Old Quebec City Food Tour: 10+ Authentic Local Tastings

Five stops, ten tastings, one afternoon through four centuries of Québécois cooking

This three-hour food tour through Old Quebec takes you on foot through the historic neighborhood's cobblestone streets to five local restaurants and food stops, with 10+ tastings of Québécois classics, from Lion's Mane mushrooms and duck carpaccio to pea soup, pâté chinois, handmade gnocchi, maple taffy, croissants and poutine. Groups stay small. A live guide in English shares the stories behind the dishes and the 400-year-old architecture around them. On Sundays and Mondays, the gnocchi stop swaps for oat risotto with rock shrimp.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Old Quebec1h 30m
2. Dufferin Terrace20m

Explore Old Québec and local tastings

• Walk through Old Québec streets
• Visit Château Frontenac viewpoint
• See Québec City municipal government building
• Stroll along Dufferin Terrace boardwalk
• Explore smallest house and Ursuline Convent
• View Québec City's Swiss clock
• Enjoy 10+ authentic local food tastings

The experience

You start in Old Quebec, the historic neighborhood where the tour stays contained within the walls. The route weaves through cobblestone streets past Château Frontenac (the grand hotel that dominates the skyline and is one of the most photographed landmarks in Canada), and along Dufferin Terrace, the wooden boardwalk above the St. Lawrence River. Your guide points out the Swiss clock and shares the contrast between the Ursuline Convent, founded in 1639 and home to the oldest girls' school on the continent, and the tiny building beside it often called the smallest house in North America. These stops frame the walking route, but the food is what anchors the afternoon.

The first tasting is earthy Lion's Mane mushrooms and duck breast carpaccio. Then comes the holy trio of traditional Québécois cooking: silky pea soup, savory pâté chinois, and fresh maple taffy. The kind locals have eaten for generations. At a 200-year-old home, you eat handmade gnocchi bathed in cheddar, cream, shallot, and white wine with a black garlic crumble (or on Sundays and Mondays, oat risotto crowned with a rock shrimp salad). A sweet stop brings sucre à la crème and what many locals call the best croissant in the city. The tour closes with poutine. Water is included throughout.

The walk covers a fair amount of ground, so comfortable shoes matter. Groups are kept small so every stop feels personal rather than rushed. The itinerary and menu can shift based on what the restaurants have available that day, and you should flag any dietary restrictions when you book so the stops can be adjusted.

What’s included

• Lion's Mane mushroom starter and duck breast carpaccio.
• traditional pea soup, pâté chinois, and maple taffy.
• handmade gnocchi with cheddar, cream, shallot, white wine and black garlic crumble (Tuesday–Saturday) or oat risotto with rock shrimp salad (Sunday–Monday).
• sucre à la crème and a croissant.
• traditional poutine.
• water throughout the tour.
• live English-speaking guide.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day5 departure times: the first at 11:00, the last at 13:00

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (3 to 12 years) · Infant (under 3)

GroupUp to 16

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by Local Quebec Food Tours

Is this one for you?If you're arriving in Quebec City without a car or staying elsewhere in the city, this tour starts and stays within Old Quebec's walls, so you walk from stop to stop without needing transport between tastings. The three-hour window fits a free afternoon, and the small group size means you're not herded through the neighborhood. You move at the pace of the food and the stories behind it.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (3 to 12 years); Infant (under 3).

How much walking is involved in the Old Quebec food tour?

The tour involves a fair amount of walking through the cobblestone streets of Old Quebec, so comfortable shoes are recommended. The route stays within the historic neighborhood's walls and passes landmarks like Château Frontenac and Dufferin Terrace, but the pace is set around the food stops rather than sightseeing sprints.

What happens on Sundays and Mondays? Is the menu different?

On Sundays and Mondays, the handmade gnocchi stop is swapped for oat risotto crowned with a rock shrimp salad. The other nine tastings (the mushrooms, duck carpaccio, pea soup, pâté chinois, maple taffy, croissant, sucre à la crème and poutine) remain the same across all departures.

Can I do this tour if I have dietary restrictions?

Yes, advise the operator of any dietary restrictions in the Special Requirements field when you book, and the stops can be adjusted to accommodate them. Water is included, and the guide can work with the restaurants to modify tastings as needed.

Is the guide included, and what language do they speak?

A live guide in English leads the tour and shares the stories behind the dishes and the architecture of Old Quebec. Groups are kept small so the guide can make each stop feel personal.

What is Dufferin Terrace, and why is it part of the walking route?

Dufferin Terrace is the wooden boardwalk running along the St. Lawrence River beside Château Frontenac. It offers sweeping views over the water and is woven into the walking route through Old Quebec as one of the scenic stops between food tastings.

How long does the tour take?

The tour runs three hours, with five stops spread through Old Quebec's cobblestone streets. The pace is set around the tastings and the stories the guide shares, not rushed sightseeing.