Quebec City: Winter walking tour with local guide

Summary

Exploring Old Quebec’s snowy heart with a local

You’ll follow a local guide through Old Quebec’s snowy lanes, hear stories of early winters at Royal Square, and see Notre-Dame de Québec Basilica-Cathedral up close. From Dufferin Terrace to Petit-Champlain’s glowing lights, you’ll feel both the chill and warmth of Quebec City in winter — moments you’ll remember long after your boots dry out.

4.78

(18 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

The first thing I noticed was the crunch of snow under my boots — not the soft kind, but that squeaky, packed-down stuff you only get in real winter. Our guide, Lucie, waved us over near Place-Royale, cheeks red from the cold but smiling like she’d just come in from a warm kitchen. She started telling us about Samuel de Champlain and Jacques Cartier surviving their first winters here. I tried to imagine it, but honestly, even with my layers, my nose was already tingling.

We wandered through narrow streets where the wind whipped around corners and carried the smell of wood smoke from somewhere (someone’s fireplace maybe?). Lucie pointed out Notre-Dame de Québec Basilica-Cathedral — she said it’s older than most things in North America. I liked how she didn’t rush; she let us linger on Dufferin Terrace so we could watch kids sliding down little hills and locals chatting in French. There was this moment when a woman passed by pulling a sled full of groceries — just normal life here, apparently.

I didn’t expect to laugh so much on a winter walking tour in Quebec City, but Lucie had stories about ice fishing and old winter festivals that made everyone grin (she even mimed catching a fish with her bare hands — not sure if that’s how it really works). My favorite part was ducking into Petit-Champlain district; lights strung overhead made everything glow against the snow. The cold kind of faded into the background after a while. I still think about that view down the street — blue dusk settling in, people’s breath hanging in the air.

1h 30m