Sunset cruises along the St. Lawrence River, evening carriage rides and strolling by starlight along 18th-century city ramparts are just a few of the top 10 romantic things to do in Québec City. Book a Québec City hotel and plan a weekend to remember.Take in views of North America’s most romantic city aboard a Croisières AML ship. Float under a glowing sky at sunset, dance with Château Frontenac and Old Québec’s 18th-century architecture as a backdrop. In summer, raise a toast to the explosive Loto-Québec International Fireworks competition.
10 rue Dalhousie, Lower Town
The rhythm of your horse’s hoofs and carriage wheels echo off 18th-century stone alleyways on evening rides through Old Québec. In warm weather, couples watch the stars come out as they pass the Notre-Dame Basilica. In winter, they snuggle under thick lap blankets to see street lights twinkle under a layer of snow.
Sweethearts dine on French cuisine in candlelit 18th-century inns, finishing their meal with maple syrup pie and glasses of ice wine, one of the top 10 romantic things to do in Québec City. Look for golden-hued restaurants in the hidden alleys around Place-Royale or along the Upper Town artery, rue Saint-Louis.
Spend mornings lingering over rich lattes, French pastries and pots of local blueberry jam at boulangeries and coffee shops throughout Québec City. Choose a table along the rue du Petit-Champlain for morning people-watching, or stroll the narrow streets around Parc des Gouverneurs as Québec City awakens.
Before returning to your Québec City hotel, take a starlit stroll atop the 18th-century city walls. Narrow stairways pierce the thick stone walls from the inside, allowing access to the ramparts and bird’s-eye views of Québec City’s twinkling lights reflected in the St. Lawrence River.
Feast on classic French cuisine overlooking the St. Lawrence River at Le Champlain, the Château Frontenac’s sumptuous wood and crystalline restaurant. Québec City’s most famous hotel also has a piano bar, perfect for a quiet nightcap. And upstairs, Château Frontenac’s soaring towers embrace rooms with rich brocades, thick duvets and first-class service.
1 rue des Carrières, Old Québec
The brightly-colored hot air balloons of Québec Montgolfières dance among the clouds above Québec City. Visitors drift over the rooftops of the city, past the jagged form of the city ramparts, the star-shaped Citadel, the gleaming St. Lawrence and St. Charles Rivers, and the birthplace of French Canada.
450 rue Champlain, Old Québec
Beneath the Château Frontenac, the broad boardwalk of the Terrasse Dufferin borders the cliff face of Cap Diamant. Stock up on French bread, local cheese, fresh strawberries and a bottle of Québec wine and picnic at the wrought-iron rail of the Terrasse, overlooking the Lower Town and the St. Lawrence River.
Visitors to Erico’s Chocolate Museum learn how some of the world’s most romantic delicacies are made. Afterward, they visit the chocolaterie to watch as decadent chocolate truffles, rosettes and hearts are hand-dipped and drizzled. A cafeteria serves up rich hot chocolate, cakes and ice creams.
634 rue Saint-Jean, Downtown
The oldest street in Québec City opens its charming doors to shoppers, selling mementos of a romantic getaway. Couples can buy local antiques, pastel cityscapes, bottles of wine and honey to take home from a romantic tour of Québec City.
