lots of cobblestones, steps, and hills, so it could be tricky for an elderly person the do extended walking if they have mobility problems. If you get tired, you may need to stop at an outdoor cafe for a pick me up

thanks for your reply zootsi...that's what I was afraid of....she has a tricky knee which might just get too aggravated by walking on uneven surfaces and climbing hills.

Very hilly ....

Just wanted to say that QC is not all hilly and tricky to walk - it's nothing like San Francisco. It's quite a climb from the lower city to the upper, but there is a funicular (small cable car). All in all, there is quite a bit of level ground, but some parts can be tricky.
PS: Try and get a copy of the free Tourist Guide book for Quebec City put out by the Quebec tourist bureau (bonjourquebec.com) - it's worth it's weight in gold.

I'm sure you'll look up the weather, but dress warm! I'm assuming your from South Carolina - I'm from Iowa and May is usually cool here, but when I was in Quebec City in May last year, there were still snow drifts that hadn't melted! We about froze!

That said, I LOVED Quebec City and can't wait to go back. Have fun!

Hi Leahinsc,

Quebec City is very hilly in parts, indeed, but I certainly would not let this fact dissuade you from paying a visit to la Vieille Capitale. True that between the Haute Ville (Upper City) and the Basse Ville (Lower City), it's practically a cliff in many places with I'd estimate maybe 100-200 feet separating Haute & Basse. There's some steps named les Escaliers Casse-Cou (Breakneck stairs) that connect the two which I wouldn't recommend someone taking with infirmities.

However, within the Haute Ville & Basse Ville themselves, the terrain is more gentle in many places (along the Plaines d'Abraham toward the Terrasse Dufferin). Also, Modern Quebec City has in addition to the funicular (which you pay for) put in at least one public elevator (near Cote Ste. Genevieve) to get from the Haute to the Basse.

Enjoy! DAN