What to do during a Long Weekend in Quebec City- Our Itinerary
There are moments in life when you just need to get away, refresh and rest so you can get back in the game at full operating capacity! We were at that point and so, decided it was time to book a trip - north!
This was our first time visiting Quebec City and to be honest...it will most certainly not be the last!
This captivating city has all the old world charm and romanticism of Europe yet is only a 6.5 hour drive from where we live in the Hudson Valley and is only an 8 hour drive from NYC.
Sit back relax and enjoy as we reminisce and share our travel diary with you, highlighting our favorite eats, what we saw, did and some tips we learned from this trip.
At a glance:
Where We Stayed -
For this trip we split our stay between the iconic Fairmont Chateau de Frontenac and the Hilton Quebec City.
What we did -
Fairmont Chateau De Frontenac (Trust us even if you don't stay...its very much worth a visit!)
Duffern Terresse/ Funicular
The old Port (shops, architecture, cafes)
The Citadel (we didn't do the museum this trip but its on the list for next time!)
Parc Montmorency
Boutique Mary's Popcorn Shop (if you love popcorn... this is a must visit)
Strom Nordique Spa
Where We ATE -
Le SAM
Place Dufferin
Nord Restaurant (Inside Strom Spa Old Quebec)
Le Hobbit
Hortus Bistro
We arrived at the iconic Fairmont, Chateau de Frontenac after 1:30 am on Friday morning! It was a perfect arrival time as we got to take a moment to wander around this stunning hotel while not a creature was stirring, well except for the lovely overnight staff ready to great you with a smile and to help settle you into your room! We understand why this hotel holds the record for the most photographed in the world, with is picturesque castle like features and rich history, even if you don't book a room we highly recommend walking through or even booking a meal at one of their world class restaurants.
We awoke to a bit of a squall outside of our window and decided to sleep in a bit. By the time we awoke for the second time, the skies were clear and the most stunning blue. Since the weather was cold and windy we opted to continue exploring the Chateau. We missed breakfast so decided to have lunch at Le SAM. With a gorgeous view of the St. Lawrence River we feasted on a delectable meal! (More on this spot to come!) After more exploring, and a nap we decided to head to the pool for a swim.
That evening we basked in the luxury of staying in and ordering room service! The gentleman binging the food to our room was positively out of a Wes Anderson movie, with very broken English and mostly French explanations of what delights were under the silver domes he set the table for us to perfection, even when we didn't quite understand all he said, there was such a feeling of hospitality and excellence that transcended all languages and truly reinspired us.
The next morning we went to breakfast at the lovely Place Duffern inside The Fairmont. They serve a glorious breakfast buffet, with chefs on the ready to make specialty eggs bennidict on top of all other myriad of options. The all you can eat fresh flaky pastries, yogurt, cereal, meats, cheeses, eggs, beans, honestly you name it and its a breakfast item...they have it! Plus all the coffee you could drink!
After breakfast we checked out of the Chateau and left our luggage and car with the amazing valet as we went to go explore the city a bit.
We walked around a bit visiting a few shops like Bagages de France, before arriving at The Citadel.